Whether Jason Garrett may have been in over his head in his first year as head coach:
Gosselin: May have been? He was way over his head. The head coaching job is a full-time responsibility. You have game management, timeouts, replays, you have to handle both offense and defense. Jason Garrett is the offensive coordinator that’s doubling as a head coach. Offensive coordinator is a full-time job. The first thing they should is divide the two jobs, but that’s not going to happen.
On the idea of focusing more on character than talent in the NFL draft:
Gosselin: That’s a great place to start. You look at J.J. Watt, who Houston took with the 10th pick. He probably belonged somewhere between 16 and 20, but he had the makeup that you want on your team. High character guy, high motor guy. The Cowboys could use a few more high character guys and a lot more high motor guys. You don’t have to take the great talent guy with character flaws like Dez Bryant. Go get guys that want to win, that want to succeed, and until they change that philosophy, I don’t see a change in this team.
Do you think since Jerry Jones had so much success early as a GM with Jimmy Johnson, that it is the reason he refuses to step down as GM? Because he feels like if it happened once it can happen again.
Jimmy called the personnel shots for the teams that won championships. Those Lombardi Trophies came too easy for Jones and he figured he could do what Jimmy did -- have final say in the acquisition of talent. That's why Jerry ran Jimmy off. He couldn't have the power unless Jimmy was out of the building. But Jimmy was a football guy. Jerry is an oil guy. I wouldn't want Jimmy to call the shots in my oil business -- and I wouldn't want Jerry calling the shots in my football business. Jerry's trying to get lucky as a GM. Thus far, no luck.
Dallas has now missed the playoffs more than they have made the playoffs since Romo has been the starting QB. I don't think that's a coincidence do you?
Romo needs to further elevate his game. Not necessarily in terms of statistics, but rather in making the plays that win games late. Eli Manning seems to have mastered that craft. So has young Matthew Stafford. Like I said before, Romo needs to be the reason the Cowboys win games. He has to reach deep down inside if he wants to reach the "franchise" status that Brady, Brees and Rodgers all claim. This town judges quarterbacks on Lombardi Trophies. Romo doesn't belong in the same conversation as Aikman and Staubach.
I agree with you about the interior line needing an upgrade, but they drafted Arkin and Nagy. Why not give either of them the chance to win either guard spot, keep Kosier for one more year and draft a stud at center?
That was one of my biggest disappointments in this team. The Cowboys drafted Arkin in the fourth round and then made him a 16-game inactive. If you don't play your youngsters, you never find out about them. But remember, this franchise wouldn't put Doug Free on the field until injuries forced them to toward the end of his third season. The Cowboys continually drop the ball when it comes to developing young linemen.
I may be old school, but I still think games are won and lost in the trenches. I think Dallas lost to New York was the result of getting beat on both sides of the trenches. Your thoughts?
Games especially are won in the trenches in the NFC East. There are three cold-weather cities in the division and you'd better be able to slug it out physically up front in the months of November and December. When they Cowboys were winning Super Bowls, they fielded both the best offensive and defensive lines in football. If you can control the line of scrimmage, you can control your opponent -- and your destiny. The Cowboys control nothing these days.
Even though Dallas defense was bad, how did NE and GB overcome bad defenses and we couldn't?
This is going to sound repetitious. In today's NFL, quarterback is now 90 percent of a Super Bowl equation and about 80 percent of a playoff equation. If you have a Brady, Brees or Rodgers, it doesn't matter what other problems you have. They overcome any and all obstacles.
Who's going to be the No. 2 QB next year if not Stephen McGee?
With what they've invested in McGee, I would hope the Cowboys bring him back. He's spent four years there and what do the Cowboys have to show for it? Turn him loose? I would also draft a quarterback in the back end of every draft. The Patriots found Tom Brady in the sixth. T.J. Yates was a 5. The Cowboys need to start creating their own luck at that position like the Patriots and Texans.
Tim Tebow's slant to DT to win the OT playoff game reminded me of Aikman to Harper to beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship game in the '92 playoffs. Similarities?
A little different stage. The Aikman pass won the Cowboys an NFC championship. The Tebow pass got the Broncos out of the wild card round. The Aikman pass came on the road. The Tebow pass came at home. Denver winning surprised me. The Broncos managed just a field goal in the season finale at home against a going-no-where Kansas City team. I thought Pittsburgh could slam the door shut on Tebow defensively. But for most of the afternoon, it looked like the Pitt defense -- not the Steelers' D -- that was trying to figure out the Broncos offense.
Would you trade the Cowboys secondary for LSU's?
I think the Cowboys might have beaten the Giants in the finale if they had either the Alabama or LSU secondary instead of their own. I'm looking forward to the game tonight. But then I love a defensive battle.
When is your best guess that Jerry will hand over the reins to his son, Stephen?
I think if and when Jerry wins another Super Bowl -- this one on his own, not courtesy of Jimmy Johnson's coaching expertise and talent evaluations -- he'll turn the reins over to Stephen. And not until then.
Which position will the Cowboys address in the first round of the NFL draft?
The first three rounds are the premium rounds. A non-playoff team should be looking for three starting caliber players in those rounds. If I were the Cowboys, I'd be looking for two cornerbacks and a guard with my first three picks. Cornerback has greater value in the first round, so that would be my preference. I think you can find offensive linemen who can start in every round of every draft. But there's a higher price to pay for the elite corners. The Cowboys desperately need to find some players who can cover.
Wide receiver Tommy Streeter will be this year's Jimmy Graham. Thoughts?
Jimmy Graham is a freak athletically. There's only one Jimmy Graham. There's onloy one Drew Brees. There's only one Adrian Peterson. Those guys are the exceptions, nto the rules. Theey don't turn up every year in the draft. If Streeter becomes the next Jeremy Shockey, I think the NFL would be happy with that.
What if any free agents will Jerry Jones go after?
I would hope he would start with Laurent Robinson. He's about the only receiver Tony Romo has that can make a play down the field these days.
Who will be the No. 3 TE behind Witten and John P.?
Probably the team's sixth round draft pick this April, whomever that is.
I have noticed that players like Alan Ball manage to stick around here, does that show our lack of depth?
The Cowboys have a habit of sticking with commodities they know rather than seeking out replacements that could be better. That explains why they re-signed Scandrick and Sansabaugh to extensions. That also explains why I believe too many players at Valley Ranch have comfort zones. Too much job security, too little production.
Do you think Anthony Spencer will be back next year even if we draft his replacement?
You can never have enough pass rushers. The Giants had two Pro Bowl pass-rushing ends in Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora but that didn't stop New York from drafting Jason Pierre-Paul in the first round of the 2010 draft. Now he's a Pro Bowler, too. If Spencer is invited back, I'd still be on the lookout for a quality pass rusher. DeMarcus Ware needs help and Spencer alone can't give it to him.
Do you think Miles Austin will play like he did three years ago or will he become another guy whose play has decreased after a Jerry payday?
Austin turns 28 this season. He still has some quality years left in his legs. But I agree, he hasn't been the same receiver since signing is last contract. Even in the stretches of the season that he was healthy he had little impact. This will be an important year for him. It sure would help the Cowboys if Dez Bryant decided to play to his ability and challenge to become the No. 1 receiver on this team. But if Bryantn isn't going to push Austin, he can settle into a comfort zone. That's one of the problems at Valley Ranch-- too many players have settled into comfort zones.
Once the new league year begins, what is the No. 1 priority for the Boys before the draft?
Sign Laurent Robinson, then look at some interior linemen and safeties in free agency. Go get the impact players in the draft.
Do you think the Cowboys need 2 CBs or 2 safeties?
Both. I'd love to start the 2012 season with four new starters in the secondary. Jenkins and Scandrick will remain part of the equation, though.
Which positions might be best suited for FA versus the draft as far as cost and availability?
Long-time readers know that I've never been a fan of free agency. You can count the numbeer of players who played to the level of the money and duration of the contract on one hand. The best free agent signing last season was a backup player on one team who signed to back up on another -- Darren Sproles at New Orleans. Nnamdi Asomugha wasn't exactly the answer in Philadelphia that he was supposed to be at considerable cost. You build champions through the draft. You patch short-term holes in free agency. The interior offensive line would be a place to look in free agency. Safety is another position that generally has a few players worth studying. But the impact positions -- quarterback, running back, receiver, left offensive tackle, pass rusher and cornerback -- are best found in the draft. For too many years the free agents the Cowboys have signed were because of blown draft picks. Make your draft picks count and you aren't held hostage by free agency.
Gosselin: May have been? He was way over his head. The head coaching job is a full-time responsibility. You have game management, timeouts, replays, you have to handle both offense and defense. Jason Garrett is the offensive coordinator that’s doubling as a head coach. Offensive coordinator is a full-time job. The first thing they should is divide the two jobs, but that’s not going to happen.
On the idea of focusing more on character than talent in the NFL draft:
Gosselin: That’s a great place to start. You look at J.J. Watt, who Houston took with the 10th pick. He probably belonged somewhere between 16 and 20, but he had the makeup that you want on your team. High character guy, high motor guy. The Cowboys could use a few more high character guys and a lot more high motor guys. You don’t have to take the great talent guy with character flaws like Dez Bryant. Go get guys that want to win, that want to succeed, and until they change that philosophy, I don’t see a change in this team.
Do you think since Jerry Jones had so much success early as a GM with Jimmy Johnson, that it is the reason he refuses to step down as GM? Because he feels like if it happened once it can happen again.
Jimmy called the personnel shots for the teams that won championships. Those Lombardi Trophies came too easy for Jones and he figured he could do what Jimmy did -- have final say in the acquisition of talent. That's why Jerry ran Jimmy off. He couldn't have the power unless Jimmy was out of the building. But Jimmy was a football guy. Jerry is an oil guy. I wouldn't want Jimmy to call the shots in my oil business -- and I wouldn't want Jerry calling the shots in my football business. Jerry's trying to get lucky as a GM. Thus far, no luck.
Dallas has now missed the playoffs more than they have made the playoffs since Romo has been the starting QB. I don't think that's a coincidence do you?
Romo needs to further elevate his game. Not necessarily in terms of statistics, but rather in making the plays that win games late. Eli Manning seems to have mastered that craft. So has young Matthew Stafford. Like I said before, Romo needs to be the reason the Cowboys win games. He has to reach deep down inside if he wants to reach the "franchise" status that Brady, Brees and Rodgers all claim. This town judges quarterbacks on Lombardi Trophies. Romo doesn't belong in the same conversation as Aikman and Staubach.
I agree with you about the interior line needing an upgrade, but they drafted Arkin and Nagy. Why not give either of them the chance to win either guard spot, keep Kosier for one more year and draft a stud at center?
That was one of my biggest disappointments in this team. The Cowboys drafted Arkin in the fourth round and then made him a 16-game inactive. If you don't play your youngsters, you never find out about them. But remember, this franchise wouldn't put Doug Free on the field until injuries forced them to toward the end of his third season. The Cowboys continually drop the ball when it comes to developing young linemen.
I may be old school, but I still think games are won and lost in the trenches. I think Dallas lost to New York was the result of getting beat on both sides of the trenches. Your thoughts?
Games especially are won in the trenches in the NFC East. There are three cold-weather cities in the division and you'd better be able to slug it out physically up front in the months of November and December. When they Cowboys were winning Super Bowls, they fielded both the best offensive and defensive lines in football. If you can control the line of scrimmage, you can control your opponent -- and your destiny. The Cowboys control nothing these days.
Even though Dallas defense was bad, how did NE and GB overcome bad defenses and we couldn't?
This is going to sound repetitious. In today's NFL, quarterback is now 90 percent of a Super Bowl equation and about 80 percent of a playoff equation. If you have a Brady, Brees or Rodgers, it doesn't matter what other problems you have. They overcome any and all obstacles.
Who's going to be the No. 2 QB next year if not Stephen McGee?
With what they've invested in McGee, I would hope the Cowboys bring him back. He's spent four years there and what do the Cowboys have to show for it? Turn him loose? I would also draft a quarterback in the back end of every draft. The Patriots found Tom Brady in the sixth. T.J. Yates was a 5. The Cowboys need to start creating their own luck at that position like the Patriots and Texans.
Tim Tebow's slant to DT to win the OT playoff game reminded me of Aikman to Harper to beat the 49ers in the NFC Championship game in the '92 playoffs. Similarities?
A little different stage. The Aikman pass won the Cowboys an NFC championship. The Tebow pass got the Broncos out of the wild card round. The Aikman pass came on the road. The Tebow pass came at home. Denver winning surprised me. The Broncos managed just a field goal in the season finale at home against a going-no-where Kansas City team. I thought Pittsburgh could slam the door shut on Tebow defensively. But for most of the afternoon, it looked like the Pitt defense -- not the Steelers' D -- that was trying to figure out the Broncos offense.
Would you trade the Cowboys secondary for LSU's?
I think the Cowboys might have beaten the Giants in the finale if they had either the Alabama or LSU secondary instead of their own. I'm looking forward to the game tonight. But then I love a defensive battle.
When is your best guess that Jerry will hand over the reins to his son, Stephen?
I think if and when Jerry wins another Super Bowl -- this one on his own, not courtesy of Jimmy Johnson's coaching expertise and talent evaluations -- he'll turn the reins over to Stephen. And not until then.
Which position will the Cowboys address in the first round of the NFL draft?
The first three rounds are the premium rounds. A non-playoff team should be looking for three starting caliber players in those rounds. If I were the Cowboys, I'd be looking for two cornerbacks and a guard with my first three picks. Cornerback has greater value in the first round, so that would be my preference. I think you can find offensive linemen who can start in every round of every draft. But there's a higher price to pay for the elite corners. The Cowboys desperately need to find some players who can cover.
Wide receiver Tommy Streeter will be this year's Jimmy Graham. Thoughts?
Jimmy Graham is a freak athletically. There's only one Jimmy Graham. There's onloy one Drew Brees. There's only one Adrian Peterson. Those guys are the exceptions, nto the rules. Theey don't turn up every year in the draft. If Streeter becomes the next Jeremy Shockey, I think the NFL would be happy with that.
What if any free agents will Jerry Jones go after?
I would hope he would start with Laurent Robinson. He's about the only receiver Tony Romo has that can make a play down the field these days.
Who will be the No. 3 TE behind Witten and John P.?
Probably the team's sixth round draft pick this April, whomever that is.
I have noticed that players like Alan Ball manage to stick around here, does that show our lack of depth?
The Cowboys have a habit of sticking with commodities they know rather than seeking out replacements that could be better. That explains why they re-signed Scandrick and Sansabaugh to extensions. That also explains why I believe too many players at Valley Ranch have comfort zones. Too much job security, too little production.
Do you think Anthony Spencer will be back next year even if we draft his replacement?
You can never have enough pass rushers. The Giants had two Pro Bowl pass-rushing ends in Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora but that didn't stop New York from drafting Jason Pierre-Paul in the first round of the 2010 draft. Now he's a Pro Bowler, too. If Spencer is invited back, I'd still be on the lookout for a quality pass rusher. DeMarcus Ware needs help and Spencer alone can't give it to him.
Do you think Miles Austin will play like he did three years ago or will he become another guy whose play has decreased after a Jerry payday?
Austin turns 28 this season. He still has some quality years left in his legs. But I agree, he hasn't been the same receiver since signing is last contract. Even in the stretches of the season that he was healthy he had little impact. This will be an important year for him. It sure would help the Cowboys if Dez Bryant decided to play to his ability and challenge to become the No. 1 receiver on this team. But if Bryantn isn't going to push Austin, he can settle into a comfort zone. That's one of the problems at Valley Ranch-- too many players have settled into comfort zones.
Once the new league year begins, what is the No. 1 priority for the Boys before the draft?
Sign Laurent Robinson, then look at some interior linemen and safeties in free agency. Go get the impact players in the draft.
Do you think the Cowboys need 2 CBs or 2 safeties?
Both. I'd love to start the 2012 season with four new starters in the secondary. Jenkins and Scandrick will remain part of the equation, though.
Which positions might be best suited for FA versus the draft as far as cost and availability?
Long-time readers know that I've never been a fan of free agency. You can count the numbeer of players who played to the level of the money and duration of the contract on one hand. The best free agent signing last season was a backup player on one team who signed to back up on another -- Darren Sproles at New Orleans. Nnamdi Asomugha wasn't exactly the answer in Philadelphia that he was supposed to be at considerable cost. You build champions through the draft. You patch short-term holes in free agency. The interior offensive line would be a place to look in free agency. Safety is another position that generally has a few players worth studying. But the impact positions -- quarterback, running back, receiver, left offensive tackle, pass rusher and cornerback -- are best found in the draft. For too many years the free agents the Cowboys have signed were because of blown draft picks. Make your draft picks count and you aren't held hostage by free agency.
