The case against drafting a Safety early
by Becho on Mar 19, 2010 4:17 AM CDT
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PrintAside from Roy Williams everyone’s favorite whipping boy this off-season is Ken Hamlin. So much so that acquiring a safety is looked at by many as priority number one. I disagree to a certain extent. I agree that we should take a safety early if there is value. Thomas at 27, Allen at 59, or Burnett in the 3rd would be excellent. I also like Atogwe or Bethea but only if: Ken is cut AND Atogwe is signed for a short 1 to 3 yr deal OR we get a good deal for Bethea (good deal = not our 1st round pick and at most 5 mil a year). Aside from those unlikely situations I say pass on a safety all together. I think we are exaggerating the need. Here’s my rationale:
This year Ball, M. Hamlin, and Sensa performed well and showed lots of upside. It is conceivable that Ball and M. Hamlin could push for a starting position soon and we may not have seen the best of Sensa. Why stunt that development and why waste a high pick when skilled youth is already in house?
K. Hamlin is an excellent stop gap, if a stop gap is even needed, for our young safeties. He is still relatively young and is not far removed from some very productive years. He plays better when his job is on the line and it certainly is move it or lose it time for him.
CB is a much greater need at this point and a more important position to stock depth. We have 3 quality CBs but after that nothing. It be a long shot for anyone but Thomas to beat out Ball, so most likely we are talking about a 4th string safety if one is drafted. A 4th string CB sees the field much more than the 4th safety.
Keeping 5 safeties would be a wasted roster spot. Drafting a safety either forces us to cut M. Hamlin or keep 5 safeties. Who is ready to cut M. Hamlin? What is the need for a 5th safety? That spot would better serve the Cowboys on the OL, DL, or at the LB position. Even a 4th RB would be better than a 5th safety.
Do we really need to be so hasty to cut K. Hamlin? I know “Cut K. Hamlin” is an argument one may use to tear down the last two roster spot arguments, but aside form Atogwe, Bethea or Thomas, who can replace K. Hamlin? I am not willing to gamble on Ball or M. Hamlin without having Ken as a security blanket.
We need to keep an eye on our team salary. Ken is useful because he can save the Cowboys money if the salary cap ever comes back. He can be cut in 2011 and save the Cowboys about 3 mil. Signing someone like Bethea or Atogwe to a long term deal will only help to swell our league high 153 million dollar salary and quickly assist us on our way to salary cap hell. Hence the reason I am adamant about acquiring those players only under the above circumstances.
Lastly, I feel it too. I also think that the Boys are great safety play away from having an elite level D. But unless Thomas falls, that is not gonna happen this year. A cheap Bethea or Atogwe is most likely a pipe dream. Who knows, maybe Ball or (dare I say it!) Ken raise their level of play next year and we get a dominant D in the easiest most convenient way possible. So stop worrying and leave safety off your off-season wish list.
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M. Hamlin
Did absolutely nothing last year. So i hope you were making a joke
“ha ha” i dont get it
by howboutdemcowboyz on Mar 19, 2010 4:49 AM CDT reply actions
Hear, hear!
Excellent post, well thought out and supported with logical comments — I am in favor of taking the “youth be served” approach at the CB position. With the number of multiple WR sets, CB’s are like closets in your house — there are never enought of them!
From the hometown of Bob Lilly,
Wow! I got whiplash from the contradictions.
Safety is the best area for upgrade…we don’t need one.
I don’t trust Ball or M Hamlin…but no one else could fill K Hamlin’s spot.
Keeping 5 safeties is a wasted roster spot…but the ’Boys kept 5 last year (Watkins) and most years they keep 6.
Having the #2 overall defense (scoring) means that they’re pretty good, especially up front (finishing #4 against the run). Our CBs are 3 deep and quite good. But there are still areas of improvement. Some stats that show the secondary (especially safety) need upgrading:
- 20th against the pass
- T-26th in Interceptions
- Zero forced fumbles, 1 INT (Sensabaugh) from the safeties
- Hamlin with 2 total Passes Defensed
Now there are some stats that support staying pat. Finishing 4th in 3rd down conversions mean that the safeties are keeping things in front of them and tackling reasonably well.
But Safety is a position that can make or break a defense. Just ask Indy when they lose Bob Sanders or Pitts without Polamalu.
While I agree that you can never have enough CBs, we have Ball as our 4th CB. We need a starting safety.
The team loves Mike Hamlin. And for all you naysayers, just remember the love last year for Austin. Cutting Hamlin saves $5+ Million and opens yet another spot.
There is no other position on defense in need of an upgrade as much as Safety. Period.
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. - Thomas Jefferson
by Fighter15 on Mar 19, 2010 10:45 AM CDT reply actions 1 recs
For comparison, here's a few stats from other safeties in the league
Polamalu (5 games): 3 INTs, 7 Passes Defensed(PD)
Sharper (34 yr old): 9 INTs, 15 PDs
Adrian Wilson: 5 INTs, 13 PDs, 1 FF, 2 REC
…
I could go on, but then I’d list every single starting safety in the league and about 30 LBs that had better stats than Hamlin.
Heck, Kenny Phillips, NYG only played one game (against Dallas) and had 2 INTs & 2 PDs.
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. - Thomas Jefferson
Well the replacement has to be a guaranteed improvement over Hamlin
Otherwise you stand a chance of really hurting the D. Lets say we cut him, are we sure Ball or M. Hamlin will play better? I am not. If we sign a FA like Atogwe, can we get the appropriate contract? I think not. A long term, pricey contract will really put us into a bind salary cap wise if it ever comes back. We are at 153 mil this year. That is almost 30 mil over the cap. This cap-less year is saving our butt. We still need to sign Austin and a maybe a few other UFAs, so we cant do long term deals unless we know the player can be productive for a long time. Atogwe is 29, and can not guarantee that.
Bethea is the other option. He fits the youth criteria but that 1st round pick we would have to give up sure would hurt. With the situation at OL, do we really want to commit to that right now? After the draft maybe, but not now.
Same b.s. argument said about t.o.
{Notice the corresponding capitalization}
How can you not get better than Hamlin? 2 PDs, zero INTs, zero FFs, and “leading” the 20th ranked secondary…with 2 Pro Bowlers at CBs!
Your cap numbers are wrong (we’re the only team above the minimum (on salaries), but would only be above the cap due to dead money & pro-rated bonuses). But even then, that goes against your argument of keeping the 5th highest salary on the team! All RFA tenders are included.
We can (and in many opinions, should) sign a potential “great” Safety. And given this uncapped year, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get a vet that’s long in the tooth…ahem, Sharper…for a serious 1-2 year deal that won’t affect us long term until we can get the eventual replacement.
The only argument I haven’t seen you make is that Hamlin is better than the alternative.
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. - Thomas Jefferson
so who is it that fits the mold of a sure fire upgrade
but don’t forget the teams biggest problem is at OL. Whatever solution proposed still has to leave room for OL. Both on the roster and in the draft.
As far as Sharper goes, i think he overachieved this year but I would be open to taking him on for a 1 to 2 year deal. Issue is that he will never go for that. dude will want a big contract.
Hamlin was great for this team 2 years ago and he may be the best solution for next year. If he is cut then yeah possibility open up but I VERY highly doubt he will be the one cut in training camp. I am sure we will either keep 5 safeties or cut M. Hamlin. I dont want to see either of those things happen.
I agree that OL is the biggest need
I’m on record (go see the ’06 BSR/Boys.com draft threads) begging, pleading, and trashing every draft since then.
But I simply don’t understand your hangup on keeping only 4 Safeties. We’ve never done it. Last year was the first in recent memory we only kept 5.
We’re talking about getting rid of Watkins, for gosh sakes.
Or Ken Hamlin, who was simply the worst statistical starting safety in the league. Guys with only 1 or 2 starts had better stats than him. And he’s one of the highest paid guys. Why wouldn’t you want an upgrade?
GM Jerry has said as much (though he is pulling a Miles Austin with Mike Hamlin).
But who would be better now? Sure fire? How ‘bout Atogwe, Sharper (who btw has 64 career INTs, 133 PDs, and 11 TDs) and led the league last year, and the top 5 or 6 Safeties in this year’s draft.
Heck, I’d go with anyone but K. Hamlin, especially with his $5.6+ Million salary.
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. - Thomas Jefferson
Well said Fighter!
Heck Hamlin ranked at least 103 or lower in all DB stats.
Well done
I agree with your response, I don’t see Thomas as the only possible rookie to replace K Hamlin.
Give me Allen in the 1st or 2nd, or Burnett in the 2nd, dump KH and roll with Sensi, Mike Hamlin, Ball and the rookie. Your covered at both safety spots and you trade some experience for more playmaking ability.
You can still pick up a good CB to play nickel or dime later in the draft. CB is maybe the deepest position in the draft, and safety is very shallow.
to make the jump to the next level, Odrick said today he needs to work on one area. "Just being more violent overall,'' Odrick said. "Play the game and play it right, violently.''
by APerfectStar on Mar 19, 2010 4:02 PM CDT up reply actions
the need at OL is so significant that we can not afford to reach on a player like allen in the first
I would not be upset with Burnett in the second if that is how it goes down but we cant reach when the OL is underachieving so much. Think about the Vikings game. We lost that game much more because of the OL. Think about the whole year, that is where our weakness was.
I like value picks at any position. so dont get me wrong, if value is there we should take that over OL, but otherwise we need to reach for those positions and not a Safety.
I agree that OL is the most important
I would like to see both the OL and the FS addressed within the first two rounds.
I don’t think that Allen is that much of a reach in the bottom of the 1st rd, but if the Cowboys could trade down into the top of the 2nd they could probably still get him. I thought I read that they have the same grade on Mays and Allen, which makes me think they would take Allen at #27 unless someone better falls.
to make the jump to the next level, Odrick said today he needs to work on one area. "Just being more violent overall,'' Odrick said. "Play the game and play it right, violently.''
by APerfectStar on Mar 19, 2010 8:56 PM CDT up reply actions
What if the top OL are gone?
Do you reach for a Rodger Saffold at 27 over a Nate Allen? I do not. I would rather take the BPA.
yeah that is the point of this post
don’t reach, if OL and S are gone most likely DL or a CB is available. I am arguing that the needs at LB, CB, DL, WR, and S all all similar. Yes OL is a little more urget but there are rounds other than the first, reach there.
With that said tho, if the 3rd rolls around and we have no OLmen, I hope we are trading up for one.
That would also be a heck of a risk
How can we guarantee that Mike Hamlin, Ball or the rookie would play better than Hamlin? I dont want to gamble downgrading our D this year. Ken, we know will at least have about the same year and most likely will improve. Like I said he plays best when he is playing for his job.
Ball vs Ken Hamlin
There was a report that some coaches wanted to let Ball remain at FS even after Hamlin returned from injury. If that is true, then it’s not much of a gamble, since the coaches must feel there’s not much difference in ability between the two.
They also have some flexibility because Sensi can play either SS or FS (if Mike Hamlin can win the SS job). That would give Dallas 3 different possible starters at FS. A rookie, Ball, or Sensi.
Also, there is no need to cut Ken Hamlin until after camp, just in case the replacement plan isn’t working.
to make the jump to the next level, Odrick said today he needs to work on one area. "Just being more violent overall,'' Odrick said. "Play the game and play it right, violently.''
by APerfectStar on Mar 19, 2010 9:07 PM CDT up reply actions
i did not say that we do not need a saftey
i said that a suitable replacement, who would play at the elite level we want, is not available for the right price. that is alot different from not wanting to get one at all. right now we have decent safety play and we want elite play. well who can we get that will be elite, only Thomas, Bethea, and Atogwe. The issue is that Thomas would be the only acquisition that would most likely do it at the right price tag. Also we can afford to be patient due to the young talent on the team.
Lastly, keeping more than 4 safety is a bad move. Break down the roster, there is only about 4 spots left to be filled and that is excluding Proctor, Watkins, Hodge, Dixon, Siavii, Holland, Duke, McQ, and an extra kicker in case Bueler cant kick field goals.
Read your title: THE CASE AGAINST DRAFTING A SAFETY
1st Round safeties, by definition, are “elite” level talents. History backs me up on this.
And you’re simply wrong about keeping only 4 safeties. We’ve never kept fewer than 6, until last year.
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. - Thomas Jefferson
in 08 we kept 5
Roy Will
Hamlin
Davis
Watkins
C. Brown
I did not look back to other years, but i was searching other NFL rosters and it is either 4 or 5. so I have no idea where you are getting the idea that we usually keep 6.
Need better sources
‘08: Roy Willy, Hamlin, Killer, Watkins, Brown, and Tra Battle
’07: Same unit except Quincy Bulter for Battle
’06: Roy Willy, Watkins, Davis, Butler, Abram Elam (why we let him go, I’ll never know)
In ’06 – ’08 We also had Nate Jones, who was the “swing” Safety (like Alan Ball) and also had Anthony Henry as an emergency guy.
In almost every year I went back, there was one or two “scrub” guys that were CB/S swing guys, albeit mostly special teamers. Think Kenny Gant. Even Bill Bates. The 5th/6th guy was usually the special teams guy. I’ll grant you they were seldom a realistic starter, but even Billy boy had to fill some time in emergencies.
But the point is moot, because Watkins and Ken Hamlin are both subject to be replaced in the argument.
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. - Thomas Jefferson
i have the official roster from the 08 Tampa game, Dallas Cowboys Star Magazine, Oct. 20
there is no Tra Battle. He may have jumped on the roster for a game or two but eitherway we can agree to disagree.
Look it is not that I am adamant against a 5th safety but I think there should be value attached. For example: if both Thomas and Dez Bryant fell to 27, I think Bryant would be the better pick simply because he is pretty much unanimously ranked higher. Now I do not want to start a Bryant vs Thomas debate, that is not my point. My point is that I think a 5th S is a luxury because there are only 2 S positions. 3rd string players should be acquired on a BPA basis. If the safety on the board is not the best BPA, then why force the pick.
i must digress though, i dont want to but...a 5th saftey would not be such a bad deal
I do stick to my opinion that we do not need to reach for one in the first 3 rounds. we need our 2nd string CB, G, and C much more. those positions should be the priority
We need a starter, no a 5th guy
Whether we carry 4 or 9 is irrelevant, we need a guy to replace K. Hamlin. That’s a starter.
We don’t need a starter at any other position, except OT…and those guys nearly always come from the top of the 1st round. Most (not all, see Ugoh) OL need 3-4 years before they are ready to start.
Safety is a consensus need. GM Jerry has said it. So has every mediot (ok, bad example). It’s not a reach to say that the 20th ranked passing defense needs an upgrade far more than the 2nd ranked offense.
I’m not saying OL is not the biggest priority (see previous comments), but safety is 1a. In almost every draft, the OTs rise and Safeties fall, making safety a “value” pick and the reason it is consistently talked about.
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. - Thomas Jefferson
So do you support picking allen in the first...
or another prospect in the 2nd? I think there would be better player there in the first. Of course if Thomas falls then we have an ideal situation, but I would rather have a Kyle Wilson, Weatherspoon, Dan Williams, Ducasse, and other more commonly voiced names than Allen. I am not sure who would be a good choice in the 2nd. depends a lot on who is there, but I would hope the boys stick to their board and pick whoever is the highest player rated at OL, S, DL, or CB.
Good question
The short answer is I don’t know. I simply don’t have enough information to determine the “value” of different players.
The long answer is that I believe both need and value will point toward OL in the 1st, S in the 2nd.
- There are only 2 Safeties with clear-cut 1st Round Grades (Berry, Thomas). Mays squeaks in on a lot of mediot sites, but he doesn’t do it for me.
- There are 5 or 6 OTs that will be taken in the first, maybe 7. All before we pick.
- There are 2 interior guys with borderline 1st grades (Iupati, Pouncey).
But none of these guys are available in many mocks. Personally, I think one or two drop, most likely the interior guys. Getting one of them would be a coup…and therefore won’t happen.
GM Jerry will probably trade down, causing me to curse the ground he walks on.
Leading to the 2nd Round. Burnett, Allen, Major Wright, and Chad Jones should make the grade. It’s one of the deepest drafts for safeties in years. Most years, there are only 2-3 safeties taken in both rounds. Given the talent, history, and rarity of talent at other positions, this group may very well last into the 3rd round.
So to make a long story longer, I think we’ll
a.) Trade down
b.) Grab Ducasse or his ilk first, then
c.) Grab one of the safeties
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. - Thomas Jefferson
Most likely true
…but maddeningly so.
Especially because DuCasse looks like a guard to me (some good highlights of him are out there now) and unless Brewster is quickly losing weight and getting leg and foot transplants, he doesn’t have the mobility to man a tackle spot. So it’s McQ and Free again? Ugh.
We’re quickly becoming a team of great 3rd stringers. We should win a lot of preseason games with that lineup. Maybe you need to convert your 16-0 predicitons into 5-0 preseason predictions? :-)
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I also think safety should be our #1 priority.
A ball-hawking safety could take our D from very good to devastating. Hamlin has been serviceable but we could definitely upgrade the position. I am in favor of trading up to get Thomas if necessary. I would be in favor of the same thing for Berry, but it’s probably not feasible. If we stand pat, then I hope Mays falls to us. The other place I feel an upgrade is necessary is the OL. But this draft is deep in OL talent and I think the team feels Free may be the answer at LT. I feel pretty confident we can get some good young talent for the OL after the 1st round.
Mays?
Why?
Why?
Why? (Cries in despair…)
The guy can’t change directions and can be fooled by QBs…
The Cowboys use a Cover 4 in an awful lot of the snaps, you need a guy that can cover!
Viva México! Go Cowboys!
I totally agree on Mays
And all of the draftniks out there have the Cowboys selecting Mays. That’s just dumb. If JJ drafts him, I swear I’m gonna vomit.
by Cowboysaficionado on Mar 19, 2010 1:19 PM CDT up reply actions
So we trade up and sacrifice a 2nd to get Thomas
we are left with 3rd 4th and 5th round projects for the OL. that will not upgrade the OL at all. The argument I pose is not that a safety upgrade shouldn’t be done but that right now it is most likely not feasible or the smartest option.
There are multiple ways in which the team can upgrade both the O-line and Free Safety.
It’s not that black and white. There are multiple scenarios that could play out.
Ready for some baseball.
Chandus
I have read a lot of your posts and admire your football insight and knowledge. I just feel Mays is going to be an impact player in the NFL with the right coaching. The guy is a freak and was one of the highest rated high school players before he signed with USC. If you throw out last year, he would have been a top ten pick. I’d rather see Thomas on our team but I think a lot of people are wrong about Mays. Just my opinion.
I do believe that, too
I think that he’s capable of being a really good player, but in a team that wants a SS as they used to be in the early 90s and before or on a team that wants to move him to WLB.
Hips are extremely important for a Safety that’s mostly used in coverage, Mays hips are average to bellow average.
He’s a square peg and we have a round hole.
Viva México! Go Cowboys!
Mays is fast..
But he still doesn’t know how to cover to save his life. Mays would be the absolute worst case pick in the first round.
I actually kind of agree with you.
I keep debating this, but if you had told me last year that we would get Taylor Mays I would have either thought Jerry traded way up or Romo got knocked out for the season. I do think he has issues with his turning ability, but at the end of the day I think if his tackling form can be cleaned up that he could be an impact player under the right coaching. Plus, I have also heard that he wasn’t quite utilized well by USC last year to make plays around the LOS like most safeties. If he falls to us and the good linemen are gone, I think I could live with us taking him. The onus would just be on Wade to make hopefully make him into the Roy Williams of 2003 instead of the Roy Williams of 2007.
If I had a nickel for every Super Bowl the Eagles have won, I would have zero nickels.
by Cowboyfan729 on Mar 19, 2010 2:38 PM CDT via mobile up reply actions
Looks like Tarzan
plays like Jane, Mays is an amazing athlete, but a mediocre football player.
You forgot Alan Ball actually is
a CB/FS and he’s more a CB, we don’t know nothing about Mike Hamlin, so yeah, we need a safety
And...
we’ve been waiting for Ball to step up for some time. Not sure it’s ever going to happen…
by Boundforbeach on Mar 19, 2010 3:40 PM CDT up reply actions
He did pretty darn good this year
Not great, mind you, but he did start for Hamlin for a few games.
Given that this was his first year…not bad.
But the coaches have told the mediots that the guy they really like is Mike Hamlin. As I’ve said, repeatedly, I trust the coaches more than any blogger, including Raf.
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. - Thomas Jefferson
I trust Obama more than Terry or Tex
and if you knew anything about me, that’s saying it all.
He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors. - Thomas Jefferson
Unless He is Better Than Watkins
why draft him.TheCowboys are not in the developing stage.We have one of the top teams in the NFC.We don’t need developmental players.That’s what we got in last years draft.
Berry and Thomas will in all likelyhood be gone by the 27th pick so I agree we need a CB.Newman has been fragile and we could use some depth behind Scandrick.
This should be a fun draft because we don’t have to reach for any players.
As the draft seems to be unfolding there are two QBs, seven O line, Two RBs,one WR,four D line and two LBs certain to go before we pick.
Haden seems to be certain to go before we pick so maybe Kyle Wilson drops to us.
It seems like there are only 21 to 24 players that have a first round grade so if someone wants to give us thier first and fourth to move up it would seem like a good deal for us.
there are a lot of intrigueing players in the second through fourth rounds that could be low risk high reward.So I again agree don’t reach for safety or O line and take the best available player and deal with it.
by TCB Orange Dino on Mar 19, 2010 3:50 PM CDT reply actions
yeah a tempered BPA has to be our attitude
I think OL is in a little more desperate situation than you but as long as we get one in the first two rounds and another later, I will not be too upset
I mostly agree with the original post
Yeah, we need an upgrade at safety, but OL has to be the focal point of this draft.
Consider:
1. They are the oldest OL in the league.
2. If Houdini wasn’t our QB then they’d probably give up 50 sacks a year.
3. If any of our interior starters gets injured our only backup, and I won’t call him serviceable, is Proctor.
2 of our first 3 picks needs to be OL.
i completely agree
there is very little room for a safety at the inn. first off the only safety we could use would be a real good one and real good ones are only available in the 1st and 2nd. That first pick almost has to be trade down or OL
I got to here and had to stop reading.
Aside from those unlikely situations I say pass on a safety all together.
Wrong. Fail.
Ready for some baseball.
We have 6 picks
why not grab a safety in there.
We could easily grab a safety in the 4th round…. Darrell Stuckey had a down year but his junior year he did have 5 INTs, and even though it was considered a horrible year, he still had more INTs than K. Hamlin did.
by nicholas.rodriguez on Mar 19, 2010 11:07 PM CDT reply actions
Hey Becho
Have you ever thought that there could be no Oline of quality left at 27? If Iupati and Pouncey are both gone, would you gamble on an untalented player like Bruce Campbell, one that doesn’t fit our mold of Oline like Charles Brown, or even worse, reach on a project player with a 1st round pick?
by Cowboysaficionado on Mar 20, 2010 12:28 AM CDT reply actions
Yeah if OL is gone why force that as well
we have to go OL somewhere in the draft but it does not have to be in the first. I just do not think we need to force a pick like Allen at that point or even a marginal S prospect in the 2nd. At this point I think that first two picks should be BPA among the OL, CB, S, LB, WR, and DL candidates. With that kind of a spread in positions we should be able to get some value. Yes I’d support reaching a bit for a nice OLman or CB but aside from that lets try to find some value and get the team younger.
I'm not worried
because with the depth in this draft, I think we’ll get a S and OL help with our first 2 picks. After that I’m looking DL, LB & CB. And hopefully the K sitchiation takes care of itself. Biggest mistake Parcells (and Jerry) ever made was letting Steve Hoffman go IMO.
Good point on the safeties
I love defense, and I love defenses that sack and intercept. And I agree that a playmaking safety could put our defense into the next echelon of dominance. However, I see the o-line as potentially undoing a promising team, and a glaring problem.
With safety, neither Hamlin nor Sensi are glaring weaknesses. Sure, I’d like to see some more plays, but our defense was pretty awesome down the stretch w/ those guys back there. Plus, we have a couple young guys in Ball and M. Hamlin who might step forward as possible starters.
On the o-line we have a code red situation that could undermine the whole team. It’s not often that you can put together skill players like Romo, Austin, Witten and Felix. Yet, without a good line, their talent will go to waste. While I’m all for drafting BPA, I don’t see how we can continue to wait for o-linemen to fall to the right draft position. We need a tackle who can play next year.
Check out my movie - StandardsOfEthicalConduct.com
by cowboysuberfan on Mar 22, 2010 10:12 AM CDT reply actions
Nice read…and we come from a similar direction on need. This is a area that if amped, can bring great dividends. It has the potential to be a quick fix. The draft doesn’t appear to be nearly as efficient a source for immediate solution. Agreed, as it would go into longterm sacrifice to move high enough to secure a top and immediate contributor.
Although cost is involve in free agency, upgrade can still be acquired. You singled out where I would be looking: Atogwe and Bethea. I would focus on Atogwe, but feel it much more doable and a ‘cheaper’ route. There is a year to play with here, and the salary issue can be adjusted and players cut following showing this year. This is a free year in some sense…use that feature, but wisely. I would pursue the Atogwe situation and improve the position now. Sensabaugh, Atogwe, Ken and Keith Hamlin, and Ball would be freed up to return to corner. He could be switched back the following year if Ken were released then…and problem solved.
There is no right way to do the wrong thing. GO COWBOYS!!
i think we can also expect some safteys to fall just like M. Hamlin did
we will find value later if there is none in the 1st or 2nd. No reason to force a pick, it be awesome to stack up at OLB, ILB, CB, DE or WR if there is no value at OL or S. Look at the post that just went up. Davis is available so he may be the obvious pick but if he was not, JPP and Everson G. are there. Those are very legit picks. I would take both over Pouency.
One thing this decade has shown is that you need an elite
Safety to win a Superbowl.
It’s almost a who’s who list of some of the best safeties to play in this decade.
Those who are missing like the Brian Dawkins at least made it.
The only team not to win a Superbowl this decade without an elite safety are the NY Giants.
The Colts could have really used Bob Sanders in that Superbowl. Those Saints WR’s had no fear of the Colts secondary.
the NYG's had a safety who made a major pay day with the Raiders
after that SB. He quickly washed up, but for one post season he looked elite
by AustonianAggie on Mar 30, 2010 3:09 PM CDT up reply actions
i dont think anyone can say that there is a formula
there have been very different types of winners in recent years and to say safety is a must is a stretch. i think it is more important to get value. reaching for an Allen in round one, a Cook in round two, or other reaches are not going to get us this dominating safety. At least not next year and most likely not next. Think about it, a 2nd round rated safety like Allen does not always equal a great player. But there are going to be potential great players on the board at 27. JPP, Odrick, heck even Tate might have more upside than Allen. Gotta go BPA if a elite prospect at one of our need positions is not there.
+1 for the most part
…but you could take a more aggressive approach and TARGET an elite prospect at a position of need and go up and get him.
Dallas has benefitted from that strategy in the past.
"Emotion is highly overrated in football. My wife Corky is emotional as hell but can't play football worth a damn."
- John McKay, the first coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
yeah you are exactly right
get value at a position of need (S, OL) is the first priority but if that can not be done dont get a second rate prospect. trade or choose someone from that second tier of needs (OLB, ILB, CB, WR, DL)
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