01/08/13 Cowboys chat with SportsDay beat writer Rainer Sabin

Rainer Sabin joins us at 1 p.m. Tuesday, but ask your questions now and he will have them when he arrives. Thanks for your readership!

by SportsDayDFW 1/8/2013 12:04:19 AM
Welcome to today's live chat. I'm here to answer your questions. Fire away.

by Rainer Sabin 1/8/2013 7:01:56 PM
Because the Cowboys are in bordeline salary cap hell, the Grim Reaper may show up. Those Cowboys who are highly paid but with deteoriating performance or continuing to lose long parts of the season due to injuries may get a big time reality check. Not to mention names, but three guys come to mind - and there could be more. What is your assessment?

by Dr. Doom 1/8/2013 7:02:13 PM
I think the Cowboys could cut bait with a couple of their well-known players. Jay Ratliff and Doug Free have high cap numbers and have offered diminishing returns. Dan Connor will cost $4.4 million against the cap and that's a large number for a player who is expected to play a reserve role.

by Rainer Sabin 1/8/2013 7:04:31 PM
Do you see them trading away Felix Jones before or during the draft?

by Marc 1/8/2013 7:04:37 PM
No because Jones is a free agent.

by Rainer Sabin 1/8/2013 7:04:50 PM
Stephen Peterman was drafted by the Cowboys in 2004 and released in 2006. He was then signed by Detroit and since 2007 he has started 84 of Detroits 96 games and the 12 he did not start were due to injuries. Ever think the Boys once again failed on talent evaluation?

by Mel and Todd 1/8/2013 7:05:06 PM
He's not the only one who has succeeded after being cut by the Cowboys. Erik Walden, Green Bay's linebacker, has had a pretty good career after being cut by the Cowboys in 2008.

by Rainer Sabin 1/8/2013 7:07:10 PM
I think the Josh Brent trajedy really set this team back in this way: it inspired this team and helped them win a couple of games they normally would not have, and in the end they are not even as good as their 8-8 record says they are. Jerry sees 8-8, playing for the division in week 17, "we are pretty close." But we are not, are we Rainer?

by What about eggs? 1/8/2013 7:07:36 PM
No. I don't think they are any closer than they were last year. Before the season, I predicted the Cowboys to finish 8-8 and in third place in the division. Of course, I also predicted Philadelphia to finish in first place and Washington in last. But I digress. To get back to your point, I think the Cowboys still have many weak areas -- most obvious being the offensive and defensive lines. They also need to build depth on their roster. At this moment the Cowboys don't resemble a legitimate contender.

by Rainer Sabin 1/8/2013 7:10:56 PM
What would you suggest as a constructive and effective way to get Jerry to listen to the fan base that is so very tired of his inept leadership with the team? He can fill the seats, but he cannot field a team that reminds anyone of the glory days when he had success by allowing others make the vital decisions.

by Frustrated fan 1/8/2013 7:11:13 PM
The only way Jerry Jones would conceivably change his outlook if he thought he was losing fans. But there is no evidence of that. People still flock to watch the Cowboys play even though they haven't won a championship since January 1996.

by Rainer Sabin 1/8/2013 7:12:40 PM
Back in the Superbowl Trophy days the Boys had maulers with nasty streaks on the OL, and they were successful. Will the Cowboys return to those golden days of yesteryear and rebuild the OL according to this model again?

by Gladys The Cowgirl 1/8/2013 7:12:57 PM
Well, I don't think that's the type of line they want. Jason Garrett wanted more agile linemen who can get out and block in space. When the Cowboys began rebuilding the line in 2011, he said he wanted those kinds of players as opposed to the big maulers.

by Rainer Sabin 1/8/2013 7:14:49 PM
Why do the Cowboys continue to make poor assessments of the Offensive Line positions. From keeping the wrong guys to bringing in poor replacements, they are seemingly worse today than 2 years ago when Jerry said he wanted a Romo-friendly offense. Is Jerry making these decisions, or is he getting poor advice? And from whom?

by DEUCE 1/8/2013 7:15:07 PM
Good questions. As of late, they haven't been able to identify great line prospects with the exception of Tyron Smith. Of course, lineman are probably the toughest players to evaluate because they have intangible characteristics and virtually no statistical record.

by Rainer Sabin 1/8/2013 7:18:19 PM
I understand the Cowboys need offensive linemen, but defense wins championships. The Cowboys D is shaping up nicely and I believe they need to draft a true nose tackle and move Ratliff to defensive end. This one move would improve two positions and should have been done a few years back. Your thoughts?

by Tony C 1/8/2013 7:18:50 PM
I've always thought that would be a move that made sense but I don't think Ratliff sees himself as an end. I don't know if he would embrace switching spots on the line.

by Rainer Sabin 1/8/2013 7:19:56 PM
The Post Mortem of the 2012 Cowboys season revealed the following maladies. The reconstructive surgery performed on the offensive line failed to improve performance in any signifant area. It appears that the replacement components were not prime quality. The exercise and weight training program designed to prevent injuries and fatigue failed as the injury rates reached new historic highs. Dropsy (WRs dropping catchable balls) was pandemic throughout the team causing chronic pain to the Cowboy Nation fan base. Lastly, cognitive issues such as salary cap management and potential player evaluations continue to to suffer and causes diminishing performance by the team. What is your take Rainer?

by Dr. Kevorkian 1/8/2013 7:20:19 PM
Well, the Cowboys have some problems. There is no doubt about that. But I don't think the strength and conditioning program is faulty. Mike Woicik couldn't have prevented Sean Lee from tearing up his toe or Kenyon Coleman from tearing his triceps. Certainly, we're in agreement about the offensive line being suspect.

by Rainer Sabin 1/8/2013 7:24:21 PM