Gosselin: Cowboys will only get better when they start to 'fortify the trenches

[sbk92]

Gosselin: Cowboys will only get better when they start to 'fortify the trenches with better -- and younger -- players'

SportsDayDFW sports


Rick Gosselin, pro football columnist for SportsDayDFW.com and The Dallas Morning News, answered questions about the Cowboys and the NFL in a live chat on Thursday. Here are the highlights:

For Todd Bowles, is the job at Dallas that much better than at Miami? Do you think he believed the interview for head coach was real?

I think Todd Bowles was interviewing for the defensive coordinator position. If your task as a coach is to find a way to defeat Tom Brady, you're better off coaching in Dallas than in Miami.

Why can't the Cowboys get physical on the offensive and defensive lines?

When the Giants won in 2007 they had the best combination of offensive and defensive lines in the NFL. When the Cowboys were winning Super Bowls under Jimmy Johnson, they had the best offensive line and deepeest defensive line in football. The Cowboys will get better when they fortify the trenches with better -- and younger -- players.

Any chance Vince Young lands in Dallas?

I don't see how he'd be worth the investment. You've got your franchise quarterback in place in Romo, you've got an older veteran guy who can come off the bench and win a game for you in Kitna, and you've got a developing young quarterback in McGee. I'm not sure what Vince would add to the equation. I think also he's going to want to go somewhere that he has a chance to compete for the starting job. That wouldn't be the case in Dallas.

 

[sbk92]

The Cowboys will get better when they fortify the trenches with better -- and younger -- players.

Exactly right.

But, hey, let's waste a top 10 pick on a cornerback. Give me more of that "impact" on the team.

 

[Cr122]

I want no part of Vince Young.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

Exactly right.

But, hey, let's waste a top 10 pick on a cornerback. Give me more of that "impact" on the team.

Why can we not "waste" a top 10 pick on a CB AND still fortify the trenches? If it's all that bad for the Cowboys, then adding one player wheter Dline or Oline with the frist pick is not going to solve it. Are you proposing that we use the entire draft for the trenches?

 

[Cr122]

We do need to get better in the trenches, but we also need better cornerback and safety play.

So, the way I see it is it depends on who's there at the ninth pick, if Fairley is there and Amukamara, I'm taking Fairley.

 

[sbk92]

Why can we not "waste" a top 10 pick on a CB AND still fortify the trenches?

Because you're making horrible use of a top 10 pick.

The same reason why Terence Newman was a terrible draft pick. You have impact players available all around you. Take one.

 

[Cr122]

We could of had Suggs instead of Newman.

 

[sbk92]

I wouldn't propose we use the draft on any area of the team. Just take the best players. Hopefully most of those are in the offensive and defensive lines.

 

[Cr122]

I wouldn't propose we use the draft on any area of the team. Just take the best players. Hopefully most of those are in the offensive and defensive lines.

I think both corners will be gone by our pick anyways.

It will leave Jenkins left, but that's reaching at 9.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

We could of had Suggs instead of Newman.

What you fail to understand is that while we could have had him, that doesn't mean that if we had him, he would have performed with the Cowboys as he is now with the Ravens. I mean it doesn't hurt Suggs any by playing alongside of Ray Lewis, and with Siragusa, Sam Adams, and now Haloti Ngata in front of him, and then Ed Reed behind him. Sometiems a player thrives more because of the other players around him and the system that is in place.

 

[LAZARUS_LOGAN]

Because you're making horrible use of a top 10 pick.

The same reason why Terence Newman was a terrible draft pick. You have impact players available all around you. Take one.

That's your opinion and as always it's worthless.

 

[Cr122]

What you fail to understand is that while we could have had him, that doesn't mean that if we had him, he would have performed with the Cowboys as he is now with the Ravens. I mean it doesn't hurt Suggs any by playing alongside of Ray Lewis, and with Siragusa, Sam Adams, and now Haloti Ngata in front of him, and then Ed Reed behind him. Sometiems a player thrives more because of the other players around him and the system that is in place.

Yeah, but I don't think Suggs is a system player, he's too talented.

 

[dbair1967]

We could of had Suggs instead of Newman.

Ware >>>> Suggs

 

[sbk92]

Ware >>>> Suggs

There wasn't a choice between Ware and Suggs. It was Ware or Newman.

Choice is obvious there. As I standed months before the pick was made.

 

[sbk92]

And that's not to say that Ware is even that much better.

Suggs is a superbeast. Two more sacks today.

But the uberhomer isn't going to steer the topic into that debate. It's Suggs or Newman. We could have had both Ware and Suggs on this team, which is light years ahead of the duo we have now.

 

[Bonecrusher#31]

Exactly right.

But, hey, let's waste a top 10 pick on a cornerback. Give me more of that "impact" on the team.

Well we better trade down because their isn't a Top 10 OL talent in this draft. There is on the DL.

 

[dbair1967]

There wasn't a choice between Ware and Suggs. It was Ware or Newman.

Choice is obvious there. As I standed months before the pick was made.

In your opinion. There's been severasl seasons where Newman has been a better CB than Suggs was at OLB.

But if we had drafted Suggs, we probably wouldnt have drafted Ware 2yrs later. And Ware+ newman is FAR >>>>>> Suggs, and it isnt even remotely close

 

[sbk92]

Well we better trade down because their isn't a Top 10 OL talent in this draft. There is on the DL.

It's early.

One of these guys currently ranked in the teens could easily move after the combine and personal workouts.

 

[dbair1967]

And that's not to say that Ware is even that much better.

Suggs is a superbeast. Two more sacks today.

But the uberhomer isn't going to steer the topic into that debate. It's Suggs or Newman. We could have had both Ware and Suggs on this team, which is light years ahead of the duo we have now.

I seriously doubt they'd have picked Ware 2yrs after picking Suggs

Your man Parcells wanted to draft Spears ahead of Ware anyway, I'm sure he would have done it had he had Suggs on the team.

Suggs is a good player, but he isnt Ware.

 

[sbk92]

In your opinion. There's been severasl seasons where Newman has been a better CB than Suggs was at OLB.

No. Actually there hasn't been.

And the OLB was always the more important position.

But if we had drafted Suggs, we probably wouldnt have drafted Ware 2yrs later. And Ware+ newman is FAR >>>>>> Suggs, and it isnt even remotely close

lol My how homers will say anything to defend their shat team.

Yes. Newman made us take Ware. Thank God we selected him!!