Barnwell: Five 2020 offseason moves for NFC teams - Bill Barnwell predicts trades, free agency, cuts

ravidubey

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I love me a Leon Lett type DT. Ravi has an obsession with weight at DT. I'm more obsessed about length. I've always been a big fan of the 6'5" - 6'7" type DTs who can clog all the passing lanes and use thier long arms to rush the passer. The 49ers are a perfect example of this.
Leon Lett was my favorite. Tall (really rare), strong, long armed, super quick, and at 290 a physical force against the run. Such a badass with a knack for stripping ball carriers.

By 1996, you could not run on Leon Lett.

That combination is Hall of Fame rare, maybe even rarer. Mean Joe Green perfect example, though not as powerful or big as Lett.

Green would have gotten beat up in today’s league, probably would have made him a DE.

Lett in his prime would still crush it today.

But even the 90’s Cowboys still needed a rotation because they lacked raw size. The one who could play all downs for most of the season was Lett, whom the team kept after FA eroded the rest.

Drugs ruined his career, but a Hall of Fame level performer IMO
 

p1_

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The Casillas trade (2nd and 8th round picks for the 1986 #2 overall) is very underrated when most revisit the 1990’s Cowboys. He solidified so much up front, but was overshadowed by the almost complete lack of pass rushers on the team. Haley thus got the lion’s share of attention.

Russell Maryland, younger and taken #1 overall, was not as good a player. Landry and Brandt gifted the team with Chad Hennings and the sweetest steal of all was landing Leon Lett in the 7th round.

It amounted to sick quality and depth in the middle. None were huge players, but all were really strong and talented. Great rotation.

There just is no shortcut to going after top flight talent at DT. It’s the most important part of the defense
How quickly Jerry forgot this little gem
 

Plan9Misfit

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I stopped reading the article at “Lock up Dak Prescott”.
 

ravidubey

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How quickly Jerry forgot this little gem
Jimmy basically convinced Casillas to unretire. Thanks to the Walker trade and steals like Lett, the picks we traded away didn’t matter.
 

ravidubey

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Jerry loves CBs because he believes that signing Deion Sanders— one move he could actually take full credit for— won the 90’s Cowboys their 3rd Superbowl.

He’s lost when it comes to building a DL. He had Tony Brackens and traded down to pick up an extra draft pick. The Jacksonville drafted him right out from under us.

Tried to get cute with the trade down but failed to recognize the value of the mid-upper first round player falling to him gift-wrapped at the bottom of the first round.

Then drafted Kavita Pittman on full tilt.

Two years earlier it was a terrible trade up for Shante Carver.

All of that near total ineptitude forced him to take Greg Ellis in the top ten. And he still fucked things up the next year drafting Ebenezer Ekubust in the first round.

Parcells had to dump Ekubust when Jerry wouldn’t let go and rebuild the entire front. Unfortunately he couldn’t ever get the right talent at NT as Ratliff was more of a quick penetrating DL and not the space-eating force a guy like Casey Hampton was. Ratliff was a DE forced into duty at NT, and fat Wade fucking kept him there.

Then we were in the Garrett void. DTs were only for the 3rd round or later, and Marinelli made sure of it.

The reach for Hill when even Garrett’s retarded ass finally recognized the interior weakness was fing comical.

Hilariously too little and way, way too late.
 

Simpleton

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If you like tall DT's with great length and quickness go get a load of Javon Kinlaw.

The guy has like 35 inch arms and is a lean 6-5, 310 or so.
 

Cowboysrock55

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If you like tall DT's with great length and quickness go get a load of Javon Kinlaw.

The guy has like 35 inch arms and is a lean 6-5, 310 or so.
My favorite DT in this class. He is big but not fat. Perfect 3 tech.
 

Smitty

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I would like to bring back both Quinn and Bennett.

The two together shouldn't cost a ton of money. Bring Quinn back on a 2 or 3 year deal and Bennett on a 1 year deal.

Get a real NT for once, and that D-line should be pretty damn good.
Quinn yes, Bennett no.
 

ravidubey

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If you like tall DT's with great length and quickness go get a load of Javon Kinlaw.

The guy has like 35 inch arms and is a lean 6-5, 310 or so.
I mean, he’s one of the top DTs period. Athletic with range, power, and skill/arm length to be an interior rush threat at the next level.

Would love to see Leon Lett called in to help coach this young man, but he’s long gone by our pick. I don’t see a scenario where a planet theory guy like this gets past Carolina.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I mean, he’s one of the top DTs period. Athletic with range, power, and skill/arm length to be an interior rush threat at the next level.

Would love to see Leon Lett called in to help coach this young man, but he’s long gone by our pick. I don’t see a scenario where a planet theory guy like this gets past Carolina.
Kinlaw would be awesome in Dallas. But I agree, I think the only way he makes it to 17 is if his physical looks sketchy. And if that's the case I'm not sure I want him at 17. So basically I don't see it happening.
 

jsmith6919

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I mean, he’s one of the top DTs period. Athletic with range, power, and skill/arm length to be an interior rush threat at the next level.

Would love to see Leon Lett called in to help coach this young man, but he’s long gone by our pick. I don’t see a scenario where a planet theory guy like this gets past Carolina.
Carolina will most likely still have Brown on the board, if we wanted Kinlaw we'd probably have to trade up to the Raiders 12 pick
 

ravidubey

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Carolina will most likely still have Brown on the board, if we wanted Kinlaw we'd probably have to trade up to the Raiders 12 pick
We can hope. Just normally guys like Kinlaw don’t stay on the board long.

Production plus rare size could make him a difference-maker for any non Rod Marinelli coached team.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Carolina will most likely still have Brown on the board, if we wanted Kinlaw we'd probably have to trade up to the Raiders 12 pick
So what if it cost a third round pick to move up for Kinlaw? Would you do that? A first and second would get you Kinlaw but to me that's too rich. You need to get at least two long term starters out of a draft and the first and second rounds are the easiest place to do it. I think a lot of Kinlaw but I don't trust this team enough to hit on talent in rounds 3-7.
 

jsmith6919

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So what if it cost a third round pick to move up for Kinlaw? Would you do that? A first and second would get you Kinlaw but to me that's too rich. You need to get at least two long term starters out of a draft and the first and second rounds are the easiest place to do it. I think a lot of Kinlaw but I don't trust this team enough to hit on talent in rounds 3-7.
I'd absolutely move up for him for a 3rd. I agree that our 2nd would be pushing it, we just have too many holes to do that this year
 

Cotton

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I'd absolutely move up for him for a 3rd. I agree that our 2nd would be pushing it, we just have too many holes to do that this year
I don't think a 3rd gets up up far enough, unfortunately. I guess we might get to 13 with a 3rd, but I'm not sure he makes it that far.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I don't think a 3rd gets up up far enough, unfortunately. I guess we might get to 13 with a 3rd, but I'm not sure he makes it that far.
I mean a second gets you up to that 9-10 range possibly. Third gets you up to maybe 12-13 best case scenario. He would have to fall a little, just spit balling if that happens.
 

deadrise

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It would be great to see a chart of how often draft trade-ups pay off in a big way. The trade-up for Mahomes certainly paid off, but now KC might not be able to afford to keep good players around him.

I have zero faith in Jerry's ability to work a trade-up into anything good. He just likes the headlines.
 

Cowboysrock55

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It would be great to see a chart of how often draft trade-ups pay off in a big way. The trade-up for Mahomes certainly paid off, but now KC might not be able to afford to keep good players around him.

I have zero faith in Jerry's ability to work a trade-up into anything good. He just likes the headlines.
Yeah especially trade ups for non QBs. I get moving up for a guy you think is a franchise QB. But position player who are All Pros don't have the same type of impact even.
 
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