Preseason Predictions Thread

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

I'm not sure Dallas' roster at the top if significantly better than anyone else's. I am pretty sure their roster top-to-bottom is not. I feel better about our depth. In the past NY definitely had better depth too. Not sure now. JJ's biggest issue is he can't build depth...not a good enough football guy to do it.

No, it's not significantly better. It's depth is also lacking. If you compare it to the Giants roster instead of our roster, its clear that they have 1) more strengths, and 2) fewer weaknesses.

The biggest problem with the Dallas roster is that they nonsensically tried to keep it together for this season at the expense of the ability to keep it together in future years. It's already an old roster, and really, this year is the "last go". Its got a lot of talent, but it's poorly managed talent and the coaching hires have been abysmal.

I think that you could argue that our roster is better top to bottom, and I know for a fact we have better depth, but they have two or three more star level players and that's a lot to make up in terms of depth.

Either way, I wouldn't expect Dallas to finish any closer than two games below us in the division. They are run really stupidly.

[TheMalcolmConnection]

Agreed. Everyone talks about all this talent that Dallas has, but when you compare it to other teams basically 15 up to number one, they're all quite comparable. If they had 5 future HOFers then I'd agree, but they have: Romo, Bryant, Witten, Ware, Lee... I'm sure I'm forgetting one or two, but couldn't you list that about a ton of teams?

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

Agreed. Everyone talks about all this talent that Dallas has, but when you compare it to other teams basically 15 up to number one, they're all quite comparable. If they had 5 future HOFers then I'd agree, but they have: Romo, Bryant, Witten, Ware, Lee... I'm sure I'm forgetting one or two, but couldn't you list that about a ton of teams?

Romo is obviously very good, Ware too. Witten has always been fantastic but is getting a little old. I like Lee a lot. Murray is good but not better than at least 2 other of his division peers. Bryant may be their best player and is probably the best WR in the division.

Swap out the names and positions and we could write the same thing about NY and us.

[Chico23231]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

Romo is obviously very good, Ware too. Witten has always been fantastic but is getting a little old. I like Lee a lot. Murray is good but not better than at least 2 other of his division peers. Bryant may be their best player and is probably the best WR in the division.

Swap out the names and positions and we could write the same thing about NY and us.

Alot of good, fantastic, and best for a team thats never done a damn thing.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by TheMalcolmConnection

Agreed. Everyone talks about all this talent that Dallas has, but when you compare it to other teams basically 15 up to number one, they're all quite comparable. If they had 5 future HOFers then I'd agree, but they have: Romo, Bryant, Witten, Ware, Lee... I'm sure I'm forgetting one or two, but couldn't you list that about a ton of teams?

I'm sure you could get a list of 8-10 teams who have the same top end talent as Dallas...just not in the NFC East.

Denver, New Orleans, Atlanta, Tampa, Green Bay, Seattle, SF, Houston, maybe New England?

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

I'm sure you could get a list of 8-10 teams who have the same top end talent as Dallas...just not in the NFC East.

Denver, New Orleans, Atlanta, Tampa, Green Bay, Seattle, SF, Houston, maybe New England?

I neither agree nor disagree with the assertions you make based on this undefined "top end talent" though I suspect once defined I will likely disagree. Given undefined nature of the phrase, however, it is impossible to do so coherently. Please ennumerate who you consider to be Dallas's "top end talent" - preferably in the order you think they rate.

[Lotus]

Bryant/Austin > Garcon/Morgan in terms of talent. But our WR depth is better.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by Lotus

Bryant/Austin > Garcon/Morgan in terms of talent. But our WR depth is better.

Yes. The Cowboys bench receivers are notoriously bad at coming into a game and not screwing up. They hang the QB out to dry so much.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

I neither agree nor disagree with the assertions you make based on this undefined "top end talent" though I suspect once defined I will likely disagree. Given undefined nature of the phrase, however, it is impossible to do so coherently. Please ennumerate who you consider to be Dallas's "top end talent" - preferably in the order you think they rate.

Sure thing, glad you asked.

Ware, Spencer, Lee, Romo, Bryant, Witten, Tyron Smith, Hatcher, and Carr would fit my definition of top end talent. Austin, Murray, Ratliff, Claiborne, and Bruce Carter would fall short.

[GoSkins!]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Sure thing, glad you asked.

Ware, Spencer, Lee, Romo, Bryant, Witten, Tyron Smith, Hatcher, and Carr would fit my definition of top end talent. Austin, Murray, Ratliff, Claiborne, and Bruce Carter would fall short.

Orakpo, Fletcher, Kerrigan, Griffin, Davis, Williams, Coefield, Morris, and wait for it...... Hall. (compare his stats to Carr)

[artmonkforhallofamein07]

RGIII, AlfMo, TWilliams, Kerrigan, Orakpo.

I would say they are a very talented top 5.

[sandtrapjack]

Ware, Spencer, Lee, Carter, Bryant, Witten, Romo are all pro-bowl caliber. And I might even toss in Austin for this year as well. I think he will have a career season.

Bryant and Austin are 1 & 2. but in 3 WR sets, Austin will move to the slot for the first time in his career. I like the possibilities of the mismatches this will create for him. And this is probably his last season his Dallas, so he could cash in next year.

[CRedskinsRule]

Dallas' issue isn't the top, like when Vinnie was here, the top is good or very good. BUT, they have no depth. That's why I laugh when pundits rave about the Waters signing. Fact is, by mid season, they will lose a key player - maybe 2, EVERY team does, but the well-built teams have depth to adjust. When we lost Orakpo, it hurt for several games while the depth adjusted, when they lost Lee their fan base cried injuries (even though by games lost to injury stats they had just a few more games then we did).

Bryant/Jackson/Cruz in division will get their scores against teams, but ultimately all three of those teams fail at the depth issue.

[GTripp0012]

Originally Posted by CRedskinsRule

Dallas' issue isn't the top, like when Vinnie was here, the top is good or very good. BUT, they have no depth. That's why I laugh when pundits rave about the Waters signing. Fact is, by mid season, they will lose a key player - maybe 2, EVERY team does, but the well-built teams have depth to adjust. When we lost Orakpo, it hurt for several games while the depth adjusted, when they lost Lee their fan base cried injuries (even though by games lost to injury stats they had just a few more games then we did).

Bryant/Jackson/Cruz in division will get their scores against teams, but ultimately all three of those teams fail at the depth issue.

Their depth is like ours, it's highly concentrated. None on the offensive line, none in the secondary, remarkably little at the WR position for a team that you think of as having a boatload of skill talent.

They have a lot of front seven guys and an established backup quarterback. But as always, it's going to be tough for them to weather injuries.

[CRedskinsRule]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

Their depth is like ours, it's highly concentrated. None on the offensive line, none in the secondary, remarkably little at the WR position for a team that you think of as having a boatload of skill talent.

They have a lot of front seven guys and an established backup quarterback. But as always, it's going to be tough for them to weather injuries.

Tripp, you are just wrong. We have solid depth across the board, our starters may be weak - ie Safeties, but our depth can come in and play to a reasonable level, as was proved last year.

Dallas' depth across the board is weak:
QB - Romo -- Orton, um maybe two years ago.
RB - DeMarco Murray -- ? (and by ? I mean their backup is untested or not worth being a backup)
WR - Bryant, Austin --> ?
TE - Witten --> rookie
OT - Smith, Free --> Purnell (who was miserable subbing in), ?
OL - Waters, Bernadeau, Frederick --> Costa (decent) OG's ?
Again there #1's are named players I get that, but below #1 is a shallow depth.
Compare that to ours:
QB - Griffin -- Cousins/Grossman not sexy but both proven(for Cousins as much as a first year can be
RB - Morris -- Helu sexy even
WR - Garcon/Moss - Hankerson/Morgan not sexy but both proven .
TE - Davis/Paulsen - Paul/Reed Damn sexy
OT - TW/Polumbus - Compton Heck our backup maybe better than our RT
OL - almost all are starting quality and can play multiple positions

I could do the same for Defense. Point is the depth of the Cowboys is VASTLY inferior to our depth, while their #1s are, in some cases, better than ours, but not overwhelmingly so.