It’s time to move on from Dez

[Ragnar]

I trust Dak a lot more to improve than I trust Dez to improve. Of course both remain to be seen.

I agree. What worries me about Dez is that he didn't do too well in 2016 either. I could be wrong, but it looks like he peaked and is now dropping off.

There were NO accuracy issues with Dak in season one. Interestingly his accuracy dropped the same year Dez led the league in drops.

I don't blame Dak for last year. No one had a good season last year except Zeke always runs well. Give Dak a good passing game and the average time to throw and he'll be fine. He had no problems in 2016 and Dez was a non factor.

 

[Ragnar]

Making a completely accurate statement about him isn't "taking a shot."

You're absolutely right. But Dan Marino and Dan Fouts also netted zero championships and all entertainment, that doesn't not make them hall of famers. You still have to have a supporting cast. Maybe it's in the name?

 

[TheZoneSucks]

I agree. What worries me about Dez is that he didn't do too well in 2016 either. I could be wrong, but it looks like he peaked and is now dropping off.

He got paid, and then mentally checked out. He's not the only one. This is why 1 to 3 year deals would be the max I would negotiate for any player if I were an NFL owner unless I knew I had a Tomb Brady type player whom I could trust not to just play up big in a contract year then mentally quit once the big check was cashed.

 

[Ragnar]

Of course. Once a player gets a 5 year deal for 75M, including a 20M signing bonus and 45M guaranteed, he's set for life before the first snap. He's not going to care about being cut or the dead cap money. More owners need to recognize this.

 

[yimyammer]

been saying shit like this for years but the cap "experts" always look at the cap myopically in terms of dollars and cents and not the abstract effect of making these deals which, imho, can be more destructive to the team not simply because of the cap dollars that get wasted but also the roster spot taken, progress for another player stymied and the potential effect on team chemistry

 

[yimyammer]

here's a fun thought, virtually all rookies from this point forward were not even born the last time the Cowboys won a Super Bowl

I dont know why players would want to come to Dallas except for money and to be part of the kardashians of the NFL reality show

 

[Doomsday]

You're absolutely right. But Dan Marino and Dan Fouts also netted zero championships and all entertainment, that doesn't not make them hall of famers. You still have to have a supporting cast.

The Marino/Fouts/Elway comparison is silly, primarily because 300 yard passing games weren't common during their era. In Romo's era, it was. Romo was merely a product of his era. Just an average dude doing average things.

Maybe it's in the name?

You're trying to backdoor play the race card here?

 

[Ragnar]

The Marino/Fouts/Elway comparison is silly, primarily because 300 yard passing games weren't common during their era. In Romo's era, it was. Romo was merely a product of his era. Just an average dude doing average things.

Marino and Fouts put up some good numbers and put on a pretty good show during their time. But they got to watch other QBs win championships. That was my only point. Marino actually tossed 300+ yard games with almost the same frequency as Romo.

You're trying to backdoor play the race card here?

I don't even know what that means and I didn't mention Elway. I said Dan Marino and Dan Fouts.

 

[Doomsday]

Marino and Fouts put up some good numbers and put on a pretty good show during their time. But they got to watch other QBs win championships. That was my only point. Marino actually tossed 300+ yard games with almost the same frequency as Romo.

In an era where this was RARE. This is why it is silly to compare them to Romo in any way. They did it in a time where you could actually hit the quarterback and rough-up the receivers. Romo did it in a era where the QB and receivers are heavily protected. It's like comparing flag football with real football.

I don't even know what that means and I didn't mention Elway. I said Dan Marino and Dan Fouts.

My apologies, it read to me that you might have been saying poor ole Romo might not get a HoF nod, because of his hispanic lineage. LAST name.

Elway is a Hall of Famer from that era. You remember, that era where 300 yard passing games were rare and quarterbacks were fair game, and receivers could be roughed up?

 

[theoneandonly]

Translation: Beasley better watch his ass too. Draft is deep round 2 through 4 for WRs so one will be the pick in that area.

 

[Ragnar]

Elway is a Hall of Famer from that era. You remember, that era where 300 yard passing games were rare and quarterbacks were fair game, and receivers could be roughed up?

I remember it well. Even Aikman got roughed up. That stuff went beyond the 80s. I was just pointing out that even the hall of fame QBs needed a supporting cast. I liked Romo but do not think he is hall of fame. Nor do I think he is anywhere as good as Fouts/Marino/Elway. I was just saying that even hall of famers go through careers as a QB and don't win championships. I'm not putting the blame on them nor do I put the blame on Romo. Worse QBs have won the SB than Romo.

 

[Doomsday]

I remember it well. Even Aikman got roughed up. That stuff went beyond the 80s. I was just pointing out that even the hall of fame QBs needed a supporting cast. I liked Romo but do not think he is hall of fame. Nor do I think he is anywhere as good as Fouts/Marino/Elway. I was just saying that even hall of famers go through careers as a QB and don't win championships. I'm not putting the blame on them nor do I put the blame on Romo. Worse QBs have won the SB than Romo.

I wasn't blaming Romo for lackalombardi. I've always blamed Jerruh for that.

 

[charleshaleyfan]

To me, it does not matter who the group of WRs are. The Coaches do not "coach them up" properly, devise great schemes, get creative or have the coaching ability to have them elevate their game to a high level. It was extremely evident in the Denver game, when they took the Boys to the woodshed and the O could not move the ball at all. The Coaches did not adjust.. EVER..all year. They then just pounded the ball and threw the passing game under the bus.
And then Atlanta.. and then Jason Garrett stood on the sidelines and allowed Chaz Green to get repeatedly tortured and Dak killed. His response? I saw it, but did not believe it. That IS Jason Garrett. He refuses to acknowledge or COACH when things go wrong glaringly right in his face. Could Dez improve? Yes, but what has he been asked to do?? This is an example of all the players. It's the COACH and front office who are most to blame!

 

[charleshaleyfan]

Why did they draft Ryan Switzer last year and Noah Brown? They used Switzer as a body to just stand back there and fair catch the football. And Noah Brown..same thing. A body out there not doing anything.

An excellent Coach with an innovative mind would have the team involved and making great plays. Use your army or get the hell out!! Jason Garrett is imcompetent at creating game plans and Marinelli & Linehan are under his thumb.
I can't stomach yet another year of squandering a once great franchise.. and keeping the same heads to repeat the same result. The front office and Coaches spend too much time patting themselves on the back for being incompetent.

 

[Scot]

If Switzerland didn’t fumble the kick early in the season I believe he may have had a bigger role last year. I think the muffed kick return scared the coaches away from using him

Plus Garrett being innovative with him is an absolute no go considering Garrett doesn’t even know how to spell the word well enough to be able to look it up in the dictionary to find out what exactly innovation means

 

[Dodger12]

I trust Dak a lot more to improve than I trust Dez to improve. Of course both remain to be seen.

There were NO accuracy issues with Dak in season one. Interestingly his accuracy dropped the same year Dez led the league in drops.

And what of the other receivers that disappeared? It wasn't only Dez and I don't think one receiver topped 1000 yards receiving. That's pretty tough to do in today's NFL. In any event, we can find another #1 receiver. It much more difficult to find a QB.

 

[Dodger12]

The Marino/Fouts/Elway comparison is silly, primarily because 300 yard passing games weren't common during their era. In Romo's era, it was. Romo was merely a product of his era. Just an average dude doing average things.

If you think Romo is a product of his era and just average, then what does that say about Dak? If Dak has half the career Romo had, we should consider ourselves very lucky.

Romo has the fourth highest passer rating in NFL history. I wouldn't call that average. And I would agree that today's NFL gives QB's an opportunity to succeed that they didn't have in past eras. But not all QB's do succeed under these conditions. Bag all you want. I'll be right there come the start of the season rooting for Dak and hoping for 200 yards passing and an occasional deep pass just to wake us up. And if Dez is still on the team, we can always blame him if Dak tanks again......

 

[Doomsday]

But not all QB's do succeed under these conditions.

Of course not, and nobody thinks that.

if Dez is still on the team, we can always blame him if Dak tanks again......

Dez only gets some blame when he leads the league in drops, and 80 percent of Dak's picks were on balls targeted to him. Nobody's blaming Dez 100 percent. Failing to protect the QB is also a big reason when you get negative results.

If you think Romo is a product of his era and just average, then what does that say about Dak?

It says Dak didn't have three years as an understudy before becoming the starter.

Romo has the fourth highest passer rating in NFL history. I wouldn't call that average.

And Dak would be #8 all-time, if he qualified to be counted. (Minimum 1,500 career attempts.) He's 95.5 right now, Romo is 97.1. Wonder where Dak will be when he hits that 1,500 pass attempts mark?

It's funny to look at that chart, all but two of the higher-rated QBs play(ed) in the flag football era I was talking about earlier.

Oh hey lemme ask: Does a QB who is "inaccurate" possibly own a career 95.5 passer rating?

 

[Ragnar]

If you think Romo is a product of his era and just average, then what does that say about Dak? If Dak has half the career Romo had, we should consider ourselves very lucky.

Romo has the fourth highest passer rating in NFL history. I wouldn't call that average. And I would agree that today's NFL gives QB's an opportunity to succeed that they didn't have in past eras. But not all QB's do succeed under these conditions. Bag all you want. I'll be right there come the start of the season rooting for Dak and hoping for 200 yards passing and an occasional deep pass just to wake us up. And if Dez is still on the team, we can always blame him if Dak tanks again......

"His era". What does that even mean? That due to the salary cap most teams defenses can't afford to field a good defense? Because that's what it is. It's not so much the rules, it's the fact the defensive talent is spread out. Back during the regular season in 1990 the Giants and 49ers played a game that ended 7-3. Those two teams met in the NFC championship game and had two of the best offenses in the league. What does that tell you about defenses we'll never see again?

Anyway, I don't blame Dak or Dez for last season. I put most of the blame on the coaching staff. No one had a good year last season on offense. We all saw the plays that were being run, right? Not to mention how agonizingly predictable they were. Dak got sacked 8 times in the Atlanta game and probably avoided another 20. The San Diego game along with a few others reminded me of 2010 when the team checked out. Remember that? That was the reason Garrett was installed midway through the season. We have a coaching problem and it may take another blown season to correct it.

 

[Doomsday]

It's not so much the rules, it's the fact the defensive talent is spread out.

ALL talent is spread out. When teams focus more resources on defense, they typically have a better defense. And vice-versa.

There's no question by anyone anywhere, that today's rules greatly favor the passing game. They are purposely made, to favor the passing game. It's intentional and not even a secret. Quarterbacks and receivers today enjoy freedom they never had in past eras. And the numbers reflect that.