|
IRVING, Texas -- Jason Garrett has often referred to building a program with the Dallas Cowboys. That term is normally reserved for college football, not the NFL. Generally, coaches don't have time to build. They need to win and win almost immediately. Garrett is the second-longest tenured coach in the NFC East and only four coaches in the conference have been with their teams longer: Tom Coughlin (2004), Sean Payton (2006), Mike McCarthy (2006) and Pete Carroll (2010). This week, Field Yates and Mike Sando put together a look at how the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks have been built. It got me to thinking about how the Cowboys have been built. Below is a chart comparing the Cowboys to the Patriots and Seahawks as well as the league average in 18 categories. Using the 53-man roster going into the divisional-round loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Cowboys had just 21 of their own draft picks on the roster. The league average was 27.2. They had just five former first-round picks. The league average was nine. The building has to continue, especially through the draft. Yates and Sando put together a list of 10 critical moves for the Patriots and Seahawks to be where they are. Here are five the Cowboys have made to get in position to contend for a Super Bowl: Building the offensive line: Before taking Tyron Smith in the first round of the 2011 draft, the Cowboys last used a first rounder on an offensive lineman in 1981. They have picked an offensive lineman with three of their last four picks with Travis Frederick and Zack Martin joining Smith. To get there, the Cowboys had to go with a mixed-and-matched group, and that played a part in three straight 8-8 finishes. Patience, patience and more patience: Jerry Jones is not considered a patient owner and general manager but he was patient with Garrett, living through growing pains that could have cost the Cowboys a playoff spot or two. That patience was rewarded in 2014 with a 12-4 finish and a playoff win. Garrett was rewarded with a five-year contract worth $30 million after the season ended. Hiring Scott Linehan, Rod Marinelli: Garrett could not divorce himself from the offense until he was able to bring Linehan aboard. Because of his past with Linehan, Garrett's trust in what was being done on that side of the ball was unquestioned, unlike in 2013 when Bill Callahan was calling the plays. Garrett also pushed for the ascension of Rod Marinelli to defensive coordinator and the Cowboys' unit was much better than many could have expected. Cutting the cord: It wasn't easy to part ways with trusted veterans like Leonard Davis, Marc Colombo, Andre Gurode and Kyle Kosier in 2011 and '13, but it had to be done. Just as the Cowboys had to say goodbye to DeMarcus Ware and Miles Austin in the 2014 offseason. Those players were successful and played big parts in the Cowboys' success, but they were on the wrong side of 30 and/or cost a lot against the cap. The Cowboys also didn't attempt to re-sign defensive tackle Jason Hatcher. With Ware's departure, the Cowboys chose to go with numbers at the position rather than tying up too much money in one player. Smarter signings: In 2012, the Cowboys paid Brandon Carr a five-year, $50 million deal as a free agent. At the time it was considered a good move because of the need at the position, but the cost has not equaled production. Since, the Cowboys have been wiser with their dollars (perhaps because they had to be) and the production has been greater. Jeremy Mincey (two years, $3 million) led the Cowboys with six sacks in 2014. Nick Hayden was a "futures" signing after the 2012 season. George Selvie was signed early in training camp in 2013. Justin Durant received just a $400,000 signing bonus in 2013. Henry Melton's big money kicks in this year, but the Cowboys won't pick up the $9 million option.
|
