Jerry pulls trigger for Cooper

[BipolarFuk]

Don't worry, I've heard this guy is the second coming of Marvin Harrison.

 

[mcnuttz]

Not me. As much as I don't like giving up a first for Cooper, I would have hated it even more for Thomas. He's nearing the end of his prime years. And making this defense even better, we still weren't winning anything the way this offense was going.

At least Cooper is young with a lot of upside. In an area where our team is hurting the most right now. Our offense has been complete trash. Our defense, even without Earl Thomas has been pretty damn good.

Plus, add in the very good chance we could add Thomas next year as a FA, costing us no draft picks.

We could draft a WR next year and not have to pay him $14 million to catch 50 passes.

 

[Simpleton]

The only way I can actually justify this trade, aside from the whole "getting final answers on Dak/Garrett" angle, is that Cooper is only 6 months older than Calvin Ridley.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

We could draft a WR next year and not have to pay him $14 million to catch 50 passes.

Yeah this has pretty much been my thought. Why not just draft someone in the first or second round? It will be way cheaper and you'll get someone who can play and grow in Dallas for a long time. Sort of like we did with Gallup. For that price Cooper doesn't just need to be better then all rookies in next years draft class. But he needs to be way better considering we don't usually even throw the ball more than 30 times a game. We aren't the Chiefs slinging the ball downfield 35-40 times every single game. This type of move would make way more sense for a team that would actually use a guy like that a lot more. All we want to do is run the ball and then hope Dak bails us out on third down when it fails.

 

[NoDak]

We could draft a WR next year and not have to pay him $14 million to catch 50 passes.

Could. Or maybe the WRs that would deserve to be picked in the first would be gone, and we'd do a panic reach for one. Or we pass on one all together in the first for another position. All speculation at this point.

Or we could have spent that pick on an expensive, aging defensive back that wasn't going to make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. Do you think the addition of Earl Thomas would have made much of a difference in the win/loss column? I don't. The defense is already playing at a high level. It's our offense that's holding this team back.

I would have rather kept the pick and passed on both trades. But that ship has sailed. And of the two unattractive options, imo if we were going to use our first round pick in a trade, I'm glad it was Cooper over Thomas.

And if the trade didn't happen, we could have used that first on a safety instead of Thomas. Just like in your scenario. A younger, cheaper option.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

The only way I can actually justify this trade, aside from the whole "getting final answers on Dak/Garrett" angle, is that Cooper is only 6 months older than Calvin Ridley.

But someone like Ridley costs nothing for the next 4 years. Cooper is going to cost some real money over that span. Seems like a poor use of resources.

 

[Rev]

Against the Skins Gallup was killing them. It's the best I have seen Gallup all year though. I don't know that we have seen that same separation for 7 games. Which is understandable for a third round rookie still getting his feet under him.

I led with Hurns because despite your claim he leads all of our receivers with snaps. So I don't think it's correct in saying Gallup is ahead of him in the pecking order except for the last two games when Gallup has finally gotten more snaps than him. Which coincidentally has been probably Daks two best throwing performances. Hurns still got more snaps than Beasley in both of those games though.

Last couple of games Gallup has the most snaps so I think Hurns having the most is just because they didnt want to force the rookie at the beginning. I'm sure it's going to continue being Gallup the rest of the way.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Last couple of games Gallup has the most snaps so I think Hurns having the most is just because they didnt want to force the rookie at the beginning. I'm sure it's going to continue being Gallup the rest of the way.

I agree and I'm thrilled with that prospective. Especially since I think Cooper is going to be taking all of those snaps from Hurns now. Which should relegate Hurns to more of what Thompson got the last couple games. Which is 10% and 23% of the snaps over the last two games. Swapping Hurns for Cooper certainly feels like a big improvement. Even though the cost for it was way too much.

 

[NoDak]

Last couple of games Gallup has the most snaps so I think Hurns having the most is just because they didnt want to force the rookie at the beginning. I'm sure it's going to continue being Gallup the rest of the way.

Exactly.

Just because Hurns was getting the work early, doesn't mean it will last. So, like I said, Gallup and Beasley are ahead of Hurns in the pecking order. Just like they should be.

 

[1bigfan13]

Dak has clear and obvious flaws but at least give the guy a chance with a QB coach who wasn't his backup a year ago.

This has been my argument going back to June. Jerry Jones and company pretty much gave Dak, Rush, and White the middle finger with their off-season moves.

Asking a group of young inexperienced QBs to make chicken salad out of chicken shit is straight up asinine.

 

[jsmith6919]

 

[1bigfan13]

Exactly.

Just because Hurns was getting the work early, doesn't mean it will last. So, like I said, Gallup and Beasley are ahead of Hurns in the pecking order. Just like they should be.

Yep.

Those two have clearly outperformed Hurns so it really shouldn't be a hard decision to start reducing Hurns' reps, especially once Cooper is fully settled in.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Exactly.

Just because Hurns was getting the work early, doesn't mean it will last. So, like I said, Gallup and Beasley are ahead of Hurns in the pecking order. Just like they should be.

And going forward the excuse really dries up with Cooper, Gallup and Beasley as the primary targets. Thompson goes away in a hole more than likely and Hurns gets relegated to those snaps instead.

 

[mcnuttz]

Could. Or maybe the WRs that would deserve to be picked in the first would be gone, and we'd do a panic reach for one. Or we pass on one all together in the first for another position. All speculation at this point.

Or we could have spent that pick on an expensive, aging defensive back that wasn't going to make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. Do you think the addition of Earl Thomas would have made much of a difference in the win/loss column? I don't. The defense is already playing at a high level. It's our offense that's holding this team back.

I would have rather kept the pick and passed on both trades. But that ship has sailed. And of the two unattractive options, imo if we were going to use our first round pick in a trade, I'm glad it was Cooper over Thomas.

And if the trade didn't happen, we could have used that first on a safety instead of Thomas. Just like in your scenario. A younger, cheaper option.

Yeah, I would have rather not traded for either...but it's more likely that Thomas could have put this defense over the top than Cooper turns Dak into a "read the field" QB.

 

[Smitty]

Yeah, I would have rather not traded for either...but it's more likely that Thomas could have put this defense over the top than Cooper turns Dak into a "read the field" QB.

The defense is already pretty much one of the best.

 

[NoDak]

Yeah, I would have rather not traded for either...but it's more likely that Thomas could have put this defense over the top than Cooper turns Dak into a "read the field" QB.

He probably would have made it better. But I still don't think it would have made much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. I seriously doubt we would would have made the playoffs by adding Thomas to an already very good defense. The offense is just that bad.

And don't get me wrong. I'm not saying Cooper will improve the offense so much that we will make the playoffs. Just that he's a young piece with upside that could be an important piece towards fixing that unit. One that could still be here performing at a high level a few years down the road when we could possibly be set to make some noise. If some changes are made.

But it's all a moot point, really. Until Jerry wises up and figures out that Garrett is the apple that's rotting the whole barrel, nothing will change.

 

[UncleMilti]

It's a valid point but it needs to be put in perspective. How does it compare with other NFL QBs? Because I'm not sure I've watched an NFL game where a QB didn't miss an open receiver on a play. So is Dak doing it at an alarming rate and is holding the receivers back? Or is Dak missing open guys on a rate similar to other QBs? I honestly don't know.

But it's also why every NFL QB believes they can get better. Because they all leave some plays on the field. And Dak definitely did against the Skins. Even though he generally threw the ball well.

I'd definitely love to see some sort of comparison there. Its one of the biggest negatives everyone piles on Dak about after a game.

Some of it could be perception, but the way the WR group has squawked there has to be something to the complaints.

 

[p1_]

The defense is already pretty much one of the best.

Theyre playing well, but the Skins manhandled our dline.
AP played inspired, outrunning Zeke by a good margin and Smith never felt consistent pressure.

 

[p1_]

I think that's Heath with the bad angle, and blocking Brown out of the play as well.

 

[UncleMilti]

I'm hoping Jones is still has his faculties enough to have made the internal decision to can Garrett at the end of the year if he doesn't win the East, or advance into the playoffs.

There's simply no excuses now....the defense is the best in Dallas in what, 10 years? You have a QB who did win 13 games his rookie season, along with a top 5 RB, and now a # 4 draft pick in Cooper along with a outstanding rookie WR in Gallup. The OL is a mess, but its still easily in the top 15 OL's in the league. TE is still an issue, but it shouldn't keep Dallas out of the playoffs with good coaching. I do believe coaching gets Dak to play better, along with the OL being more sound.

And theres the rub. Garrett and his staff aren't good enough to steal a win or 2 in the playoffs.