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Why Jay Ratliff continues to haunt Dallas Cowboys
By Rainer Sabin
rsabin@dallasnews.com
5:12 pm on March 18, 2014 |
One year ago, the Cowboys’ defensive line had the appearance of a formidable unit. Three players – Anthony Spencer, Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware – were former Pro Bowlers. Another, Jason Hatcher, was a player on the rise.
The Cowboys claimed that nucleus of talent was the strength of the team.
“We thought all were capable of playing really well,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said last month.
Now, three of the four players are gone. Ratliff was released last October, resurfacing in Chicago. Ware was cut last week, only to be snatched up by Denver. And Hatcher signed a four-year, $27.5 million contract with division rival Washington. Only Spencer has a chance to return. And he is a free agent recovering from a major knee operation.
What’s left of the defensive line is a mishmash of players with little experience and veterans with spotty resumes.
Could the Cowboys have anticipated this dramatic transformation?
Well, yes and no. Few could have predicted that Ware would have such a disappointing season in 2013. Even he was optimistic he would thrive as a defensive end in the team’s new 4-3 scheme. The Cowboys also couldn’t have forecast that Spencer would suffer a serious left knee injury that would prevent him from playing in all but one game. And Hatcher’s breakout campaign, when he collected a team-high 11 sacks, was unforeseen. He wasn’t even supposed to play the three-technique position he manned. Ratliff was.
Ahh…Ratliff.
In many ways, the decision not to cut Ratliff earlier than they did continues to burden the Cowboys. Many thought Dallas should have parted ways with Ratliff last spring. He had been arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated in January 2013. The month before he underwent season-ending surgery for a major groin injury, continuing a career nosedive that became more obvious as he failed to record a sack with the Cowboys in the final 10 games he played for them.
Considering the organization was aware of its deteriorating relationship with Ratliff – one that affected his rehabilitation and postponed his return to the field indefinitely — the choice not to dump the defensive tackle looks even worse in retrospect. But the team’s executives believed he would have had a career rebirth as an under tackle in the 4-3. He didn’t. He never even played a game for Dallas in 2013.
If they dropped Ratliff last March and made a straight cut, the team would have saved $1 million against the cap in 2013 and he would have been off the books this year. Instead, the Cowboys are now saddled with $6.9 million in dead money that is eating up valuable cap space. That cash, if it were available to spend, could have been invested in Henry Melton or Jared Allen, the defensive linemen who visited the Cowboys this week but may be too expensive to sign.
A year after Jones felt he had a front four that was among the best in the NFL, the unit is in the process of being rebuilt as the team remains squeezed financially.
“We really felt like we were getting after it in the defensive front and obviously it didn’t work out for us,” Jones said. “That’s part of the game we’re in and those things can work against you. We have to be accountable to it. We deserve criticism. We’ll accept that.”
And they’ll continue to pay for their faith in Ratliff, a player who continues to haunt the Cowboys months after he was finally sent away.
--------------------
Wrong.
Jerry's decision to sign Ratliff to begin with haunts the Cowboys.
People just don't get it.
Once you get the Jones Golden Ticket, you do not have to do anything, nor is there going to be any motivation by Jones to even look for your replacement.
By Rainer Sabin
rsabin@dallasnews.com
5:12 pm on March 18, 2014 |
One year ago, the Cowboys’ defensive line had the appearance of a formidable unit. Three players – Anthony Spencer, Jay Ratliff and DeMarcus Ware – were former Pro Bowlers. Another, Jason Hatcher, was a player on the rise.
The Cowboys claimed that nucleus of talent was the strength of the team.
“We thought all were capable of playing really well,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said last month.
Now, three of the four players are gone. Ratliff was released last October, resurfacing in Chicago. Ware was cut last week, only to be snatched up by Denver. And Hatcher signed a four-year, $27.5 million contract with division rival Washington. Only Spencer has a chance to return. And he is a free agent recovering from a major knee operation.
What’s left of the defensive line is a mishmash of players with little experience and veterans with spotty resumes.
Could the Cowboys have anticipated this dramatic transformation?
Well, yes and no. Few could have predicted that Ware would have such a disappointing season in 2013. Even he was optimistic he would thrive as a defensive end in the team’s new 4-3 scheme. The Cowboys also couldn’t have forecast that Spencer would suffer a serious left knee injury that would prevent him from playing in all but one game. And Hatcher’s breakout campaign, when he collected a team-high 11 sacks, was unforeseen. He wasn’t even supposed to play the three-technique position he manned. Ratliff was.
Ahh…Ratliff.
In many ways, the decision not to cut Ratliff earlier than they did continues to burden the Cowboys. Many thought Dallas should have parted ways with Ratliff last spring. He had been arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated in January 2013. The month before he underwent season-ending surgery for a major groin injury, continuing a career nosedive that became more obvious as he failed to record a sack with the Cowboys in the final 10 games he played for them.
Considering the organization was aware of its deteriorating relationship with Ratliff – one that affected his rehabilitation and postponed his return to the field indefinitely — the choice not to dump the defensive tackle looks even worse in retrospect. But the team’s executives believed he would have had a career rebirth as an under tackle in the 4-3. He didn’t. He never even played a game for Dallas in 2013.
If they dropped Ratliff last March and made a straight cut, the team would have saved $1 million against the cap in 2013 and he would have been off the books this year. Instead, the Cowboys are now saddled with $6.9 million in dead money that is eating up valuable cap space. That cash, if it were available to spend, could have been invested in Henry Melton or Jared Allen, the defensive linemen who visited the Cowboys this week but may be too expensive to sign.
A year after Jones felt he had a front four that was among the best in the NFL, the unit is in the process of being rebuilt as the team remains squeezed financially.
“We really felt like we were getting after it in the defensive front and obviously it didn’t work out for us,” Jones said. “That’s part of the game we’re in and those things can work against you. We have to be accountable to it. We deserve criticism. We’ll accept that.”
And they’ll continue to pay for their faith in Ratliff, a player who continues to haunt the Cowboys months after he was finally sent away.
--------------------
Wrong.
Jerry's decision to sign Ratliff to begin with haunts the Cowboys.
People just don't get it.
Once you get the Jones Golden Ticket, you do not have to do anything, nor is there going to be any motivation by Jones to even look for your replacement.
