Trade down a couple spots (before the Eagles pick) and take Zeke. Need to get a workhorse runner back in there, takes the hits away from Romo. They need a QB for when TR is gone but there is an impact player to take this year. Take Zeke.

Thing is the team can't possibly be that much better with Zeke over a 4-headed RB monster right now (of say DMC/Morris/Rookie/Dunbar). It's still a passing league, feels so wrong to invest in a guy that will probably play 11 games a year for 5-6 years and flame out. For all the beauty of a Le'Veon Bell for example, the guy is literally never on the field of late when it matters. And they slide in a DeAngelo Williams and hardly drop off.

I don't see how I'd ever invest this much in an RB anymore. Not at the rate they're hurt and the shortness of the careers. You'll get 15+ years out of an elite QB, 10 years out of a WR (ish?), your corners are probably good for as long as the wideouts (maybe longer since you convert them to Safety after). I just hate drafting RB's in the first now.

Inked 3 this morning, the DE any good haven't seen Oakland play in years

Anyone know what the details of the Morris deal are? I suck at googling I guess because I can't find it

2 years 3.5m incentives up to 5.5

Twitter is best for the newest information

The team would be significantly better with one top RB getting bulk carries than some "4 headed monster." Correct, it is still a passing league and DeMarco Murray was the biggest reason for the passing game being so strong 2 years ago and their best TOP in the league made a poor defense into a defense that was slightly above league average. By all metrics the line didn't perform as well last year, they were still very very good but the biggest reason for the dip in production was the RB that chewed up bulk yardage every carry and himself was an outstanding blocker (just as Zeke is said to be).

Dunbar is great, love the guy but he is a hybrid player that works in a system - he is hardly even a running back. He needs to be left out of the discussion. DMC is old and injury prone and Morris is trash. Morris had one good year (rookie season) benefiting from the breakout season of RGIII's read option. Since then he has had to be a straight up RB and has been not good - he may perform better with a better line but a better line doesn't magically make good RB's...just ask Joseph Randle that. Staying on that topic, Randle outperformed his actual worth when Murray was the bulk carry back because of the mismatches it created. This split carry stuff doesn't work as well.

Next, you are exactly right, taking a RB in the draft you would get 5 maybe 6 years of worth out of him. So explain to me how drafting what is thought of as an impact RB in the draft at 0 miles worse than grabbing Alfred Morris at year 5?? Grabbing a RB out of the draft, using him up until there isn't any tread on the tires (for cheap I might add) and then disposing him and doing it all over again is exactly the model that works. Grab Morris now after 1000+ carries, now his 5th year and his performance has dipped every single year since his rookie year? No, not a fan. I mean the price is cheap so sure, nothing really to lose but he isn't helping if he is the main guy or even the second guy.

Draft Zeke. Seriously, draft him. Passing game will get better and that crap defense will get a boost. I mean that guy from the Raiders they just signed with like 1 career sack would be a started DE if the season started today.

Pretty second tier guy. Raiders could have easily matched at a cheap figure and didn't. But we need bodies and right now this is a body. He's kind of light and unspectacular. But it gives us a bit more flexibility in the draft, as does signing Morris btw.

I'm stoked because really any position is in play on draft day now outside of RB. I mean there's just no way they draft an RB before round 3-4 now if at all.

Look at DMC's production last year with no other viable options now they get Morris and Dunbar gonna be nice if Romo is healthy that's the big thing people aren't talking about, Romo an the line made Murray look great, he was at best an average back think I quoted wrong guy but you'll understand what I meant by this more than other guy anyways.

DMC makes the passing game worse. There needs to be an understanding of scheme and fit - numbers don't tell the entire story.

Dallas is a zone blocking offense. That is the type of lineman they drafted and that is the offense they run. This requires a back willing to be patient and aggressive at the same time - exactly the type like Murray and Peterson just to name a couple. Man blocking doesn't require a good RB, a wide receiver can run behind a pulling guard...that is the hole, if created. There is no waiting for lanes to open up, doesn't require vision, everything is pre-planned.

When DMC has been required to run in a zone scheme he is a bottom tier back - he is exceptional in a man blocking format. To prove the point: DMC ran for 7 ypc when Dallas was in man blocking and 3.5 ypc when Dallas was in their normal zone blocking scheme.

So why don't they just man block? B/c that line isn't built for that and most importantly their entire passing playbook is built in the zone blocking scheme. This was a problem last year. Dallas would switch to man to get DMC going and then as soon as they zone blocked the defense knew it was 100% pass. The offense became predictable.

They need a back that fits what they do, not an old guy that got some nice chunk yards that did nothing for the system as a whole.

Whelp, I don't think you're going to get your wish Darko. I think you're looking at the core of your 2016-2017 RB's.

And I'm happy for this. Drafting at #4, you need this guy to be around for 8-10 years not 4-5. Otherwise it's a wasted pick imo.

This isn't correct. It was 15 years ago but not today. Drafting at #4 you need impact players first and foremost - this drafting for year #9 and not addressing what is current is an ongoing mistake. The smarter teams have not been drafting guys based on if they think they are going to be on the team in 10 years...that is an expensive thought for teams anyway.

I am not saying drafting Zeke is correct at #4, I am saying it is for Dallas. This draft is loaded with DE's, there isn't a need to grab one of those guys at #4. They won't, but they need to draft Zeke.

When you look at all the RB's that have been performing to high standard coming out of round 2-5 etc..., how can you say that so definitively?

Yeldon: 2nd
Coleman: 3rd
Duke Johnson: 3rd
Langford: 4th
Buck Allen: 4th
Jeremy Hill: 2nd
Le'veon, Gio, Lacy: 2nd, 2nd, 2nd


Wanna hear first round rbs?

Gurley, Melvin Gordon, TRich, David Wilson, Martin, Ingram, Spiller, Best, Knowson, Bennie Wells, Donald Brown, FELIX JONES etc....


Man it's not worth it when you can get good ones in the 2nd and 3rd in general.

Citing previous poor decisions by teams doesn't change anything. If AP was in this draft would you pass on him and take Yeldon in the 2nd rd?

Sure, Dallas can get a nice player in the 2nd. Zeke is thought of much much different than that and to be clear much different than nearly all of these guys on the list.

Of course you want an impact player at #4 I just figured that was a given. Drafting for now instead of for the future is a huge mistake. That's what Dallas usually did until Jerry wised up. It causes you to reach for players and we've seen all to well how that works out most of the time.

Why draft a RB at #4 knowing that his best years are likely behind him after his rookie deal and that you probably won't be or want to sign him to a long term deal? Why wouldn't you want to get a tyron Smith or a demarcus ware knowing that they have a much better chance of being around for 8+ years compared to the chances of a RB being around that long with such a high pick?

Taking an impact defensive player at 4 and a good RB in 2nd would have a bigger impact for this team than taking elliot at 4 and a D player in the 2nd. Imo

First Zeke isn't a Jerry reach player. Second, regarding your question, the reason is dependent upon the team. Do you view Dallas being 4-12 as the Browns or an anomaly b/c of injuries or somewhere between? If somewhere between, where in between?

It keeps being presented that drafting for now is always bad. That is simply not correct. If drafting for now fills out a significant piece of the puzzle moving forward and is a transcendent player then drafting now is correct...assuming this is a team that isn't far off. The reason I wouldn't want Tyron Smith in this draft is b/c Dallas has Tyron Smith (amongst other top lineman that they will have to pay a lot to) and the reason Dallas won't draft a DeMarcus Ware is b/c it is widely assumed there isn't a DeMarcus Ware in the draft...though there are a lot of very good players at that position. Now there is a RB advanced scouts see as AP light...could be wrong obviously but everyone can be wrong about every player at any postion at any point in the draft...not the point.

I was originally very against the idea of picking up Elliot in the first round, but tdarko has convinced me that it is at least not completely terrible.

Its pretty clear that Dallas isn't a 4-12 team in the true sense of the word, as most teams will be in this sport if they have a season without their QB.

The issue here is the offence with Romo + the 4 headed RB monster is going to be marginally worse than Romo + Zeke. But the D without an elite pass rusher from the first is going to be way way way worse. Then when it comes to Wentz vs Zeke, it's a different debate. It's the debate that you'll never have more equity than now to get your hands on a chance at a Romo replacement. Again I'll take that chance because we can find good RB's in round 3 one of these years, the odds scream that you can.

You make it sound like every first round DE is going to Canton, and that the second round DE is going to Canada.

I don't think that's true, but I think every DE at #4 this year is a sure fire significant upgrade on our ridiculously bad line. And I think most RB's you take in the 3rd could compete with Morris and DMC (and I doubt there's much debate there).

Like I said earlier, this just isn't true. In 2014 Dallas' defense was top 3 in TOP, to put in perspective, they were on the field for an entire game and a half less than the Eagles over the course the 2014 season. The Eagles had player for player a better defense but the Dallas system/offense made guys like George Selvie a viable and sought after player over the course of 2 years and he went from a 7th rd pick that bounced around doing absolutely nothing to getting paaaaiiiidddd. That is a 7th rounder too. He isn't the only defensive player Dallas has turned a phrase with.

Again, football is a domino effect in which each person effects the other and both sides of the ball effect each other. It is about making it work in harmony.


You are mistaking what I am saying, I agree that good RB's can be found in rd 2 or 3 - but there is THE RB in the draft this year, not every year has that. And this team happens to have the perfect fit for him and able to get him. This opportunity to recreate what kept Romo healthy and what ignited the offense in 2014 is something you can't pass up. Don't take Zeke and you will continue to have RB's that can't block (yes, that is a big deal) and this will be a team requiring Romo to pull rabbits out of a hat deep in games like before...instead of controlling the games.

Regarding the QB's, neither of those guys are Andrew Luck. Every year the top couple of QB's get pumped full of so much juice that everyone has to have them and then blah. I don't understand using the 4th pick in the draft, when this team still has a small window while Romo is there to do something - they were a bad call away from facing Seattle in the Championship Game in 2014. Everything needs to be done to accomplish its goals while Romo can still walk. There is no value anymore in the learn on the sideline routine so drafting a guy so he can 'learn from the sidelines' is just ignorant. Get a guy that impacts the team with that first pick this year, when Romo is headed to the wheelchair grab your QB.

1. I may compete with the current DLine, not remotely the point.

2. If you are drafting a guy that 'competes' with morris and DMC then sigh, we will get a nice pick next year too.

Can someone explain why our fan base seems do down on Joey Bosa?

I'm not saying he's the next coming of JJ Watt or something, but he's universally considered a top 5 pick by everyone, some people even having him #1. He plays a position of need for us.

Yet every time he's mentioned on Twitter or on radio shows everyone acts like he has cancer or something.

I like him bc he is really good and a 4-3 guy so he would fit Dallas.

He was suspended for refusing to take a drug test in college and apparently the consensus around the league is a strong concern about him being a very hard party guy. A lot feel he has been overrated by the media. I think he is good.

Obviously I used TS and DW as examples to the caliber of player you should get this high in the draft. A guy that has multiple pro bowls and plays for 8+ years. Not a guy that you know that is unlikely to be around after the rookie deal. Wasn't suggesting take a LT or any other OL, we clearly have bigger needs.

There's no way if we take Zeke we are all of a sudden superbowl contenders. We had the best back by far 2 years ago and it got us nowhere in the playoffs. We should have lost to Detroit and did lose to GB because we couldn't stop a top rated QB. So the argument that a running game will help out the D doesn't always hold true. It might over the course of a seaon, but who care about that once you make the playoffs. We have good enough backs to get the job done, but we don't have a good enough D line. How often does the best back in the league in a given season win the superbowl compared to the best D? I would say it's not even close. There's a reason teams like Seattle make it to the SB 2 years in a row and AP hasn't even sniffed it. We need to strengthen this D.