Cowboys talk

[BiPolarBear 476]

who is a better keeper for ppr... Dez or Murray ?

Man, I would say Dez. Murray is not happy with the touches he gets. The Cowboys are pass-happy with a QB that will turn a run play into a pass. Add tp that Murray's history for not being able to stay on the field.

 

What reasons do you have for considering Murray over Dez?

[sirensong 111]

Agreed. And who's fault is that? It would be the guy in charge of the "new direction". If/when this team is ever really good again - the Romos, Wares, Wittens, Carrs, Murrays, and Frees of the world won't be here. Certainly Austin won't be here. I say cut him now and get it over with. The last thing we need is that clown taking snaps and play time away from Williams and any other up and coming wrs. Yea there will be a huge as cap hit in 2015 - but we aren't going to be worth a shiat then either.... We had the league's 7th youngest average roster age in 2013. Good - let's keep moving in that direction.

 

Draft young players - play/develope young players - cut bait with old veterans - stop signing 30 year old FA's - take the hickey on bad contracts now - rebuild for the future.

 

 

in other words, you've just made the case for letting hatcher walk, letting spencer walk, and trading down to stockpile picks instead of drafting an OT at 16.

 

[Cruzer 1,992]

 

 

in other words, you've just made the case for letting hatcher walk, letting spencer walk, and trading down to stockpile picks instead of drafting an OT at 16.

 

Ab-so-freaking-lutely. Jerry is an extremely loyal person - but that loyalty sometimes is a detriment. 18 years of doing it "his" way has not worked. Newsflash - it's not going to work anytime soon either....Hatcher, Spencer - it's been fun, but you have to go. Romo? Like him - but his contract is going to haunt this team for years to come. You just can't give 34-year old qbs, coming off back-to-back back surgeries, 6 year $108m dollar deals. Will he see all of it? Prolly not - but he's going to see for sure $55m of it. And the cap hits are going to be brutal. Almost as bad are going to be the constant restructuring of it year after year.

 

Stop falling in love with 'prettty good' players - stop extending 30 year old players - stop rewarding unheard ofs with multi-million dollar deals after 1 career season - stop restructuring big ass contracts year after year - stop plugging holes with old veteran FAs - build thru the draft - actually let your draft picks play - unless it's an Andrew Luck type qb, rebuild your team from the inside out - and for the love of Football Jesus, no more back up pass catching TEs in the 2nd round.

[Phurfur 70]

We had the league's 7th youngest average roster age in 2013. Good - let's keep moving in that direction.

 

ESPN has them ranked at number 19?

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/108043/2013-nfl-age-rankings-at-reduction-to-53

[Cruzer 1,992]

ESPN has them ranked at number 19?

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/108043/2013-nfl-age-rankings-at-reduction-to-53

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2013/9/13/4727456/nfl-dallas-cowboys-have-one-of-the-youngest-rosters-in-the-league-in-2013

[sirensong 111]

ESPN has them ranked at number 19?

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/108043/2013-nfl-age-rankings-at-reduction-to-53

 

check the date. waters, hatcher, spencer, allen, and ratliff were all in that number--none of them are currently under contract.

[snatchit 108]

I am in a 2 keeper ppr and I have to choose between AJ Green, Dez and Murray..that why

[Cruzer 1,992]

Raise your hand if you've heard this one before...... The Wizard of Valley Ranch has restructured Romo's contract that will reduce his cap hit from basically $22m to $12m this year. This in conjunciton with the restructures of Scandrick and Lee's deals will take the Boys all the way down to just $1m over the cap............ Next year I will prolly be able to repost this same info bcoz I have no doubt it will happen again - restructuring is about the only thing this team does well.

[sirensong 111]

Next year I will prolly be able to repost this same info bcoz I have no doubt it will happen again - restructuring is about the only thing this team does well.

 

that's not a small thing--every single year, pundits prognosticate salary cap hell for DAL. and every year, they come through it without massive bloodletting. they were $30M over the cap at this point last season, and still found a way to franchise spencer and sign waters. instead of the massive dead money seasons, it's really newsworthy in DAL if they can't "make a splash" in FA.

 

think about that for a minute--while other teams have to gash their rosters, it's actually a big deal in DAL if they can't bring in new and flashy guys. that's a pretty impressive statement about handling the cap as a fiscal business matter, despite the big football missteps like the austin/ratliff/free deals.

 

with 3 restructures, DAL went from cap hell to <$2M over. that's before cutting austin, durant, and costa (which will be $8M more in savings). and without touching ware's contract (which gives them more flexibility down the road). and the cap goes up $17M over the next 2 seasons.

 

an interesting article: http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2014/3/4/5467522/the-dallas-cowboys-2011-2017-salary-cap-health-manifesto-part-ii

[Cruzer 1,992]

 

that's not a small thing--every single year, pundits prognosticate salary cap hell for DAL. and every year, they come through it without massive bloodletting. they were $30M over the cap at this point last season, and still found a way to franchise spencer and sign waters. instead of the massive dead money seasons, it's really newsworthy in DAL if they can't "make a splash" in FA.

Please tell me you're not advertising this as a victory of sorts? If we were perennial playoff contenders like the Pats, Saints, Pack, NIners, and Seahawks - sure, then weaseling out of cap hell year in an year out would be something to be proud of. But to be in this mess, every freaking year, and do no better than 3rd in a really bad division is embarrassing. We are actually paying top dollar to suck. Not sure what kind of financial success that is - but it's not one I'd teach. I'd be happy as pig in shiat if we actually did blow this thing up, if we actually did cut rosters and bait - start over fresh. But Jerry is packing the stadium week after week, he's one of the top dogs in merchadising and off the field revenues, and he's even admitted that he's doing his part by giving the fans a show. He's spreading BS like grass seed - and the sheep are eating it up.

[BiPolarBear 476]

Please tell me you're not advertising this as a victory of sorts? If we were perennial playoff contenders like the Pats, Saints, Pack, NIners, and Seahawks - sure, then weaseling out of cap hell year in an year out would be something to be proud of. But to be in this mess, every freaking year, and do no better than 3rd in a really bad division is embarrassing. We are actually paying top dollar to suck. Not sure what kind of financial success that is - but it's not one I'd teach. I'd be happy as pig in shiat if we actually did blow this thing up, if we actually did cut rosters and bait - start over fresh. But Jerry is packing the stadium week after week, he's one of the top dogs in merchadising and off the field revenues, and he's even admitted that he's doing his part by giving the fans a show. He's spreading BS like grass seed - and the sheep are eating it up.

I am BiPolarBear, and I endorse this message. Also, I wish I did not endorse this message and I would bet the farm Cruzer feels the same way.

 

The players are the heart of the problem. They get the star on their helmet and it is automatically better than winning a Super Bowl as a member of a lesser team AND they get a short season with less wear and tear. Anthony Spencer confirmed this mentality on 105.3 the fan. I wanted to post a link, but could not dig one up. Jerry has a fantasy team, just like the rest of us, and he is loving it while making a fortune. He wins the money championship every year. Why change that?

 

I don't think the Cowboys will manage 8 & 8 this year. The dysfunction will come a' callin'.

[sirensong 111]

Please tell me you're not advertising this as a victory of sorts? If we were perennial playoff contenders like the Pats, Saints, Pack, NIners, and Seahawks - sure, then weaseling out of cap hell year in an year out would be something to be proud of. But to be in this mess, every freaking year, and do no better than 3rd in a really bad division is embarrassing.

 

 

it is exactly what i said it is--no small thing. you're conflating a couple of issues here, which is unwise. bumping into the cap every season with mediocre talent is certainly a football problem. but being consistently able to resolve budget overages without gutting assets is a considerable accounting success.

 

the difference is important. who has DAL had to jettison for cap reasons over the last 4 years? no one of note. meanwhile, many, many other teams have had to let major stars walk because they were up against the cap. now, it's pretty accurate to say that DAL should have been willing to let certain players walk, but again, that's a football management issue, not purely an accounting issue.

[Cruzer 1,992]

 

 

it is exactly what i said it is--no small thing. you're conflating a couple of issues here, which is unwise. bumping into the cap every season with mediocre talent is certainly a football problem. but being consistently able to resolve budget overages without gutting assets is a considerable accounting success.

 

the difference is important. who has DAL had to jettison for cap reasons over the last 4 years? no one of note. meanwhile, many, many other teams have had to let major stars walk because they were up against the cap. now, it's pretty accurate to say that DAL should have been willing to let certain players walk, but again, that's a football management issue, not purely an accounting issue.

I guess in the midst of an 18 year complete failure, a tsunami of shame and embarrassment, and tarnishment of the once great and proud Star - you take what victories you can get. Gawd bless you for beating the drum song.

[sirensong 111]

I guess in the midst of an 18 year complete failure, a tsunami of shame and embarrassment, and tarnishment of the once great and proud Star - you take what victories you can get. Gawd bless you for beating the drum song.

 

 

true that, but i'd prefer to get more immoral victories. i'm tired of what we have been getting.

 

that said, i'm a businessman, and you have to be coldly realistic in business--you have to be able to isolate both successes and failures. we're really good at identifying the failures (because there are so F'ing many of them), but we also need to be able to recognize actual successes. cap allocation has been pretty disastrous, but cap accounting has been successful on the whole.

 

if JJ can fix the former, there is reason for optimism.

[Cruzer 1,992]

 

 

true that, but i'd prefer to get more immoral victories. i'm tired of what we have been getting.

 

that said, i'm a businessman, and you have to be coldly realistic in business--you have to be able to isolate both successes and failures. we're really good at identifying the failures (because there are so F'ing many of them), but we also need to be able to recognize actual successes. cap allocation has been pretty disastrous, but cap accounting has been successful on the whole.

 

if JJ can fix the former, there is reason for optimism.

I'm a lifelong fan and have been devoted to this team for 39 years. As a fan, success to me is measured in wins and losses. The financial victories are for owner and the dozens of suits he's paying six figures to keep the organization viable. If you consider duct tapping and chicken wiring the salary cap to barely get under it year after year a win of sorts - then you do. When we go 8-8, again, and miss the playoffs, again, I guess the only ones high 5'n will be the 50 suits in Jerry's accounting department, most of which prolly have no idea what football is.

 

Winning is a remedy for everything - and I mean everything. You win and the rest of the pieces fall into place. The problem here, and it has been for 18 years, is that Jerry is in charge of both the football and accounting sides of the organization. But hey we're close, another 15 years and we should be there.

[Pecos Rattlers 5]

Hmm. Hard to get too excited by it, but at least we're good at something!

 

Our 2 year penalty of $10 M cap is over after this coming season as well right? The one for 'breaking the rule that was not a rule' by signing lots of players when there was no cap.

 

edit: nevermind, looks like that finished up this past season: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/7677375/sources-dallas-cowboys-washington-redskins-lose-millions-cap-space

[sirensong 111]

the issue? personnel philosophy (lack of). other than JG's "right kinds of guys" (work ethic, attitude), there is no discernible model for teambuilding. the reason that jimmy was so good at building a defense was that he knew exactly what he wanted--speed, speed, and more speed. parcells? same thing, except he wanted bruisers with good instincts.

 

i want that fixed, and i want it done yesterday.

[Cruzer 1,992]

Believe it or not - things are making sense at Valley Ranch for once! D. Ware released, M. Austin released, Hatcher not resigned - unpopular, but critically important moves for this team to make. You can't do it all in one offseason - going to take some time. But I'm actually a tiny bit hopeful Jerry is starting to see the light. The Romo deal is going to hurt for quite some time, and I am scared to death at what Jones might throw at Dez. But if he had the stones to cut Ware and the rest - there just might be a chance he is willing to go whole hog with a youth based, fiscally conservative direction.

[Cruzer 1,992]

I just looked it up. Brandon Carr is scheduled to count $12.2m against the cap this year.

[sirensong 111]

Believe it or not - things are making sense at Valley Ranch for once! D. Ware released, M. Austin released, Hatcher not resigned - unpopular, but critically important moves for this team to make. You can't do it all in one offseason - going to take some time. But I'm actually a tiny bit hopeful Jerry is starting to see the light. The Romo deal is going to hurt for quite some time, and I am scared to death at what Jones might throw at Dez. But if he had the stones to cut Ware and the rest - there just might be a chance he is willing to go whole hog with a youth based, fiscally conservative direction.

 

 

read this: http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2014/3/12/5502060/dallas-cowboys-demarcus-ware-nfl-2014-free-agents-agency-jerry-jones

 

TL/DR version is that this is part of the plan that stephen jones has been installing along with garrett. the youth movement began with garrett, who, for example, dumped regular pro bowler gurode (along with roy williams) that first full season as HC.

 

now SJ is banging the drum for team-building through the draft, with role-players coming through FA.

 

better be careful dude, or you'll wind up sounding like an optimist!

 

[Cruzer 1,992]

 

 

read this: http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2014/3/12/5502060/dallas-cowboys-demarcus-ware-nfl-2014-free-agents-agency-jerry-jones

 

TL/DR version is that this is part of the plan that stephen jones has been installing along with garrett. the youth movement began with garrett, who, for example, dumped regular pro bowler gurode (along with roy williams) that first full season as HC.

 

now SJ is banging the drum for team-building through the draft, with role-players coming through FA.

 

better be careful dude, or you'll wind up sounding like an optimist!

 

It's crazy that it's taken this long for somebody in the Jones' suite to figure this stuff out. Some of us have been screaming it for years. But hey, I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth - thrilled to moving in a positive direction. The next couple of years might be lean - but I'm okay with it as long as we are building with youth and ridding ourselves of some of the remaining horrible contracts.

[Pecos Rattlers 5]

So we might be getting better ... but guess who leads the NFL in dead money at 20M?

 

http://www.overthecap.com/nfl-cap-space.php?Year=2014

[Pecos Rattlers 5]

Looks like we re-signed Spencer for one year.

 

I haven't seen exact contract figures, but nfl.com says 'at most' 3.5M.

 

Beats what we paid last year for him. Lets hope he is healthier .. the doctors already say he may not be ready for training camp.

[sirensong 111]

Looks like we re-signed Spencer for one year.

 

I haven't seen exact contract figures, but nfl.com says 'at most' 3.5M.

 

Beats what we paid last year for him. Lets hope he is healthier .. the doctors already say he may not be ready for training camp.

 

 

this is actually a very good move--it allows considerable latitude in the draft, and forces opposing offenses to scheme--spencer can get after the QB, which is often forgotten. moving him to the weakside will help--he has experience there, and can deal with elite LTs.

 

even if he starts the season on PUP, i think this is smart money. his base is only $1.25M, and the rest of the money is tied up in incentives. that's less than a 1st or 2nd round rookie would make. source: http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4727133/cowboys-cover-bases-with-spencer-signing

 

this also makes cruzer's proposal of another OLman in the 1st round a realistic option. and as scary as it sounds, it also makes a manziel pick more plausible.

 

what's frustrating is that last season, when we needed a guard, both top guard prospects were out of reach (which Gs seldom are). now that we need a DT, donald is out of reach (which DTs seldom are). i'm feeling snakebit here.

[Pecos Rattlers 5]

$1.25M does seem like a bargain.

 

I could see us taking OL in the first round... or whatever skill player excites Jerry. Manziel definitely qualifies, but I don't think he'll still be on the board for us (at least I hope not).

 

Speaking of guards ... a shame we did not stay at 18 and take a guard last year. That Kyle Long guy did ok.

 

We could have taken Sharrif Floyd as well, but I suppose we didn't think DT was a big need & the jury is still out on Floyd anyway.

[sirensong 111]

 

Speaking of guards ... a shame we did not stay at 18 and take a guard last year. That Kyle Long guy did ok.

 

 

frederick graded out as one of the best centers in the league at 1.31.

 

and the extra pick we got for trading down turned into one of the best rookie receivers in the league. compare williams' numbers to 1st rounder patterson.

 

so i'd say we did much better than drafting long at 1.18.

[Pecos Rattlers 5]

The Frederick pick did work out much better than expected, but he was graded 2nd round & might have been available where we took Escobar. I was looking at more like Long + Frederick instead of Frederick + Escobar.

 

I didn't realize Williams was the extra pick from that trade down though - I thought that was the other third rounder. Frederick + Williams + Escobar is probably better than Long + (a shot at) Frederick. You could argue that we might have had Williams at our original 3rd round slot (6 picks later) instead of JJ Wilcox depending on which WR were high on whose boards ( a few did get drafted between those picks ).

 

Either way, we certainly did better in the 2013 draft than some previous drafts. If they pick a good OL candidate this time & stay away from Manziel I'll be happy.

[sirensong 111]

 

Either way, we certainly did better in the 2013 draft than some previous drafts. If they pick a good OL candidate this time & stay away from Manziel I'll be happy.

 

 

substitute DL or S for OL and i'd agree with you completely.

 

it's easy to look back and say that frederick would have been around, but 2 Gs went in the top 10, which is unheard of. and according to garrett, there was a considerable dropoff after frederick, so they weren't sure if he'd last. coming off the previous season, when OL was downright horrible, they really wanted to address that, and frederick was exactly the guy garrett wanted--a mauler, a workout warrior, and an extremely smart guy (engineering degree).

 

frankly, after the trade down, i wanted cyprien. when they picked frederick, i was screaming for warford in the second round (and it would have been glorious had they taken him--he turned into a monster in DET).

 

IMO, if donald is still available at 13, DAL should trade up to grab him--STL is a good trade partner, and donald isn't going to fall past CHI. if he's gone, then it's S, OL, or trade down. i favor trading down, unless a pass rusher falls.

[Cruzer 1,992]

i favor trading down, unless a pass rusher falls.

I am totally okay moving down for an extra 2nd or 3rd round pick. But I'm also totally in favor of taking an OL in the first if one materializes. This draft is plenty deep enough at DL to look for one in the 2nd or 3rd - and safety can be addressed then too. The signing of Melton changed things up a bit, gave Jerry a little bit of wiggle room. Not that a DL wouldn't be awesome - but it isn't a dire neccessity to go out and grab one in the 1st round.

[sirensong 111]

I am totally okay moving down for an extra 2nd or 3rd round pick. But I'm also totally in favor of taking an OL in the first if one materializes. This draft is plenty deep enough at DL to look for one in the 2nd or 3rd - and safety can be addressed then too. The signing of Melton changed things up a bit, gave Jerry a little bit of wiggle room. Not that a DL wouldn't be awesome - but it isn't a dire neccessity to go out and grab one in the 1st round.

 

i would be more inclined to agree if the best 5 DLmen had more than 7 healthy legs among them.

 

spencer: rehabbing a major knee injury

 

melton: rehabbing a major knee injury

 

crawford: rehabbing a major achilles injury.

 

lee and claiborne have chronic injury problems. carter and church both have major injury history. wilcox got banged up, and johnson has never been healthy. that leaves selvie, carr, and scandrick as the only consistently healthy players in the defensive rotation.

 

i'm all for reinforcing strength, but at this point, i think OL in round 1 is a luxury pick unless a guy is the only reasonable option.

[Pecos Rattlers 5]

The OL did excellent last year as a unit, so I can see the reason why you'd want to focus elsewhere. And yet ... just about everybody graded Ronald Leary at the bottom of the league's starters at guard. Our offense is pretty deep at skill positions and we have youth at RB, WR & backup TE, so this seems like the only weakness at all on that side of the ball (unless you want a young QB ... but I don't & I don't think we'll be able to get a top one anyway).

 

He is a young guy & we're hardly a super bowl threat this year ( no matter what Jerry says ), so I could see giving him more time and focusing on other needs. Do people think he is going to develop into the answer at that slot? He has a degenerative knee condition as well .. which might limit his upside/shelf life. In his favor, he was an undrafted free agent, so he is very affordable: $400K

 

If Zack Martin makes it to 16, I'd be all for taking him over Timmy Jernigan. Clinton-Dix is a possibility at safety as well .... so at least we are likely to have a choice between positions of need at our draft position.

 

I understand the attraction, but I don't like trading up for Donald. We have significant needs at OG, DT, FS & DE and one pick in each of the first 4 rounds - we really need to try and hit each of those. I don't see how we trade up for Donald without giving up one of those picks, unless we trade a 2nd/3rd rounder next year, which would be even worse IMO.

[sirensong 111]

yeah--PFF had leary graded at 55th among guards, but he was seeing his first action and had surgery during camp. he needs another year to evaluate. free is the real issue--this is his contract season. jernigan is a no-go--they're not going to draft him unless he can play the 3 technique, and he's not a 3 technique. i'd be OK with clinton-dix, since we need a rangy safety, but IMO it looks like a second option.

 

regarding the trade-up, moving up to 1.10 (DET) costs 300 points on the chart--equal to the 60th pick (2.28). that's in DAL's shadow zone--they'd have to overpay or DET would have to take some weird late-round bundle, which i don't see happening. the realistic move is to 1.13 (STL). this only costs 150 points, equal to pick 88 (3.24). DAL holds pick 78, and they got some extra value from the 2012 trade that also involved STL, so a slight overpay is plausible here.

 

the thing about donald is that he's a special player in a draft that doesn't have a lot of them. sometimes it's worth it to pursue a special guy, and if the price is right, i think this is one of those times. this defense lives and dies on pressure from the front 4, so in military-speak, a good interior pass rusher is a force multiplier--he makes everyone on the defense better.

 

he'll probably be gone, but if he falls to STL, i think it's worth it to make a move.

[Cruzer 1,992]

i'm all for reinforcing strength, but at this point, i think OL in round 1 is a luxury pick unless a guy is the only reasonable option.

Our offensive line has a combined total of 1 Pro Bowl appearances. We are hardly in any type of luxury sitiation with those guys - haven't been since 1995. Don't get fooled and fall in love with what we saw last year. Bernadeau may of played ok - but he's an often injured, and previously cut, journeyman. Leary - bcoz of a degenerative knee condition he wasn't even drafted. I'd be extremely cautious putting long term faith in him. And Doug Free? Omg, don't get me started.

 

I'm not saying target and go get and OL in the 1st, certainly I wold welcome a top notch DL if one were available. But I'm also not opposed to taking a top notch OL lineman either. In this particlar draft, the value may be better to go OL then DL verses the other way around.

[sirensong 111]

And Doug Free? Omg, don't get me started.

 

 

why not? the guy graded out as the #1 OT in the league several weeks, and finished the season in the top 25% per PFF (thus ourperforming his salary).

 

some position groups on the team are in good shape, and others are in bad shape. given the current personnel, the OL fits comfortably into the former category--those same guys graded out as a top-5 unit last season, even with 2 first-year starters and serious continuity problems. other positions need far more help than the OL. hence using a first round pick on the OL would be a luxury expenditure.

 

2nd/3rd round? sure. but unless a premium OLman is the only option on the 1st round board, other positions should be prioritized.

[Cruzer 1,992]

2nd/3rd round? sure. but unless a premium OLman is the only option on the 1st round board, other positions should be prioritized.

Agreed - which is kind of what I've been saying. No way do you reach or even look at OL there unless a top notch player falls. If he does, and his value supercedes a DL - you consider taking him.

[sirensong 111]

figured cruzer might find this interesting, especially given his rage at the escobar pick (for which i don't entirely fault him):

 

relevant excerpt from a bloggingtheboys draft trend analysis:

 

Dallas had a immediate financial plan all along and followed it to a tee. The team was faced with a myriad of heavy contracts where it was highly questionable that they would see a return on the investment. To manage future caps, Dallas made a concerted effort to get players in the pipeline that would be able to replace the expensive, aging players.

This is a huge part of the draft process that fans tend to gloss over (as well as the interviews and things we aren't privy to). Asset management is a lot more than stockpiling draft picks. Dallas had an impending need to replace Miles Austin's bad contract. Enter a receiver (Patterson target, Williams executed). Jason Witten probably won't see the end of his deal in 2018, get Gavin Escobar in the pipeline ASAP. Concerns over whether or not the Number 2 corner you signed to a Number 1 deal will live up to it after just an ok first year? Get a young guy in there.

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2014/5/5/5682984/2014-dallas-cowboys-nfl-draft-plan-tendencies-stats-likely-picks-mock

 

not conclusive, certainly, but an interesting idea. it also explains the aggressive move for claiborne, as a hedge against carr eventually being cut. another interesting trend is that DAL tends to deal for the top grade in a position group, whether that involves trading up to the guy they want, or down to take the top guy at another position.

[Cruzer 1,992]

not conclusive, certainly, but an interesting idea. it also explains the aggressive move for claiborne, as a hedge against carr eventually being cut. another interesting trend is that DAL tends to deal for the top grade in a position group, whether that involves trading up to the guy they want, or down to take the top guy at another position.

One of the major differences between the way Jimmy ran things and the way Jerry runs things is this: Jimmy believed in stockpiling picks (i.e. h. walker deal) to make your team better - Jerry believes in giving picks away in order to grab one specific player to get better (i.e. j. galloway deal, r. williams deal, m. claiborne deal).

 

The other major difference between the two - Jimmy actually won.

[snatchit 108]

jimmy wasn't around long enough to say what he does... Ya everyone knows about the big one, but who in their right mind would pass on that deal. Jerry has moved back as much as he has moved up.

[Pecos Rattlers 5]

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2014/mock-drafts/mike-mayock/205660

 

Worst mock I've seen so far ... largely because they have Dallas taking Manziel at 16 and Donald falling to the Bengals at 24 (and Ha Ha being drafted after our pick as well)

[Cruzer 1,992]

jimmy wasn't around long enough to say what he does... Ya everyone knows about the big one, but who in their right mind would pass on that deal.

Are you nuts? Jimmy came in and took over a dreadful, and I mean dreadful Dallas Cowboys team. His impact was not only reflected in SB trophies, but it was evident in the culture he brought to Valley Ranch - and it produced...... Jimmy also had the insight to know that we needed draft picks to turn this thing around - and he knew Herschel was our only valuable commodity. He gets mucho marks for that. Jerry has had 18 years since JJ's departure - what does he have to show for it?