Cowboys | Team in the running for L. Davis?

[AzWins23]

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.

 

[Goldfield]

Seems strange, IMO LD got blown up more from dallas then most other teams.

 

[Twist18]

I figure it will be between Dallas and Houston for BIG if he is not franchised.

 

[PJ1]

I thought Whiz weas going to meet with LD and the situation would be evaluated from there. Sure hope we haven't given up on him. Just one more position we have to focus on if we let him go.

 

[kerouac9]

Seems strange, IMO LD got blown up more from dallas then most other teams.

Probably, but they run a 3-4, and most OTs have problems with 3-4 OLB and DE blocking assignments because they can line so far off the LOS and outside of the tackle box. As I remember, the Cowboys ran a lot of stunts at the left side of the line, and they were pretty consistently fooled. A little of that is on Leonard, but how much of it is on a coaching staff having them inadequately prepared, or a center making wrong line adjustments?

That being said, if the Cards end up losing Leonard Davis to free agency, I hope that the organization is ready for the recurrence of "Bidwills are cheap" from the Hoi polloi, and a chorus of "Bidwills are stupid" from people like me.

 

[PJ1]

Probably, but they run a 3-4, and most OTs have problems with 3-4 OLB and DE blocking assignments because they can line so far off the LOS and outside of the tackle box. As I remember, the Cowboys ran a lot of stunts at the left side of the line, and they were pretty consistently fooled. A little of that is on Leonard, but how much of it is on a coaching staff having them inadequately prepared, or a center making wrong line adjustments?

That being said, if the Cards end up losing Leonard Davis to free agency, I hope that the organization is ready for the recurrence of "Bidwills are cheap" from the Hoi polloi, and a chorus of "Bidwills are stupid" from people like me.

I vote for stupid. They will spend a fortune trying to replace him. If we lose him and Thomas is not available at #5 we will overpay for his replacement at some point.

 

[Heucrazy]

I vote for stupid. They will spend a fortune trying to replace him. If we lose him and Thomas is not available at #5 we will overpay for his replacement at some point.

2ND round picks aren't really that expensive. And I will bet anything that Joe Staley or Tony Ugoh will be there when we pick. Both are solid LT's and will be a 1/4 of the price as LD.

 

[lobo]

I vote for stupid. They will spend a fortune trying to replace him. If we lose him and Thomas is not available at #5 we will overpay for his replacement at some point.

since this is all pure speculation....let's just say we lose him....and since that is the way the game is today, there isn't too much we can do if he wants to go back to texas....and then let's say the powers that be kw, scouts, staff etc find one or more prospects or f/a who are better....is that impossible??
so why throw the bidwills into the fray now??? based on what we have seen with the money spent on a new staff, is it possible the kw said (if we lose him) that we should let him walk and we can find an equally good replacement or develop one quick....ALL SPECULATION....

 

[PJ1]

2ND round picks aren't really that expensive. And I will bet anything that Joe Staley or Tony Ugoh will be there when we pick. Both are solid LT's and will be a 1/4 of the price as LD.

You really want to go into the season with a second round pick starting at left tackle?

I know I don't.

 

[earthsci]

2ND round picks aren't really that expensive. And I will bet anything that Joe Staley or Tony Ugoh will be there when we pick. Both are solid LT's and will be a 1/4 of the price as LD.

If we go into the season depending on a second round draft pick instead of Leonard, who has proven that he can play on this level, it will only strengthen the arguments of those who say that this team is mismanaged.

 

[Skkorpion]

If we go into the season depending on a second round draft pick instead of Leonard, who has proven that he can play on this level, it will only strengthen the arguments of those who say that this team is mismanaged.

Truth.

 

[SeaChicken]

$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.

 

[earthsci]

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.

But wouldn't that only happen (the risk of a 20% worse situation) if we mismanage the situation. Even if we franchise LD we need to draft a tackle, and hope that he works out. We would still have a certain level of "desperation", just a year to deal with it. It's a bad situation unless we re-sign him and even then, unless Grimm coaches him up to the #2 pick in the draft, it's not that great.

 

[AntSports Steve]

In other words I dont want ML to end up like Timm Rosenbach..rattled and "shell shocked". by BigRedArk

Rosenbach was starting to become a pretty good QB and then he got hit, and hit, and injured, and hit. He finally got tired of it after a few years and quit. I don't really want Matt to have to endure that.

Starting a rookie LT could work out, but more likely, there will be growing pains and the QB will take some damage. A young QB and a young LT is a bad comb.

I would take the safe route. Franchise Big so he can't leave. Then look for his replacement in free agency. If you find a reasonable replacement then recind the franchise tag and let Big go. If no reasonable replacement is found in free agency, then the Cards should draft his replacement. But, make Big play on the 1 year F-tag so his rookie replacement has a year to work his way into the starting lineup and get trained without getting the QB killed.

I am hoping for progress on the OL. Switching Big out for a reasonable FA vet OT may keep the OL play at least level. Throwing a rookie out there to start opening day is regression.

 

[moklerman]

I haven't heard any insight into whether or not LD wants to continue playing the tackle position. Is it possible he is lured away with the promise of moving back to guard? Would it cost him too much money to make the switch? All in all, I'm not terribly worried if the Card's have to replace the LT position because Whiz and Grimm are well versed in doing so. Pittsburgh hasn't been known for going after big named FA's, they just get the guys to perform well when they come in. I think it's a win/win for the Card's since they have so much cap space to work with. It isn't going to hurt them to pay/overpay LD and try to maintain the continuity they had going by the second half of 2006.

 

[kerouac9]

That's easy to do, molkerman, when you have Marvel Smith as your LT for the next 10 years. But how long does it take to identify that guy. Elite LTs don't grow on trees.

 

[seesred]

"Rosenbach was starting to become a pretty good QB and then he got hit, and hit, and injured, and hit. He finally got tired of it after a few years and quit. I don't really want Matt to have to endure that."

Rosey was hurt inside the dome in flagstaff. He was doing a non contact drill in the red zone when his cleats got stock in that horrid turf and he blew out his Knee. Rosey would have been a very good QB, but when he finnally got back he was gun shy and got hit hurting his shoulder and his confidence, thus ending his football days.

I hope that we have a great plan to replace Davis as I see him at this time going someplace other than here.

GBR
40

 

[daytripper]

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.

 

[RingtheBell]

He is a symbol of what a shotty o-line we had in the past... cut him and get someone that wants to be here.

 

[ajcardfan]

First of all, teams shouldn't be talking to free agents at all. Secondly, the Cowboys just hired their head coach and still haven't finished their staff. There's no way they've gameplanned for free agency.

I'd say Davis' agent is behind this rumor.

 

[ajcardfan]

He is a symbol of what a shotty o-line we had in the past... cut him and get someone that wants to be here.

You can't cut a free agent.

And, a whole lot of people would want to be here, but there's damn few who could play LT very well. Letting him go with no replacement in sight is an incredible roll of the dice.

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

The solution to this is trade up for Joe Thomas. Pittsburgh has traded up a couple of times, so I think that Whiz would be comfortable doing it (though I don't know his involvement in the draft).

 

[Evil Ash]

The solution to this is trade up for Joe Thomas. Pittsburgh has traded up a couple of times, so I think that Whiz would be comfortable doing it (though I don't know his involvement in the draft).

Actually that solves nothing because we have no depth except at a few positions (OLine is not one of them) and holes elsewhere (namely OLB, FS, DE).

 

[OldDirtMcGirt]

Actually that solves nothing because we have no depth except at a few positions (OLine is not one of them) and holes elsewhere (namely OLB, FS, DE).

I was saying that it solves the LT situation. I'd like to see a FS and a WLB in free agency, and then address depth with our 3rd-6th round picks. Effectively, we'd be giving up a second round pick (probably Merriweather or Ugoh) for a franchise LT. Doesn't sound bad to me.

 

[Evil Ash]

I was saying that it solves the LT situation. I'd like to see a FS and a WLB in free agency, and then address depth with our 3rd-6th round picks. Effectively, we'd be giving up a second round pick (probably Merriweather or Ugoh) for a franchise LT. Doesn't sound bad to me.

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