I said he's terrible as a wide player. If you're going to keep Dempsey he should be in the attacking spot... but that's it. Even then, I'd say "fantastic" is an enormous reach. He can be creative, at times, when the holding mids win the ball for him and he's free to connect with his striker.
He would be perfect as a CAM underneath two mobile strikers in 2012. However, in 2016, he is far too slow, in my opinion, to continue to be relied upon as a CAM in the MLS. He did decent last year when Oba played as a target and he could sit under him, let the pressure be absorbed up top, get the drop down passes and run or pass off. When you look at some of the better CAMs in the MLS now, and their skillsets, Dempsey is nowhere near them, not even a top 8-10 player in that position any longer, and getting older everyday.
Maybe the MLS won't demand much from him and he can still be effective. If I'm a Sounders fan though that entire central midfield needs to be reshaped with younger, more athletic and quicker players