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Dallas Cowboys

Okay, So How Do the Cowboys Get Better?

By Richie Whitt Tue., Jan. 19 2010 at 11:30 AM

Categories: Dallas Cowboys

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Though I and some crafty old-timers think it's a bad move, Wade Philllips will be back as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Yawn.

The bar for Cowboys' football has been lowered further than I expected. Once upon a time this proud franchise - America's Team, anyone? - measured success via Super Bowl banners. These days it's Wild Card wins.

Phillips has been here three seasons. His Cowboys have one playoff victory. Really, that's progress? Ask yourself, are the Cowboys any closer to winning a Super Bowl today than when they walked off the field after Tony Romo's botched hold in Seattle back in 2007?

Maybe. But only marginally.

The question then, how do the Cowboys get better?

The Cowboys won in December. For the time since 1996 they won a playoff game.

Unfortunately, the next advancement - from good to great to elite -may be even more difficult.

Re-signing Miles Austin is off-season priority No. 1. He's a genuine run-after-catch playmaker that opens options for everybody from tight end Jason Witten to running backs Felix Jones, Tashard Choice and Marion Barber. As a restricted free agent, the Cowboys can match any offer from another team. In other words, he'll remain a Cowboy.

Second on the list has to be finding a reliable kicker. Nick Folk wasn't the answer, nor was Shaun Suisham. It'd be a shame for the Cowboys to attain and acquire championship-level parts only to taint the whole operation with a Dollar Store kicker.

Defensive end Marcus Spears is the only other front-line player who will require an off-season re-signing, putting the Cowboys in healthy shape roster-wise.

In the draft, they need an offensive left tackle. Flozell Adams is old and creaky and - though his injury against Minnesota was debilitating - the Cowboys were lucky he made it though 17 weeks. Doug Free proved himself serviceable, but after Adams' departure the Cowboys allowed four sacks, scored 0 points and went 0-9 on third down. Upgrading from Ken Hamlin at safety and Roy Williams at receiver are also on the front burner.

Am I missing something?

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football, Tashard Choice, Tony Romo, Wade Phillips

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Plano Dave, Romo didn't say that. What he actually said was "scott expects better from me". It's true because I'm scott. I'm scott, and you're all effers.
@Matt: Do you even watch the games? Did you see the double pump lob interception? Did you see Romo pouting on the bench? Did you read his lips after the turnover when he said "hope we can hold them to just 3"? Do you really think that is the way a leader plays the game? Watch Farve, Brees or Brady on the sideline and see how a leader comports themselves when things are tough. Idiot.
Nope, scott, that's not what I think. Now, it's obvious you're 100% idiot, you're now a mind reader too. I have never thought about what the Cowboys need to do. Why? Because Jerry Jones doesn't give a shit about what me, you, RW or anybody else thinks. Never once did I say Jerry needs to fire all the coaches. Personally, if I were a player, I'd rather have a coach like Wade. Why? Because I know when I mess up and I don't need somebody hollering at me because I messed up. If you get screamed at for messing up, all you of your attention is put on not messing up, thereby not getting yelled at. If everybody here blasts you for being a blow hard and an idiot and, apparenty, an overall douche..then maybe you ARE a blow hard, idiot and overall douche. Did you ever think of that, scott? You say moronic things. You take your "supportive facts" (i.e. your opinions) and run with them as 100% fact. You attack people because you they don't think the Cowboys will win. Why is that? You put asinine formulas on why the Cowboys will win (Cowboys offense 4 > Opponent Defense 5). You know damn well it doesn't come down to shit like that all the time. But hey, you're scott. You're awesome. Get a new wig and shut the hell up.
@Hhmmm I think the Cowboys need some O-Line improvement/health and a field goal kicker and they could have gone all the way. Not sure I saw that 'blown to hell' anywhere. Here's you...... .....They need to fire all coaches and get a head one that yells. Supporting logic,...Wade doesn't yell. Signed,.... yes, this is me.
Your "supporting logic" was blown all to hell, too. Proving that you're an idiot. Quit assuming that fake scotts are Philly fans. Make you look even more idiotic.
Dear Idiots (you know who you are) There has been one post from me in this blog as listed below which had my opinions and supporting logic in it. The rest are from each of you messing with each other. My only post was Posted On: Tuesday, Jan. 19 2010 @ 2:23PM PS I'm sorry your team lost 3 times to the Cowboys this year. Keep your chin up as there is always next year.
Matt, there are a few fake scott's. Me included. However, if you've paid any attention to what the real scott would say before all the fake scotts chimed in, you'd be able to pick the real one out. it's pretty ridiculous. there should be something implemented where we have to register to keep this from happening. sincerely, fake scott, in lieu of real scott
Maybe there are just multiple Scotts? I actually think PlanoDave's comment was much dumber than any other comment on this story, including the Scotts. Get rid of Romo? Seriously? It's not Romo's fault the O-line folded. Please eat a dick and die, PlanoDave. Thanks.
No, you shut up
I wasn't asking for a BS response from you, scott. Keep being an idiot!
@hhmmmm,....I agree, they are getting real good.
scott says something stupid then comes on here and says it was a fake scott. everything he's claiming was a fake scott sounds exactly like things he said before fake scotts started posting stuff.
Funny how everyone keeps rotating picking fights with each other through using fake scott names. To answer RW's question, I have no idea why all of a sudden the offensive line who has been great all year could seem to do nothing right. I do trust in Jerry that he will make good decisions for a winning team in 2010. So I agree with some of the Scott's above, but disagree too as I don't think any of this is just that simple.
The GM picked the man he liked. Everybody keeps reminding me it is his team to do with as he pleases. That is exactly what he did. Now that he is emboldened with a playoff win Jerry signed Paw Paw up for three more years. Get used to it. ChrisU it isn't Skip on ESPNDallas, it is Reevo. Amazing how fast they are snapping up columnists around here. Reevo's coffee cup didn't even get cold after he left the StartleGram for the east coast outpost.
who cares what bayless thinks he will always be anti Cowboy
"Am I missing something" Uh..yes..Flozell and his back up Free game up one sack to the best pass rusher in the NFL.. Columbo game up three sacks to the fourth best lineman on the Vikes..
Mark Perez was a little more nice today RW must of given him a reacharound ..scott can only hope to suck as much...bring back the hso's
scott never tries to explain his thinking after he's posted dumbass comments. one would think he would after getting called out on his idiot comments. i like how he called us all morons, too. because we're fake fans and don't understand football X's and O's we're somehow morons. suck my nuts, scott. the cowboys losing actually has a silver lining. scott never seems to never shoot his mouth off on anything other than football. good riddance, you doucher.
Well the observer has kept you Whitt and you have proven that you are marginal at best
Scott, Your an idiot. Colombo was 100% healthy and Free never blocked Allen as they had him stunting on every play. Idiot, ....focus on hockey
Everyone knows that contracts (and contract extension) mean nothing. If the Cowboys come out of the gate at 2-5, Jerry will find some way to get rid of Wade. Nevertheless, the rest of the NFC East is thrilled over this extension.
scott: Didn't Colombo get cleared to practice a couple of weeks before this game? Didn't he play against Philly? He was in game shape, scott. On a sack by Jared Allen, the play call had Witten, instead of Free, blocking Allen. Again, your point doesn't hold water. Refresh my mind, exaulted one scott, which games did missed field goals cost them game? Two of their losses were by three or less points. The first one against the Giants, 33-31. That was as a result of the defense totally breaking down in the 4th quarter. The second on was against San Diego, 17-10. Yet, by your own admission, the Cowboys lost because Ware got hurt. Sure, Folk was awful. But you're an idiot. scott, fix your wig and quit being such a little bitch.
I thought I was the only one that felt this way. They are NO better than they were 2 years ago when they went 13-3 and lost to the Giants in the divisional round. However, now Wade can add 2 visits to the Final 8 to his resume. Any other GM would've been fired for the way the Roy Williams trade ended up but, not this GM. And while I know the loss wasn't entirely his fault, Romo did nothing for me against the Vikings. He panicked and reverted back to his old self in my opinion. This guy is good for gaudy numbers in the regular season but, he doesn't have the guts Aikman or Staubach had. He's not a winner. Keith Brookings embarrassed himself and the franchise with his little tantrum. I think that is a reflection of the fat wuss head coach. If you're so pissed about the way things are going how about mixing in a defensive stop. This team and franchise are mediocre and will continue to be that way as long as things are run the way they are.
F Spears. He's worthless - total first round bust. Re-sign Austin, get a friggin' solid kicker, bolster the OL and find out how many of the draftees from last year's M*A*S*H unit can get healthy and start contributing (Brewster, Hamlin, Hodge, Williams, etc.).
Replace Flozell and Koshier on the OL with anybody. Dump Newman and find another shutdown corner to play opposite Mike Jenkins. Upgrade both safety posistions. Find a stellar pass rush RE for the D-Line and I think you have the perfect team. They should have never cut Nick Folk.
scott, shut your damn mouth. you're such a god damned blow hard. if you know so much about fucking football, why don't you have an nfl job? you're nothing more than an attention starved douche bag. all of these fake scotts are less annoying than you. you know why they lost the game? because the vikings defense was better and because the offense didn't adjust. you damned idiot.
This team goes no further than the first round until they get a real QB. There is a reason that Romo didn't play at a big-time college program and went undrafted: He isn't a winner. Lose the slacker at QB and build from there.
Build up the lines, especially the O-lines. The only major player under 30 on the o-line is Doug Free.
First ask yourself, why did they lose the game? 1) Offensive line had issues blocking a) I had heard that they didn't have the jump by 'hearing' the snap count. That makes some sense to me. Solution, win 2 more games next year with a better kicker and get home field (see (2) below). Problem solved. b) Columbo was 'just' off injury. Free was probably focused on studying Columbo's assignments just in case. Columbo wasn't 100% and couldn't fully block. Solution, see (d) below. c) Free going in for Adams probably didn't have the assignments down fully for the left and probably some confusion on left vs right. My guess he wasn't 100% mentally ready for a great defensive front. Solution, see (d) below d) Bottom line, the O-line needs new and hopefully young blood 2) Kicking - cost at least 2 games (maybe more?? i.e. its a different game if it was 14-9 or even 17-9 than 17-3 in the 4th. Also, its a different game if we won the two games we lost due to missed field goals and had home field advantage. Attention Morons: when you bring in a new coach and system, the next year usually sucks unless its a aberration (which is not the usual case as stated above, again). This is a superbowl defense and we only need a few offensive tweaks to have a home field advantage superbowl next year. History! Jerry is not an idiot and he would not sacrifice that, even for a screamer. Use your heads people, use your heads.
Get rid of Garret. Sign the FA's. I like the team as is, except for Williams and Carpenter.
1) get a real GM, not some wanna-be. 2) fire Garret, after you remove RW from his jock. After this season of opponents DC's have stated they knew what play's were going to be run. 3) Trade WR Williams, tied to a month's worth of free Pappa Johns pizza, to draw some interest. 4) get a stadium sponser, so Jerry can quit gouging the fan's, based on lost naming rights revenue. 5) find more players to dump to make the lockeroom more Romo friendly.
RW - because 2010 is an uncapped year, the free agency parameters change as well. To become a free agent now, a player must have 6 years experience, not 4 years. So Austin and Spears and Gerald Sensabaugh are not free agents. Also the Cowboys, since they made The Final Eight, can only sign 1 free agent with a salary over $4.9 million, except to replace any free agents they lose. So with Montrae Holland being the only unrestricted free agent they have, it's doubtful they will do much in free agency. So any improvement next year must come from within. The problem with firing Wade is who do you bring in as head coach? I don't see an obvious choice out there. Cowher would never work well with Jerry and frankly he's a little overrated. Ideally the GM would have the smarts to pluck out the assistant from another team as a first time head coach that would take the Cowboys to the next level. Historically this has been the best way. But does anyone, anyone anywhere, think Jerry has the ability to do this? Wade is the epitome of the devil you know being better than the devil you don't know.
Screw the Cowboys. Pitchers and catchers in 30 days.
Open up 2 additional gameday roster spots by drafting Alex Henery of Nebraska. The kid is a coffin-punter, kickoff ace and his FG streak was the entirety of the N offense.
Sybil, Did you hear that? He said "taint"! Sincerely, Giggle!
Trade Barber for something tangible...which dumps salary and opens the door to give his snaps to Choice, who has way more upside. Find some OL and DB help in free agency/draft. Find a reliable kicker and bring back Steve Hoffman or someone to concentrate on only coaching the kickers.
Get in on the Favre lottery at the end of the season.
they can fire Wade as HC for starters. have a competent draft, unlike last yr's draft. when a kicker is the best pick of your draft, THAT is the definition of EPIC FAIL. trade barber and bennett for anything u can get...which would prolly be no better than 4th or 5th rd picks cut roy
Getting a real GM who knows what he's doing would be a nice start but we all know that isn't going to happen. Everything else is irrelevant.
Get Austin and Spears signed. Find a Kicker, see if you can pick up someone from free agency that will help with the o-line. And find another safety or Corner that you can trust just in case the starters start to slack in the middle of a game. None of this "Losing the ball" crap and not tackling the guy when he is running next to you.
Who could the Cowboys get if they fired Wade? Some unproven spare of course. Get off the fact that Bill Cowher would come to Dallas or any other big name retreads. Parcells was here and how many playoffs win did that bring?
They need to hire me for obvious reasons.