You know we are closer to a SB now then the Eagles were 12 months ago but they nailed so many FA and trades. We can only hope Jerry sees that picking up big money FAs can be a good thing.
I agree with you on the SB assessment.
I can't speak for the FO of the cowboys, but for better or worse, I think the FO of the cowboys sees great players in FA as not going to be as loyal to the organization, thus the saying "we like our guys" vision mentality.
On another thread, someone mentioned that division rivalries aren't what they use to be because players may not spend more than a couple of years with a team unless they get HUGE money. I think to some extent, the owners themselves were responsible for that due to not wanting to share their wealth of the sport with the players. Thus the formation of the NFL players union.
To put that in perspective, the highest paid offensive player (a running back) in 1976 got paid a total of 10.5 million dollars for 3 years, and the highest paid defensive player (a linebacker) got paid 5.4 million dollars for a 4 year deal. Keep in mind, I accounted for inflation, so the numbers/salary I've noted is in "today's money". Think about that... Can anyone blame the players (who put their bodies and health at risk for a sport) to want a bigger piece of the pie, particularly if the organization who pays them is raking in the dollars?
Anyone remember the Deion Sweepstakes? One could make the case IMO that only due to the "family history" of Jimmy Johnson and the team he had built with his players is one reason why Deion Sanders went to the cowboys.
Like anything else, things I think have gotten "flip sided" over time with the players union, and I'm sorry, I don't care how good Watson is, who would be stupid enough to spend that kind of money on 1 man?
For better or worse, the NFL is BIG business.