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Mailbag: How Well Has Garrett Built This Roster?
MARTIN HERNANDEZ
SAN ANTONIO, TX
Despite all the talk about Jason Garrett being on the hot seat for the past two years, how do you think he's doing in regard to building this team?
Rowan: In terms of the culture and the kind of players he wants on the team, I think he’s done well. There’s been a whole lot less drama around here than in the past, and it seems to be a good locker room. In terms of building a talented team, they’ve had better in that regard in the recent past. I think recently they’ve been taking a few more chances on players who they wouldn’t have taken in previous years, and that’s a result of needing to find more talent after a dreadful year defensively.
David: I think Rowan has a pretty good point about the strength of the locker room – the character of the guys Garrett has brought in seems to be strong and work in the team’s favor. On top of that, the talent level seems to be improving after a sizable dropoff back at the start of Garrett’s tenure. Famously, the offensive line has morphed from a weakness to a strength. All of that said, a look at the likes of San Francisco or Seattle will tell you the depth on this roster is a decent way off from where it needs to be. I think the Cowboys are in a promising place, and now they need to deliver the results that will allow Garrett to continue to build.
ERIC BENDER
CASTLE ROCK, CO
With all of the first rounders on the offensive line, do you believe they can establish dominance this year? Being able to sustain drives and dominate
the line of scrimmage(particularly in the run game)will take a great deal of pressure off not only Tony Romo, but our defense.
Rowan: We did a “20 Questions” on this earlier, and I think they’ll be the strong point of the team, but I’m going to stop short of saying dominant until I see it. The offensive line has gotten remarkably better over the last few years, but there are still times the Cowboys don’t trust their running game and in short yardage situations don’t blow the defensive line back. Dominant offensive lines can be relied upon to do that more consistently. That said, they have the potential to be a fantastic unit.
David: At the risk of sounding boring, I had the same opinion as Rowan when we answered this elsewhere on the website. This offensive line should enjoy plenty of success in 2014 – I think DeMarco Murray is due for another 1,000-yard season if he stays healthy. I’m not sure it’ll qualify as “elite” just one year into Zack Martin’s career, though. Given a couple more seasons to grow and improve, I think it will in the near future.
MARTIN HERNANDEZ
SAN ANTONIO, TX
Despite all the talk about Jason Garrett being on the hot seat for the past two years, how do you think he's doing in regard to building this team?
Rowan: In terms of the culture and the kind of players he wants on the team, I think he’s done well. There’s been a whole lot less drama around here than in the past, and it seems to be a good locker room. In terms of building a talented team, they’ve had better in that regard in the recent past. I think recently they’ve been taking a few more chances on players who they wouldn’t have taken in previous years, and that’s a result of needing to find more talent after a dreadful year defensively.
David: I think Rowan has a pretty good point about the strength of the locker room – the character of the guys Garrett has brought in seems to be strong and work in the team’s favor. On top of that, the talent level seems to be improving after a sizable dropoff back at the start of Garrett’s tenure. Famously, the offensive line has morphed from a weakness to a strength. All of that said, a look at the likes of San Francisco or Seattle will tell you the depth on this roster is a decent way off from where it needs to be. I think the Cowboys are in a promising place, and now they need to deliver the results that will allow Garrett to continue to build.
ERIC BENDER
CASTLE ROCK, CO
With all of the first rounders on the offensive line, do you believe they can establish dominance this year? Being able to sustain drives and dominate
the line of scrimmage(particularly in the run game)will take a great deal of pressure off not only Tony Romo, but our defense.
Rowan: We did a “20 Questions” on this earlier, and I think they’ll be the strong point of the team, but I’m going to stop short of saying dominant until I see it. The offensive line has gotten remarkably better over the last few years, but there are still times the Cowboys don’t trust their running game and in short yardage situations don’t blow the defensive line back. Dominant offensive lines can be relied upon to do that more consistently. That said, they have the potential to be a fantastic unit.
David: At the risk of sounding boring, I had the same opinion as Rowan when we answered this elsewhere on the website. This offensive line should enjoy plenty of success in 2014 – I think DeMarco Murray is due for another 1,000-yard season if he stays healthy. I’m not sure it’ll qualify as “elite” just one year into Zack Martin’s career, though. Given a couple more seasons to grow and improve, I think it will in the near future.