2018 Dallas Cowboys Offseason Thread

[Otis Driftwood]

Read on Twitter

[bluejerseyjinx]

I was reading all the posts in the Pats/Brady legacy thread in the general board. Every time I read something like that I just can't help wonder what Staubach and Montana would have done if they could have played an extra 8 years like Brady and Manning. I don't know if I am envious, zealous or what. I think I feel we got somewhat cheated in our 20 year stretch compared to the Patriots. Only having Roger the Dodger for 8.5 years (even though he joined the team in 1969 after serving 4 years of the Navel academy after being drafted in 1964) compared to the Patriots having Brady for 17 years now, continues to eat away at me. What could have been if Roger could have played for 17 years? What would have our 20 year stretch have looked like then? I bet we would have not lost those 3 straight NFC Championship games between 1980 - 1983 when we still had most of our main horses minus a couple (Harris and Henderson). And of course, one could also go back and blame Tom Landry for taking so long to groom Staubach. From 1968 - 1972, the Dallas Doomsday I defense was at its peak and pretty much needed a game manager with all the offensive weapons we had on the team. Landry didn't like young QB's at that time and it costs us Super Bowl V and the playoff blowout the year before vs. the Browns.
Then when you put everything in a nut shell, after starting from nothing in 1960, we managed to make back to back NFL Championships in 1966 and 1967 vs. the 1960's team of the decade. Both games went down to the very final couple minutes. And despite just giving one Super Bowl away in 1971, we lost 2 heart breakers to the team of the 70's. One of which was a game of the ages for back them. Most super bowls were blowouts for a couple decades after that.
Maybe I'm just getting old. I feel we got short changed during our 20 year stretch now, looking back. (Of course we didn't have the pleasure and luxury of playing Miami, Jets and the Buffalo bills every year either. The NFC East was a true beat all the time during our 20 year stretch). And it drives me so nuts when I see these post from younger Cowboy fans somehow. I just feel the real Cowboy Tradition and the real America's Team is being over looked and disrespected. And in some cases its not only the younger Cowboy fans. maybe its just a generational thing. I don't know. I just get a bad pit in my stomach every time I hear, Manning, Brady, Brees,etc., as best ever. I end up drinking more wine and margaritas.

[Mr B]

Read on Twitter

I know we need a 1-tech but from everything I’ve heard Hurst is legit. If drafted he’d immediately be the best 3-tech on the roster.

[Otis Driftwood]

Read on Twitter

I know we need a 1-tech but from everything I’ve heard Hurst is legit. If drafted he’d immediately be the best 3-tech on the roster.

Kinda how I see it as well. Maybe not the ideal 3 that Marinelli looks for but I bet he could learn it.

[gravytrain24]

If we get vita, it would be a miracle for me and I would love it. But I have to admit with you guys, we need to address a few more areas as well.

A guy I would love to see them target in FA is Allen Robinson. Either him or Jarvis Landry. Robinson is coming off a torn ACL so he might be cheaper but either one would be great on this team. Dez would have to take that paycut or be released for it to happen though.

I'm big time in favor of getting Allen Robinson and getting rid of DEZ. Thought about mentioning it a couple weeks ago but wasn't sure how you guys would react.

Three recievers on my list that we should be able to get cheaper: Cam Meredith, Paul Richardson or Josh Gordon on a heavily incentivized contract or let's just hope Ridley falls. I would like to see them go after Trey Burton, I feel he can be Wittens replacement and effective in the 12 package.

[Mr B]

A guy I would love to see them target in FA is Allen Robinson. Either him or Jarvis Landry. Robinson is coming off a torn ACL so he might be cheaper but either one would be great on this team. Dez would have to take that paycut or be released for it to happen though.

I'm big time in favor of getting Allen Robinson and getting rid of DEZ. Thought about mentioning it a couple weeks ago but wasn't sure how you guys would react.

Three recievers on my list that we should be able to get cheaper: Cam Meredith, Paul Richardson or Josh Gordon on a heavily incentivized contract or let's just hope Ridley falls. I would like to see them go after Trey Burton, I feel he can be Wittens replacement and effective in the 12 package.

I’d really love to see them draft TE Dallas Goedert if he falls to them in the 2nd round. He’d be a great replacement for Witten and an great weapon for Dak to throw to.

[Otis Driftwood]

A guy I would love to see them target in FA is Allen Robinson. Either him or Jarvis Landry. Robinson is coming off a torn ACL so he might be cheaper but either one would be great on this team. Dez would have to take that paycut or be released for it to happen though.

I'm big time in favor of getting Allen Robinson and getting rid of DEZ. Thought about mentioning it a couple weeks ago but wasn't sure how you guys would react.

Three recievers on my list that we should be able to get cheaper: Cam Meredith, Paul Richardson or Josh Gordon on a heavily incentivized contract or let's just hope Ridley falls. I would like to see them go after Trey Burton, I feel he can be Wittens replacement and effective in the 12 package.

If Richardson asks for $7M as I read, I don't see the Cowboys going that direction. Meredith is intriguing but it seems like we have guys like him already. I just don't think we can touch Gordon. I'm fine looking in the draft (2nd Round) as there will be quality there.

I like the idea of Burton as a fit. Quite a bit.

[Mr B]

I'm big time in favor of getting Allen Robinson and getting rid of DEZ. Thought about mentioning it a couple weeks ago but wasn't sure how you guys would react.

Three recievers on my list that we should be able to get cheaper: Cam Meredith, Paul Richardson or Josh Gordon on a heavily incentivized contract or let's just hope Ridley falls. I would like to see them go after Trey Burton, I feel he can be Wittens replacement and effective in the 12 package.

If Richardson asks for $7M as I read, I don't see the Cowboys going that direction. Meredith is intriguing but it seems like we have guys like him already. I just don't think we can touch Gordon. I'm fine looking in the draft (2nd Round) as there will be quality there.

I like the idea of Burton as a fit. Quite a bit.

I still expect that they will place a 2nd round tender on David Irving and expect another team to sign him. They could replace Irving with Maurice Hurst or Vita Vea (hopefully) and then have two 2nd round picks to find a WR, LB, or OL.

[bluejerseyjinx]

Three recievers on my list that we should be able to get cheaper: Cam Meredith, Paul Richardson or Josh Gordon on a heavily incentivized contract or let's just hope Ridley falls. I would like to see them go after Trey Burton, I feel he can be Wittens replacement and effective in the 12 package.

If Richardson asks for $7M as I read, I don't see the Cowboys going that direction. Meredith is intriguing but it seems like we have guys like him already. I just don't think we can touch Gordon. I'm fine looking in the draft (2nd Round) as there will be quality there.

I like the idea of Burton as a fit. Quite a bit.

I still expect that they will place a 2nd round tender on David Irving and expect another team to sign him. They could replace Irving with Maurice Hurst or Vita Vea (hopefully) and then have two 2nd round picks to find a WR, LB, or OL.

Where can I sign?

[Otis Driftwood]

Cowboys Draft Digest: Vol 1 - Wide Receivers
https://theathletic.com/225015/2018/02/12/cowboys-draft-digest-wide-receivers-volume-1-ridley-kirk-sutton-miller-washington/

An abridged version of Bob Sturm's analysis. Only posting his overall summaries. If you aren't already a subscriber, I can't recommend the Athletic enough. It is a sports geek's kingdom. Way more in depth than this summary.

I'll try to post his weekly updates as he works his way through all positions before the draft.

Calvin Ridley - Alabama - 6-1 - 190

Overall: Ridley can be a slot superstar for years to come. He can run the full route tree and run it well. There seem to be no holes to concern a team because when he pairs with a proper NFL QB, the sky should be the limit for Ridley, a clear first-round player.


Christian Kirk - Texas A&M - 5-11, 200

Overall: In a league where we have seen players like Doug Baldwin and Golden Tate succeed on Sundays, there is no question Kirk has plenty of upside and electricity. His versatility will need to be proven, but when it comes to checking the boxes of a passing league where elusiveness and juice against the always-athletic defenses they face, Kirk is another guy that will go quickly. I have a first/second grade on Kirk, but I expect he is gone on Day 1.


Courtland Sutton - SMU - 6-4, 215

Overall: I really like Sutton after some initial skepticism, though I am not sure I like him for every scheme and situation. For instance, I think he might be an odd fit in Dallas initially as I believe they are targeting "separation" more than size in this draft, and I think he would offer some redundancies with Bryant early on. But, because of his traits and his overall package, this is another player I think I would rank in the second round (despite knowing full well that someone is likely to pull the trigger in the first).


Anthony Miller - Memphis - 5-11, 190

Overall: This is my guy. He is as fun a prospect as I have watched for this draft, and I must confess that there is little I will offer you that won't appear to be glowing. I think he would be perfect underneath but can also go vertically and win with regularity. If I am going to take a smaller WR, I need one that has an aggressive disposition underneath. I have Miller as a first/second and would be quite fired up if the Cowboys could find him available on Day 2. Probably a long shot.


James Washington - Oklahoma State - 5-11, 210

Overall: This man will absolutely take the top off the defense. He has confidence and he should. He showed up and played well at the Senior Bowl and that definitely helped his case, despite his measurements dropping him well below 6-feet. I would not be shocked if Dallas locks in on Washington and targets him in Round 2 - despite his potential redundancy with what they currently have. A second-round grade is a good spot for him.

Bob Sturm - The Athletic

[Otis Driftwood]

Some hot sports opinions from Charles Haley...

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2018/02/12/charles-haleys-message-cowboys-jerry-built-house-bunch-damn-losers

If you were Jerry Jones, would you sign DeMarcus Lawrence to a big-money extension?

"I think that he's shown the Cowboys what he can do, but it always come down to the team. I want Lawrence to get all the money he can, but I also want them to finish and get a Super Bowl. So they've got to get some offensive players, too, to help them become great. They don't have to go defense. Lawrence will be there regardless, even if he's just franchise tagged, he's going to be there. Jerry's got to be crazy not to do it when you've got somebody special like that.

"Taco [Charlton] came on at the end of the year. He's finally getting confidence in himself. You've got Tyrone Crawford, he played a hell of a year."

Have you seen enough from David Irving to keep him around? Irving missed the first four games due to a suspension and the last four due to a concussion.

"It ain't how you start, it's how you finish. I guess he finished hurt. My thing is I'm not a fan. I think that when the game is on the line, you need the dog to show up. You don't need the dog making excuses. I'm not an excuse guy, so I'm not a fan."

Dallas Morning News

[Otis Driftwood]

Three recievers on my list that we should be able to get cheaper: Cam Meredith, Paul Richardson or Josh Gordon on a heavily incentivized contract or let's just hope Ridley falls. I would like to see them go after Trey Burton, I feel he can be Wittens replacement and effective in the 12 package.

If Richardson asks for $7M as I read, I don't see the Cowboys going that direction. Meredith is intriguing but it seems like we have guys like him already. I just don't think we can touch Gordon. I'm fine looking in the draft (2nd Round) as there will be quality there.

I like the idea of Burton as a fit. Quite a bit.

I still expect that they will place a 2nd round tender on David Irving and expect another team to sign him. They could replace Irving with Maurice Hurst or Vita Vea (hopefully) and then have two 2nd round picks to find a WR, LB, or OL.

You subscribe to The Athletic? Strum has a VERY interesting take on Irving... which when combined with Haley’s observations don’t leave me with a warm fuzzy around young Mr. Irving.

[Mr B]

If Richardson asks for $7M as I read, I don't see the Cowboys going that direction. Meredith is intriguing but it seems like we have guys like him already. I just don't think we can touch Gordon. I'm fine looking in the draft (2nd Round) as there will be quality there.

I like the idea of Burton as a fit. Quite a bit.

I still expect that they will place a 2nd round tender on David Irving and expect another team to sign him. They could replace Irving with Maurice Hurst or Vita Vea (hopefully) and then have two 2nd round picks to find a WR, LB, or OL.

You subscribe to The Athletic? Strum has a VERY interesting take on Irving... which when combined with Haley’s observations don’t leave me with a warm fuzzy around young Mr. Irving.

I don’t, what did he say? That’s just what I’ve been reading. That they would prefer to move on from him but obviously want compensation.

[Otis Driftwood]

I don’t, what did he say? That’s just what I’ve been reading. That they would prefer to move on from him but obviously want compensation.

Here's the part of his article that (along with Charles Haley's opinion) has me scratching my head...

So, why are the Cowboys internally debating his future to a point where it is highly possible he has already played his last game in their uniform?

Great question.

It appears he has been a headache quite often during his tenure with Dallas. There has been frustration at times from making sure he was handling his body correctly to even making sure he was serious about his concussion recovery in December. In fact, you could argue that he was a headache at Iowa State, which caused him to go undrafted in the first place.

He is certainly a player that will occasionally try an organization's patience or make NFL lifers roll their eyes when he wears too much jewelry to practice – and bad things happen.

Read on Twitter

I would never suggest I know what Irving is truly like behind closed doors. The Cowboys work with him every day and they know which levels of personality they find acceptable in their efforts to assemble the “right kind of guys” that Jason Garrett is so insistent about in interviews. Yet, they lead the league in suspensions (by a mile) over the last several seasons and seem to pick and choose their battles based on selective reasoning that frustrates their fan base.

I will say this, though. I do know what kind of player he is on the field. He is the type of player you think can only be had in the 1st round. In fact, in 2018's draft, he might go #1 overall compared to the rest of the group. He makes the types of plays you search for when drafting and then accept that they can only be found up top. He makes plays that compare him favorably with the best interior linemen in the sport.

Pro Football Focus rated him as the 2nd best “pass rush productivity” DT in the entire league in 2017 behind Geno Atkins ($10.5m per year), and ahead of Fletcher Cox ($17m per) and Kawaan Short ($16m). I am not here to say he is the complete player that they are and I am certainly not here to say he is the same type of guy in the locker-room. But, to talk yourself into walking away from that seems crazy.

Just food for thought.

(BTW - The Athletic is GREAT!!! If you have a few discretionary bucks to throw around, it's well worth the investment.)

[bluejerseyjinx]

Is what I am hearing today true guys? Cowboys want to redo Dez Bryant's contract dropping him down to 8.75 million, down from 16 million or take a walk.

[Otis Driftwood]

Is what I am hearing today true guys? Cowboys want to redo Dez Bryant's contract dropping him down to 8.75 million, down from 16 million or take a walk.

Stephen pretty much said this a couple of weeks ago. Who is reporting it?

[Otis Driftwood]

And Kevin Sherrington's analysis in the Dallas Morning News...

Stephen Jones’ not-so-subtle message shows Cowboys finally getting real with Dez Bryant
https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2018/01/22/14-million-nope-cowboys-just-got-real-dez-bryant

If you were wondering whether the only people to pay for a Cowboys season without playoffs would be a half-dozen assistants, your answer came Monday.

One way or another, Dez Bryant will pay.

Of course, we've already covered in this space how it not only could happen but should. But as you may have noticed, it's not always clear if the Cowboys get it. Been thinking about asking Jason Garrett to blink twice, maybe.

Anyway, as it turns out, Stephen Jones made it abundantly clear Monday on the Cowboys' "Hangin' with the 'Boys" podcast that they understand.

First, Jones talked about the fact that, in two seasons, Dez hasn't developed the same chemistry with Dak that he had with Tony Romo.

Calling it "a work in progress," he added: "I think it could improve if given the opportunity."

Two things to note in that sentence: the word "could," which doesn't exactly connote confidence, and "if given the opportunity."

Does that sound anything close to assurance about your so-called No. 1 receiver?

In case you were thinking Jones might have just chosen his words poorly, he wasn't finished. He also brought up the fact that - surprise! - Dez can be a distraction "for other teammates." This from an organization that has gone out of its way to call Dez's tantrums signs of "passion." As best I can recall, no one in the organization had ever suggested he can be a distraction.

And then there's the fact that Dez is down to make $12.5 million in base salary next year, which is an awful lot to pay a guy with such pedestrian stats.

Also strike three, for those counting at home.

"He knows when you get paid that kind of money," Jones said, "there's high expectations in terms of the productivity.

"Those are all things we have to look at as a team, as an organization, when we start to put our team together for next year."

Jones' not-so-subtle message doesn't necessarily mean Dez won't be back next season. But if he is, you can bet it won't come at a price of $12.5 million.

And, finally, that's a place to start.

Kevin Sherrington - Dallas Morning News

Repost...

[Mr B]

I haven’t heard that being reported yet. At least not outside of what Stephen said a couple weeks ago.

The Cowboys don’t really have to say or do anything anytime soon either. At least not unless they want to use the cap space that he would create. They could designate him a June 1st cut. Or they can actually wait until June 1st.

[bluejerseyjinx]

Is what I am hearing today true guys? Cowboys want to redo Dez Bryant's contract dropping him down to 8.75 million, down from 16 million or take a walk.

Stephen pretty much said this a couple of weeks ago. Who is reporting it?

I had a few friends and people at work say they heard it on ESPN. I guess Cactus Kellerman and Stephen A. were talking about it on first take. I don't watch espn hardly at all, so its hearsay as far as I am concerned.

[Otis Driftwood]

Is what I am hearing today true guys? Cowboys want to redo Dez Bryant's contract dropping him down to 8.75 million, down from 16 million or take a walk.

Stephen pretty much said this a couple of weeks ago. Who is reporting it?

I had a few friends and people at work say they heard it on ESPN. I guess Cactus Kellerman and Stephen A. were talking about it on first take. I don't watch espn hardly at all, so its hearsay as far as I am concerned.

In other words... those two knuckleheads ran out of **** to talk about and finally got to this.

Good. Quality sports talk right there.