FanPost

How would you rebuild the Dallas Cowboys?

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A little-known story.

During the morning of December 7, 1941, the USS Nevada was on battleship row in Pearl Harbor. It was not moored alongside another battleship off Ford Island. When the Japanese aerial attack began, the ship had two boilers lit. Her engines raised steam, and the USS Nevada was able to maneuver away during the attack. Of course, the Nevada immediately became a prime target for the second wave of Japanese Val dive bombers. As bombs struck the ship, intense fires spread on the deck. The Nevada was ordered to proceed to the west side of Ford Island to prevent her from sinking in the channel, possibly blocking the harbor. The USS Nevada was beached on a coral ledge off Hospital Point.

It was, "the only bright spot in an otherwise dismal and depressing morning," for the United States. The Officer of the Deck, Ensign Joe Taussig, was responsible for getting the Nevada underway, and saving the ship. He received the Navy Cross and a Purple Heart. He retired as the youngest captain in the Navy.

My deepest gratitude to all that have served and are serving this great country.

I can only imagine the chaos that surrounded the young Ensign on December 7th. While comparing the trials of war with the mess that surrounds the Cowboys is trite (and admittedly inappropriate), please permit me creative license and forgive my trespasses.

Leadership can come from an Ensign in the worst of circumstances. Why can it not come from someone within this shell of an organization, the Dallas Cowboys Football Club?

The Cowboys are beached this season. It is time to start the salvage operation. Unfortunately, countless attempts have been made to fit this organization with the best weapons available, and the results have consistently led to the team running aground. The blame is easily directed towards the top of the chain of command.

I am curious if there is an outstanding Ensign among the multitudes that visit this site. My question makes up the title of this post. Below is what I would do, but there is obviously more than one way to correct the course of this moribund franchise. Please add your thoughts, ideas, and observations in the comments below. I look forward to expanding my knowledge based on the ideas presented below. Thanks in advance.

My thoughts...

Quarterback is the most important position on the field. That is hardly a revelation, but I will refer to a couple of great posts by Riding Herd.

PFF grades on a scale of 0-100, with higher grades indicating better play. PFF has explained its grades this way:

100 - 90 Elite

89 - 85 Pro Bowler

84 - 70 Starting Caliber Player

69 - 60 Backup

59 - 0 Replaceable

Dak Prescott 2020 PFF rating 85.2; 2019 PFF rating 80.1; 2016-2020 PFF rating 74.6

To be realistic, Dak is obviously a better than average QB. Some years, he's on the edge of being a Pro Bowl caliber QB. Some years, he's been just average. In any case, he's never been graded anywhere close to the 90 - 100 Elite category.

While Dak is a capable starting quarterback, he is not in the same league as Aaron Rodgers (93.1), Patrick Mahomes (92.0), and Russell Wilson (91.6). Each of those quarterbacks have won a Super Bowl. Those quarterbacks have also played with better players and have had better coaches than Dak has had to this point in his career. While Dak is one of the best players on the offensive side of the ball, most of the cast that surrounds him is not even starting quality.

Riding Herd's post highlighted that there are only four offensive starters graded as Starting Caliber players in 2020. The top two are currently out with injuries.

91.3 Zack Martin

85.2 Dak Prescott

79.3 Amari Cooper

70.2 Connor Williams

Those fans thinking that Tyron Smith's anticipated return in 2021 will dramatically improve the offensive line will find his 2020 PFF grade of 67.8 somewhat sobering. La'el Collins will need to return to his 2019 form (86.4), as his PFF grade from 2016-2020 is a paltry 68.1.

According to Riding Herd, PFF grades for the starters on defense are even worse. Only one defensive starter has a grade over 70.

90.2 DeMarcus Lawrence

It is obvious that the front office of the Dallas Cowboys has done a miserable job surrounding the last two franchise quarterbacks of this organization with talent. A post from OCC notes how Romo and Dak have kept the team competitive for years. He adds an interesting quote:

But you have to have a plan for how to address the issues you've identified.

Here is my plan:

I expect the Cowboys to be drafting third overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. Dak Prescott should be given a second franchise tender. McCarthy and the entire coaching staff should be fired. The front office should also be fired, but we all know that will never happen.

1. Draft the top-rated college quarterback left on the draft board with the third overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

2. After the first round in 2021, do not trade up at any time in any draft, but trade down when possible, given the trade value warrants the move.

3. Use the second day of the 2021 NFL Draft to find a cornerback, defensive lineman, or offensive lineman. The technique for selecting between those three positions would be best player available.

4. Find the best players available on the third day of the draft and during the unrestricted rookie free agency period, regardless of position.

I would refrain from selecting any free agents in 2021. I would not sign any of the Cowboys' free agents except Dak (as noted above). Following the 2021 NFL Draft:

1. Make inquiries to assess the current value of everyone on the roster save the quarterback drafted in 2021.

2. As the season approaches, the players are at their peak worth. I would trade as many of the veterans as possible, including Dak Prescott.

3. Veterans that are not tradeable (even for a conditional 7th round pick) should be re-evaluated and either featured to increase their trade value or released.

Following the 2021 season, young free agent veterans that make a little more than the vet minimum should be signed.

1. Trade down when possible, given the trade value warrants the move.

2. Select the best pass rushers available with your first-round pick(s). Consider drafting the best cornerback available if the difference in draft score is significant.

3. Use the second day of the draft to select the best player available that plays cornerback, safety, offensive line, defensive line, or wide receiver.

4. Fill holes and select the best player available at any position on the third day of the draft and during the unrestricted rookie free agency period.

5. Take at least one quarterback to develop on the third day or during the unrestricted rookie free agency period.

Rinse, lather, repeat from, "Following the 2021 season," for 2022 and beyond.

While the quarterback establishes the potency of the offense, the pass rush establishes the strength of the defense. Since a great pass rush is limited by poor coverage, cornerbacks can be considered in the first round of the draft. Safeties can be selected on the second day because of the takeaways they can create. Offensive linemen and wide receivers make a good quarterback better, so they may also be taken on the second day of the draft.

Offensive linemen are relatively sound investments. They play almost every offensive down and cost relatively little compared to wide receivers, quarterbacks, and some tight ends. Offensive linemen can be resigned to second contracts. I hesitate to sign running backs and wide receivers to second contracts. Tight ends appear to have little effect on winning and may not be worth a second contract even if close to the veteran minimum.

Defensive linemen should be acquired through the draft and free agency (if not too expensive, e.g., Aldon Smith). I would sign a pass rusher to a second contract if it was a good value (e.g., signing a 6-sack a year guy to a $2-3 million per year contract for a few years). I would never sign a cornerback to a second contract. The performance of cornerbacks is too variable and the money to sign a good cornerback is too much. I would not sign safeties to a big second contract either.

The defense should be young, deep, and athletic. The offense should have some depth on the offensive line and at wide receiver but will be older than the defense because of veteran offensive linemen and the quarterback. Note that many first round picks will be resigned, making the investment worth the pick. Second round picks will not be resigned as often. This is why trading down from the overvalued first round when possible will lead to the development of a better team. Trading third and fourth year players that will cost too much to resign should happen every season. Building a championship team must be done using every tool at one's disposal.

Were some of the situations in Dallas different, I would keep Dak, but with such a dearth of talent and the amount of money Dak demands, I feel that it is not the right time for Dak and Dallas. If the new quarterback is not worth $40 million when his contract comes due in five years, I would move on from him as well.

I look forward to hearing other ideas, or having my thoughts refined through criticism. Rec if you like it.

Thanks.

Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.