by Massimo Russo
It always starts at the top when putting together a roster worthy of making a title run. You need to have good evaluators within your personnel department that have a keen understanding of finding talent that fits your system, identity of your roster, and culture of your locker room.
During the process, like any business, the dollars and cents always come first. Whoever has control of the wheel may take risks and gambles, but to keep things functioning, the people performing for the business need to keep things aligned by operating their duties well. People will always come and go, but it’s up to the people upstairs to be able to find replacements that can handle the same responsibilities or do a better job.
Aside from the mess surrounding the New England Patriots’ involvement with Spygate and the recent deflate-gate from last year’s AFC title game against the Colts, we can’t ignore the fact they’ve made six Super Bowl trips since the ’01 season, winning their fourth in February. Their front office has been masterful on the business/personnel aspects of running a franchise. They’ve maintained the highest level of success than any organization over the last fourteen seasons – managing their budget properly, acquiring extra draft picks through trades, and signing, drafting and trading for players that fit the makeup of future Hall of Fame head coach Bill Belichick’s roster.
Not to compare the Cowboys to the Patriots’ string of success because nobody has really matched them in the salary cap era, but examining the Cowboys’ up to date ways of handling things, team owner/general manager Jerry Jones has given the powers beneath him more control in the ship he runs. Many are still chirping about the Cowboys letting last year’s rushing champion DeMarco Murray walk, and for what it seems, the confidence level in Dallas’ backs to keep the ground game solid is low in the minds of many.
Well, allow me to shed some light on the naysayer’s by using another position and Patriots’ way of filling a void for a player that was extremely productive as an example.
As a vital part of the Patriots’ offense, Wes Welker was Tom Brady’s reliable and deadly slot receiver. In five of his six seasons in New England, Welker caught over 100 balls in a single season while being honored as a five time Pro Bowler and making First-Team All-Pro twice. The Patriots let Welker walk and sign with the Broncos during the ’13 offseason, leaving a major gap to fill.
Many wondered where the Patriots’ passing game was heading in the post-Welker era, but their personnel department didn’t go into a state of panic. Having an elite quarterback always helps, but the Patriots have never been too comfortable because of having one. They’ve made sure the targets before Brady have been capable of working with a signal-caller who demands discipline from his pass catchers. They didn’t go out on the market looking Welker’s replacement because they had confidence in Julian Edelman’s ability to take over Welker’s role on intermediate routes and showcase his versatile traits on Jet-sweeps and gadget plays. He’s also been a factor on special teams. Edelman caught 105 passes in ’13 and 92 last season – those numbers aren’t far-fetched from Welker’s production.
Point being, owner Robert Kraft has always trusted his experts on making personnel decisions, always giving the franchise stability. You need a program in place that keeps the train moving in the right direction. The Cowboys seem to be taking a similar approach now days, signing and drafting players that fit head coach Jason Garrett’s brand and benefiting things on the financial side of the fence. What once looked like a team that was in cap hell now has nearly $17 million in space.
You always need a plan B, and if that plan can save you a buck or two for a player that you believe can produce the same or even better results than what your plan A did — it’s a smart way of doing business. The Cowboys’ strategy of old was reckless, shipping away high draft picks and not managing their books right. The tables have turned, and the Joneses are finally showing some brass, putting lots of stock in their program, system and culture their head coach believes in. Most imperatively, the organization is buying in as whole.
This brings us to Dallas’ development on establishing a run first offense behind the Hogs up front. If I were to ask many if they thought Murray can run for 1,845 yards last summer, I bet lots would’ve answered with a big fat NO. Now, in an expected committee attack with Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar, the question is, can they provide the offense with enough positive plays on the ground? On paper, it may not seem like the sexiest deck of cards, knowing that Randle has yet to receive enough work to prove his worth. McFadden has been plagued by injuries and Dunbar has been nothing more but a change of pace runner thus far in his career.
Here’s the deal: As much as we can’t assume the backs (Randle and McFadden) expected to get the most touches will go bananas behind an O-line that has three Pro Bowlers blocking for them, we also can’t assume they can’t. I get that the body of work hasn’t shown much to get everyone to jump out of their seats, but these runners are more talented than what the numbers tell us. Watching the tape on them, you can see the acceleration and shifty styles they possess. There might not be the physical grinding elements of moving the pile like Murray provided to set the tone and tempo, but I see lots of opportunities for them to make splash plays to dictate the passing game.
In the grand scheme of things, like the Patriots had confidence in Edelman’s game to be their Wes Welker clone, you ever stop to think that maybe the Cowboys’ personnel staff has the same good feeling about what they have at running back? Sometimes you need to trust the process, and I will say this, if healthy, there’s a better chance the ground game will flourish than flounder.
More from cover32:
