Cowboys | Team in the running for L. Davis?

[OldDirtMcGirt]

1) We don't have a 6th round pick, it went to New England
2) We need help just about anywhere and getting rid of picks is a bad idea unless we want it to stay the same
3) Joe Thomas doesn't fit into Whisenhunt's system. He likes players that can maul and are strong run blockers. Thomas is a finesse player whose strength is pass blocking
4) The team has enough holes. The best way to fix that is TO STOP MAKING NEW ONES

1) Forgot about that.
2) True we have holes (LT,C,FS,DE,OLB,CB) but FS, OLB, and CB can all be addressed through free agency, and center, defensive end, and left tackle in the draft.
3) I disagree. Though Thomas is better at pass protection, he's no slouch in the run. Considering he's a Orlando Pace clone with the frame to add more size, that shouldn't be too much of a concern.
4) We aren't creating a new hole, we're filling our biggest one. The draft and free agency is very weak at LT, and Thomas is the only one capable of coming in and starting from day one.

 

[BACH]

Cowboys | Team in the running for L. Davis?
Sun, 11 Feb 2007 10:59:20 -0800

John Clayton, of ESPN.com, reports the Arizona Cardinals expect to lose OT Leonard Davis to the Dallas Cowboys. Davis is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

If Graves is expecting to lose him, why not franchise him?

You can remove the tag at any time under the new CBA. Franchise him until the draft and you know if you get a replacement in FA or the draft.

 

[Duckjake]

Luis Sharpe played left Tackle for the Cards for 13 seasons.

2006 was only LDavis' third as a Left Tackle.

I think the Wendall Bryant-Calvin Pace-Josh McCown-Antrel Rolle rule should be invoked and we should give BIGG more time because he hasn't played in enough games to really develop.

 

[Evil Ash]

2) True we have holes (LT,C,FS,DE,OLB,CB) but FS, OLB, and CB can all be addressed through free agency, and center, defensive end, and left tackle in the draft.

So what are we going to depth for Oline? We have ZERO depth

Its not that we need starters at some positions, we need help depth-wise just about everywhere.

4) We aren't creating a new hole, we're filling our biggest one. The draft and free agency is very weak at LT, and Thomas is the only one capable of coming in and starting from day one.

So why not keep Big a year and draft someone to add *gasp* depth? Imagine that we could have a starter, add a player for depth and go after an LT in next year's draft that is better for that position.

We also keep our draft picks ... an extra bonus.

 

[Totally_Red]

My 2 cents
Franchise Big until the draft. If a starting quality tackle becomes available then use the pick and trade away Big for additional picks. If a development tackle is taken then pay the tag fee for this year and develop a new LT.

That might work. But the gamble is that Davis doesn't sign it right away. Once he does, my understanding that the team can't rescind it. It happened to Oakland a couple years ago when they franchised Charles Woodson for something like $11-million. He surprised them by signing the tag, and wah-lah, Oakland was on the books for the full $11-million.

 

[Goldfield]

This is such a no brainer... Untill there is a better option at LT we must keep LD. Tag him and give yourself a year to worry about it.

Hope a good OT is available in the draft this year, but dont let LD walk & leave yourself desperate.

 

[Reddog]

This is the only sensible rout to take. Even if we only get a third rounder in a sign and trade its better than nothing.

 

[Shogun]

3) I disagree. Though Thomas is better at pass protection, he's no slouch in the run. Considering he's a Orlando Pace clone with the frame to add more size, that shouldn't be too much of a concern.

Pace as a prospect >>>>>> Joe Thomas

 

[BACH]

That might work. But the gamble is that Davis doesn't sign it right away. Once he does, my understanding that the team can't rescind it. It happened to Oakland a couple years ago when they franchised Charles Woodson for something like $11-million. He surprised them by signing the tag, and wah-lah, Oakland was on the books for the full $11-million.

AND??? The difference between Oakland and us is that we have the cap space AND that Big realisticly can get that kind of money in signing bonus anyway.

Besides, it gives us an extra year to solve the problem at LT

 

[john h]

$9.556 million is the franchise number for LTs this year. That's a heap of cash to allocate to any one player, much less a guy like Leonard Davis who isn't considered an elite player. It's a difficult situation because he's got enough value to try to hang onto long enough to get something out of him but you run the risk of being on the hook for that kind of cap space only to be in a 20% worse situation again this time next year.

I would imagine that if the Cardinals can't get something done with him by the dawn of free agency, they'd probably be more willing to buy his ticket to Dallas than to drop that kind of money on him.

If he is as bad as some posters think then why are teams that are better than the Cards ready to sign him? The OL is one of our weak points. I think he may be the best of our OL so losing him just does not make sense. Even drafting a good OL it takes a couple of years for these guys to develop. Just letting our high 1st round pick walk does not make a lot of sense. Zip, Zero, Zilch, nothing in return and he probably turns into an all pro for the Cowboys or some other team. I hope the Cardinals give a good explanation of their thinking if this happens.

 

[Denny Green Fan]

The Cardinals may shock us all on draft day and just take Brown at five. If we try and trade down for him we could lose him to Houston or Miami. Whis and Grimm could fall in love with him. Who knows?

 

[Mulli]

The Cardinals may shock us all on draft day and just take Brown at five. If we try and trade down for him we could lose him to Houston or Miami. Whis and Grimm could fall in love with him. Who knows?

Crap, I forgot who Brown is.

 

[earthsci]

Crap, I forgot who Brown is.

Levi Brown OT Penn St

 

[Mulli]

Levi Brown OT Penn St

Oh yeah. Doi! Thanks.

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Oh yeah. Doi! Thanks.

you just used the word "doi" . . . wow.

 

[Mulli]

you just used the word "doi" . . . wow.

Uh, it was latin. Uh, that's it.

So I guess that killed any remaining chance of a job offer from your office in Illinois.

 

[Covert Rain]

Why do people keep placing so much stock in an OL draft pick? There are a ton more examples of draft picks drafted high who can't contribute right away then those that do. The draft is a crap shoot.

If we don't have someone in free agency lined up that is better then LD then you have to keep him. It's going to cost us alot more money to replace him in Free Agency then keeping him.

I am with the previous poster. If they let him go because an unproven draft pick will be cheaper then this will be just another example (in a long line of expamples) of a "cost saving" move that's more important then the team winning.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

Pace as a prospect >>>>>> Joe Thomas

Pace was better coming out, but they're both pretty similar in styles of play and body type (which was what I was referring to).

Evil Ash- As for depth, we already have Brandon Gorin backing up LT, Grimm thinks he can make Ross a respectable back up at RT, and for the guards we have Elton Brown (who I has alot of untapped potential and coul surprise a few people) and Chris Lewinski (sp?). What I'd do is draft Doug Datish out of OSU in the third for depth, because not only can he challenge Leckey for the starting center spot, but he has experience playing every position on the O-line.

 

[B-Dogg]

Question why not Transition Big instead of franchising him it saves quite a bit according to this chart and would seem to make much more sense...

Franchise vs. Transition
Position Franchise Number Transition Number
Quarterback $12.615 million $10.182 million
Running back $6.999 million $5.981 million
Wide receiver $7.613 million $3.612 million
Tight end $4.371 million $3.612 million
Offensive line $9.556 million $8.267 million
Defensive end $8.644 million $7.701 million
Defensive tackle $6.775 million $5.554 million
Linebacker $7.206 million $6.493 million
Cornerback $7.790 million $6.766 million
Safety $4.490 million $3.984 million
Kicker/Punter $2.078 million $1.926 million

 

[earthsci]

Question why not Transition Big instead of franchising him...

If we franchise him and some one comes along and offers a bigger contract than the tag we can let him go we get two first round picks. If we transition him, he gets offered a contract and we don't match, we get jack.

 

[Duckjake]

What I'd do is draft Doug Datish out of OSU in the third for depth, because not only can he challenge Leckey for the starting center spot, but he has experience playing every position on the O-line.

Lyle Sendlein from Texas can do the same things and he's projected to go as late as the 6th or 7th round. Big kid too, either 6'3" 300 or 6'5" 315 depending on whose numbers you believe.

His dad is Robin Sendlein who played LB in the NFL for 8 years.

 

[football karma]

Lyle Sendlein from Texas can do the same things and he's projected to go as late as the 6th or 7th round. Big kid too, either 6'3" 300 or 6'5" 315 depending on whose numbers you believe.

His dad is Robin Sendlein who played LB in the NFL for 8 years.

And a local boy -- Chapparal High in Scottsdale

 

[Duckjake]

And a local boy -- Chapparal High in Scottsdale

Perfect for playing next to Duece.

 

[cardsfanmd]

who cares he sucks

 

[Duckjake]

who cares he sucks

Are you nuts! Duece doesn't suck.