Defense wins championships

[bigdave1310]

I hope Jerry watched today's games and realized even a turd like Tebow can win with a great defense. I've always believed you build a great Defense to become a championship team. We need to give up and trying to play for a stat sheet and play for a win. 

Watching games this weekend aside from the joke of a game between New Orleans and Detroit its been about defense. Of course Pittsburg if not for huge injuries had the best defense going into Sunday's game but losing Kesler and Hampton even things out quickly. 

I mean the best defense not just an inflated stat defense that sales Ware jersey but one that you hit the QB 60% of the time he drops back to throw the ball. One where a receiver fears catching the ball over the middle. Gary talked about everyone being expendable and I totally agree. Just take out 3 top paid players on defemse Newman, Ware, and Ratliff see that $25 millions is being paid annually and I'll tell you this team is flawed at its very building blocks.  

Tony Romo $10,916,000
Terence Newman $10,000,000
DeMarcus Ware $9,557,000
Miles Austin $8,540,000
Jay Ratliff $5,350,000
Bradie James $5,100,000
Jason Witten $4,557,667
Jon Kitna $2,600,000
Abram Elam $2,500,000
Gerald Sensabaugh $2,500,000
Keith Brooking $2,200,000
Mat McBriar $2,200,000
Anthony Spencer $2,196,000
Daniel Loper $2,050,000
Felix Jones $1,737,750
Mike Jenkins $1,540,500
Sam Hurd $1,528,333
Dez Bryant $1,502,500
Montrae Holland $1,500,000
Orlando Scandrick $1,246,250
Alan Ball $1,200,000

What if you could cut Newman get a 1st and 4th for Ware. I 3rd rounder for Ratliff. As well as a 3rd and 6th rounder for Miles Austin in the offseason? Would you do it. That would shave something in the neighborhood of $55 million off the cap. Still would have a top 5 offense equally inflated useless stats while you're building a championship defense from the ground up. Fast, Athletic, Attacking defense matures quickly could be a 9-7 or better team in 2012 and only get better in the future. 

[bigdave1310]

For the record this is no way an attack on Wares performance honestly with him you truly get what you pay for. He earns every penny he gets just not for a 11 man team sport. Need several good players not one diamond surrounded by poo poo. 

You know I love bringing up lineage and pedigree. Just go through the 4 teams that won on Wild Card weekend they're litter with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd rounder. Then you look at guys like Coleman, Ratliff, James, Brooking, Sensaubaugh, and Elam there's no pedigree. 

I'm excited we're force into giving the defense attention this offseason.seems like the only attention it's received in the last 6 years have been ill fitting aside from Lee and possibly Carter. Jenkins as it stands now is as big of a bust as Spencer. 

[mexicanjunior]

I think defense and offensive line are 1 and 1A on the problem list. I would rather they draft the best OL available in the first round, then start stacking the secondary and finally finding some ILB's.

[Sideshow Bob]

Jan 9, 2012 1:37:19 GMT -6 bigdave1310 said:

Need several good players not one diamond surrounded by poo poo.

all look like poo poo

ezzacklee

[Terd Ferguson]

Someone would have to blow me away to get Ware (that 1st/4th had better be in the top 8 in the rounds...maybe top 5) but I'd trade anyone that someone really wanted.

Some guys though, I think SHOULD be traded. I'd deal Miles Austin. I think he still has value but our WRs are ok without him. We should know. We got a good look at what our WRs are without him this year since he was out nearly all year.

Anybody under $5M that plays a valuable role on the team would be kind of safe. Anybody over $5M would get looked at. Ware and Romo are the ones that I'd make someone really overpay to get. You have to have a QB and a top notch pass rusher to win it all (generally speaking...there are always Dilfer-exceptions).

This should be an interesting offseason with alot of movement both on the roster and the coaching staff.

[bigdave1310]

Complete list
www.sportscity.com/NFL/Dallas-Cowboys-Salaries

Player
Position
2011 Salary
2011 Salary Cap #
Tony Romo QB $9,000,000 $10,916,000
Terence Newman CB $8,000,000 $10,000,000
DeMarcus Ware LB $6,700,000 $9,557,000
Miles Austin WR $8,540,000 $8,540,000
Jay Ratliff DE $3,750,000 $5,350,000
Bradie James LB $3,500,000 $5,100,000
Jason Witten TE $3,391,000 $4,557,667
Jon Kitna QB $2,600,000 $2,600,000
Abram Elam S $2,500,000 $2,500,000
Gerald Sensabaugh S $2,500,000 $2,500,000
Keith Brooking LB $2,200,000 $2,200,000
Mat McBriar P $1,700,000 $2,200,000
Anthony Spencer LB $1,001,000 $2,196,000
Daniel Loper T $1,900,000 $2,050,000
Felix Jones RB $1,023,750 $1,737,750
Mike Jenkins CB $920,500 $1,540,500
Sam Hurd WR $685,000 $1,528,333
Dez Bryant WR $1,112,500 $1,502,500
Montrae Holland G $1,000,000 $1,500,000
Orlando Scandrick CB $1,200,000 $1,246,250
Alan Ball CB $1,200,000 $1,200,000
L.P. Ladouceur DE $650,000 $824,000
Martellus Bennett TE $555,000 $771,250
Sean Lee LB $405,000 $705,000
Martin Rucker TE $555,000 $673,425
Stephen McGee QB $480,000 $613,000
Victor Butler DE $480,000 $604,635
Tony Fiammetta FB $480,000 $588,953
David Buehler K $480,000 $517,125
Kevin Ogletree WR $480,000 $480,000
John Phillips TE $405,000 $424,562
Sean Lissemore DT $405,000 $417,150
Josh Brent DT $405,000 $416,875
Phil Costa G $405,000 $409,000
Barry Church CB $405,000 $409,000
Lonyae Miller RB $405,000 $405,000
Clifton Geathers DE $405,000 $405,000
Danny McCray CB $405,000 $405,000
Isaiah Greenhouse LB $405,000 $405,000
Jesse Holley WR $385,000 $385,000
Total $73,018,750 $90,380,975

[matt51180]

Jan 9, 2012 9:42:00 GMT -6 mexicanjunior said:

then start stacking the secondary and finally finding some ILB's.

If they stack good football player on top of good football player, then that would form a wall of football players who play football on a football field. A wall that plays football well. Plays well in all three phases. All three phases look well, at least until I look at the tape. The tape will allow me to see the stacked football players play football well in all three phases. From that we move forward.

[Terd Ferguson]

LOL...real Garrett sounds like he is fake Garrett doing a bit.

[Sideshow Bob]

I wish we could draft the entire Alabama defense all at once.

[mexicanjunior]

Jan 9, 2012 20:51:50 GMT -6 matt51180 said:

Jan 9, 2012 9:42:00 GMT -6 mexicanjunior said:

then start stacking the secondary and finally finding some ILB's.

If they stack good football player on top of good football player, then that would form a wall of football players who play football on a football field. A wall that plays football well. Plays well in all three phases. All three phases look well, at least until I look at the tape. The tape will allow me to see the stacked football players play football well in all three phases. From that we move forward.

Good schtick...

[Terd Ferguson]

We need speed...so, so badly.

I think both of the defenses last night might be better than ours right now. Seriously if you could add Ware, Ratliff, and Lee to either of those D's we would be VERY good.

[matt51180]

Jan 10, 2012 11:46:44 GMT -6 Terd Ferguson said:

We need speed...so, so badly.

I think both of the defenses last night might be better than ours right now. Seriously if you could add Ware, Ratliff, and Lee to either of those D's we would be VERY good.

Just like Jimmy's D. Fastest in the league from sideline to sideline.

[Terd Ferguson]

Fortunately for us, this appears to be a fairly deep draft, especially where we need the most help. Good DL, OL, and CBs out there.

I expect to see us patch a couple of major holes in free agency but we simply must add youth and speed via the draft.

Gosselin pointed out that the Giants had 2 probowl pass rushers and still drafted Pierre-Paul who is now the best of the bunch. I really hope we can rebuild our fronts on both sides of the ball. We simply have to rush the QB better (while still stopping the run) and we have to be able to handle NY and Philly with our OL. Both of them exposed us last year....badly.

[Sideshow Bob]

On The Ticket this morning, they said there's been a study done of recent Cowboy drafts, which shows that in the six straight years the defensively-dominated SEC has won the National Championship (since 2006), the Cowboys have drafted ZERO defensive players from the SEC (Ratliff was the last in 2005) and quite a few (I can't recall the exact number) Division I-AA defensive players.