Don't fall for this team

I'm going to start this saying that I think Dallas loses to the Eagles at the death star Sunday night. All I needed to know is most "experts" picked the Cowboys to win and people are taking the koolaid that with some players returning from injury, things will change and this team will suddenly be able to fix their problems and get it together.

What in this teams history, meaning under Jason Garrett and Jerry make you think this team is any way capable of doing that?

So they will lose and the season will be all but mathematically lost eventhough we've known this for weeks regardless.  So what would a good organization do at this point?  How about finding out if you have any young players in need of playing time to see what you have there?  Maybe find out if Lance Dunbar can replace Felix Jones as backup runner with 10-12 carries and trusted in pass protection?  What about if Dwayne Harris can become the 3rd wide receiver and play outside with Austin in the slot?  And maybe we can see what that athletic rookie tight end James Hannah can do for a struggling offense, bless John Phillips but he's not a receiving threat at all.  Oh and speaking of a struggling offense which has been blamed on a poor offensive line, how about benching the 64th rated most efficient offensive tackle in the NFL, that would be Doug Free for Jeremy Parnell. According to twitter @DCBlueStar, Parnell has played 158 snaps with 1 sack, 2 hits and 6 hurries. And if that David Arkin is a prospect, give the kid a shot to play on Sunday or cut him from the roster.

Give looks off other teams practice squad and shake up the bottom of the roster, create uncertainty Jason Garrett and use the only power tool you have in your set, change the playing time for players underperforming.

Unfortunately, this team is not doing any of that because this is a poorly run organization that has a solid front loaded core team that has accepted losing as not that big a deal. This mentality is confirmed by the total lack of accountability in all 3 phases of the organization, ownership, coaching staff and the players.

Instead, we will hear the company line that they will battle hard but still lose, miss the playoffs and enter another offseason of frustration with salary cap jail on the horizon, roster filled with underperforming veterans, an aging core, no organizational identity and no confidence in the GM to turn it around.

Happy Thanksgiving to all but Cowboys & Longhorns do their best to ruin the football holiday.

I am going to post all details but the basic message here is I am for tearing the Cowboys organization down and rebuild. The core is beyond its prime and there is zero hope for adding enough quality pieces to fill in the gaps in time. This means I am for firing Jason Garrett, Rob Ryan.  I am ofcourse for firing Jerry Jones the GM.

I trade Tony Romo, Miles Austin and all of them for the draft picks. Start over.  It means everyone must go, Jason Witten, DeMarcus Ware.  As frustrating it seems like we can't just fix the offensive line and add a safety, that can make this a winning team right?  Unfortunately no because I fully believe this Cowboys core has accepted losing which cannot be undone if they considered the core of the team. The only hope is adding a leadership core that does not accept losing quick enough to refuel the aging veterans already in place. However there is zero confidence in the GM  to get this done.

As far as the Longhorns, they will enter the offseason again searching for stability at the QB position. David Ash regressed  as did the Texas Defense failing to wrap up ballcarries especially in the secondary and the defensive line inability to escape blocks to contain the running game. They will continue to be a non factor in the Big 12 title much less a national championship aslong as they have instability at QB. In my opinion, David Ash has not proved he can consistently beat a Defense with his arm and definitely not his feet. Case McCoy is a good backup and can jumpstart a offense in a pinch but is not the answer big picture in Austin.  The goals this offseason must be  to see what Connor Brewer and new recruit Tyrone Swoopes can do, Mack must be a leader and make the tough decision to find a QB  to restore the program back to prominence. The second most important goal is make this defense go into tackling drills everyday in practice period, can no longer accept practicing safe to avoid injuries,  the lack of tackling on this entire squad hurt the team from week 1 through  Thanksgiving.

Sucks to be a fan of these teams but the eternal optimism that the NFL Draft and college recruiting brings each year leaves hope but the facts suggest it is not going to happen in the near future.

Steelers cut Ta'amu

The Steelers cut rookie nose tackle Alameda ta'amu just weeks after a drunken driving arrest. He was 3rd on their depth chart and just fell out of favor there. I would put in a claim on him as fast as possible, if only our teams GM priority was about finding players to upgrade the roster. #canwefiretheowner

Ta'amu was the most ideal two-gap nose tackle in the 2012 draft and he destroyed the South's offensive line in the Senior Bowl. He needs a fresh start and this is just a rookie! I wanted him as high as the second round and the #steelers got him early in the 4th. Maybe the #cowboys can finally get something from the 4th round of the 2012 draft with Ta'amu since neither Matt Johnson or Kyle Wilbur have done ANYTHING on defense.

Trimming the fat off this Cowboy team

I get sick looking at these numbers of under performing players making too much money and interesting to see how many were on the list of questionable moves when they were brought in.

Doug Free - $5.3 million

Perhaps the Cowboys most disappointing offensive lineman especially in regard to compensation is Doug Free. He can't hold up in pass protection and just really struggles vs counter moves from even average NFL pass rushers. His run blocking has been better and more so when he pulls and can get out in space. Bottom line, he should not be starting on this team and I need to find out what I have in Jeremy Parnell during this year before I add offensive tackle to need list in the offseason. But I highly doubt Parnell will see the field without an injury because this organization does not have faith in playing young players on the offensive line.

Dez Bryant - $3.6 million

Outside of the offensive line, no other player is holding back the offensive line more than Dez, simple as that. Romo has little to no confidence in Bryant, the more simplified the offense gets the more of a contribution this knucklehead can make. He is the poster boy for lack of accountability, preparation and football IQ that is flooding throughout the entire roster. His route running, attitude and character have not improved to the level expected in his NFL career and I would be trying desperately to trade him in the offseason, seriously Jacksonville asking for Laurent Robinson straight up. But this organization will continue to throw Dez out there and he will frustrate you to the point you want to bench him, then during the same game make a play that makes you think "if only he was consistent, oh what a player."

Orlando Scandrick - $2.9 million

Dallas paid Scandrick to go along with Mike Jenkins to form a solid tandem of corners to last them next 5-6 years, plan didn't work. Unfortunately for Scandrick, he's still the same player he was as a rookie, a solid cover corner but who is not a consistent tackler, comfortable pressing at the line nor able to make a play on the ball when in position. He's a solid nickel corner but he's paid like a top starting corner.

Marcus Spears & Kenyon Coleman - $2.7 and $2.3 million totalling $5 million

The strongside defensive end position has been a sore spot for Dallas for years and they keep thinking former first round pick Marcus Spears is going to show up. He's a 2 down run stuffing end who gives you nothing as a pass rusher and even when Spears is in position to stuff the run, rarely does he finish the play. His impact would be solid if he finished plays he is in position to make. Yet because Dallas had no depth, they resigned Spears to an extension that he did not earn. Coleman has been an adequate player for Dallas mostly because they put him in position that he is most comfortable in, 2-down run stuffer and just bull rush in pass rush situations. Unlike Spears, Coleman plays his role well stuffing the run and just simply not allowing anywhere for ballcarriers to go. These players are situational average players but paid like full-time solid starters, wasted money. This team should insert Sean Lissemore into the starting lineup once he returns from injury and move on from these guys in the offseason. Develop and play your younger players.

Dan Connor - $2.1 million

Unfortunately for Connor, he never had the inside track to the inside linebacker job as second year pro Bruce Carter took the job and ran with it. I argued when Dallas signed Connor that he did not fit the scheme as he was not the thumper inside backer needed to stand up to guards in the hole, stack and shed blockers to make plays in the running game. Connor was a huge liability in man coverage at Carolina and hoped he could step up in Sean Lee's absence as the weakside inside backer job better suited his skills. Then he got hurt and now just seems the season will be lost for him. He is signed through next season and would provide good depth behind Lee but again, he is not well suited for the thumper backer job in Dallas.

Felix Jones - $1.8 million

If it wasn't for Dez, Felix would be the most frustrating offensive player on this team. Fact is, he still is. First of all, he let a 3rd round pick take his job last year in DeMarco Murray and then showed up out of shape to training camp this year failing the opening conditioning test. Factor in several times he's run without confidence, showing poor vision and a lack of burst we saw as a rookie. He is as good as gone in the offseason and with Murray's lack of ability to stay healthy, runningback will again be on the list of needs in the offseason.

Mackenzy Bernadeau - $1.8 million Dallas signed Bernadeau knowing he was not a finished nor a day one plug in and go starter after being a backup during his time in Carolina. They were hoping to find a player on the rise and give him an opportunity to play. Unfortunately they have gotten a above average run blocker and a below average pass blocker. His play has improved since nearly being benched in favor of Derrick Dockery but fact is, the quality of play for Bernadeau is not on the level of the contract given.

Favorite draft prospect in some trouble

One of my favorite 2012 draft targets was nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu from Washington. He was drafted in the 4th round by the Steelers, well he was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with aggravated assault, aggravated assault by vehicle and felony fleeing police following a traffic incident. Ta'amu fled police after he reportedly crashed into four parked cars, injuring a woman in the process. Ta’amu has yet to play this season. Thanks to GBN report

Bad to worst on Longhorn Injury Front

Well from bad to worst. Longhorn pass rusher Jackson Jeffcoat will miss the rest of the season. He suffered a right pectoral injury during the OU loss Saturday.

Texas' depth along the Dline was already in bad shape, this does not help. This should mean Jeffcoat will return to Austin next year instead of opting for the NFL Draft.

Brandon Moore was carted off the field with a neck injury was released from the hospital Sunday with all test results coming back normal.

Also on the injury front, test have confirmed QB David Ash has a broken wrist on his non-throwing arm and will be out for 2-3 weeks according to sources. He has not been officially ruled out of the Baylor game but Case McCoy should start for the Horns. Keep an eye out for freshman Connor Brewer to get some snaps as well.

Copy cat league changing thoughts on QB prospects

The success of RG3, Cam Newton, Russell Wilson and even Andrew Luck has teams reconsidering the way they rate the QB coming out of college.

I find this absolutely ridiculous, does a QB need to be a runner, no but does he have to be athletic to side step the rush?  Yes most definitely.

There is a difference between the two.  The NFL has taken so many steps to protect the QB to ensure offenses continue to succeed to put points on the board which keeps butts in the seats as well as viewers watching on TV. Fact

All bets are off when it comes to protecting the QB as soon he becomes a runner. Yes, they can still slide to avoid a tackle but if you are running inside consistently, you are going to get your guy roughed up. It takes a toll on your thrower and can impact the entire team, ask Phildelphia.

Personally, your QB needs to have the athleticism to extend a play with his feet but complete it with his arm. Teams mortgage their future to hit on a franchise QB (Washington) and why in the hell would you put your most prized and valuable commodity in a position to take more hits.

A QB prospect that cannot extend the play with his feet and beat you with his arm should be not be a high prospect regardless. A QB that can only run the ball but struggles to beat you through the air can be easily defeated in the NFL.  They can get away with it in college but not in the pros.  Fact until proven otherwise where it counts, Super Bowls son!

The count is still at zero!  Ask Philadelphia (Vick, Randall Cunningham), Denver (Tebow), Minnesota (Tavaris Jackson), Dallas (Quincy Carter), Tennessee (Vince Young) and Pittsburgh (Kordell Stewart). The arguement can go on forever debating whether or not the likes of John Elway, Steve Young, Steve McNair and Donovan mcNabb were running QBs or QBs who could extend plays with their feet but beat you with their arm.

Fact is there are about 15-20 great to quality quarterbacks capable of handling an NFL offense and beating a defense consistently on Sundays, that means there are less than one for every team in the NFL. With the hopes of a championship riding on keeping your quarterback in the game, again I ask, why in the hell would you put them in that position to take more hits?

I am not changing what I look for in a NFL QB prospect, a good arm, anticipate your throws with accuracy, plus footwork, progress through your reads, find passing lanes and extend the play with your feet but beat the defense with your arm.