Cowboys Free Agency Thread

[Smitty]

admit that he was worshipping a false idol

What planet are you from?

This is football dude. Nothing anyone has done should remotely be considered to be melodramatic to the point of "worshipping a false idol."

Chill out. I think the Zone has perhaps fried your brain.

 

[Smitty]

Yes, it's certainly not from equal footing in terms of personnel gained and lost. Certainly not so far. If some more and better additions happen? I reserve the right to change my position. But as of now, this team lost their best corner and pass rusher and have signed nothing that comes close to an equal replacement.

Robert Quinn was not our best pass rusher.

 

[Simpleton]

If we were to sign, say, Everson Griffen and Emmanuel Sanders I'd say that we're more or less even talent wise compared to last year.

I do think it's possible that Gregory could give us another 2018 performance, or maybe even better, and we could conceivably scheme around not having a slot like Cobb, but the team has the means to solidify those areas and not bank on uncertainties like that so it's pretty ridiculous that they would.

 

[Stasheroo]

I think in your eagerness to root out Garrett supporters, you are missing my point.

I do agree that the coaching has been substantially upgraded. McCarthy was once upon a time a top-tier coach in this league (though I do not think his final few seasons in Green Bay were that stellar). I expect, or at least hope, his time off and recharging of batteries means we have a solid upgrade on our hands.

But that's exactly my point. If the coaching upgrade is as substantial as we're being lead to believe, then this team should be expected to win 10-11 games even as we stand here today.

The sad part is all the people who actually lack conviction in the belief that the coaching has been upgraded (I am not one of them) and watching them try to hedge their bets by saying "Oh, well.... we are gonna still struggle this year/go 8-8 because we have lost too much talent. Garrett had great talent, now McCarthy has none!"

Please.

You'd have to point 'that guy' out to me, because I haven't met him here. I think you're tilting at windmills.

We return every single truly key piece.

Totally false and untrue. You can type it until your fingers bleed, it still won't be true. And even claiming such a thing invalidates any other point you might try to make. Drop this farce and you may have a point.

Byron Jones, I literally could not give a fuck less. I would have liked a better veteran replacement than an unknown in Canady but if we had signed, for example, someone like Desmond Trufant I basically would be calling it a wash.

We didn't -- but I'm not losing sleep at night. We will find someone in the draft and we'll be fine.

That's great that you have such a low opinion of Jones, again that opinion does not make it so. I was happy we didn't overpay him like the contract he got, but that doesn't mean I blind myself to his value and the loss.

Especially considering we finally managed to run Jeff Heath out of town and upgrade his spot with Clinton-Dix.

You should check on that. Clinton-Dix isn't replacing Heath at SS, Woods is. The new guy is your FS.

Losing Quinn hurts a little -- but we literally only have to return to 2018 to see how this defense looked with Gregory opposite Lawrence and it was just fine. Better, one might argue, actually. Not that Gregory is better than Quinn but it just shows that the "talent level" of the defense is more than just about the difference between Quinn and Gregory. Gregory will be fine, in my opinion, and he may be more than fine. He remains a player with 10+ sack potential himself. Now that the weed suspensions are over, we have a player with basically no issues. Why are we pretending he's not reliable? The single issue that has prevented him from being here has been removed from the equation. I expect him to contribute for sure.

What year has Randy Gregory approached near those sack numbers? Even the few times he's actually been on the field? It's asinine to suddenly rely on the proven unreliable. Anybody counting on Randy Gregory is a moron. "10 sack potential", that's hilarious!

Hilarious, board noobie.

And? Panties in a bunch?

This somehow invalidates the facts that I'm bringing? Or do you think post counts turns your bullshit opinions into facts?

You are the one who wants to have your cake and eat it too. My position is that the coaching is upgraded and the miniscule talent losses we face so far aren't gonna matter one iota to expectations.

Which is a lie. There's nothing "minuscule" about the losses, no matter how many times you try to lie about it.

Meanwhile you are trying to hedge your bets to prevent your diabtribes from looking misplaced by claiming we've suffered some massive talent loss. That way if we suck, you can blame something other than coaching, but if we improve, you can credit coaching.

Sorry, that's not gonna fly. If McCarthy tanks, he will have some explaining to do.

Our talent level is more or less the same. By time the offseason is over I expect a relatively similar squad that will be playoff favorites. What with the upgraded coaching and all.

Then hold your excuses until "the offseason is over", because right now, your lies about talent being the same are just that - lies.

 

[Stasheroo]

Robert Quinn was not our best pass rusher.

More bullshit from this board's fountain of misinformation. Boy, you clowns are easy to pick out of the lineup.

 

[Stasheroo]

If we were to sign, say, Everson Griffen and Emmanuel Sanders I'd say that we're more or less even talent wise compared to last year.

I do think it's possible that Gregory could give us another 2018 performance, or maybe even better, and we could conceivably scheme around not having a slot like Cobb, but the team has the means to solidify those areas and not bank on uncertainties like that so it's pretty ridiculous that they would.

Close, but we'd still need some semblance of a corner.

 

[Smitty]

If we were to sign, say, Everson Griffen and Emmanuel Sanders I'd say that we're more or less even talent wise compared to last year.

I do think it's possible that Gregory could give us another 2018 performance, or maybe even better, and we could conceivably scheme around not having a slot like Cobb, but the team has the means to solidify those areas and not bank on uncertainties like that so it's pretty ridiculous that they would.

I think Sanders being signed is crucial. Dak needs the weapons, we've seen that time and again.

Way more crucial than bringing in an aging DE like Griffen. I'd like to do that -- but moreso sign Sanders.

Gregory is a good player. There is uncertainty there due to the layoff, but we've seen before that he can come in after time off and post a respectable season. Yes, Quinn had 11.5 sacks and Gregory only had 6 -- but I'd say Gregory's impact was bigger than his 6 sacks when he played, and Quinn's impact was smaller. On top of that, Quinn had 11.5 sacks in a year when Lawrence had only 5.0. Anyone want to bet that Lawrence only has 5 again? If he goes back up to 10-11 and Gregory kicks in 5-6, we break even on sack production right there alone.

The situation is not as dire as is being made seem.

And again, Byron Jones.... do not give a fuck. He can get out for all I care.

 

[Smitty]

You'd have to point 'that guy' out to me, because I haven't met him here. I think you're tilting at windmills.



Totally false and untrue. You can type it until your fingers bleed, it still won't be true. And even claiming such a thing invalidates any other point you might try to make. Drop this farce and you may have a point.



That's great that you have such a low opinion of Jones, again that opinion does not make it so. I was happy we didn't overpay him like the contract he got, but that doesn't mean I blind myself to his value and the loss.



You should check on that. Clinton-Dix isn't replacing Heath at SS, Woods is. The new guy is your FS.



What year has Randy Gregory approached near those sack numbers? Even the few times he's actually been on the field? It's asinine to suddenly rely on the proven unreliable. Anybody counting on Randy Gregory is a moron. "10 sack potential", that's hilarious!



And? Panties in a bunch?

This somehow invalidates the facts that I'm bringing? Or do you think post counts turns your bullshit opinions into facts?



Which is a lie. There's nothing "minuscule" about the losses, no matter how many times you try to lie about it.



Then hold your excuses until "the offseason is over", because right now, your lies about talent being the same are just that - lies.

~flush~

 

[Simpleton]

Close, but we'd still need some semblance of a corner.

Meh, we can draft a guy in like the 3rd or 4th and be fine with what we have.

Jones/Awuzie/Brown basically played all of our CB snaps in 2018, we'd be replacing Jones with Lewis and adding depth in the form of a mid-round pick.

 

[Smitty]

Close, but we'd still need some semblance of a corner.

So what I said is "totally false and untrue" but what Simp said is "close."

Got it.

Personal vendetta poster on our hands.

 

[Stasheroo]

~flush~

 

[Smitty]

Post less, seriously.

 

[Stasheroo]

So what I said is "totally false and untrue" but what Simp said is "close."

Got it.

Personal vendetta poster on our hands.

Take note of where he actually mentions player additions douchebag. I guess in your delusion, you missed that key component, along with everything else?

 

[Stasheroo]

Post less, seriously.

Go fuck yourself, seriously. Hard.

 

[Smitty]

Meh, we can draft a guy in like the 3rd or 4th and be fine with what we have.

Jones/Awuzie/Brown basically played all of our CB snaps in 2018, we'd be replacing Jones with Lewis and adding depth in the form of a mid-round pick.

Yup.

Awuzie/Lewis/Brown is not going to end up a drastic downgrade to Jones/Awuzie/Brown.

Lewis getting spot snaps was one of the last defensive administration's greatest crimes.

Jones, on the other hand, disappointed in key moments and never made game changing plays. He will barely be missed at all with Lewis taking his snaps. Depth is the issue here - but as you said, hit on a middle round pick and we'll be fine.

 

[Smitty]

Take note of where he actually mentions player additions douchebag. I guess in your delusion, you missed that key component, along with everything else?

I've been saying we need to sign Sanders all along.

I highly doubt the difference in your opinion between our takes hinges on Everson Griffen.

 

[Stasheroo]

Meh, we can draft a guy in like the 3rd or 4th and be fine with what we have.

Jones/Awuzie/Brown basically played all of our CB snaps in 2018, we'd be replacing Jones with Lewis and adding depth in the form of a mid-round pick.

You don't see a big dropoff from Jones to Lewis?

I'm not even a big Byron fan, but even I can see the huge drop there.

I'd be curious to know what positions you would be drafting in those first two or three rounds?

 

[Stasheroo]

I've been saying we need to sign Sanders all along.

I highly doubt the difference in your opinion between our takes hinges on Everson Griffen.

And we haven't. So you're admitting that you're basing your assessments on things that haven't or might not even happen. But that should come as no surprise when you're already talking up Randy Gregory as an equal replacement for Quinn.

There's reality, and there's where you live.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I will say sack numbers don't tell the whole story. Lawrence was a better pass rusher than Quinn last year but the sack numbers don't agree. Here is sort of a great explanation of Lawrence last season.

55. EDGE DEMARCUS LAWRENCE, DALLAS COWBOYS
Demarcus Lawrence saw his sack total dry up this year and ultimately failed to get into double digits after recording 15 and then 13 over the past two seasons. Sacks don't come close to telling the whole story among pass-rushers, however, and he still registered 56 total pressures. His pass-rush was a notch down on a year ago, and another notch still from his phenomenal 2017 season, but his run defense was the best of his career, and his 83.3 PFF grade in that facet of play was a top-10 figure among all edge rushers.

 

[Simpleton]

You don't see a big dropoff from Jones to Lewis?

I'm not even a big Byron fan, but even I can see the huge drop there.

I'd be curious to know what positions you would be drafting in those first two or three rounds?

There is obviously a drop off but it's a calculated risk I'm fine taking given the nature of the position and how the team is currently built. You can't throw maximum resources at every spot and I'm comfortable with a lesser pure cover man but a superior playmaker in Lewis, combined with our 2nd and 3rd CB from 2018, along with presumably a mid-round pick.

It's very possible that we take a CB at 17 although if either of the top DT's or Chaisson are there I'd much rather go that route, and I'd still rather go McKinney even after signing Clinton-Dix, although I'd understand it if they opted for Henderson over him.

As far as the draft, I don't pigeonhole specific positions into specific rounds but looking at the talent I think we'll be looking at some combination of DT/WR/CB/Edge Rusher/TE/S in the first 3 rounds. Nobody knows how that'll shake out exactly, which is why they need to keep looking to add talent through FA.