re: Larry Holder's Mock Draft 4.0

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Yeah I just want a guy with size

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Waynes is legit

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This, here, is also an opinion.

Any CB we draft isn't even going to start. You don't spend a top 15 pick, or really a first for that matter, on depth. I'm not against a CB in this draft but more in the third round, 44 at the very earliest. There are other, bigger needs where we can get players of equal value who will come in a contribute/compete for starting jobs immediately.

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I have been onboard for drafting one if not two very high round Olineman and a lot of other people were too. At first at least. Now, the "sexier" picks are all taking over everyone's mocks. This team is at its best when the offense is blasting 30-40 points on people like we used to do and all the defense has to do is slow down a one dimensional team. You don't need superstars for that! 

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This team was also at it's best when the defense was forcing turnovers, and getting pressure on the QB. The year we won the SB we were top-15 in sacks and top two in turnovers.

Now I'm not saying a high potent offense wasn't a big part of that too, but you need both sides firing efficiently to make a deep run. It's not going to happen with just one facet of the game.

Plus, and this is a big thing, our offense was top 5 last year anyway and look where it got us. #1 in total offense and #9 in scoring offense and we won 7 games...

With how poor our defense was last year, no matter how great we can make our offense next year, if the defense doesn't improve with it we're going nowhere. It may win us 10 games in the regular season, but come playoff time it doesn't make for a winning recipe.

I hate this notion that a high-potent offense is just going to magically cure everything. You need defense too, and last year's was not even close to championship-caliber.

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Has everyone already forgotten what the Cowboys did by investing in their Oline?

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Yeah and where did that get them? Not even the conference championship game. Plus they actually had a very improved defense. It was about in the middle of the NFL in scoring and yards. So it's not like an offense just turned them into a contender, they got more efficient on defense too. And they still didn't even make it too far. It takes both sides playing at a high level at the same time, plus fate to make things fall your way to actually make a run.

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So it's not like an offense just turned them into a contender, they got more efficient on defense too. And they still didn't even make it too far. It takes both sides playing at a high level at the same time, plus fate to make things fall your way to actually make a run.

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The second half of your statement is correct but the first part isn't. The efficiency of the Cowboys offense went hand in hand with the improvements on the defensive side of the ball. The Cowboys were first in time of possession. The Saints on the other hand were 14th. When a team can control time of possession, they limit the snap count of defense. Less defensive snaps equals fewer points allowed & lower yardage numbers given up.

Team Time of Possession Statistics
Rank Team Per Game Total Time % of Possession
1 Dallas Cowboys 32 525 54.69%
2 Pittsburgh Steelers 32 518 53.96%
3 Seattle Seahawks 32 517 53.85%
4 Carolina Panthers 31 516 53.75%
5 Indianapolis Colts 31 510 53.13%
6 San Francisco 49ers 31 507 52.81%
7 Detroit Lions 31 507 52.81%
8 Houston Texans 30 497 51.77%
9 New York Jets 30 496 51.67%
10 San Diego Chargers 30 495 51.56%
11 Denver Broncos 30 492 51.25%
12 Washington Redskins 30 492 51.25%
13 New York Giants 30 491 51.15%
14 New Orleans Saints 30 489 50.94%

LINK

Not only were the Cowboys first in time of possession, they also ranked 4th in team points per possession. The Saints on the other hand ranked 21st.

Team Points Per Drive Statistics
Team Points Per Drive Points Per Drive Against Point Differential
1 Green Bay Packers 2.88 1.99 0.89
2 New England Patriots 2.59 1.72 0.87
3 Seattle Seahawks 2.25 1.49 0.77
4 Dallas Cowboys 2.61 1.97 0.64
5 Denver Broncos 2.43 1.82 0.62
6 Baltimore Ravens 2.25 1.68 0.57
7 Kansas City Chiefs 2.04 1.58 0.46
8 Philadelphia Eagles 2.34 1.89 0.45
9 Pittsburgh Steelers 2.51 2.11 0.39
10 Indianapolis Colts 2.23 1.85 0.38
11 Houston Texans 1.92 1.54 0.37
12 Buffalo Bills 1.74 1.46 0.28
13 Detroit Lions 1.79 1.55 0.24
14 Arizona Cardinals 1.71 1.59 0.12
15 Miami Dolphins 2.14 2.07 0.07
16 San Diego Chargers 2 1.94 0.06
17 Cincinnati Bengals 1.91 1.87 0.04
18 Minnesota Vikings 1.85 1.92 -0.07
19 New York Giants 1.97 2.05 -0.08
20 Cleveland Browns 1.55 1.7 -0.15
21 New Orleans Saints 2.3 2.48 -0.17

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When an offense is able to control the pace of the game as well as maximize their scoring per possession, it's puts a ton of pressure on the opposing offense to have to squeeze every bit out their own possessions & that's where mistakes (turnovers) occur. The Cowboys were +6 in turnovers last season which in large part had to do with the pressure their offense put on other defenses.

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The Saints themselves were -13 in the turnover category in large part because of an inconsistent running game & a ton of pressure on Drew.

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Because of these factors, the offense couldn't control the pace of the game. They couldn't keep the defense on the sidelines more. They couldn't apply pressure on opposing offenses to have to maximize their own possessions & make mistakes along the way. It lead to Brees forcing passes & putting the team in a bigger hole they were already in.

Do not want Dupree.

i hope we can land Strong in the 2nd round. I don't have anything against Parker but the only WR I'd really want in the 1st round is Cooper.

and he should be long gone. I guess Kevin White would get a good look if he slipped but I don't see him falling that much either(if he even slips).

it would be hard to picture us taking a WR in the 1st round two years in a row.

I think we'll go defense and honestly I won't have a problem with who ever they take at that spot. Except maybe Danny Shelton. We've never had the best fortune when it comes to taking a big D-lineman with our first pick.

I'd almost rather a corner over him.

another guy I like in the 2nd round potentially is Nate Orchard. But if we get OLB with the first pick, then hopefully we can follow up with a ILB at #31 or #44.

please on the ILB.

i've almost lost hope

I think O'Leary is Will Farrell's left fist

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There's no reason to take Waynes at 13, much less any CB in the first round.

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I agree. We've gone this route and it didn't work out. The LB corp has been the weak link for a long time. It's time to try our hand at that position...just for the shits and giggles of saying we did it.

Were you not watching last year? Both lines were absolute shite in the middle. It put a ton of pressure on brees to make plays and it gave opponents all the time in the world.

It starts in the trenches, fix it and you improve the team by cutting down sacks and turnovers.