Stephen Jones' comments at owners meeting

[skinsscalper]

Like I said previously, both sides have posters who are "outraged" and resort to name calling because they have a different view.

The facts remain, teams that win consistently get "their" guys in FA when they have glaring holes to address before the draft. They don't overspend, but they get their guys.

The Patriots and Broncos did it last year, Patriots did it the year they won the SB, so did the Seahawks. The Cardinals are one of the best teams in the NFC because they use FA. The Ravens and Newsome love is abound for their FO and they're paying 9million this year to Weddle because they have no players at safety.

Does anyone feel comfortable at DE? Mario Williams, an all pro a season ago, signed for 2 years/16 mill and Robert Ayers, a top 10 edge player, signed for 3 years/21 million. That's not overpaying. Either one would make this a much more comfortable draft/offseason.

This is also a secondary coming off one of the worst TO performances in the history of the NFL. Without Tony putting up points, they couldn't buy a TO. So, what happens? As of right now, there is 0 turnover, just like the amount forced by our starters last year. In fact Church got a raise to 4.25 million. Carr is a dead man walking, I hope at least.

Yes you build through the draft, but if somehow, miraculously, hit all of your needs in the draft then you either are incredibly lucky or you adopted a poor drafting philosophy of drafting for need instead of BPA. BPA simply isn't going to line up with all your needs every time, in fact it won't most of the time, that's why you have FA.

Agree with you here. In fact almost every word of it. Thanks, in advance for the civil debate.

In fact the only thing that I have issue with is the Ayers and Williams comments. The only thing we do know, for sure is that neither signed with Dallas. What we don't know is Dallas' interest or the players' interest in Dallas. We have no idea whether or not Dallas reached out to either guys' reps. We also know that Williams pretty much quit on his team last season. I'm not sure how interested Dallas was in bringing a guy like that into the fold after (possibly) dealing with the same issue in a guy like Hardy. That's the rub with FA. Similar to BPA fitting your need, it's not often that a guy that DOES fill your need actually fit with your team. That's why there's a laundry list of FA that flopped with their new team. That list is a mile longer than the guys that actually "worked out", in fact. Murray anyone? How about Wallace, or Suh? Now, there are exceptions to that, also. But, they are exactly that. Exceptions.


Good talking with ya, gmoney.

 

[Aven8]

The guys are clearly idiots

The likelihood of drafting enough game changers to make an impact in 2016 is not favorable

Do these guys think you can just find 5 game changers in one draft?

Are you kidding me?? We have 3 6th round picks this year! That's 2 TE's and a fullback that will see plenty of time on the field! Throw in the 7th round cornerback that won't make it out of camp and now we're talking!

 

[Alexander]

I mean Randle ran well for us. He was just a knucklehead.

But what about his play made him garbage exactly?

I don't know. The part where the coaching staff was pulling their hair out with his antics on the goal line for starters.

You can't even compel yourself to admit they made a mistake counting on that mental deficient.

 

[skinsscalper]

I disagree with the bolded.

Ponder had shoulder issues coming out of Florida State that should have scared teams off. Goff nearly threw more touchdown passes in 2015 than Ponder threw in four years at FSU.

Goff is a far superior prospect than Christian Ponder was. Frankly, it's not even close. I also think that Wentz and Lynch are better prospects as well, and certainly have much higher upside.

The knock, if anything, with the QBs at the top of this class, is that none are truly a day one starter. The Cowboys have the advantage of not needing one of them to be ready day one, as they have Romo. The situation lines up perfectly.

Agreed, to a certain extent. My point was that none of them are a lock to be anything more than pedestrian signal callers. Jamarcus Russell was pretty impressive in college too. Same with Vince Young. In fact both were more highly regarded than ANY QB in this class. How'd they end up working out?

 

[Plankton]

Yeah but you are assuming Romo doesn't dislocate a shoulder wiping his butt. We draft a QB in the first three rounds and he is our #2. He may have to play midway through the 1st quarter of the first game. Because they have neglected QB for years.

Let's be honest - if Romo goes down with a season ending injury, the season is very likely over anyway.

Letting a guy like Goff play behind this offensive line with a run heavy emphasis will allow him to develop. I actually think, the presence of Wade Wilson notwithstanding, that the Cowboys are a great place for a Goff or Wentz to end up.

 

[JBS]

Yep.. That's why they'll probably trade down from 4 and pick up a extra 2nd and 4th to try and hit more positions in the draft.

Smart idea..move away from 1 game changer to get zero

 

[ErikWilliamsHeadSlap]

I dont have a problem not over paying for average FA's. I do have problem with the perception of FAs who dont think they are going to win here (Long and Weddle).

We are becoming, if we haven't already, the nerd who walks up to the head cheerleader and asks for a date. She points and laughs. Then her friends point and laugh.

Free agency is the groundwork. The draft is the foundation. The coaching is the structure. How's the construction going?

 

[skinsscalper]

Building through the draft is one thing drafting the same positions over and over is not How you do it.

I can see them draft a CB in the first and DE in the second, again. Then Next year CB and DE again..... Great team building.

You're right, we should just stop drafting at all.

 

[ErikWilliamsHeadSlap]

Let's be honest - if Romo goes down with a season ending injury, the season is very likely over anyway.

Letting a guy like Goff play behind this offensive line with a run heavy emphasis will allow him to develop. I actually think, the presence of Wade Wilson notwithstanding, that the Cowboys are a great place for a Goff or Wentz to end up.

Doesn't have to be that way. But it is.

 

[Alexander]

Do you realize the arrogance or ignorance it takes to put together their track record the last 20 years and then tell the fan base not to worry, their head isn't in the sand?

Unfortunately, I do understand both. They are arrogant. Why I don't know. But they are so ignorant about what it takes to be successful that it is sad.

I just hate the fact they are comfortable selling that kind of collective nonsense and they are successful doing it.

It bothers me that our fanbase is so stupid they make what he says true.

 

[Plankton]

Agreed, to a certain extent. My point was that none of them are a lock to be anything more than pedestrian signal callers. Jamarcus Russell was pretty impressive in college too. Same with Vince Young. In fact both were more highly regarded than ANY QB in this class. How'd they end up working out?

I can honestly say that I thought that JaMarcus Russell was going to end up as an epic bust. I was never impressed with anything that he ever did in college. All he brought to the table was a big arm - His stats weren't particularly overwhelming, aside from his final season.

Vince Young had the ability to be a real difference maker, but didn't have a coach that wanted him, and he wasn't mentally strong enough to deal with adversity. I did think he would be better than he turned out.

I think Goff will be a very solid QB, if not a guy on the level of a Matt Ryan. I think his floor is very high. Wentz has the potential to be a really good QB, on the level of a Ben Roethlisberger, but he has bust potential based on making a huge leap in the level of play that he has faced to this point. Where he goes will be a huge factor in his ability to succeed.

 

[Risen Star]

Doesn't threaten anything.

It's business.

They weren't going to up their bids. I have no issue at that.

What else you want to harp on?

I'm just acknowledging all is not going to plan. They wanted players. They couldn't get them. Now they are bringing in backup options. We know they were in on Forte, now they look to Morris. We know Robinson isn't their first choice, they had Carroll and Hall in first. Chris Long was scheduled and bailed ,so now we're waiting for the league to return our call on Benson Mayowa.

They had a plan to start FA and they haven't been able to execute it. Of course you'll mention price, but again...that's handbook stuff. All negotiations come down to price. The point is they failed to get the players they targeted. They whiffed. Other than Thornton.

Heck, here's an article from David Moore literally titled a whiff on Long....

http://cowboyszone.com/threads/moor...nd-at-de-after-whiffing-on-chris-long.345024/

 

[skinsscalper]

I can honestly say that I thought that JaMarcus Russell was going to end up as an epic bust. I was never impressed with anything that he ever did in college. All he brought to the table was a big arm - His stats weren't particularly overwhelming, aside from his final season.

Vince Young had the ability to be a real difference maker, but didn't have a coach that wanted him, and he wasn't mentally strong enough to deal with adversity. I did think he would be better than he turned out.

I think Goff will be a very solid QB, if not a guy on the level of a Matt Ryan. I think his floor is very high. Wentz has the potential to be a really good QB, on the level of a Ben Roethlisberger, but he has bust potential based on making a huge leap in the level of play that he has faced to this point. Where he goes will be a huge factor in his ability to succeed.

For the record, my opinions on both Young and Russell are/were identical.

I also THINK both Goff and Wentz have the potential to be special. But, I'll be honest picking either one that high scares the living crap out of me if we whiff. Conversely. NOT picking them and they go on to have franchise type careers scares me even more, I think.

 

[Alexander]

You're right, we should just stop drafting at all.

So was this the year we all decided to build through the draft?

I would have thought this would have been, I don't know, kind of a given.

All along.

Since Jones bought the team and Johnson got him his three trophies based on the draft.

Suddenly now, we just remembered?

 

[StarBoyz83]

Smart idea..move away from 1 game changer to get zero

I don't see any game changers in the top 10. Maybe Ramsey but I'd be suprised if he was there at 4

 

[Plankton]

Doesn't have to be that way. But it is.

True, but the NFL is a league now where there aren't 32 good starters in the league, much less good backups. There aren't too many teams that could afford to lose a top 10 QB and not have their season, for all intents and purposes, be over.

While last season was frustrating on many levels, when Romo went down, I believed that the season was over. I can't say that I believed that they were only going to win two games the rest of the season, but I didn't think that they would be able to rebound and make the playoffs.

 

[KingintheNorth]

Unfortunately, I do understand both. They are arrogant. Why I don't know. But they are so ignorant about what it takes to be successful that it is sad.

I just hate the fact they are comfortable selling that kind of collective nonsense and they are successful doing it.

It bothers me that our fanbase is so stupid they make what he says true.

They are not stupid. They are just true believers. You just have not accepted your true destiny yet.

Give yourself to the Dark Side. It is the only way you can save your friends. Yes, your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong.

 

[skinsscalper]

So was this the year we all decided to build through the draft?

I would have thought this would have been, I don't know, kind of a given.

All along.

Since Jones bought the team and Johnson got him his three trophies based on the draft.

Suddenly now, we just remembered?

I agree 100%. But at what point do we start using that philosophy without the whining and hand wringing? Damned if you do, damned if you don't I suppose.

 

[Wood]

it's amazing people still say things like this.

At a bare minimum Dallas needed to get veteran starting DE and veteran Back-Up QB in FA. They failed on both fronts.

 

[Plankton]

For the record, my opinions on both Young and Russell are/were identical.

I also THINK both Goff and Wentz have the potential to be special. But, I'll be honest picking either one that high scares the living crap out of me if we whiff. Conversely. NOT picking them and they go on to have franchise type careers scares me even more, I think.

Whiffing on one now, with the rookie cap in place, is far less damaging that it had been previously. Yes, missing on one means you blew a top five pick, but the money outlay isn't nearly as damaging.

You just have to trust your scouts. Scouting the single most difficult position to find in sports.

OK, now maybe I am a little scared now......