Where Do The Cowboys Stand In The NFL Offensive Weapons Power Rankings? | Shan & RJ

Where Do The Cowboys Stand In The NFL Offensive Weapons Power Rankings? | Shan & RJ

Let’s look at the Dallas Cowboys weapons compared to everybody else. Just the weapons. This is from Bill Barnwell at ESPN. This is not a a ranking of the offenses. This is just running back, wide receiver, tight end. They are completely separated from the offensive lines and the quarterbacks of the coaching staffs. So basically his exercise is trying to figure out if every team had a league average quarterback, league average offensive line and a league average play caller/coordinator with average luck, who would be the best offenses? Already a better study than Bobby’s. And mine is based in math, not in Bill Barnwell’s feelings. One day we’ll get the results of instead of hearing about the formula every day. I’ve done the 19 58 to 63 season with five results. I’m just I’m just trying to figure out how to soften and preserve your feelings when you find out John Elway in the modern era would have been 19 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. I don’t have to. I’ll just call your work stupid. So, you get on the list. It’s Titans at 32. They’re just awful. And Carolina, New England, Cleveland, Buffalo at 28. Whoa. Buffalo at 20. Last year they were 24th. The year before that they were 20th. So, Dalton Concincaid and you’re going to have obviously Cook. I mean, give me their receivers. I guess it makes sense after after Diggs left. Who are the receivers? Yeah, if they don’t if they don’t have James Cook Shakir. If they don’t have James Cook, that might be enough to drop them to 32. Man, this looks like Elway’s 1993 year. In all seriousness, Shakir led the way with 76 catches. Number two was Dalton Concade with 44 catches. Then James Cook, it goes receiver, tight end, running back for last year’s Buffalo. Now, a lot of people would say, “Hey, look at the balance you achieve. You need to get some off of Josh’s plate. James Cook, as Peyton knows, won me all my fantasy championships.” So, I guess can’t knock it too much. Uh, the Jets at 27, the Giants at 26. Giants have been in the bottom six for the last three years. The Bears. The Bears went from sixth last year to 25th. Okay. This still surprises me cuz I remember some names on Chicago. Bobby, you’re making a stink face. Yeah. Well, I was at Roma Dun. They drafted. Yeah. I was I was They have Roma Dun. They have DJ Moore. Yeah. Yeah. They they had Keenan Allen, the tight end uh decision that everyone lost their draft mind over. Yeah. Um Yes. Not the the Michigan uh they have Colton Lovelin. Yeah. And so the one I was making a face at was that might be too low for the Giants. Like I mean Malik Tyrone Tracy’s a good player at running back. Malik Neighbors is a really good receiver. Daniel Bellinger is not a bad tight end. Like the I I don’t think that they’ve got terrible weapons. I’m not saying they’re top of the league, but putting them basically bottom 10 feels a little get scataboo. Is Keenan Allen still is he still unemployed? Yep. Okay. Uh okay. DJ Moore, Adun, tight ends. A little surprised at that low. Uh, the Saints at 24, the Broncos at 23. Broncos were 30th last year. Here come the Chargers. San Diego Superchargers. Laboki. Uh, Pittsburgh at 21, adding DK, the Raiders at 20. By the way, didn’t you say all these sexy Steeler additions is not moving the line in Vegas? No. Yeah, it hasn’t moved them at all. In fact, they’re still eight and a half. They So, Vegas is not buying into them. That just feels like the easy Everybody talks about the NFC East, nobody wins in backto-back, things like that. It feels like the easiest one would be over for the Steelers this year on eight and a half. You over. I mean, I like it for the last 22 years or whatever it is. Julian Edelman also took a little shot at the Steelers new quarterback on the herd, comparing Brady’s final year with Arens. You can’t even put those guys in the same sentence because we didn’t know it was Tom Brady’s last year when it was last year. right? He didn’t want the distraction of that. He he wanted to go out and play his best possible football that he could play the last year of his career without making it a distraction. Now, we know it’s his last year and you know, we’ve we’ve heard that before. It’s a little funny that we’re talking about like he didn’t want to make it a distraction really cuz he like he did retire and then he came back like he made a lot of distractions including in his own home from it. It’s true. Seattle is at 19, Jacksonville at 18. So, you got Bryant Thomas, then I, you know, obviously you got Travis Hunter. Uh, Green Bay at 17. Green Bay’s got 48 receivers. So, like this is the midway point right here. I just think it’s kind of number one. I think it’s fascinating to look at Buffalo, Denver, Chargers, Steelers, Packers. Those are five teams in the bottom half of the league in weapons. And those teams on average last year won 11 games. Wow. So, like I mean that’s Give me those teams again. It’s Buffalo, Denver, Chargers, Steelers, Packers. Steelers, Packers. I was going to say, you know, all all five obviously have just an amazing quarterback, but that qualifies for Josh Allen doesn’t qualify for from Pittsburgh last year. Jordan Love is good. Herbert disappointing, you know, or limited last year, handcuffed it felt like. And then Bo Nicks not established as great. So, it’s not just writing that off to all five great quarterbacks. Is that telling us something bigger about the league? It just makes me wonder if are you investing in the wrong thing potentially if you’re if you’re going the direction of like skill position above everything else, which some teams do, like Miami’s done that in recent years. Miami a lot of times will prioritize speed and skill positions. What all of those teams generally have in common is probably just the generic toughness thing, which if we’re talking about Dallas, that’s the thing we felt like maybe they’ve lacked sometimes that they’re just not gritty, glass. That’s what stands out to me when I see those five teams. I think of, oh, those are tough football teams. Yeah. Also, when you don’t pay skill, when you don’t pay your wide receivers and running backs and tight ends big, big big big bucks, I mean, you can have an a really a loaded team, too. I mean, outside of Buffalo, which has the MVP, the other four, I love their coach. It’s Shawn Payeyton. It’s Jim Harbaugh, Mike Tomlin, and Matt Laflur. Uh, it is the ranking of the NFL wide receiver, tight end, running back tandemss. This is completely separated from quarterback, offensive line, play caller, etc. It’s just these skill positions. So, Green Bay at 17, Indianapolis at 16. H little high. Uh, yeah, for me probably, but I mean, give me the weapons. It’s so it’s Taylor, it’s Alec Pierce. Like those are going to be two of the ones right off the top. Jonathan Taylor and Alec Pierce. I’m trying to think who else there. That’s Those are the two that just popped to mind for me. I don’t even can’t name a receiver. Alec Pierce is receiver. Oh, Alec Pierce. Uh I mean Pitman. Yeah, Michael Pitman. But then Josh DS, he had 72 catches. And DS and Pitman each had 70 catches a piece. Pierce had 37, but still seems a little bit high. But maybe they love Jonathan Taylor. Arizona at 15. They’ve gone from 30th to 21st to 15th. Marvin. Marvin. Marvin and Trey McBride. I’m trying to think who the running back is. James Conor. James Conor. Yeah. So, I mean, that’s that’s a pretty good collection. Houston drops from fourth to 14th. Washington up from 26 to 13th. The with they added Debo. Um, got Terry. Mhm. Kind of Terry. Uh, Kansas City at 12. Last three years they’ve been 19, 14, and this year 12. And uh Pat Mahomes, Fat Fat Mahomes, that’s a Kansas City podcast joke. Uh he was asked by K. Adams. He’s been hearing a lot of the chirping this off season. You know, I’m honestly just ready to play football again. Um whenever you lose, you kind of have this taste in your mouth that you want to go out there and and revenge that or whatever you want to say. But at the same time, I feel like I’ve had to sit back and just listen to people talk and talk. And I’m like, let’s just play football and just handle it all out there. And I don’t really want to talk about it. I just want to go out and show who we are as a Kansas City Chiefs. I am announcing my fantasy football quarterback. I’m ruining and giving away my draft strategy like Jerry and showing off the board. Joe Milton. Uh Pat Mahomes is he’s going to have a revenge year. I don’t he without the revenge bod he’s going to come out he’s going to come out and destroy and tear up the entire league. Kansas City at 12. I don’t think that’s crazy. Uh number 11. It’s nice to also have a re revenge year right after coming off a Super Bowl. I know, right? I know. Yeah. A lot of people revenge years like you you you Joe Burrow would be a revenge year coming off of a missing the postseason, right? Number 11 after being ranked seventh in 2023 and 18th last year. It is Cowboys. Uh last season was a This is the write up from Bill Barnwell. Last season was a step backward for CD Lamb, but it seems reasonable to chalk up some of his decline at Dak’s injuries. Yeah, seems reasonable. And also missing all of training camp. Even in what felt like a down year before a shoulder injury led the Cowboys to wave the white flag, he ranks 17th among wide receivers in yards per route run. Working so often out of the slot, he benefits from having a quarterback with elite accuracy, willingness to put the ball into a tight space like Dak, he might be a little more susceptible to a change under center than Justin Jefferson or Jamar Chase, which represents a very tiny tier gap at the top of the wide receiver food chain. He will finally get some help. George Pickkins should on what can only be described as the most paperish substance imaginable be an upgrade over the likes of Michael Gall and Brandon Cooks. Thrown a steady stream of back shoulders and 50/50 balls in Pittsburgh, he had the second lowest second lowest expected catch rate, 53%. And sixth highest catch rate over expectation, plus 6.1%. Among wide outs with at least 200 targets over the last 3 years. It should boost his efficiency. He won’t have a clear path to as massive of a target share. Uh given what happened to many Steeler receivers and left the protection of the Mike Tomlin behavioral cocoon, it’s only realistic to wonder if he will melt down in spectacular fashion. There’s also a Pro Bowl caliber upside here. However, Dak Prescott speaking yesterday at his camp was talking about the new wide receiver chemistry with GP in town. That might be the best part about it. That’s two guys that that’s one the other guy got to succeed. Got to sist that is literally the best part about All right, let’s restart this. Why Why do you want to mess up right now? It’s like he’s uh on the phone with us. That might be the best part about it. That’s two guys that want the other guy to succeed just as much. That is literally the best part about those two men is um seeing it firsthand. just them two hanging out and me the bystander I go in the house, you know, purposely for a little bit, you know, and just peeking at them. Uh they love each other. They love each other’s company. They love each other’s game. Um there you just watch them on the field, them talking to each other to this them just being one-on-one, like I said, on the porch is they’re going to push each other. And to be the guy that gets to get them the ball, it’s exciting as hell cuz you can turn on the OTA tapes and one of one of the guys the ball’s in there and the other one’s got his hands up celebrating already. uh that we just got to continue to grow that and continue to yeah make sure that that’s trending the right way. Tad Carper, PR director in Frisco. Look out because number four could be taking your job very soon. Wow. I want I want him as my agent if I’m pickings. I mean just glowing glowing reviews. Yeah, this is I mean he had said it during uh OTAAS the first time they talked about it. What was it? who’s like, “Yeah, I think George kind of proves why uh the phrase don’t judge a book by its cover, like you shouldn’t listen to what people say and blah blah blah.” And so like, yeah, he’s been I’m saying this with a wink, as Jerry would say, a smile on my face. Dak is basically eviscerating the Pittsburgh Steelers organization and Mike Thomas on behalf of George. It sounds like like that’s probably just whatever they they couldn’t control him. How are they not seeing the glory of this guy? Are you kidding me? Like he loves football. Oh, we got a gem here. What were they doing over in Pittsburgh again? Smile on my face. All right, so he would end this with, I’m not entirely sure why Dallas downgraded from Rico to Javvante Williams by choice. This is arguably arguably the league’s worst backfield on paper. While these ranking index more heavily on wide receiver, the Cowboys seem entirely disinterested in even taking fun flyers at running back. Like Miles Sanders is is not a fun flyer on the surface because nobody’s excited about it. I am going to be interested when we see him at camp. Like I think he’s he’s at least got a little bit of of juice that I think we saw during OTAAS and mini camp that has me a little interested. They’re obviously banking on they think Jaden Blue will be a guy that into the future can be electric for them as a receiver, as a running back doing various things. I think it’s hilarious listening to this. He’s right. But I still think it’s hilarious that we’re talking about CD Lamb having just like this massively disappointing year last year. It’s like massively disappointing is he goes from first team all pro to he was a second team all pro receiver, he had 101 receptions instead of 135. Like in fact, if you look last year that 1194 that he had on yards over the last decade, the last 10 seasons that they’ve played, the number of receivers to have 1,194 yards not named CD Land for the Cowboys is zero. Coupe never did it. Gallup never did it. Dez Bryant didn’t do it the last couple years. It’s It’s he he performed at a high level. So, what number did they come in on the weapons list? 11th. All right, let’s knock out the top 10. All right, number 10, Miami. They go from 8 to 3 to 10th. Uh number nine. Number nine, Atlanta. 10 and then ninth. So, up one spot. Um number eight is Baltimore, who spent the previous two years at 15th. No excuses, Sean. No excuses for Lamar anymore. Number seven, Tampa. Makes sense. Makes sense. Uh, number six is Minnesota. They’ve been sixth, fifth, and sixth for the last three years. Yeah. Kurt Cousins had that Minnesota withdrawal yesterday when I watched Netflix quarterback season 1. Like, oh, like it’s it’s the it’s it’s the it’s the ex-girlfriend. Look who they’re dating. Like, look who’s throwing to Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison now. And also Cousins saying if he knew they were going to draft Penn, he would have stayed in Minnesota, but they also drafted JJ. Yeah, they did. Uh but yeah, also like Minnesota, I mean, he went from a nine in Minnesota to an eight. Not like Atlanta’s got bums. Like they they’re in the top 10 here, too. Uh the Rams at fifth. Atlanta’s got the T McMillan comp. That’s right. Too high for Rams. Really? Yep. Puka Devonte. Devonte. I mean Devonte. Sure. This is Williams. Williams. This is two years ago. Sure. I’m all about it. He’s got a quarterback now. Bobby, like have one in Aaron Rogers does a Stafford. Would you like for instance I think as much as you know Atlanta is not a team that’s fulfilled their potential at all. I’m taking Atlanta’s weapons over the Rams. Uh San Fran number four. They have been number one for each of the last two years. Number four after getting rid of half their roster. They’re number four. Dope. How uh I Well, I obviously is on fire. Brittle. George Brittle. That’s my new nickname for him. That’s good. George. Yeah. KD. Uh he said he’s factoring injuries into this. Iay is coming off an ACL and KD’s hurt all the time. And is it coming off an Achilles? Come on, man. Um Jawan Jennings. I mean, they’re uh Is it Ricky Pieraw had a nice He’s a He’s a fantasy sleeper as well. Cover your ears. Um, number three, Cincinnati. Cincinnati was somehow 11th last year. I don’t know how this would have been number one for me since he See, to me, I think there was two choices for number one, and you could interchange them, and it would have been Detroit or Philly. And that who winds up being one and two. I I I mean, I don’t think that Detroit’s weapons are as good as Cincinnati’s. Uh, well, their receivers are not. So Chase and and Higgins are better than Almanra and and Jameson, but is the gap there like the Detroit running backs McGomery and and Gibbs are much better than anything Cincinnati throws out there? Uh I mean Chase Brown’s pretty good. Yeah, but he’s not. But Chase Brown and Mike Gaseki are good enough that when Barnwell says that part of what he’s doing for this formula is receivers are weighted heavier than any of the other skill position play. It doesn’t sound like it is then. But then Leaport is much better than is it is it who’s there? Cole KT. No, Mike Gaseki. I thought there I’m talking about Cincinnati like Gaseki has been there and so like I mean yeah he was good like Leaporter was good but Leaporter also had a down year last year relative to his first season. Yeah. So three is Cincinnati. Detroit is number two and then Philadelphia is number one. Fair. Philly deserve one. I like I would have put Cincy, but I’m not going to fight. Like like if you want to put Philly number one, it’s Devonte Smith, AJ Brown, Saquon coming off of the season that he’s had. Yeah, it’s it’s a really really good skilled position group. All right, there it is. inside the Star and around the NF. [Music]

Shan, RJ, and Bobby broke down ESPN’s new ranking of NFL offensive weapons by Bill Barnwell, but only running backs, receivers, and tight ends count here. Where do the Cowboys land, and do they deserve to be higher? Which teams are rising or falling in the rankings, and what does it say about their offensive approach? Bobby also highlighted Dak’s growing chemistry with George Pickens and why Dallas’ backfield might not be as big a problem as people think.

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