Like many of you I am a confused Dallas Cowboys fan! I think confused is a very good word because I still don’t see how this team continues to draw high expectations from its fan. The last three years this team has finished with an 8-8 record. Each of those three years this team had the chance to make the playoffs with a play in season finale. Each of those three years this team has lost that play in season finale game. I guess the confusions comes from not knowing what to expect from a team that looks to be better than 8-8 at times. How can one say that this team is anything but a mediocre 8-8 team? I’m not about to get in to the ups and downs of the 2013 season. I have gone over that in countless post and blogs since the season ended. I don’t want to get into who the Cowboys should draft, because we have a few weeks until the combine. I will do a team needs blog down the line, but right now I want to create an offseason checklist for the Cowboys. This will be my checklist for things that the Cowboys will need to accomplish in order for me to consider them a legit playoff team next season. As fans we need to stop putting our blind faith in our favorite team just because they’re our favorite team.
In my opinion this offseason is a very important offseason for the Dallas Cowboys. After this year they will need to offer contracts to both Dez Bryant and Tryon Smith. Both of them are the Cowboys two biggest pieces and there is no way the Cowboys can afford to let either one of them go. This is also the offseason that the Cowboys address some very important issues that they have put off for far too long.
Addressing the issues in the secondary has to be the top priory of the Dallas Cowboys. In my honest opinion, they could put this off for one more year and try to improve the pass rush but they can’t. They have dug a hole so deep that it has to be filled, now! I look around the league and I see young talented safeties playing for other teams, and I think why the Cowboys didn’t make a move on him. In last year’s draft the Cowboys most glaring need was for an offensive linemen. They had just signed Romo to the new deal and they had to put bodies in front to protect him. Kenny Varccro was the best rated safety in the draft and that was also a pressing need for the Cowboys. Varcarro completely balled out this year for the Saints. He could have been a great addition to the Cowboys secondary. I love the Travis Fredrick pick, and I think he is going to be a great player for years to come. The Saints took Varcarro before the Cowboys were supposed to pick and then the Cowboys traded back in the draft so they could wait for Fredrick. The point that I’m making is that the Cowboys have missed out on some really talented safeties in the last 2-3 years because they have filled other needs.
This offseason the Safety spot needs to be addressed. There is no more putting it off. The main focus for the offseason will be defense but I think that most important positions need to be filled by young bodies. Going into the draft the Cowboys have two ways to go. They can stock pile the defensive line and improve on the pass rush, which will improve the play of the secondary. The second thing would be to add better talent to the secondary and fill the defensive line through free agency and later round picks. I vote for the option of drafting a talented safety in the first round and searching for the pass rush in the later rounds and through free agency.
The reason I chose the second option is because the Cowboys did a really nice job of putting together a scrappy, hardworking defensive line. George Selvie played great this year and he was a free agency signee when Spencer went down. The Cowboys will also get Tyrone Crawford back from injury. I’m not saying he is the next Demarcus Ware or anything but he will be a body for the rotation and he is still young. Whoever was evaluating the defensive linemen last season did a very nice job and Marnielli did an excellent job preparing them to play. I think the Cowboys should go safety with the first pick and then corner back with the second pick.
In summary, the first thing on my check list for the Cowboys is to focus on addressing the issue with the secondary this offseason. I really like Barry Church and Brandon Carr. With the scheme change I think these two players will be good players for the Cowboys. Morris Claiborne is a young talented corner so the Cowboys have to find a way to get the best out of him. They cannot afford to let him be a bust. Orlando Scandrick has been inconsistent for the most part be played very well at times last season. J.J Wilcox was a rookie and at times looked like one. He has upside but the Cowboys need a playmaker and difference maker right now. Also there isn’t anything wrong with developing more than one good player. I also like what I saw from BW Webb in the last few games of the season. I really feel that with the addition of a playmaking safety, this defense can be a lot better.
Comments
Post a Comment