Mendez: Jones says Cowboys have learned from 'disappointing times,'...

[junk]

Dallas's GM has consistently tried to draft OL and they almost always go bust. After the OL busts of the late 1990's and early 2000's I would have done everything possible to overhaul the OL scouting and coaching. Instead, the Cowboy OL drafts and certainly the coaching might have gotten worse into the late 2000's.

Jury's still out on Callahan, Tryon Smith, and of course Frederick, but they still can't find mid-round guys to save their lives. David Arkin? Oy.

The only scout with any sort of OL background is the yes man, Ciskowski. Look at SF's scouts.....no wonder they draft OL well.

 

[asklesko]

He... didn't learn anything. He should've seen we need better talent. He should've seen that his way doesn't work. But no, every year, it's the same formula.

 

[mcnuttz]

I am trying to come up with a list of Jerry Themes of The Year...

So I am guessing it is like this...

2013 - "Resolve"
2012 - "Window" or "Glory Hole"
2011 -
2010 - "Continuity"
2009 -
2008 -
2007 -

Need help with the blanks.

2008 - 13 Pro Bowlers

 

[ravidubey]

He... didn't learn anything. He should've seen we need better talent. He should've seen that his way doesn't work. But no, every year, it's the same formula.

Dallas needs incredible scouts even more than other teams because Jones himself doesn't know a thing about talent evaluation. He brings nothing to the table but a checkbook.

When his scouts consistently fail him, he needs to get better scouts.

There's nothing to be done when Jerry fails his own scouts like in 2009 when he didn't make the simple trade up needed to get Max Unger, but when he actually tries to draft a guy (Page, Rogers, Peterman, Marten, Free, Brewster, Arkin) the talent should match the round. Thus far it has not.

 

[boozeman]

Dallas needs incredible scouts even more than other teams because Jones himself doesn't know a thing about talent evaluation. He brings nothing to the table but a checkbook.

When his scouts consistently fail him, he needs to get better scouts.

There's nothing to be done when Jerry fails his own scouts like in 2009 when he didn't make the simple trade up needed to get Max Unger, but when he actually tries to draft a guy (Page, Rogers, Peterman, Marten, Free, Brewster, Arkin) the talent should match the round. Thus far it has not.

I don't think our scouts are any worse than anyone else's. The problem is Jones.

He decides who to "listen" to depending on which way the wind blows. Often, he listens to the coaches. We know for a fact Houck vouched for a couple of those guys and got his way. Parcells and Warhop wanted Rogers, didn't want Peterman (scouts did) and we saw who won. Sometimes he listens to scouts, but as we saw with Floyd, he will side with coaches when he doesn't know what to do. All in all, he may talk a big game about it being a "scout's draft" but he will flip flop whenever he is persuaded by coaches. All in all, the scouts are not valued by Jones. He's always had a disconnect with them and prefers to lean on the director, who was Lacewell, now Ciskowski who simply is not assertive enough.

This problem will not go away until Jones is no longer the facilitator of the process. So we must wait for his death.

 

[ravidubey]

This problem will not go away until Jones is no longer the facilitator of the process. So we must wait for his death.

He is the biggest problem as he changes the Cowboys' processes midstream and can ruin months of preparation in doing so, but the results are too unilaterally busts for it to be all him. These are high draft picks, and they should be better than they've been. Of them all, only Peterman has been even average. I can't imagine that each and every time we've gone OL it's been a Houck project trumping what the scouts want.

 

[Smitty]

He is the biggest problem as he changes the Cowboys' processes midstream and can ruin months of preparation in doing so, but the results are too unilaterally busts for it to be all him. These are high draft picks, and they should be better than they've been. Of them all, only Peterman has been even average. I can't imagine that each and every time we've gone OL it's been a Houck project trumping what the scouts want.

Well then the GM is responsible for finding the right staff who won't continue to bust on OLs.

 

[lostxn]

That's what I was going to say because it shows how myopic Jones is. He looks at the Patriots and thinks, ooh, two TEs. But he looks right past and completely ignores their REAL reason for success (hiring credible football people and letting them run the football operations).

That and having the best quarterback in the game who you drafted in the 6th round and won the SB for you as a rookie due to a fortunate injury (well fortunate for the team not Drew).

 

[lostxn]

He is the biggest problem as he changes the Cowboys' processes midstream and can ruin months of preparation in doing so, but the results are too unilaterally busts for it to be all him. These are high draft picks, and they should be better than they've been. Of them all, only Peterman has been even average. I can't imagine that each and every time we've gone OL it's been a Houck project trumping what the scouts want.

You can point to every team and see high draft round picks who didn't pan out. There's a component of luck. Our problem has been reaching for guys with character or injury issues - swinging for the fences with picks, if you will - and getting repeatedly burned. We seem to forget the best predictor of future performance is past performance. We draft for measurables or for ??special teams?? or god-know why.

We're still recovering from a string of bad drafts from 2006-2009. We have Hatcher, Spencer, Free, and Scandrick to show for 4 years of drafting. One of those is a player. The rest and JAGs or worse. Terrible and Jerry is the one at fault.

 

[ravidubey]

Well then the GM is responsible for finding the right staff who won't continue to bust on OLs.

Exactly my point from earlier. Here's my take on the first four rounds of the last ten years:

Busts: Al Johnson, Jacob Rogers, Stephen Peterman, Bruce Thornton, Bobby Carpenter, Skyler Green, James Marten, Doug Free, Jason Williams, Robert Brewster, Stephen McGee, Brandon Williams, Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, David Arkin
Meh: Julius Jones, Marcus Spears, Kevin Burnett, Felix Jones, Mike Jenkins, Anthony Fasano, Martellus Bennett, Tashard Choice, Victor Butler, Tyrone Crawford, Kyle Wilber, Matt Johnson
Solid: Terence Newman, Bradie James, Chris Canty, Marion Barber, Jason Hatcher, Anthony Spencer, Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, Tyron Smith, DeMarco Murray, Chris Canty, James Hannah, Morris Claiborne
Studs: Jason Witten, Demarcus Ware, Dez Bryant

Jury: Travis Frederick, Gavin Escobar, Terrance Williams, J.J. Wilcox, B. W. Webb

I have a feel for 42 of the 47. Kyle Wilber, Matt Johnson and Crawford's injuries already put them on the "meh" list. Smith and Claiborne are looking solid but not special, I like James Hannah, and Doug Free is officially a bust given his rookie injury and terrible play since January 2010.

The 9 drafted OL represent about 19% of the total picked and that's about in line with the OL occupying 17%-19% of a total roster. What's utterly out of whack is that they also represent 7 of the 14 busts and only 1 of the 16 solid players. This goes beyond Jerry. His advising coaches and scouts have failed spectacularly at this position, and it can't all be the coaches' faults.

 

[1bigfan13]

I've always said the college scouts responsible for finding OL should all be replaced. That's been my stance for a few years now.

Jerry's bad but he's not finding all these turds on his own.

 

[Plan9Misfit]

I've always said the college scouts responsible for finding OL should all be replaced. That's been my stance for a few years now.

Jerry's bad but he's not finding all these turds on his own.

You're also assuming that they aren't finding the good offensive linemen. I'd bet that they are but Jerry is just ignoring their suggestions because he doesn't place any emphasis or importance in that area. He'd rather go on the cheap there so he can spend more money on TEs and CBs. You know, the positions where championships are built.