BTB: The Henry Melton Signing

Cotton

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The Henry Melton Signing: Welcome To The Future Of The Dallas Cowboys
By Tom Ryle  @TomRyleBTB
on Mar 19 2014, 11:00p

The sense of joy for Dallas Cowboys fans far and wide was palpable after the team signed Henry Melton. With one signature, the situation on the defensive line went from dismal to manageable and perhaps even better than that. It was a remarkably cap-friendly deal that puts the Cowboys completely in the driver's seat. There does not look to be a way the team can really lose unless Melton's knee doesn't cooperate, but even then they can get out from under the deal after 2014, and Melton has a chance to get a nice payday if he is fully recovered from the ACL injury.

Adding Melton is going to be a tremendous help for the Cowboys if his recovery goes as expected. He gives the team a dynamic player to build a pass rush around. He allows the team to focus more on the best players in the draft rather than having to try to reach for defensive linemen early. But Henry Melton's signing was a look at the future of the Dallas Cowboys for years to come. He was on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, and a couple of quotes that got posted caught my eye.




It's become apparent that a growing amount of authority is being exercised by Stephen Jones and Jason Garrett. There have been a lot of things that seemed to contradict it at times. Who was behind the hiring and firing of assistant coaches was never very clear. The still evolving role of the various people involved in calling the offensive plans is even more enigmatic, although at first blush it would look like something that was being dictated to the head coach by the owner. And Jerry Jones was never shy about declaring that the buck clearly stopped with him.

But now, we have a free agent signing that was seen widely as the make or break move by the Cowboys - and Melton clearly and plainly states that Jerry Jones was nowhere to be seen.

For years, fans and critics of the Cowboys alike have been asking, begging, and screaming for Jerry Jones to give up his general manager duties. It may have happened, and almost no one realized it had actually taken place.

This could be a one-off situation. Jerry may have just had other plans he could not change. However, it would seem a curious thing for an NFL general manager to make plans that would take him away from his organization during the first two weeks of free agency. Just saying.

I think this is more than that. I think Stephen and Jason Garrett are going to be in charge of these things from now on. I think they have been more in charge than we realized for some time. The problem, of course, is that Jerry keeps talking like he is still the man making all the decisions as he was back when Dave Campo was head coach. His story hasn't changed, but the reality has. It certainly looks like he has stepped back to be more of a supervisor than a hands on manager. He sets the tone, offers some general guidance, then Stephen and Jason figure out what they are going to do to try and get there. Since Jerry's overall guidance is "Win Super Bowls", that gives his two key subordinates a lot of latitude.

What they have done with that latitude is tear down a large part of the team and rebuilt it with younger talent while coming up with a much more sustainable way of handling the salary cap restrictions. This was all done while also trying to remain competitive. They have not succeeded. Yet. But the direction the team is headed and the approach being taken are very encouraging, and nothing is more encouraging that the decisions and actions taken during free agency this season. It was done according to a plan and concept clearly stated by Stephen Jones, and so far the Cowboys have not made any discernible mistakes. If you listen to Stephen, you can see exactly what the team is doing and what it will do. If you listen to Jerry Jones, you will just get lost in the fog of verbosity. But many people still insist that Jerry is calling the shots and Stephen and Jason are just the puppets dancing on his strings.

I don't see how this can be explained away. The most important negotiation for Dallas in free agency, and the subject of the negotiation says he never spoke to or saw Jerry Jones. Something seems to have seriously changed. This is not Jerry Jones taking advice. This is him letting go of the reins.

And it is a very, very good thing.
 

Newt

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The more Jerry lets the reins go the better. Even if it is just Stephen making the calls, things have to get better. Hopefully Stephen excels, if not I hope he is able to delegate unlike his father. Jerry is just to damn stubborn to admit he sucks as a GM.
 

Smitty

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The sense of joy for Dallas Cowboys fans far and wide was palpable after the team signed Henry Melton. With one signature, the situation on the defensive line went from dismal to manageable and perhaps even better than that.
:lol

Better than manageable after one signing? We're not even back to where we were from last year's worst DL in the league.

This guy is the biggest dipshit homer writer out there. He must be gunning for Spag's job. It's a disgrace this guy gets to write and be considered someone who knows something about football.
 

Bluestar71

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Just because Jerry wasn't there when the deal was negotiated and finalized doesn't mean he didn't have a lot of input. I'm sure before he ever left they all went over their list of FA targets and what kind of money they were willing to spend on them. And they have these things called phones now that let you keep in touch all over the world. The idea that Garrett and Stephen are making big decisions on their own without teh J's approval is way too premature to suggest.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Just because Jerry wasn't there when the deal was negotiated and finalized doesn't mean he didn't have a lot of input. I'm sure before he ever left they all went over their list of FA targets and what kind of money they were willing to spend on them. And they have these things called phones now that let you keep in touch all over the world. The idea that Garrett and Stephen are making big decisions on their own without teh J's approval is way too premature to suggest.
Jerry is such a micro manager that him just not being in the room and wanting to meet the player in person while the deal is going down is a big change for him. I'm sure Jerry had his input but it is certainly different for Jerry to not physically be right in the middle of things.
 

Newt

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:lol

Better than manageable after one signing? We're not even back to where we were from last year's worst DL in the league.
We were bad last year, but all we had was Hatcher. Ware was not healthy and played poorly for the most part of the season. So basically we have replaced Hatcher with Melton and somehow got worse? I'm not saying we are going to be good, but if we draft well we could still end up better than last season.
 

boozeman

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Love how a fortuitous signing is being spun into something it is not.
 

boozeman

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Jerry is such a micro manager that him just not being in the room and wanting to meet the player in person while the deal is going down is a big change for him. I'm sure Jerry had his input but it is certainly different for Jerry to not physically be right in the middle of things.
Not really. Jerry has said repeatedly he is not the money guy.
 

BipolarFuk

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Expecting Teh Jer to emerge with a huge presser any minute now about how he was really in control of the Melton signing.
 

Cowboysrock55

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We were bad last year, but all we had was Hatcher. Ware was not healthy and played poorly for the most part of the season. So basically we have replaced Hatcher with Melton and somehow got worse? I'm not saying we are going to be good, but if we draft well we could still end up better than last season.
6 sacks and bad rush defense out of a RE is pathetic. I love Ware but if we are looking to improve on the season he had last year that should be easy. The problem is everyone who looks at the loss of Ware thinks we need to replace what he was in 2011 in order to not be worse. That just isn't true.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Not really. Jerry has said repeatedly he is not the money guy.
I agree about money, but how many times has Jerry not met the player in person before signing? Especially our biggest free agent get of the offseason. I'm guessing that hasn't happened in a very long time.
 

Smitty

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We were bad last year, but all we had was Hatcher. Ware was not healthy and played poorly for the most part of the season. So basically we have replaced Hatcher with Melton and somehow got worse? I'm not saying we are going to be good, but if we draft well we could still end up better than last season.
Yes, we are worse without Ware. He was not good, but he was better than the nothing we currently have. Plus, even without the sacks, uh, he was drawing every single double team. What do you think happens to George Selvie when he is suddenly our most accomplished pass rushing end? Those 7 sacks, which were already drying up as the season went on, even with Ware around, disappear completely.

I would not call our situation "manageable" along the DL. We would need a grand slam of a draft to make it good this season.
 
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hstour

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Yes, we are worse without Ware. He was not good, but he was better than the nothing we currently have. Plus, even without the sacks, uh, he was drawing every single double team. What do you think happens to George Selvie when he is suddenly our most accomplished pass rushing end? Those 7 sacks, which were already drying up as the season went on, even with Ware around, disappear completely.

I would not call our situation "manageable" along the DL. We would need a grand slam of a draft to make it good this season.
Disagree. Melton is going to cover Hatcher's position.

Should Spencer be healthy enough and he'll take the same kind of deal as Melton, then one DE is set.

Crawford will be back and should be healthy. He's had the whole of last season and now the offseason to prepare. He had started earning significant snaps in the 2nd half of the 2012 season. Oh, and he can play DT or DE.

George Selvie showed something last year with a horribly depleted D-line on the left where Spencer plays. So if Spencer isn't 100%, then we have Selvie there.

If Donald is gone, maybe you take Zack Martin, let him play G this year and let Free go next year and move him out to RT. There will still be good DTs and DEs in the 2nd. Draft is deep with D-Line.

Or if someone is looking to move, you drop down some picks and get an extra 2nd or third and draft a Dee Ford or Stephon Tuitt. Now you have a replacement for Ware and an extra first 3 rounds pick to apply to a guard. And still get another d-lineman.

I'd say they are in a much better position to improve the team.
 
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Carp

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Spencer in no way is a competent replacement for Ware and Hatcher was better last year than Melton ever was. They is no way the DL is better as it stands now, even with Spencer.
 

L.T. Fan

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Spence was AWOL for most last season so he shouldn't even factor into a comparison for the defense being better or worse.
 

Texas_Outlaw7

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There has been a weird shift that occurred over the past few years. It has either been that an old dog (Jerry) is learning new tricks which is unlikely - or he has been ceding power to other members in the organization. It explains why it took 20 years to finally draft a OL in the first, let alone two in three years.

Jerry still has veto power. Jerry is still the face of the organization. But his power grip has dimmed significantly.
 

hstour

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Spencer in no way is a competent replacement for Ware and Hatcher was better last year than Melton ever was. They is no way the DL is better as it stands now, even with Spencer.
Apples and oranges. Spencer doesn't play either of Hatcher's or Ware's position and Melton is intended to be the replacement for Hatcher.

And I never said the D-Line was better NOW. I said the team was in a better position than it was last year.

And I beg to differ on Ware. Either Ford or Tuitt should be easily able to duplicate Ware's production from last year. They won't be playing with one arm.
 
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