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[h=1]Bob Sturm: Four things Cowboys should NOT do this offseason[/h]
[h=6]Bob Sturm Follow @sportssturm Email [email]sturm1310@me.com[/EMAIL][/h]
Published: February 4, 2015 6:18 pm
Special Contributor Bob Sturm answered questions in a chat Wednesday. Here are some highlights.
Question: What’s the worst thing the Cowboys could do this off-season?
Bob Sturm: Hmmm. I think their front office is on a roll, so I don’t want to position this as a likely scenario. I would not endorse anything long-term with DeMarco. That means 3 years is my max. I would not cut Brandon Carr as I think to get a replacement for him requires more trouble than it is worth. I would not extend Morris Claiborne by activating his option. And, I would not trade up to get that “1 final piece”. There.
Question: Jon Machota has Andrew Luck higher than Tony Romo in his NFL QB rankings. Do you agree with that assessment?
Bob Sturm: I apologize, but I am not familiar with his rankings. Are they based on the big picture moving forward or simply on who is better right now? Allow me to make some assumptions during this chat and then I will read up for future reference. I will assume it is who was better in 2014. For that, I am not sure there are many who were better than Tony Romo and personally, for me, I think Luck has a bit of development before we assign superstar status to him. Although, it appears that almost nobody shares my view. I have heard some put Luck in the lofty company of Brady and Rodgers and Brees already and I don’t agree. He throws too many picks and other dangerous throws too often. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have him, but I still list him as “up and coming” rather than “arrived”. That said, if the argument was who would you sign right now if both were free agents, than I would go with Luck and I hope everyone would, too, based on the near-decade in age difference and Romo’s health considerations. I hope that makes sense.
Question: Who would you say is the Cowboys player or coach you are most accused of defending?
Bob Sturm: Without question, Tony Romo. I have spent the better part of the last 10 years defending him and arguing on his behalf. I am not sure anyone else comes close. I do defend Brandon Carr a lot these days as many people have him relegated below replacement level and I think that is silly. Those who want him cut are in stark disagreement with where I stand.
Question: Could the defense not have improved with DeMarcus Ware in tow? I still have trouble with that one.
Bob Sturm: Well, this is a highly speculative topic, but I guess that is what we do. Ware is a legend and another on the list of guys with a curious local perception based on his accomplishments. I have no idea why people seem to undervalue him after all of these years. He had 10 sacks this season and if the question is could the Cowboys have gone 12-4 with him, I absolutely believe so. Could they have beaten Detroit and Green Bay with him? Most likely. I think Ware is not what he was, but he did play 800 plays and got to double digits yet again. The Cowboys found Mincey and Lawrence to replace that RDE spot, but I wonder if the cap situation was not prohibitive, what they might have looked like with him in tow. I wished it didn’t have to happen, but there is little one can say when the team subtracts him and Hatcher and then has their best defensive year in a long time.
Question: Tony Romo has been great, but how much longer do you expect him to play at this level? And with that in mind would you restructure his contract where you have to have him be your QB for the next 3 or 4 years?
Bob Sturm: It has to be on a year-by-year basis with any QB this age. I think you can assume based on him nearly winning the NFL MVP and nearly playing in the NFC Championship Game that he is at the top of his game right now. So, can he continue down that path for a while? Can he play in a balanced offense where he is the beneficiary of almost no weak spots amongst the 11 offensive players? As far as his deal goes, I would argue that it does get complex and tricky if we are to assure the Cowboys stay out of cap peril, but in the modern NFL, as long as you aren’t too terribly reckless, you can assume that the team will be fine when that day arrives. I think the more reckless view would be not to prepare for the future with his successor. I would endorse taking a QB as early as this April if your board reveals one.
[h=6]Bob Sturm Follow @sportssturm Email [email]sturm1310@me.com[/EMAIL][/h]
Published: February 4, 2015 6:18 pm
| | |
Special Contributor Bob Sturm answered questions in a chat Wednesday. Here are some highlights.
Question: What’s the worst thing the Cowboys could do this off-season?
Bob Sturm: Hmmm. I think their front office is on a roll, so I don’t want to position this as a likely scenario. I would not endorse anything long-term with DeMarco. That means 3 years is my max. I would not cut Brandon Carr as I think to get a replacement for him requires more trouble than it is worth. I would not extend Morris Claiborne by activating his option. And, I would not trade up to get that “1 final piece”. There.
Question: Jon Machota has Andrew Luck higher than Tony Romo in his NFL QB rankings. Do you agree with that assessment?
Bob Sturm: I apologize, but I am not familiar with his rankings. Are they based on the big picture moving forward or simply on who is better right now? Allow me to make some assumptions during this chat and then I will read up for future reference. I will assume it is who was better in 2014. For that, I am not sure there are many who were better than Tony Romo and personally, for me, I think Luck has a bit of development before we assign superstar status to him. Although, it appears that almost nobody shares my view. I have heard some put Luck in the lofty company of Brady and Rodgers and Brees already and I don’t agree. He throws too many picks and other dangerous throws too often. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have him, but I still list him as “up and coming” rather than “arrived”. That said, if the argument was who would you sign right now if both were free agents, than I would go with Luck and I hope everyone would, too, based on the near-decade in age difference and Romo’s health considerations. I hope that makes sense.
Question: Who would you say is the Cowboys player or coach you are most accused of defending?
Bob Sturm: Without question, Tony Romo. I have spent the better part of the last 10 years defending him and arguing on his behalf. I am not sure anyone else comes close. I do defend Brandon Carr a lot these days as many people have him relegated below replacement level and I think that is silly. Those who want him cut are in stark disagreement with where I stand.
Question: Could the defense not have improved with DeMarcus Ware in tow? I still have trouble with that one.
Bob Sturm: Well, this is a highly speculative topic, but I guess that is what we do. Ware is a legend and another on the list of guys with a curious local perception based on his accomplishments. I have no idea why people seem to undervalue him after all of these years. He had 10 sacks this season and if the question is could the Cowboys have gone 12-4 with him, I absolutely believe so. Could they have beaten Detroit and Green Bay with him? Most likely. I think Ware is not what he was, but he did play 800 plays and got to double digits yet again. The Cowboys found Mincey and Lawrence to replace that RDE spot, but I wonder if the cap situation was not prohibitive, what they might have looked like with him in tow. I wished it didn’t have to happen, but there is little one can say when the team subtracts him and Hatcher and then has their best defensive year in a long time.
Question: Tony Romo has been great, but how much longer do you expect him to play at this level? And with that in mind would you restructure his contract where you have to have him be your QB for the next 3 or 4 years?
Bob Sturm: It has to be on a year-by-year basis with any QB this age. I think you can assume based on him nearly winning the NFL MVP and nearly playing in the NFC Championship Game that he is at the top of his game right now. So, can he continue down that path for a while? Can he play in a balanced offense where he is the beneficiary of almost no weak spots amongst the 11 offensive players? As far as his deal goes, I would argue that it does get complex and tricky if we are to assure the Cowboys stay out of cap peril, but in the modern NFL, as long as you aren’t too terribly reckless, you can assume that the team will be fine when that day arrives. I think the more reckless view would be not to prepare for the future with his successor. I would endorse taking a QB as early as this April if your board reveals one.
