The Running Back position will doom us or not thread...

NoDak

Hotlinking' sonofabitch
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
22,913
You don't find it even a little bit strange that people always bitch about the Cowboys taking chances on an injury risk, but when it's for a pet cat it's ok? Keep in mind, it wasn't just the Cowboys that passed up on this sure fire stud. 31 other teams did too, at least 4 times. Some 5.
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,698
You don't find it even a little bit strange that people always bitch about the Cowboys taking chances on an injury risk, but when it's for a pet cat it's ok? Keep in mind, it wasn't just the Cowboys that passed up on this sure fire stud. 31 other teams did too, at least 4 times. Some 5.
As far as I have read Ajayi has only been injured one time in his whole career and that was way back in 2011. So, I don't see it as taking an injury risk like we did with Lee who had shown a long history of getting injured.
 

Carp

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
15,127
I know it has been pointed out that Randle was underwhelming in his lone start, but IIRC, he really seemed to he focusing more on ball security than anything else. A little confidence will serve him well and he should have it with the success he showed last year and running behind this line.
 

NoDak

Hotlinking' sonofabitch
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
22,913
As far as I have read Ajayi has only been injured one time in his whole career and that was way back in 2011. So, I don't see it as taking an injury risk like we did with Lee who had shown a long history of getting injured.
I'm not talking about games he has missed in the past due to injury. I'm talking about that pesky little bone on bone issue in his knee that was revealed pre draft.
 

townsend

Banned
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
5,377
I feel like there's no such thing as a "good" Cowboys offseason. Without the benefit of hindsight, there's no offseason I remember that comes close to this one in wise moves regarding FAs and the acquisition of young talent. Somehow we see fit to focus on one minor weakness of the team.

I would have at least thought on a board that near unanimously supports line over skill positions, pass rush above coverage, BPA over need, and despises over paying for mediocre talent. The consensus of this offseason should go down as a god damned miracle.
 

ravidubey

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
20,162
I'm not talking about games he has missed in the past due to injury. I'm talking about that pesky little bone on bone issue in his knee that was revealed pre draft.
Ajayi's knee cartilage was depleted, not completely gone.

Mayock said the words "bone-on-bone", but it taken out of context.

I believe the medical report said "nearly" bone on bone which of course is a huge difference, especially for a rookie contract which is all we'd have cared about anyways.
 

hstour

Brand New Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2014
Messages
625
No the whole Randle/RB situation on the board needs a funeral.
Thank you. Let's wait till the vets are seen on the field to revisit it, since there are no rookie RBs to evaluate.
 

Cotton

One-armed Knife Sharpener
Staff member
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
119,698
As a rookie he ran for 253 yards in a game. Should have said "single-game" record to have avoided confusing you.
And how many games did he play that season?
 

Genghis Khan

The worst version of myself
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
37,470
You don't find it even a little bit strange that people always bitch about the Cowboys taking chances on an injury risk, but when it's for a pet cat it's ok? Keep in mind, it wasn't just the Cowboys that passed up on this sure fire stud. 31 other teams did too, at least 4 times. Some 5.
The level of risk matters. Taking him in the late 4th mitigates much of the risk.

Hell, maybe instead of trading next year's 6th for a WGAF 7th round blocking TE, we could've packaged that 6th with this year's 5th and moved up to the top of the 5th and taken him.

Maybe that wouldn't have worked, but there are things we could've done.

But this is not about Ajayi so much as it is our inability generally to fill the very position that was a big reason for our 12 wins.

If we go out and get a guy like Miller, then all is well, but for now I wish we would have found a way to draft a viable RB option.
 
Last edited:

Genghis Khan

The worst version of myself
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
37,470
I feel like there's no such thing as a "good" Cowboys offseason. Without the benefit of hindsight, there's no offseason I remember that comes close to this one in wise moves regarding FAs and the acquisition of young talent. Somehow we see fit to focus on one minor weakness of the team.

I would have at least thought on a board that near unanimously supports line over skill positions, pass rush above coverage, BPA over need, and despises over paying for mediocre talent. The consensus of this offseason should go down as a god damned miracle.
"Minor" weakness. :lol

Long-term, yes this was probably a very successful off-season.

But we essentially ignored our biggest issue, one that could derail the entire season. So short term, there is every reason to bitch. This team has super bowl potential. It would be a real shame if we were held back by a position that is relatively easy to fill. Especially given the age of the QB.
 

townsend

Banned
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
5,377
"Minor" weakness. :lol

Long-term, yes this was probably a very successful off-season.

But we essentially ignored our biggest issue, one that could derail the entire season. So short term, there is every reason to bitch. This team has super bowl potential. It would be a real shame if we were held back by a position that is relatively easy to fill. Especially given the age of the QB.
our biggest issue was pass rush. The one that lost us the divisional round last year.

I don't think there's a team out there without a few question marks going into the season. But one of them is definitely going to win the Super Bowl.
 

Genghis Khan

The worst version of myself
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
37,470
our biggest issue was pass rush. The one that lost us the divisional round last year.

I don't think there's a team out there without a few question marks going into the season. But one of them is definitely going to win the Super Bowl.
Our biggest issue last year was pass rush, because we had Murray last year. We don't get to Green bay in the second round without Murray, but we got there without a pass rush. Therefore once we let Murray go, RB became by far our biggest issue.

Regardless, we addressed pass rush. We mostly ignored RB. I don't think we wanted to ignore it. But we did.

And now, I don't think we will be on the verge of a conference championship game this year without a running back.
 

ravidubey

DCC 4Life
Joined
Apr 7, 2013
Messages
20,162
our biggest issue was pass rush. The one that lost us the divisional round last year.

I don't think there's a team out there without a few question marks going into the season. But one of them is definitely going to win the Super Bowl.
I get what you're saying townsend, and I think everyone does. The moves on both lines, addressing overall needs, and not being suckered into overspending on average FA's like many other teams were are to be commended.

What is mind-numbing is how this organization allowed it's second greatest strength, it's defining identity, to just walk out the door without being replaced with anything resembling the same level of talent.

Teams based on a running identity simply don't do that.

People are left desperately praying Joseph Randle, D-Mac, or even Williams can become 1400 yard studs that drive the train even when the deck is stacked against them. Not going to happen. Yeah it's possible, but to realistically believe so is silly.

The defense will have to improve by a quantum leap to compensate for the loss and the OC is going to have to really struggle to maintain the 50-50 R/P ration that helped Romo to his most efficient best.

With just a minimal effort (a 4th on Ajayi) it probably didn't have to come to this.
 
Top Bottom