BTB: A Look Back At The 2011 Free Agent Safety Class

[CCBoy]

A Look Back At The 2011 Free Agent Safety Class
by One.Cool.Customer



http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2011/12/10/2595800/a-look-back-at-the-2011-free-agent-safety-class




On the day before the free agent frenzy started this year, we took a detailed look here on BTB at the stats for the top 25 free agent safeties.

The Cowboys took their own sweet time until they eventually signed Abram Elam and re-signed Gerald Sensabaugh to fairly modest contracts. Meanwhile, the Cowboys faithful were watching in terror as one fan favorite safety after another was signed to sometimes ludicrous contracts.

Eric Weddle and Michael Huff each re-signed with their teams for $8 million per year, Roman Harper re-upped with the Saints for $7, Quintin Mikell went to the Rams for $7 million per year. Dawan Landry landed in Jacksonville for $5.5 a year and Daniel Manning went to Houston for $5 million.

Yesterday, news reached us that Sensabaugh has inked a long term deal with the Cowboys worth 4.5 million per year, so this is as good a time as any to go back and look at what became of last year's free agent safety class....

[LeonDixson]

It's interesting that only Eric Weddle and Gerald Sensabaugh have positive rankings for both 2010 and 2011.

[JonJon]

Good read. I still think Whitner would have been a good fit here, but I'm glad we got who we have.

[yimyammer]

Pretty damning indictment against signing free agents for big $$, I think the change to another team takes time to adjust to combined with the comfort and security derived from their big $$ contract can't help but take away from their motivation and ultimately effect the performance on the field, it's human nature for all but the most competitive freaks overcome it, but they are few and far between.

I hope the cowboys are getting away from big money free agents and instead continue to do one year or reasonable deals with guys that are still hungry and want to earn a shot at a big next contract, and then mostly with some other team. I really believe the psychology of these dynamics is important to consider when building a roster.

[MichaelWinicki]

Pretty damning indictment against signing free agents for big $$, I think the change to another team takes time to adjust to combined with the comfort and security derived from their big $$ contract can't help but take away from their motivation and ultimately effect the performance on the field, it's human nature for all but the most competitive freaks overcome it, but they are few and far between.

I hope the cowboys are getting away from big money free agents and instead continue to do one year or reasonable deals with guys that are still hungry and want to earn a shot at a big next contract, and then mostly with some other team. I really believe the psychology of these dynamics is important to consider when building a roster.

Very well said.

I agree completely.

Trouble is many fans will forget all this or don't understand it to begin with.

Come next free-agency season, they'll be the ones screaming for the Cowboys to sign any name out there to a huge contract.

[CoCo]

Very well said.

I agree completely.

Trouble is many fans will forget all this or don't understand it to begin with.

Come next free-agency season, they'll be the ones screaming for the Cowboys to sign any name out there to a huge contract.

Absolutely!

[jjktkk]

Damnit! I'm blaming Jerry for this fiasco. Wait, this is a good thing. Never mind. :D