Dallas Cowboys 2019 Offseason Thread of Mediocrity

[Assman 1830]

Since we know Ginger did enough to save his job, the following need to be the Cowboys' offseason priorities:

1.  Fire Linehan/Moore, and find an OC/QB coach that can play to Dak's strengths and actually develop him

2.  Pray Travis Fredrick comes back full strength

3.  Draft a Safety high enough so Jeff Heath never plays another snap

4.  ?????

5.  Super Bowl

[Patrick Bateman 3926]

1.  Todd Monken

2.  Said he's already 95%, he'll be back and 100 by next season.

3.  Earl Thomas

4.  Yours is a weak OP.

5.  Probably not.

[SurlyBDR 22834]

1) Give Connor Williams steroids all offseason 

2) Build Tyron Smith a new back

3) Replace Sean Lee's legs 

4) Draft a TE

5) Hire a couple new offensive staff members that knows what the fack they're doing

[Hagbard Celine 10913]

in..

[Patrick Bateman 3926]

Defense still needs a ton of work.  We still need better rotation on the interior, another pass rusher, another CB and another safety.

 

[michaelpshayes 417]

if they hire a new offensive coordinator is he still going to have to run Garrett's offense?

[Chilly Water 416]

1. Jerry needs to croak

2. Jerry needs to croak

3. Jerry needs to croak

etc., etc., etc.,

[sushihorn 3233]

Broadly speaking the Cowboys looked like UGa in the Sugar Bowl: more talent but outschemed badly on both sides of the ball.

[Patrick Bateman 3926]

13 minutes ago, sushihorn said:

Broadly speaking the Cowboys looked like UGa in the Sugar Bowl: more talent but outschemed badly on both sides of the ball.

Don't think they have more talent, especially in the trenches.... but definitely outschemed.

 

We'll try and keep DLaw, Cole, LP, Cam, Wilson, and maybe Smith.  Not sure about Swaim or Tavon, depends on the draft and UFA.  Irving is definitely gone.

[Assman 1830]

Only must-sign of that group is DLaw. 

[fellside 1114]

In addition to a new OC, I think the Cowboys' offense needs a big target.  I'd be happy if we took one of the 6-5 Big 12 receivers (LJH, Hakeem Butler, Antoine Wesley, David Sills) late in the draft.  I think Dak needs a bail-out option.

[Post Oak 20260]

Outside of re-signing Tank I'm resigned to Garrett coming back.  But we need a fresh mind at OC and QBC. You've got a guy who can be your QB for the next decade- give him the best coaching you can buy

I'm tired of running into heavy fronts on 1st down to establish what we won't to do.  

I love the jet sweep that LA killed us with last night and that needs to be a big part of our O identity.

In the draft give me

S, TE OT and DT

 

[Mo Horn 8854]

Posted this in another thread but more appropriate here. I can get behind all of this.  Doubt seriously the first one is going to happen, but we can hope. I think we're fine at TE, but if there's a good on there go ahead. OL and DL are our biggest need imho. 

[Patrick Bateman 3926]

1 hour ago, fellside said:

In addition to a new OC, I think the Cowboys' offense needs a big target.  I'd be happy if we took one of the 6-5 Big 12 receivers (LJH, Hakeem Butler, Antoine Wesley, David Sills) late in the draft.  I think Dak needs a bail-out option.

Without seeming homerish, I think LJH would be a great addition for a few reasons.

1.  Cost.  He's probably going to be a day 3 guy (almost surely) and would be available in the middle rounds allowing the team to sure up another position.

2.  Familiarity in the slot.  We all understand how well LJH played in the slot.  While he may struggle with long speed, he has enough quickness in and out of cuts to play in the slot and soak up snaps normally needed for a "move TE", which sometimes we give to Brown.

3.  Big target needed.  Jarwin had one game but otherwise we don't have anyone with size to control the middle of the field.  A guy who can work the middle and outjump safeties but run away from LBs.  LJH would need to embrace blocking but with this physicality and desire, I don't think it would be an issue.  

4.  Flexibility.  Again, he would be a big slot with some move TE capabilities.  You could also use him as backup punt returner, kick returner, and as a passer on trick plays.  

Love to draft LJH in the 3/4th dependent on certain factors.  Maybe 5th if he runs really bad.

Would't mind Irv Smith Jr but he would cost our 2nd.  We have bad mojo with TEs in the 2nd and he's not much of a blocker either, but could be dynamic in the passing game.

Edited January 13, 2019 by Patrick Bateman

[Bigbend1812 12927]

Clap, clap, clap

[Surly Bevo 25142]

39 minutes ago, Patrick Bateman said:

Without seeming homerish, I think LJH would be a great addition for a few reasons.

1.  Cost.  He's probably going to be a day 3 guy (almost surely) and would be available in the middle rounds allowing the team to sure up another position.

2.  Familiarity in the slot.  We all understand how well LJH played in the slot.  While he may struggle with long speed, he has enough quickness in and out of cuts to play in the slot and soak up snaps normally needed for a "move TE", which sometimes we give to Brown.

3.  Big target needed.  Jarwin had one game but otherwise we don't have anyone with size to control the middle of the field.  A guy who can work the middle and outjump safeties but run away from LBs.  LJH would need to embrace blocking but with this physicality and desire, I don't think it would be an issue.  

4.  Flexibility.  Again, he would be a big slot with some move TE capabilities.  You could also use him as backup punt returner, kick returner, and as a passer on trick plays.  

Love to draft LJH in the 3/4th dependent on certain factors.  Maybe 5th if he runs really bad.

Would't mind Irv Smith Jr but he would cost our 2nd.  We have bad mojo with TEs in the 2nd and he's not much of a blocker either, but could be dynamic in the passing game.

Great post and I had a similar thought this morning.  Of course ideas like this presuppose that Garrett is flexible/creative enough in his offensive thinking to incorporate something different like this.

Narrarator: "He is not"

[Junior Miller 1502]

Problem with keeping Garrett and firing Linehan is if they bring in a new OC with a more open and less predictable offense he'll clash like a mofo with Garrett and it'll all go down the shitter just like what happened in Minnesota this season. Have to fire both or it won't work. 

[Tired Horn 738]

2 hours ago, Junior Miller said:

Problem with keeping Garrett and firing Linehan is if they bring in a new OC with a more open and less predictable offense he'll clash like a mofo with Garrett and it'll all go down the shitter just like what happened in Minnesota this season. Have to fire both or it won't work. 

Then it won't work.

Jerry ain't firing Jason.

[C-Man 27256]

Did anybody else see the story that said the Rams knew 90+ percent of the time exactly what the Dallas defense was going to do pre-snap last night? That might help explain the Rams rushing for 275 yards. We need two new coordinators. And fucking sign ETIII!!!!

[taybo20 2878]

13 minutes ago, C-Man said:

Did anybody else see the story that said the Rams knew 90+ percent of the time exactly what the Dallas defense was going to do pre-snap last night? That might help explain the Rams rushing for 275 yards. We need two new coordinators. And fucking sign ETIII!!!!

I didn’t see that, but that is really fucking bad f true

[Vic Mackey 47139]

That was one of the most pathetic displays of defense I have seen. Almost 300 yards on the ground in a playoff game is unacceptable. I think we made them punt once? And none in the 1st half. We held them to FGs on the first 2 drives but you knew trouble was looming. No resistance at all. Zero pressure. Blown off the ball all night. OL and Zeke were a let down, too. Dak had no real support when there is no run game and the OL is getting dominated. But of course you still have that faction that will blame him since there is a clear agenda. Dak had a few bad throws and I felt he could have ran a couple times and didn't but overall, he played fine. Hit Cooper in stride for the TD and a beautiful pass to Gallup that set up the next TD. He definitely outplayed Goff. But didn't have the run game to help him. Hell, they beat us at our own game. They controlled the clock. I think we touched the ball once in the 1st qtr. Yeah we had a 7-3 lead but it didn't feel like it at all. From 7-3 to 23-7. This was the Vikings game from 2009 all over again where they manhandled us in the trenches on both sides.

If Garrett and Linehan stay, we have no future. We will waste Dak and any other player. Linehan and Garrett don't design a plan that plays to our strengths. The same generic play calls since the Romo days. Nothing has changed. Marinelli needs to be the DL coach now and Richard moved to DC. Well really I'd promote him to head coach and scrap the rest of the staff but we know Jerry won't do that. Same song and dance with this team. Wild card wins are our ceiling. Meanwhile the Pats wake up and yawn their way to divisional round wins. 8 AFC championship games in a row. Divisional round games to them are preseason games at this point.

[C-Man 27256]

I didn’t see that, but that is really fucking bad f true

I’ll look for link but apparently we were doing something pre-snap that would tip them off.

[C-Man 27256]

I didn’t see that, but that is really fucking bad f true

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjCz-330-zfAhUPbawKHfAzAysQzPwBegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bloggingtheboys.com%2F2019%2F1%2F13%2F18181084%2Frams-offense-knew-what-the-cowboys-defensive-line-was-going-to-do-over-90-of-the-time&psig=AOvVaw1VKidDfmRsMhVfHLqHIgq6&ust=1547534108651221

[C-Man 27256]

After the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Seattle Seahawks in the early parts of the season, wide receiver Doug Baldwin claimed that Seattle knew the Cowboys defensive hand signals.

According to Rams guard Austin Blythe a similar thing happened on Saturday night. Los Angeles knew what the Cowboys defensive line was going to do “Plus-90 percent” of the time. That’s likely part of the reason why the Rams had so much success on the ground. From The Ringer:

Depending on the alignment of the Cowboys defensive tackles, particularly whether Maliek Collins was shaded closer to the tackle instead of the guard, the Rams figured a stunt may be coming. If the Rams saw Collins lined up slightly wider than usual, they looked for a second tell. If a certain Cowboys lineman had a specific hand on the ground—right or left—or if a player was tilted one way or the other, it confirmed what the Cowboys defensive line was going to do.

“They have good players, but we just felt scheme-wise we were able to—we had a lot of tips and tells on what they were going to do in front of us,” said Rams center John Sullivan.

This is pretty humiliating for the Cowboys to be quite honest. The defense has been their calling card all season long and the fact that the Rams were able to dissect something so essential says a great deal about how loosely it was put together.

[taybo20 2878]

Wow. How shitty...

[Vic Mackey 47139]

That's high school level shitty right there.

[EvilCaseMcCoy 691]

Im not buying it.  Why did they have to settle for so many field goals if they knew the Dline calls so often?

It looked more like our DLine was exhausted from playing a tough game the week before and their line was fresh.  Also, CJ Anderson was a wrinkle I dont think we were expecting.  He provided some fresh legs and really was the most effective option on the ground for them  until the 30 yard TD by gurley. 

Not sure why we are not opportunistic when adding a RB2.  Running the ball is our identity, yet we have nothing behind zeke.  We couldve had ajayi and hyde for cheap and a guy like CJ for nothing. 

[LTtxfan 49338]

Just heard about Rams knowing what Cowboys Defense was going to do pre-snap.....

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2019/1/13/18181084/rams-offense-knew-what-the-cowboys-defensive-line-was-going-to-do-over-90-of-the-time

 Quote from article:  

"Depending on the alignment of the Cowboys defensive tackles, particularly whether Maliek Collins was shaded closer to the tackle instead of the guard, the Rams figured a stunt may be coming. If the Rams saw Collins lined up slightly wider than usual, they looked for a second tell. If a certain Cowboys lineman had a specific hand on the ground—right or left—or if a player was tilted one way or the other, it confirmed what the Cowboys defensive line was going to do.

“They have good players, but we just felt scheme-wise we were able to—we had a lot of tips and tells on what they were going to do in front of us,” said Rams center John Sullivan."

Edited January 14, 2019 by LTtxfan

[Mileslong 4728]

I’m sick of hearing about how opposing teams knowing exactly what the cowboys are going to do on both sides of the ball. Heard today rams coaches knew exactly what the defense was going to do regarding stunts by their lineup.

 

I’m really sick of being out coached. It’s why I’m a Herman homer, I think he rarely gets out coached which is why we are close in every game even against teams better than us. I’m so sick of Garrett I can’t stand it

 

[Irish Wrist Watch 1399]

Let's see how the Saint's D does against the Rams. Against some teams, and with the talent we have, you have to bend, but not break. We held the Rams to 23 pts if you take out the 7 pts the refs gave them on a bogus penalty. Keep Marinelli around at a minimum as a consultant until we know a new DC can get the same kind of performance out of these guys.

 

Going into that game, EVERYONE said Dak needs to run more, and that is exactly what he didn't do. If he isn't going to take advantage of wide open spaces, then he simply needs to be gone. He was good at it in the regular season, but he shut it down against the Rams. That's no fucking good, and I guess it's on the OC for not reminding him during the game to take off. How else do you coach that out of him? If the QB is going to shut down in the playoffs, you are fucked. It doesn't matter how he does during the season.

 

I don't see Jerry firing Garrett. Wouldn't be surprised to see Linehan gone. Any decent OC is going to have pretty much full control - so I don't see Garrett as a roadblock. We need an O that looks more like the Rams. They used two runners with great success - that's the offense, not the runners. They pretty much proved that you don't need three wide-outs in any set.

[Steamboat1874 4086]

Holding the Rams to 23 points is fine.....but they had the ball for over 33 minutes and had two 100 yard rushers which is not.

[alincoln 2385]

Average QB + average HC = average NFL team, at best

[LurkingHorn 1069]

13 minutes ago, Steamboat1874 said:

Holding the Rams to 23 points is fine.....but they had the ball for over 33 minutes and had two 100 yard rushers which is not.

They actually had the ball for over 36 minutes. Some of that is on the offense IMO. Think we had the ball for like 9 minutes in the first half because we couldn't put any drives together outside the first one. The defense sucked but you also have to give them some time to rest and make adjustments. 

[C-Man 27256]

Just heard about Rams knowing what Cowboys Defense was going to do pre-snap.....
https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2019/1/13/18181084/rams-offense-knew-what-the-cowboys-defensive-line-was-going-to-do-over-90-of-the-time

 Quote from article:  

"Depending on the alignment of the Cowboys defensive tackles, particularly whether Maliek Collins was shaded closer to the tackle instead of the guard, the Rams figured a stunt may be coming. If the Rams saw Collins lined up slightly wider than usual, they looked for a second tell. If a certain Cowboys lineman had a specific hand on the ground—right or left—or if a player was tilted one way or the other, it confirmed what the Cowboys defensive line was going to do.

“They have good players, but we just felt scheme-wise we were able to—we had a lot of tips and tells on what they were going to do in front of us,” said Rams center John Sullivan."

See above about 10 posts

[futureman 22542]

On 1/12/2019 at 11:40 PM, Patrick Bateman said:

Defense still needs a ton of work.  We still need better rotation on the interior, another pass rusher, another CB and another safety.

 

time of possession dipped at the end of the season as well. 

 

On 1/13/2019 at 12:25 AM, Patrick Bateman said:

 Irving is definitely gone.

lulz.  unless the market prices him out he’ll get another chance.  it’s almost like you don’t know who jerry jones is.  

and I agree with him on this one.  if we can get irving to come back on an affordable one-year deal we’d be fucking idiots not to do it. 

 

16 hours ago, Post Oak said:

You've got a guy who can be your QB for the next decade- 

[C-Man 27256]

Average QB + average HC = average NFL team, at best

The Cowboys are above average in both talent and coaching. The problem is that at least one of those areas — preferably both — has to be elite to get much further than the Divisional round. Make no mistake. Jerry was a terrible GM for the majority of his time in that role but he’s improved exponentially in the last 5 or so years. Again, though, you have to be elite somewhere. The Cowboys don’t appear to be elite anywhere hence the year-to-year roller coaster ride.

[futureman 22542]

4 minutes ago, C-Man said:

The Cowboys are above average in both talent and coaching. 

 

he was talking about qb.  I agree that overall team talent is above average, in spite of our basement level starting qb talent. 

[LTtxfan 49338]

14 minutes ago, C-Man said:

See above about 10 posts

 

My Bad.... Didn't see a link

Edited January 14, 2019 by LTtxfan

[jeevsie 3739]

Dak has to be the QB of the future.  I just put up a fathead on the kid's wall.

[Steamboat1874 4086]

20 minutes ago, LurkingHorn said:

They actually had the ball for over 36 minutes. Some of that is on the offense IMO. Think we had the ball for like 9 minutes in the first half because we couldn't put any drives together outside the first one. The defense sucked but you also have to give them some time to rest and make adjustments. 

The defense should be able to get off of the field themselves.

The offense was not letting the Rams rush for over 260 yards. Make a stop and get off of the field.

[bschoolprof 6272]

Linehan staying per Garrett.

 

Quote

Garrett said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas that he plans to retain Linehan and everyone else on his coaching staff for the 2019 season.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/01/14/jason-garrett-plans-to-retain-scott-linehan-and-the-rest-of-the-cowboys-staff/

[EastTexan 662]

8 minutes ago, bschoolprof said:

Linehan staying per Garrett.

 

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/01/14/jason-garrett-plans-to-retain-scott-linehan-and-the-rest-of-the-cowboys-staff/

Just heard this on theticket. I threw up.

[Alex Karev 1031]

"They were who we thought they were"

[Vic Mackey 47139]

47 minutes ago, C-Man said:

 

The Cowboys are above average in both talent and coaching. The problem is that at least one of those areas — preferably both — has to be elite to get much further than the Divisional round. Make no mistake. Jerry was a terrible GM for the majority of his time in that role but he’s improved exponentially in the last 5 or so years. Again, though, you have to be elite somewhere. The Cowboys don’t appear to be elite anywhere hence the year-to-year roller coaster ride.

 

Above average coaching? Wut?

[Vic Mackey 47139]

This is painful to watch. No discipline at all from the interior. LBs were terrible all game.

 

[alincoln 2385]

It will be interesting to see if LA does the same thing against the Saints, particularly w/o their best DT

[Vic Mackey 47139]

I wish we had a real OC. Stacked 9 men in the box. Don't even think about a play action or bootleg roll out or even some kind of fake it up the middle and pitch it out? Nope. Run it straight into the brick wall. Maddening.

 

[Underdog 28768]

Bomb to Rocket vs. Skins comes to mind on play that may have worked in that situation. 

[Anton Chigurh 3319]

Linehan staying per Garrett.
 

Garrett said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas that he plans to retain Linehan and everyone else on his coaching staff for the 2019 season.

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/01/14/jason-garrett-plans-to-retain-scott-linehan-and-the-rest-of-the-cowboys-staff/


What a fuck.

[C-Man 27256]

Above average coaching? Wut?

The coaching is conservative to a fault but I’d say it’s average to above average. Hell, they’ve gone 10-6, 9-7 and 13-3 the last three years with Dak Prescott under center. Linehan is a weak link for sure.