McClain, Carter, or Durant?

[Donpingon]

I go with Mcclain. This team has not been exciting for long and both Durant/Carter come with pretty big question marks. Go with the homerun...if Mcclain and Lee are both hurt then sobeit, not like Durant or Carter have been prime examples for longevity in their careers.

 

[NoDak]

Give me McClain. Imo, he's what brought this defense together this year. He gave them an identity. An attitude. Showed them they could play together.

I think his nagging injuries down the stretch were from just getting worn down. He hasn't played a full season in some time. I think with a full offseason in our program, he'll be ok moving forward. I like the physicality and nastiness he provides in the middle.

Hopefully, we'll be able to bring back both him and Carter. One less problem to address in the draft.

 

[Smitty]

A bit off topic, but if you do end up starting McClain and Lee next year, IMO there is no way I'd also want to be starting Hitchens. He becomes a must have playing backing up all three spots because of the likelihood that either or both of Lee and McClain miss time.

 

[NoDak]

A bit off topic, but if you do end up starting McClain and Lee next year, IMO there is no way I'd also want to be starting Hitchens. He becomes a must have playing backing up all three spots because of the likelihood that either or both of Lee and McClain miss time.

That's stupid. If he's one of the top three talents at LB, start him. If there's an injury and we need to slide him over to fill another spot while a lesser player fills his, so be it. Cross that bridge if/when we come to it. Starting an inferior player and leaving talent on the bench because you're scared of injury would be ignorant.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

A bit off topic, but if you do end up starting McClain and Lee next year, IMO there is no way I'd also want to be starting Hitchens. He becomes a must have playing backing up all three spots because of the likelihood that either or both of Lee and McClain miss time.

This is terrible logic. "He is too valuable as a backup to be a starter."

If one of the other two get hurt shift Hitchens over and start Wilber at the SLBer spot. I really just can't follow your logic on this one.

 

[Texas Ace]

Now that everyone has made their choice clear, we can move on to what we think or hope might happen.

I personally believe none if the 3 will command significant money and as a result, we'll be able to bring back 2 of them.

Ideally, I'd love for the two to be McClain and Carter, but any combination of the two would be nice and would set us up nicely to have LB be even more of a strength than it was this year.

 

[Smitty]

That's stupid. If he's one of the top three talents at LB, start him. If there's an injury and we need to slide him over to fill another spot while a lesser player fills his, so be it. Cross that bridge if/when we come to it. Starting an inferior player and leaving talent on the bench because you're scared of injury would be ignorant.

I guess. Maybe the point then is that when one of Lee and McClain go down, if Hitchens is the starter and has to move over, you better have another starting caliber LB around to fill his spot. Like Durant on a minimum salary.

Cause you know its gonna happen and you don't want Cam Lawrence running around out there.

 

[mcnuttz]

Give me McClain. Imo, he's what brought this defense together this year. He gave them an identity. An attitude. Showed them they could play together.

I think his nagging injuries down the stretch were from just getting worn down. He hasn't played a full season in some time. I think with a full offseason in our program, he'll be ok moving forward. I like the physicality and nastiness he provides in the middle.

Hopefully, we'll be able to bring back both him and Carter. One less problem to address in the draft.

It's pretty cheesy, but McClain seemed to enjoy himself this year.

He said about his time in Oakland that he didn't like being the center of attention, but he adjusted to that very role in Dallas really well.

If Dallas has made him love football again, I bet he'd want to stick around instead of playing somewhere else for a little more money.

Give me McClain at a decent contract and Carter on a lowball offer to be a backup, but don't stop drafting LB talent.

 

[Carp]

I do think the Cowboys have done a good job of evaluating LBs in recent years.

 

[Cotton]

That's stupid. If he's one of the top three talents at LB, start him. If there's an injury and we need to slide him over to fill another spot while a lesser player fills his, so be it. Cross that bridge if/when we come to it. Starting an inferior player and leaving talent on the bench because you're scared of injury would be ignorant.

Yeah, gotta go with this.

 

[Cotton]

Now that everyone has made their choice clear, we can move on to what we think or hope might happen.

I personally believe none if the 3 will command significant money and as a result, we'll be able to bring back 2 of them.

Ideally, I'd love for the two to be McClain and Carter, but any combination of the two would be nice and would set us up nicely to have LB be even more of a strength than it was this year.

If Durant and Carter both come back on cheap deals (which I can see) I can't see why we can't bring back all 3.

 

[mcnuttz]

If Durant and Carter both come back on cheap deals (which I can see) I can't see why we can't bring back all 3.

I'd rather move on from Durant. It's important to keep getting younger when the talent level isn't elite. Plus it seems like he's about as fragile as Lee. Despite all the early season hype, Durant was just some dude.

 

[Carp]

I think we were smart in our rotation of LBs. Obviously injuries played a factor, but there were times where we had different sets of LBs out there to keep guys fresh. Wilber was a good sub in those situations. We rotate DL all the time, so not sure why you would not do the same with LBs.

 

[Cotton]

I'd rather move on from Durant. It's important to keep getting younger when the talent level isn't elite. Plus it seems like he's about as fragile as Lee. Despite all the early season hype, Durant was just some dude.

I think Durant at the minimum would make for decent depth. I do agree, though, that he has shown to be a bit fragile, so what do I know.

 

[Cotton]

I think we were smart in our rotation of LBs. Obviously injuries played a factor, but there were times where we had different sets of LBs out there to keep guys fresh. Wilber was a good sub in those situations. We rotate DL all the time, so not sure why you would not do the same with LBs.

We haven't really had the depth until this year to rotate and keep decent LBers in the game. Hopefully, they can keep that going now.

 

[Carp]

We haven't really had the depth until this year to rotate and keep decent LBers in the game. Hopefully, they can keep that going now.

Maybe, but you also have to trust players. Sure, Cam Lawrence is not ideal, but he did not blow any assignments when he was out there. I think the defensive staff was coaching with such a tight butthole that they were unwilling to play additional guys. Wilber is a good example...he may not be great, but he is a solid tackler and where he is supposed to be.

 

[mcnuttz]

I think Durant at the minimum would make for decent depth. I do agree, though, that he has shown to be a bit fragile, so what do I know.

You presented your post in the form of a run-on question, but failed to insert the necessary punctuation.

Take a lap, rookieN00b.

If he'd play for the minimum, he'd still be getting close to $1million per. At that rate you could find a younger guy, unless they really think he should be a starter.

 

[Cotton]

Maybe, but you also have to trust players. Sure, Cam Lawrence is not ideal, but he did not blow any assignments when he was out there. I think the defensive staff was coaching with such a tight butthole that they were unwilling to play additional guys. Wilber is a good example...he may not be great, but he is a solid tackler and where he is supposed to be.

Yeah, I think Wilber has really impressed. He blew a couple of coverage assignments early on in the season (may have been preseason) but he really came on and was solid all year in the role he was asked to play.

 

[Cotton]

You presented your post in the form of a run-on question, but failed to insert the necessary punctuation.

Take a lap, rookieN00b.

If he'd play for the minimum, he'd still be getting close to $1million per. At that rate you could find a younger guy, unless they really think he should be a starter.

Don't sass me, boy.

 

[UncleMilti]

I keep McClain, and try to sign Carter.

Love Durant, but he's 30 and I value the youth over the age.