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- 2018-2019
Regular Season: Welcome To The Party Or So Sorry, Amari
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This edition of "The Tortured
Cowboys Fan" has also been published by the fine folks at
Sports TalkLine.
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November 3, 2018 At 9:51 PM CST
By Eric M. Scharf-
- The NFL trade deadline came and went with a handful of teams
having sought improvement and hoping to make a dent.
Playoff-contending teams – attempting to acquire available talent to
fill critical holes – can look back with relative confidence that
what could be done (for the stretch run) was accomplished so
their team could best thrive on their postseason drive.
While (from the rest of the league) the Dallas Cowboys are
technically no different, their near-midseason improvement efforts
(like anything else “America’s Team” does) are allowed no gray area
and given no quarter. They are either highly praised or viewed as
completely out of order.
The Cowboys certainly have their needs – “true number one” wide
receiver and stud safety among them – for which Cowboys Nation
(increasingly and regularly) pleads. After an entire offseason and
right up until “The Snappening” (of a certain safety’s leg, not
another Thanos reference, silly), fans thought an Earl “Come Get Me”
Thomas trade was happening. Once his devastating injury (rather than
any temporarily-deficient trade offer) t-boned that potential
exchange, the focus of both the Cowboys and their fans had to
rearrange.
Before that talent search redirect could take full effect, none
other than Desmond Demond Bryant made Cowboys Nation lose its
collective mind on Twitter by proclaiming he would rather return to
playing in Dallas than go anywhere else to chase a Super Bowl
chalice. Owner Jerry Jones quickly responded with appreciation for
Dez’s sentiment and a reaffirmation that his return to the Cowboys
would be a mutual detriment.
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- GM Jerry, however, took things a bridge-burning step deeper with
his former long ball leaper. Jerry (on his radio show in 105.3 The
Fan) claimed “. . . that hasn’t been our case for several years here
that we’ve had a true No. 1, not a true No. 1. And those guys are --
would like to have one, would have liked to have had one, but we
haven’t.”
High Picks For Cruel Tricks
The past few weeks saw rumors begin to swirl about trades to address
the Cowboys’ “glaring” need at wide receiver. Players like the
Oakland Raiders’ Amari Cooper, the Miami Dolphins’ DeVante Parker,
and the Buffalo Bills’ Kelvin Benjamin were alleged to be at the top
of the list and only (totally) unreasonable trade value requests in
return would have (and perhaps should have) made Dallas resist.
GM Jerry (however and with the best of intentions) has done his team
no favors with his trade-targeted wide receiver flavors. The Jerry
Jones of today (with constant encouragement from son Stephen and
Cowboys’ assistant director of player personnel Will McClay) has
largely bought into the concept of draft picks being most valuable
towards a homegrown roster more malleable. The Jerry Jones of
yesteryear was always willing to stretch his salary cap cash to make
a season-saving splash.
Dallas (following the devastating, career-ending injury to Michael
Irvin in 1999) still had Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith. Jerry was
(understandably) desperate to prevent “The Triplets” from fading
into myth. The Seattle Seahawks had sustained an extended contract
holdout by their best deep threat, and Jerry felt obligated to make
a splash. Something seriously wet. Dallas thusly acquired wide
receiver Joey Galloway in February 2000 for their 2000 and 2001
first round draft choices, damn the counterargument voices. Few
could have foretold (from that infamous trade) how high the Seahawks
would float and how swiftly the Cowboys would become so depressingly
smote.
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- While no one could have known that – in his very first game as a
Cowboy – Galloway’s ACL would have blown, the lack of those precious
picks (over the next two seasons) set a horrifying tone. He would
return to catch 151 passes for 2,341 yards and 12 touchdowns for
Dallas in 48 games, but Galloway was undone (not by any protracted
ACL recovery but) by a franchise that (from aging stars and poor
personnel decisions) was going up in flames.
The Cowboys (years after and to resounding laughter) would sacrifice
first-and-third round draft choices (right before the 2008 NFL trade
deadline) to lure wide receiver Roy Williams from the Detroit Lions’
den. The reasonably-held belief was that Williams simply needed a
change of scenery, but the only change was seen in his bank account
greenery.
Williams was pre-boarded on a $54M contract extension of which he
never proved worthy of being rewarded. Williams (during his
less-than-dazzling Dallas days) caught just 94 passes for 1,324
yards and 13 touchdowns in 40 games. He played practically all but
one game (against the New Orleans Saints) in a seemingly
disconnected haze.
Though Williams was by far GM Jerry’s worst-ever trade acquisition,
Jones pursued him – like Galloway – with only the best intention.
The projected pairing of JJ. Stokes, err, Roy Williams and Terrell
Owens was propped up with hope, but Williams’ flameout left Jerry
(once again) looking like a hasty dope.
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- Though a rib injury to Williams would allow reserve receiver
Miles Austin to step up with 10 catches for 250 yards and two
touchdowns (including a 59-yard game winner in overtime) to BBQ
Kansas City, Cowboys Nation would have loved to bypass Williams’
mediocrity.
When it was announced that GM Jerry had traded yet another future
first round pick for yet another struggling star wide receiver that
may ultimately prove unable to stick, a significant portion of
Cowboys Nation thought out loud, “Jerry! You incredible pr-ck!” Most
fans (understandably) could not fathom further trades of high picks
for (inevitably) cruel tricks.
Some even associated the move with another dark day in Dallas
history . . . when Jerry effectively fired Jimmy Johnson and set in
motion the end of the Cowboys’ 1990’s dynasty.
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- "They finally really did it. You maniacs! You blew it up! Ahh,
damn you! God damn you all to hell!" – Charlton Heston as Cowboys
fan George Taylor upon seeing the charred remains of the Statue of
Dynasty in “Planet of the Mistakes.”
Craft By Draft
Jerry Jones really did it, and time will tell if he – yet again – ends up regretting it. He traded the Dallas Cowboys’ 2019 first
round draft pick to the Oakland Raiders for wide receiver Amari
Cooper. Dallas will at least (or at most) have him under contract
for the next year-and-a-half. And for everyone who was up in arms
over how this treacherous trade would cause more draft day harm,
there is a small but defiant number of prognosticators who insist
that an equivalent first round pick in the 2019 NFL draft would
realize no better than a raw receiving pooper.
While that reasoning portrays Jerry’s tinsel-covered transaction as
(eventually) delivering the requisite satisfaction, maybe GM Jerry
will need that pick for the "War Daddy" he will have to replace if
the Cowboys and DeMarcus Lawrence cannot keep it real and come to
terms on a new, long-term deal. This is reinforced by the legitimate
possibility that – by season’s end – Dallas and the oft-troubled
David Irving could be headed for divorce.
Maybe GM Jerry will need that pick for (GASP) another center, guard,
or tackle to fortify the "Good (But No Longer Great) Wall Of Dallas"
that may still need a lot more than new coaching spackle. When your
current quarterback (for the entire football world to see) does not
possess the unicorn-like predictive basketball court vision,
downfield eagle eyes, Houdini escapability, breathless hair trigger,
big play bravery, hint-of-daylight-accuracy, and tremendous
lead-your-receiver touch of his undrafted predecessor . . . the
success of your pass protection and run-blocking remains of
monumental importance towards recapturing your
(artificially-constructed?) 2016 identity as a point-scoring
aggressor. Without that treasure trove of talent yet still with
enough (robotic?) skill to reasonably thrill and without that
impenetrable wall – combined with an almost defiant unwillingness to
take risks – your offensive footprint becomes increasingly,
sometimes terminally small.
Maybe GM Jerry will need that pick to (GASP) select another
quarterback to compete with Prescott if he fails to overcome
“Dakuracy” or recapture enough (or any?) of his year-one legitimacy,
even with a new number one target and an offensive line scheme
reset. When your risk-hating habit is to target your hot read or the
very first receiver you see break free-and-crystal-clear, and when
your throws are more often like frozen ropes than accurately-lofted
hopes, and when the run part of your RPO looks as reluctant as your
desire to fling the downfield sling, the more disconnected you
become from the vertical opportunities your team holds so dear.
“Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the
needs of the few . . . or the one.” – Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock in
"Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan."
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- When you continue to craft by draft (at least since Jason
Garrett’s “ascension” to the head coaching position), every pick
will count when an imbalance towards one player’s needs continues to
mount.
Now And How
“If ifs and buts were candies and nuts.” The here and the now begs a
singular question: “How?”
How will the Cowboys get to enjoy Cooper’s abilities on quick
screens, reverses, back shoulder fades, and go routes if (like the
2017 Raiders) they suffer game-losing flops because (in part) they
cannot solve Amari’s drops? He had 18 in 2015, 4 in 2016, and 10 in
2017. If Dallas wants to have any chance to right the ship, they
will have to significantly lower that clip, and keep the Dak-to-Coop
collaboration crisp and clean.
On the flipside and since 2015, Cooper has
been a long touchdown trooper. He is tied for third place (with the
likes of Tyreek Hill, Antonio Brown, and Odell Beckham, Jr.) for
most 25-plus yard touchdown plays. You know, the kind that helps
generate offensive flexibility and really pays.
While the Raiders’ Derek Carr has had to endure most of those drops,
he has not clumsily contributed accuracy or deep ball flops. Even
after Oakland’s mediocre Monday Night bay showing against the 49ers,
Carr remains one of 2018’s top passing accuracy headliners. Dak
Prescott (known for sustaining his fair share of receiver-caused
drops), is nowhere near as accurate as Carr . . . even when his
receivers are wide open, whether near or far.
The blame for the Cowboys’ well-documented offensive woes (aside
from unforeseen injuries and the lack of reliable, big-framed
targets at flanker and tight end) has by and large been consistently
laid at the feet of the coaches and the GM in charge. The final nine
games of the 2018 season will be an imperfect audition for Dak
Prescott to (not so?) clearly demonstrate how he, too, should not
join Jason Garrett and Scott Linehan on the blame barge. And with
each “passing” contest, the number of Dak-friendly, Dak-enabling
moves will draw louder cheer or protest.
Then, again – for “The Tortured Cowboys Fan” – the consistent
attraction, the cherished element of all sports throughout human
history is centered on the journey towards success and how an
individual or team has been able to evolve beyond limiting
circumstances or that rare, seemingly impossible mess to (eventually
and consistently) win. The alternative, of course, is the consistent
detraction, when an individual or team too often culls curiosity in
the face of the unknown, thus, ensuring opportunities (that may
never again arrive) are blown, and THAT is an unforgiveable sin.
Perhaps Garrett and Linehan will (incredibly) clean up their
coaching act, the recently re-schemed offensive line will (possibly)
reengage its dual-purpose pact (to protect Dak and get Zeke
untracked), and the receiver-by-committee (beyond just Cole Beasley)
will begin to regularly show a more reliable pass-catching
proclivity . . . setting the stage for Prescott and Cooper to enjoy
some early-and-often productivity.
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- It is just a matter of time before fans learn which members of
the receiver-by-committee are more likely to sustain a playing time
droop in exchange for some (steadily increasing) Dak-to-Coop.
Reality dictates it may be a few weeks before “the new guy” becomes
THE guy. Whatever happens, the time is now, and the Dallas Cowboys
must figure out how.
Short Shots And Hot Spots
The Philadelphia Eagles thought “highly” enough of Amari Cooper to
only offer Oakland a 2019 number two before the Raiders’ trade
deadline dealings were through. While that – in and of itself – may
have been what officially forced GM Jerry to offer a one, The
Tortured Cowboys Fan is more than willing to imagine what might have
transpired if none other than (the far more cerebral, polished, and
multifaceted) Golden Tate had been Jerry’s trade target when it was
all said and done.
Tate (as reviled as he may still be for his 2012 demolition of Sean
Lee) appears quite a deal for a three. Considering how the Denver
Broncos traded wideout Demaryius Thomas to the Houston Texans for a
four, perhaps the Cowboys could have collected both Tate and Thomas
for far less than a one right out the door. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Cooper
is only 24 and can potentially enjoy a long career with Prescott,
who is but 25 (and understandably eager to see if they can thrive).
While both Tate and Thomas are 30 years old, perhaps on their
collective capabilities and experience fans could have been more easily
be sold. Time will tell if GM Jerry has finally cast the right (wide
receiver) trade deadline spell.
It is unfortunate on a variety of levels that outgoing offensive
line coach Paul Alexander had to be relieved of his duties, as it
was his ability to teach and support multiple blocking and
protection schemes (potentially freeing the Cowboys from a
one-and-done approach) that originally landed him such critical
responsibilities. Cowboys Nation would do well to remember the very
scheme(s) to which Marc Colombo is returning the offensive line
(with supervision from beloved Hudson Houck) were viewed with
vicious venom following last year’s mental and physical lapse in
Atlanta that (in part) led to Dallas’ brutal 2017 collapse.
The Tortured Cowboys Fan has always been a big admirer of Colombo (and
the nastiness with which he performed as a player), and few-to-none
can knock Hudson Houck. Perhaps going from Alexander to Colombo will
be similar to transitioning back from the “no wrong answer” approach
of common core math to the more traditional “one right answer” path.
And while it is (now) clear that Jason Garrett was in LA to make
consultant arrangements with the Cowboys’ former o-line master, he
seemingly learned nothing from Tony Romo’s untimely trip to Cabo,
which created a (similar but far more impactful) media disaster.
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- Speaking of players who impact the passing game out on a route
and in on the line, tight end Geoff Swaim sprained his MCL during
the Redskins game, and it may be 1-3 weeks before he is feeling
fine. This puts undesirable pressure on the Cowboys’ tight
end-by-committee (Blake Jarwin, Rico Gathers, and rookie Dalton
Schultz) to dig down deep and become competitively gritty. While
each may look to be that pass-catching individual, support for a
scheme-transitioning offensive line may prove far more critical.
Linebacker Joe Thomas was a great offseason signing, but persistent
injury challenges may (eventually) force Dallas’ defensive depth
plans to undergo some refining.
Defensive end David Irving is out with an apparent ankle sprain, but
fellow lineman Randy Gregory (who recently had arthroscopic knee
surgery) will hopefully be able to play through any residual
recovery pain.
Will They Or Won’t They?
The (3-4) Dallas Cowboys are set to host the (3-4) Tennessee Titans
under the Monday Night lights, with each team suffering similar
offensive blights. One might say this is a trap game if the two
teams were not performing so much the same.
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- America’s Team is coming off a much-needed bye week. Will their
tilt with the Titans provide proof that offensive revisions (from
roster to coaching) will produce better results and smarter
decisions instead of perpetuating their performance leak?
The writing is, once again, on the wall (and not merely Eli
Manning’s infamous locker room scrawl). Will the Cowboys begin to
steadily and consistently rise – with fan praises for all phases –
or continue to fall?
Will Cowboys Nation be able to start chanting “Welcome to the
party?” Or will they have to settle for a Roy Williams redux with
“So sorry, Amari?”
We shall see. We always do.
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