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We need more of the local media to stop being soft on the Cowboys and come out and say this.
DMN: Dallas Cowboys' Problems Start with Jerry Jones' Personnel Decisions
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Sherrington: You can blame depth and blame the coaches but Dallas Cowboys' problems start with Jerry Jones' personnel decisions
Art Briles, who coaches the best football team in Texas, college or pro, was asked the other night how he could lose his top two running backs and the third-stringer still goes for 182 yards against Oklahoma. Briles explained he finally has "Big 12 depth."
Translation: Baylor might have had starters good enough to compete with the league's best teams in years past, but not the backups. And sooner or later, a contender always gets down to its backups.
Which brings us to the weekly postmortem on the Cowboys.
They don't have NFL depth, which certainly isn't the only reason the Saints humiliated them, but it fits all sizes.
That's not to excuse anyone else responsible for Sunday night's embarrassment. You could throw a dart blindfolded and hit bull's-eye.
Just for starters, they can't capitalize on Dez Bryant's big-time talent. Or Bruce Carter's. They've had devastating injuries on defense, but so did their last defensive coordinator, and his defense didn't break records for incompetence every week. Tony Romo, who started fast, is finishing slow. And letting Bill Callahan call plays hasn't made Jason Garrett look any smarter.
But as awful as the Cowboys' loss to the Saints looked ? another one, and Roger Goodell would have a mess to investigate as big as Richie Incognito's ? it still comes down to players.
Consider how personnel moves over the years, and this one in particular, have left the Cowboys in this sorry state.
Last spring, Jerry Jones said his defensive line would be a strong point going into the season, which is how he justified going an entire draft without taking a defensive lineman, even though Monte Kiffin's new 4-3 puts a premium on a dominant tackle. The Cowboys were convinced that would be Jay Ratliff, even though he was coming off a major injury; had been charged with DWI; had warred with the owner; had warred with the medical and athletic training staff; and had warred a little less with opponents each of the last four years. The once heartwarming Jay Ratliff Story turned to farce, right up to and including the moment last week when he told his new team, the Bears, that he wanted to be called "Jeremiah," not "Jay."
Warning: Unless picking up a player off witness protection, never trust one trying out a new handle.
Anyway, leaving Ratliff aside, Jerry was still counting on DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer, Jason Hatcher and Tyrone Crawford. All except Crawford were at least 29 years old, with Spencer and Hatcher in contract years to boot. The last thing the Cowboys need is to give another fat contract to a defensive lineman past his prime.
A good general manager might have added a defensive lineman or two in the draft to help this season and prepare for the future. Not Jerry. He took an offensive lineman, Travis Frederick, with his first pick, which turned out fine.
But he took a tight end in the second round on the premise that the Cowboys wanted to run a two-tight end offense. Only Gavin Escobar couldn't block, and he's made such little progress that the offense has been all but scrapped and another tight end led the Cowboys in catches Sunday, and it wasn't even Jason Witten.
Could Jerry have made a better second-round pick by using it on a defensive lineman? We don't know yet. Two picks after Escobar, the Giants took Mississippi State defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, and four picks after that, Cincinnati took SMU's Margus Hunt. Neither has played much. They're waiting their turns on teams deep in defensive line talent, teams that nevertheless thought it prudent to spend a second-rounder on each.
Don't like Hankins or Hunt or any other players on that side of the ball? How about Kentucky guard Larry Warford, who went 18 picks after Escobar to Detroit? He's started nine games at right guard for one of the NFL's most effective lines.
Granted, a Cowboys offensive line with a pair of guards (Ron Leary and Warford) and a center (Frederick) without a single NFL start among them would have been less than ideal. For that matter, Brian Waters was a great pick-up at guard. At least as long as he lasted. But that's what often happens with older players. They break down. Once they go, you'd better be ready with someone better than Mackenzy Bernadeau.
You'd better be ready with young, cheaper parts, especially if you're always in salary-cap jail, the Cowboys' home address.
Take Kyle Orton, the back-up quarterback. He's in the second year of what was a three-year, $10.5 million deal before it was recently restructured. Jerry's return on his investment so far? One touchdown.
Let's be clear: Orton, who turns 31 Thursday, is insurance, not Romo's successor. The Cowboys have no idea who will replace Romo because they never draft quarterbacks with the slightest potential to do so.
A young quarterback with potential would also cost a lot less than Orton, which would save money for other emergencies. But Jerry, the eternal optimist, never plans for problems, which is how the Cowboys ended up where they've been for two decades.
One last thing: The opening line about Baylor being the best team in the state, college or pro? Just kidding. Johnny Football would give the Bears a run for their money.
Well this year that very well may be good enough to win the NFC East
still cant believe after 11 weeks the Eagles are technically in first and this froma true bleed green eagles fan
Romo is not the answer and never will be, serviceable yes not good enough to go to the next level. Neither is foles likely so no worries but am enjoying what I am seeing
My point would be;
Romo is not good enough until he is good enough. or better yet, the story is not finished yet..
I think if Romo were on almost any other team he might have already been good enough. He gets in trouble when he tries to do too much and he tries to do too much when the team is in trouble.
I will say this, Romo is not good enough to take a less than mediocre team to the next level but he is good enough to take a less then mediocre team right to the edge...
If I had a magic wand and could trade Romo for any QB today;
I would trade him for;
Peyton
Brady
Brees
Rodgers
Eli
Roethlisberger
and that's it. I would take Romo over any other QB in the league right now..
While saying he was "disappointed" in a 5-5 record that has dropped the Cowboys out of the top spot in the NFC East for the first time this season, Jones said Garrett will return in 2014 regardless of whether the Cowboys end their three-year playoff drought.
"I'm disappointed we don't have a better record, but he has got us in position to win the division and got a team here I firmly believe has the ability to be one of the better playing teams at the end," said Jones, addressing about a dozen reporters on the team's practice field. "A lot of this story is to be played out. It does not have a bearing on whether or not he will be our coach next year. It has no bearing on that."
Asked if Garrett would be his coach next year, Jones twice said yes.
While saying he was "disappointed" in a 5-5 record that has dropped the Cowboys out of the top spot in the NFC East for the first time this season, Jones said Garrett will return in 2014 regardless of whether the Cowboys end their three-year playoff drought.
"I'm disappointed we don't have a better record, but he has got us in position to win the division and got a team here I firmly believe has the ability to be one of the better playing teams at the end," said Jones, addressing about a dozen reporters on the team's practice field. "A lot of this story is to be played out. It does not have a bearing on whether or not he will be our coach next year. It has no bearing on that."
Asked if Garrett would be his coach next year, Jones twice said yes.
While saying he was "disappointed" in a 5-5 record that has dropped the Cowboys out of the top spot in the NFC East for the first time this season, Jones said Garrett will return in 2014 regardless of whether the Cowboys end their three-year playoff drought.
"I'm disappointed we don't have a better record, but he has got us in position to win the division and got a team here I firmly believe has the ability to be one of the better playing teams at the end," said Jones, addressing about a dozen reporters on the team's practice field. "A lot of this story is to be played out. It does not have a bearing on whether or not he will be our coach next year. It has no bearing on that."
Asked if Garrett would be his coach next year, Jones twice said yes.
I believe Thursday is a must win game. Probably the weakest team left on our schedule.
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Week 12
