Advertisement

sportsCowboys

Best of Bob Sturm: Replacing Tony Romo, Cowboys' biggest offseason mistake and more

Editor's note: Below is some analysis from special contributor Bob Sturm up to this point of the season from previous chats he has held.

Question: Does finding a future quarterback now become the No. 1 off-season goal for this team?

Bob Sturm: It certainly has to go into the thought process. I think it's possible Tony Romo has a couple really great seasons left. After the last two years of multiple back and clavicle injuries, you would have to be a real optimist. Romo, at this age, with this many miles, and this many previous injuries, you would have to be an optimist that everything will be fine at the start of 2016. I think it's time for this team to have an alternate plan to accompany their Romo plan. Their 2015 strategy was probably more, "let's just hope Romo doesn't get hurt." That would be ridiculous to try next year, given what's happened.

Advertisement

Replacing Romo is probably not going to happen, but getting a plan in place as a massive insurance policy to go with Romo is. That could include a first-round pick or a better free agent -- much better than what they had this year with Brandon Weeden.

Cowboys

Be the smartest Cowboys fan. Get the latest news.

Or with:

Question: Terrance Williams seems to struggle in tight coverage. Can the O coordinator correct any of this?

Bob Sturm: I think they are trying to continue to develop him, but he really seems to have a ceiling. It reminds you of Alvin Harper and Michael Irvin. There are days where Harper seemed capable of being a #1 WR, but quickly found out that an occasional big play guy is not a #1 superstar WR because that #1 can win in any situation and withstand the attention and scrutiny that comes with it. Irvin and Dez, Harper and Williams.

Advertisement

Question: I saw the stat where the TE's avg. only 35 yards per game against Dallas this year. Isn't most of that Jones locking TE's down because it seemed like they really struggled against TE's in previous years. Can he do that against WR's though?

Bob Sturm: Great question. I think Jones is an exceptional player who has the talent to be good at whatever you need. I think he can play a multitude of positions and has a fantastic skill set. He is young and willing and it looks like the Cowboys have a fine draft pick on their hands if he keeps progressing.

Question: Zack Martin has had some egregious errors this year. Is it simply the year of film that the opposition has had to study. Or is it something mechanical?

Advertisement

Bob Sturm: I don't know that he has been horrible. I do think he is playing at a slightly lower level than last year, but not by much. Honestly, and this was not a popular view when I first said it, I thought a lot of Martin's 2014 was curious from a media praise standpoint. He was good. He was even really good. But, he was being called in some circles "the best guard in the NFL" and I really didn't see that. So, I had him as a 8 out of 10 in 2014 and maybe a 7 out of 10 in 2015. He is still quite solid in most regards, but in 65 plays, he will bust a time or two. It is a tough sport and he is at a tough spot.

Question: You are the "x's and o's" guy. Are the coaches putting the players in a position to succeed, and the players are not getting it done? Or is the team being out-coached at critical moments/areas?

Bob Sturm: I would argue that there is enough blame to go around. Are the coaches putting players in a good spot? Sometimes, but not enough. Linehan and Marinelli have both been the targets of ridicule at different times. The coaches have not had players lined up or deployed properly at the end of the New Orleans and Philadelphia losses. That is a very bad look. The players have disappointed repeatedly as well. The front office put faith in Joseph Randle and Rolando McClain and Devin Street and Gavin Escobar and Terrance Williams and Brandon Weeden. How many times have we wondered this season about the wisdom behind that? The front office also bet heavily that Tony Romo and Sean Lee would stay healthy, despite the fact that they both get hurt on a near-annual basis. It has been a rough year where you need some good fortune. The Cowboys have not received a whole lot of that.

Why do you think Brandon Weeden was so unsuccessful as the starting QB?

Bob Sturm: I think he had things stacked against him with a WR crew that is clearly Dez and a bunch of guys. With no Dez and then no Lance Dunbar, he had no real juice - weapons that terrify the opposition. So, now he has to make throws in to windows or punt and the Cowboys needed him to pull the trigger. He showed reluctance to pull the trigger and that made the problems worse. I am not sure he trusts himself to be able to do it, and therefore played an extraordinarily conservative style. He also seemed reluctant to take a hit, as well. So, all told, he seems more like a coach than a QB these days. I am sure he has his reasons and explanations, but he is one of those backup QBs that seems like a good idea until you have to put them in a game.

Question: Is Randy Gregory going to be a liability in the run game? Do you think Terrance Williams is good enough for even the #2 WR position?

Bob Sturm: I think Gregory is not great against the run yet. But, I have the belief he can grow into that for sure. I also believe Terrance Williams demonstrated in 2014 he is fine as a #2. I thought he was pretty productive last season and had massive catches in both playoff games. There are a few things we are dealing with with Williiams. 1) The #2 WR is kind of the #3 most places because of the number of balls Jason Witten gets. 2) He never has had great technique in catching the ball as he defaults to the rap of being a "body catcher" as opposed to a hands catcher. That will occasionally lead to some disappointing moments where the body demonstrates why that is never taught. And 3) I assume he is putting a ton of pressure on himself with Dez out. And to some people that can have an adverse effect on the results. But, I still believe the Cowboys can depend on Williams. He is pretty solid overall.

Question: Pre-mature draft thoughts for the Cowboys of Dallas? Not positioning, but positions where depth and youth are needed?

Advertisement

Bob Sturm: In short, I think the top 3 spots I am looking for if I am the Cowboys in Rounds 1-3 would be QB, RB, and WR in any order. I obviously have other needs, too, like safety, but those 3 skill spots are first on the list.

Question: In your opinion, what is the biggest mistake the Cowboys have made this year? Lost OLIne coach, Murray, backup QB, relying on Joseph Randle, or something else?

Bob Sturm: Interesting question. I would say that the biggest mistake in the offseason was not taking backup QB seriously enough. I think Weeden is substandard and should not have been brought back. Cassel may be equally such, but I give him some slack based on his throws in NY and his general unfamiliarity with the system as he was acquired in late September. But, that entire issue didn't seem important until Romo got hurt. On the other hand, to not address RB better than they did was going to be front and center all year. I really think that a RB in the 3rd round was needed where many options still existed. Those 2 are the big ones for me.

You would think that the coaches would have become a little more creative in order to cover up the deficiencies caused by injuries, but apparently they decided to come out with the blandest gameplan possible. Do the coaches have just as much to do with the losing streak as Weeden does?

Advertisement

Bob Sturm: Yes and no. Yes, they were bland and conservative. Kicking a FG down 20-3 on Sunday from the 5 yard line was absurd. But, their job is to look at what they have and to design the best plan available to win with what they have. So, perhaps the game-plan they had was their best belief of what might work with Weeden and company. If they did a poor job, then we are saying they had better options. I tend to think that for the most part, they did about as much as you can do with Weeden playing QB. He limits your offense. The offense didn't limit Weeden.

Question: 40 pages of 20 arrests on each page Bob. Yet Cowboys are targeted over Hardy

Bob Sturm: On one hand, I agree. On the other hand, Hardy has handled the aftermath about as poorly as he could. He only needed to play the game publicly of contrition and rehabilitation for about 15 minutes a week in front of the cameras. He couldn't do that. Also, the sideline conduct does suggest he is a bit tone deaf on how many cameras would be interested in his conduct. He could have played this better for sure. Is he being singled out? Sure. But, that comes with the territory of his income bracket, his franchise he plays for, and his overall disposition.

Question: Lots of NFL fans castigating the Cowboys for Hardy. Which of their teams are clean? How many teams did Donte Stallworth play for after being convicted of manslaughter? Michael Vick? Ben Roethlisberger? Ray Lewis, etc? Hypocrites, all of them. Your thoughts?

Advertisement

Bob Sturm: I tend to agree with this line of reasoning. There really isn't a team who hasn't dirtied their hands in some capacity at some point. Now, not all players are the same, not all crimes are the same, and not all teams are covered the same. But, the NFL is made up of men, ages 22-32 and it would seem that this is the age where many men in society find trouble. Here is a website dedicated to this study - you can search by team and research every team as it pertains to crimes: NFL Arrests and Charges Browse NFL arrest records going back to the year 2000. Compare incidents by player, team, position, year, and charge. See descriptions, fines, sentences and more.

What's your favorite memory from Cowboy football on Thanksgiving day?

I was always a fan of 2006 Thanksgiving against Tampa Bay when Romo threw 5 TD passes in his first Thanksgiving.

I wrote the following paragraph that day: "5 Touchdown passes! And we all know he could have had 6 or 7 had his coach allowed him to throw a pass in the final 25 minutes of the game. Tony Romo is a guy who Darth Vader would say: 'The Force is strong in this one'. That's right. He is a Jedi. I spent last week saying he was special, but that doesn't sum up his 5 games as the Cowboys starter. But, he is a QB Jedi. And no, I am no longer overreacting." -- Bob's Blog - Live from Lewisville: Cowboys 38, Bucs 10 (7-4)

Advertisement

Haha. I have always been a Romo guy.

Question: I am saddened that the Sean Lee-Ragonk combo is not taking the league by storm. Is LB the biggest area to be addressed for 2016?

Bob Sturm: Sadly, it sure looks like it. I really enjoyed McClain's season last year and hoped he would be a mainstay. Now, he looks like he should be replaced. Lee has us all wondering if the Cowboys need to stop depending on him because his body cannot handle it. Now, it seems like they could consider looking for 22 year old replacements to handle each spot. Maybe they have one in house with Anthony Hitchens and another with Damien Wilson. But, neither seems to have the coaching staff head-over-heels to put them on the field.

Twitter: @SportsSturm

Advertisement