Khyber53

We seem to be mentioned in every rumor or discussion whenever just about any player (particularly QBs) is brought up. I hope that we have an actual plan in mind and aren't just out there desperately trying to get anyone with a name and a pulse to join the team. All of these mentions could simply be tons of twitter wannabe journalists just parroting each others' ginned-up rumors, or they could be a serious sign that our front office/coaching just isn't ready for primetime. We could also be thoughtfully making inquiries everywhere to set a smokescreen and to sow chaos. Sure hope it's to sow chaos and that we really have a plan in place.

This won't be settled until training camp. It could well end up with Watson sitting at home next season as Texas refuses to trade. Fine by me. Other people's problems.

Well, let's do the right thing and make sure they don't get another one next year.

Scouting starts??? Starts??? If that's the case, I think I can see where our problem lies. We should be moving into the final quarter of this season's scouting process. I'm going to have to assume that's what they mean is happening.

Teddy Bridgewater, same thing in June 2020. Let's pass on this one.

I'd be willing to bet that Brown is trying to renegotiate his contract now. The talk of LT only puts him out there in an area with tons of suitors, but his performance at RT makes him very valuable to the Ravens, particularly their QB-heavy run game that leans heavily on his side of the field. Brown is on the books to them next year for a very, very cheap $3.6 million (about 2% of their cap space). The team absolutely stole him in the third round of the 2018 draft and they've made him into a Pro Bowl tackle (alternate, but still...). If we could get him, that'd be great, but the Ravens won't let him go.

Now, as a member of the media, he's probably mending many of those relationships. (As difficult as that sounds). I think he'll make it in, but it might be on the second or third ballot. Smith's story is too compelling, his performance on the field too powerful, his toughness too legendary, his competitiveness too undisputable. Old school sports reporters (who make up most of the voters) can get behind someone they can tell a story about.

In my scenario if he doesn't get a new contract or a franchise tag, then it doesn't matter if he's a free agent because he will be unable to perform anywhere near his previous levels. The Cowboys aren't going to let Dak go if he is anywhere near his prior level of play. He's too good of a QB to release into the market. Dak, if able to play like he was before the injury, is the kind of player who can take a franchise to the Super Bowl. If he is still that guy, then there is no way the Cowboys don't lock him into a long-term contract.

The list is longer for QBs who had season ending injuries that ended their careers. It's almost the same list as "all retired NFL QBs."

Oh there are ways to hide a lot of stuff, mainly by simply omitting things. It is always a buyer beware market. While we all know and saw the horrific injury Dak suffered, it doesn't behoove the Cowboys to go in and point out that might have a secondary injury or issue beyond what other teams know to look for. And we've all seen cases of "x player passes the physical and joins new team" to only be followed up by "nagging injury sees player sidelined, this might be the end of the road for him." For a local example, do you remember anyone saying Cam didn't pass a team's physical before the season?

All this time off with Dak in recovery mode and the offseason starting early for the team. No negotiations between the two sides, no mention yet of the franchise tag being used... If they don't tag him before the deadline, stay away because that may have been a career ending injury he received and that they are trying to conceal. Or it may be something that requires lengthy rehab and the Cowboys aren't willing to wait on. I'd let some other team take a run at that gamble.

Sure we were, we wanted whatever we could get for Cam. Then people started looking under the hood, kicking the tires and well, crickets... I believe there were even rumors generated out there saying this team or that team would/should/might trade for him in an effort to generate interest. A couple of seasons pretty much lost to injury, uninspired play when he was on the field, and what could be considered a lackluster approach to rehabbing pretty much had everyone passing on Cam. We had to end up waiving him to free up physical space (if not any cap room) and it wasn't until very late in the offseason that New England finally took him on because the dance of the lemons was about to stop. And suddenly, we begin to think that Bill Belichick can't actually pick or develop QBs. We let Cam go March 24, because there just wasn't any reason to let things go on and apparently his guys wanted to do the negotiations instead of the Panthers headhunting for him. Carson, though, is still on their books and there are some huuuuuge roster bonus implications if they can't move him quick. (Just looked at that contract, and yikes.)

Great series. I played a lot of Warhammer 40K on tabletop back 20+ years ago. It was a lot of fun but just too much to keep up with once wife and kids came along.

Hope everything is still going well.

Just glad everyone is alright!

I really believe what we have right now is a manufactured sellers' market. Not everyone being dangled out there is going to be worth what some fools are willing to pay. Smart money would wait until Feb. 23rd at the earliest (start of tagging players for franchise/transition designations AND the beginning of the Combine) and possibly even waiting until right before the Draft on April 29th. But, but, but... we might miss someone! Well yeah, I don't necessarily see it as a problem. For every Steve Young picked up, there are 20 Josh Rosens. Look at how much LA gave up for Stafford... a guy who has never won a playoff game and has more losing seasons than winning ones! That was ludicrous! And heck, I like Stafford, but really??? Let someone else mortgage their entire team's future for someone who might be hiding some injuries, inabilities or downright bad judgement.

I agree and there's a certain part of the run game that is about inflicting hits on the opponent's d-line. And those back-up tackles can be better put to use as run blockers than pass blockers. And, as much as I'm not a fan of Gronk's, I have to give him credit for being a beast when it came to blocking during the game.

They did the exact same thing we did (even down to the same guy at LT) in 2015. They also had a strong armed mobile QB they thought could get them out of trouble (just like we did). They gave up on their running game and QB keeper options (just like we did). The results were eerily similar to ours.

Just remember that Monica Rambeau in the old Marvel Comics also became Captain Marvel for a few years. And the retcon of Quicksilver was awesome and probably the first step in bringing the X-Men back into the MCU family. I never thought WandaVision was going to be this good, but it is just out there being spectacular. If they do as well with Falcon and the Winter Soldier (is it a bit of a reference to The Falcon and the Snowman movie from back in the day?) then this is going to be a great vehicle for telling the tie-in stories of the big movies.

A solid offensive line allows you to compete with anyone, but the game is made for the o-line to eventually lose on every play if it goes on long enough. We have to improve the O-line. Retain Moton; grab competent, durable LT; develop one new guard; retain other veteran guard; grab next C in draft if possible. Add TE support.

I'll think ownership got impatient and went for an unwise, quick fix.

And as to performance last year? Let's remember this is a rebuild team with a lot of problems and new coaches all around. There's room for improvement, and the capability to improve, across the board on the team.

Good for Teddy! There's a chance he comes back, does great in training camp and is our starting QB for the season, possibly just at the beginning, perhaps all the way through. He's doing one of the most complicated jobs in sports well enough to be a starting QB in the NFL and somehow he's doing that without being a jerk or a nasty competitor. My hat's off to him. He wears our jersey, he deserves the cheers.

I wonder how many of these rumors are started by agents trying to stir the pot.

First, let's all hope that the injured children can make complete recoveries and that their parents aren't bankrupted by the medical bills and other expenses and difficulties that are going to arise from this. Second, let's separate Andy Reid from his son on this one. While it is true he already lost one son to an OD and this son has had his issues with alcohol and potentially other substances, we can't hang their actions on his head without being directly involved with their family. The son was working with his father and I can assume that this wasn't without some idea of keeping him close by. Third, addicts and troubled people can have long periods of control and/or sobriety with no incidents only to be set off in a time of extreme stress/joy/responsibility. I'd be willing to bet that is part of this story and such incidents. I know of one case where a son's birthday party was enough to set a rehabilitated addict off and it led to that man's OD and death. Addiction is a festering evil that just hangs in the soul of a person and it always courts tragedy and chaos. Fourth, yes notoriety, money and even the perceived importance of a championship football game may be impeding what we would demand as justice. Or it may not be affecting it at all. We clamor for punishment, but the culprit in this still needs help to change. Jeez, this just sucks in every way.