Gosselin: Cowboys can't expect free agency to solve its problems

[Risen Star]

Rick Gosselin, sports columnist for The Dallas Morning News and SportsDayDFW.com and member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (http://topics.dallasnews.com/topic/Pro_Football_Hall_of_Fame) selection committee, answered your questions about the Cowboys and the NFL (http://topics.dallasnews.com/topic/National_Football_League) playoffs in a live chat Monday. Some highlights:


How many more years of losing will the Cowboy fans put up with before they are smart enough to quit going to the games?

That's the only way you'll get Jerry's attention. The Cowboys averaged 85,000 per game last season, tops in the NFL (http://topics.dallasnews.com/topic/National_Football_League). What incentive does Jerry have to fix anything? When the stadium becomes half-filled -- like it was at times in 1989 -- the franchise will take action. As long as fans are willing to pay for mediocrity, Jerry will field it.

Would you spend big money to get a Pro Bowl (http://topics.dallasnews.com/topic/Pro_Bowl) guard?

Free agency isn't the answer. Never has been. You can count the number of free agents who played to the level of the money and the duration of the contract on two hands. The best free agent signing last year was a backup on one team who became a backup on another (Darren Sproles (http://topics.dallasnews.com/topic/Darren_Sproles) ). The Cowboys drafted David Arkin in the fourth round last April. Get him on the field, develop him and see what you've got. Maybe he can be aPro Bowler. Eric Williams (http://topics.dallasnews.com/topic/Eric_Williams_%28football%29) was a third-round pick who became a Pro Bowler for the Cowboys back in the early 1990s. Teams that rely on free agency are teams that struggle at the draft table. When you blow a draft pick, you wind up over paying in free agency.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-cowboys/headlines/20120116-gosselin-cowboys-can-t-expect-free-agency-to-solve-its-problems.ece

[supercowboy8]

This is crazy talk, look at what san fran did last year, also Houston. I don't think anyone thinks you can fix it all in FA but a mix of the draft and FA

[RS12]

Cue the Gosselin doesnt know what he is talking about in 3-2-1

[Randy White]

Cue the Gosselin doesnt know what he is talking about in 3-2-1

Actually I wouldn't trust him to evaluate talent, or to know what it takes to build a winner, as far as an 8 year old can throw him. He doens't know crap about college football, and his philosophy as far knowing what it takes to build a winner changes more often than a windsock changes directions.

What I would take to the bank coming from him ( other than a check ) is that if he said the Cowboys are interested in a particular player, you can rest assure that's the case. The same thing with other teams. I don't know of any other columnist who's as connected, when it comes to the draft, as he is.

He should stick to that.

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

Moronic statement.

[burmafrd]

Charles Haley

and to a lesser extent Deion

and that is just the Boys


And to top if all off, wasn't Drew Brees a FA aquisition? That seemed to work pretty well for the Saints

Goose is a moron

[Risen Star]

Charles Haley

and to a lesser extent Deion

and that is just the Boys


And to top if all off, wasn't Drew Brees a FA aquisition? That seemed to work pretty well for the Saints

Goose is a moron

Reggie White was an epic FA signing.

But his philosophy is sound. You do not build teams through free agency.

[cowboy_ron]

It couldn't hurt either

[Double Trouble]

Charles Haley

and to a lesser extent Deion

and that is just the Boys


And to top if all off, wasn't Drew Brees a FA aquisition? That seemed to work pretty well for the Saints

Goose is a moronThey traded for Charles Haley.

And call him whatever you want, most high $$ free agents do not live up to their contracts.

[AmishCowboy]

Actually I wouldn't trust him to evaluate talent, or to know what it takes to build a winner, as far as an 8 year old can throw him. He doens't know crap about college football, and his philosophy as far knowing what it takes to build a winner changes more often than a windsock changes directions.

What I would take to the bank coming from him ( other than a check ) is that if he said the Cowboys are interested in a particular player, you can rest assure that's the case. The same thing with other teams. I don't know of any other columnist who's as connected, when it comes to the draft, as he is.

He should stick to that. I agree with you 100%

[AmishCowboy]

It won't fix everything, but I'm hoping to get 2 starters out of FA.

[pjtoadie]

Charles Haley

and to a lesser extent Deion

and that is just the Boys


And to top if all off, wasn't Drew Brees a FA aquisition? That seemed to work pretty well for the Saints

Goose is a moron

Yeah Brees was a FA and it was between Miami and New Orleans and Miami decided to go with Culpepper cause they felt his injury was less severe than Brees' injury. Boy did they mess that one up :laugh2: My brother in law is a huge Dolphins fan and he still to this day gets sick when he watches Brees play!

[sago1]

I'm willing to bet that Charger management also gets sick when they watch Brees play. Don't care what they say about Rivers; he ain't no Brees.

[AdamJT13]

It won't fix everything, but I'm hoping to get 2 starters out of FA.

Goose is an idiot. Every good team has added players through free agency. It's just a matter of picking the right players.

Look at the four teams left in the playoffs. During free agency this past offseason, the Patriots added five starters AND a backup pass-rusher who has double digits in sacks. Two of those guys made the Pro Bowl. The 49ers signed two starters in the secondary (one of them is a Pro Bowl starter), their starting center and a kicker (another Pro Bowl player). The Ravens this season signed starters at offensive tackle, safety and fullback. The Giants didn't really add anyone of significance this past season, but their starting lineup is littered with free agents from the past few years, such as Antrel Rolle, Deon Grant, Michael Boley and Chris Canty.

If we can sign four or five guys and end up with three starters and a couple of key backups, then free agency can help solve quite a few problems.

[SaltwaterServr]

I'd say Steve Hutchinson (sp) worked out fairly well for Minnesota. Darren Sproles, well, obviously a waste in New Orleans this season.

Every team builds both through the draft and through FA. To think otherwise is foolish.

[Outlaw Heroes]

Goose is an idiot. Every good team has added players through free agency. It's just a matter of picking the right players.



Glad you said this. You have enough credibility around that it might make people listen. Goose really is an idiot. At least half of what he says displays a remarkable lack of reflection.

[mmillman]

That is because too many teams pay for past performance and not future performance. Don't pay age in the NFL.

If Dallas can find young upgrades on the offensive line and or in the secondary go for it but don't pay age.

[Outlaw Heroes]

How many more years of losing will the Cowboy fans put up with before they are smart enough to quit going to the games?

That's the only way you'll get Jerry's attention. The Cowboys averaged 85,000 per game last season, tops in the NFL (http://topics.dallasnews.com/topic/National_Football_League). What incentive does Jerry have to fix anything? When the stadium becomes half-filled -- like it was at times in 1989 -- the franchise will take action. As long as fans are willing to pay for mediocrity, Jerry will field it.

More nonsense. Go ahead and question Jerry's decision making, if you wish. He has definitely made his fair share of mistakes. But any suggestion that Jerry is complacent and unwilling to take steps to improve the team because he sells out the stadium is at best oblivious and at worst dishonest.

[zrinkill]

The Cowboys have followed the Goose's draft board for years ....... and he still complains about their drafts.

[Alexander]

Cue the Gosselin doesnt know what he is talking about in 3-2-1
Frankly, unless it is about the draft the night before the draft, he really does not. He is hardly the talking head best qualified to talk about personnel acquisitions.

[visionary]

More nonsense. Go ahead and question Jerry's decision making, if you wish. He has definitely made his fair share of mistakes. But any suggestion that Jerry is complacent and unwilling to take steps to improve the team because he sells out the stadium is at best oblivious and at worst dishonest.

this is absolutely true
jerry's #1 priority is making money but he wants to also be known as a 'football guy'
this is why he is the GM

the #1 problem with the cowboys over recent years has been talent evaluation, poor decisions in FA, bad trades, picking coaches who have no business being head coaches (campo, wade)

so yes, jerry has been unwilling to take the most critical step to improve the team: fire the GM, get a GM in there who actually knows talent and can make sound decisions with draft, FA, contracts, etc

jerry is not willing to do that and that is the crux of the problem with our team

fans can make as many excuses as they want, it does not change this fact

[Alexander]

Yeah Brees was a FA and it was between Miami and New Orleans and Miami decided to go with Culpepper cause they felt his injury was less severe than Brees' injury. Boy did they mess that one up :laugh2: My brother in law is a huge Dolphins fan and he still to this day gets sick when he watches Brees play!

Thing is people assume Brees would have gone on to the same success had he stayed in San Diego or went to Miami. That is a stretch.

The simple and fatal error teams make the mistake on in free agency is going after generics and fail to recognize how that free agent fits. Brees was an outstanding fit for Payton's offense. That was a marriage. It worked. When teams have bad free agent signings, it is not through misevaluation of talent, but failing to recognize the translation of talent from one team to another, one system to the next.

It is not as easy as Gosselin's infantile statement makes it seem. It does not work for teams who do not think it through.

[Doomsday101]

Way I see it FA can be both a blessing and a curse. Players tend to get over paid in FA and not live up to the high expectation that comes with the big pay day. I think if used wisely FA can be a big help but teams who have gone over board in FA I don't see where it has been a big help. I think finding a FA who can fit in to what you are doing is great but the overall makeup of a team is handled through the draft in my view.

[DrKennethNoisewater]

I want to address the OL and CB through FA...the D-line and OLB through the draft. I don't even know what to do with S because I am not really enamored with the draft prospects coming out and not really sure what the FA market is going to offer.

[jterrell]

Because of the new CBA every team in the NFL will acquire talent through Free Agency.

I will agree with Goose in that FA is overrated for improving teams and especially grabbing the biggest name tends to fail. Sproles worked great but he replaced Reggie Bush who had failed as a top of the draft player. That's why Goose says just draft right and it won't matter.

But Goose can never see beyond a 4 inch window so doesn't get that most of the league has key starters who were at one point FA. You never totally ignore an avenue for adding talent. Even the 90's Cowboys had key free agent signings such as Novacek.

We don't need to be the 2011 Eagles or 2000-2008 Redskins in free agency but we can't simply ignore it either.

There were tons of calls on this forum for Jonathon Joseph and Brian Waters last year. Those 2 made the Pro Bowl at positions where we certainly could have used help.

[Future]

It won't fix everything, but I'm hoping to get 2 starters out of FA.
Nicks and Griffin...

...and that would fix quite a lot of problems :laugh2:

[Chocolate Lab]

If only some northeastern newspaper would pick up Gosselin in free agency.

[Dash28]

If only some northeastern newspaper would pick up Gosselin in free agency.
:laugh2:

[Smith22]

Signing a quality starting center and corner would do wonders for this team and allow the team to focus more on drafting the best available player and not reaching based on need.