Cowboys Harsh Truth: There is No ‘War Daddy’ in Their Future
By Reid Hanson
Planning to add a double-digit sack defensive end this off season isn’t just wishful for the Dallas Cowboys– it’s highly unrealistic. It’s time to adjust expectations.
It’s no secret the Dallas Cowboys want a double-digit sack machine to man the right defensive end spot. A “war daddy”, as owner Jerry Jones calls him, has been on the Cowboys wish list ever since the now-retired DeMarcus Ware was released three seasons ago.
Unfortunately for the Cowboys (and 50% of the NFL) finding a war-daddy isn’t that easy.
Two weeks ago Dallas Morning News’ Bob Strum wrote up a horrifically depressing article on how hard it is to find that elusive “war daddy”. After all, every team in the NFL wants one. Every team searches for one. But very few teams actually get one.
the Cowboys should be signing free agents, investing draft picks, and placing a premium on internal development. They just need to adjust expectations, admit it’s a long-shot, and apply their resources responsibly.
His article is a must-read for all and inspired me to address this issue even further the next few weeks. Because after all, if finding a war daddy is priority No. 1, 2, and 3, then it’s probably time to make a significant priority adjustment.
First, to quickly summarize, Strum looked back to see how many double-digit sack men there are in this league and how many exactly are found in the draft.
The results were upsetting.
The League
In 2016 there were only 16 double-digit sack guys in the NFL. That means half of the NFL was without a viable threat on defensive line. Since this had to be an anomaly, I decided to go back even further.
Sadly, in 2015 the results were the exact same. 16 war-daddies.
Most of the 16 were edge rushers (defensive ends or outside 3-4 linebackers) but there were also three defensive tackles. Things were a little better in 2014 when the NFL had 18 double-digit sack men. Two of which (J.J. Watt and Justin Houston) had over 20.
So for the past three seasons, roughly half of the NFL has been forced to play without a double-digit sack machine. What this tells us is last season wasn’t an anomaly, but rather a trend. War daddies are now a rare breed. They are in very limited supply despite being the most targeted first round skill-set over the better part of this decade.
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The Draft
At this moment most of Cowboys Nation is sitting back and hoping the NFL Draft will solve the Dallas Cowboys problems on the edge. In a draft that appears loaded with pass-rushers, it’s certainly possible a war daddy falls to pick 28. But it’s still highly unlikely.
Joey Bosa, the 3rd overall pick, was the only rookie last year to collect double-digit sacks. Rather than regurgitate Strums findings, just go check it out. He did a deep look how few players actually become consistent pass-rushers, and the few that do are usually at the very top of the draft.
Adjusting Expectations
The point of this whole rehashing of the harsh truth is to manage expectations. If Cowboys Nation is going into the draft seriously expecting the Cowboys to find a double-digit sack man, they’re likely to be sorely disappointed.
Everyone says they want the Dallas Cowboys to draft the best player available come draft day. But the second they see a mock draft showing them pick anyone but an edge rusher, all hell breaks loose. Earlier in the week we looked at words from Stephen Jones that indirectly indicated the Cowboys may not take a defensive end in the draft at all.
Check it out here:
Related Story: Why the Cowboys may not be drafting a pass-rusher
While I’m on record saying that finding a right defensive end is the single most important thing the Cowboys must do this off season, Bob Strum has reinforced the argument that forcing the issue would be foolish. It would be like investing in lottery tickets when stocks of Berkshire Hathaway are readily available.
They can’t reach for one in the first or second round when better players may be available.
I admit it would be hard for me to be happy if the Cowboys didn’t pick a defensive end the first two days of the draft (like last year). But considering the pathetic success rate of finding double digit sack men in the draft, they probably wouldn’t find one even if they used ALL of their picks on defensive ends.
The harsh truth not only says the Cowboys won’t find a war daddy this year but they’e unlikely to have one in 2017 (or 2018, ’19, ’20…) as well. The odds just aren’t in their favor and that’s why they can’t force the issue.
In other words: They can’t reach for one in the first or second round when better players may be available.
Next: Defensive Back Likely the Most Important Position to Address
I’m not saying to stop trying, either. Quite the contrary, I think the Dallas Cowboys should be signing free agents, investing draft picks, and placing a premium on internal development. They just need to adjust expectations, admit finding a war daddy is a long-shot, and apply their resources responsibly.