Stephen Jones' comments at owners meeting

[kiheikiwi]

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2016...-who-exactly-did-the-cowboys-whiff-on-players

There's also a really good article on blogging the boys - by Tom Rile. About what was really the plan and what went wrong. Says they were targeting Aidein Claiborne as our # 1 acquisition. They blew that, then had no backup plan when he resigned in Atlanta
A good read for the other perspective than this one.
Not sure how to post link, so if someone else can .....

 

[Nightman]

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2016...-who-exactly-did-the-cowboys-whiff-on-players

Lamarr Miller
Mike Wallace
Nick Fairley
Greg Hardy
Mario Williams
Chris Long
Danny Trevathan
Bruce Carter
Casey Hayward
Sean Smith
Nolan Carroll
Eric Weddle
Tashuan Gibson
Any SS
QB2

 

[Idgit]

There's no doubt the market was hotter than we wanted to pay at DE and Safety. I'm not sure the solution was to blow the budget.

QB was a weird one. We really haven't shown interest in anybody other than Matt Moore, and in him we clearly had very little actual interest. For a glaring hole, we really seem to be targeting filling it via the draft.

 

[Oh_Canada]

These comments make zero sense.

If injuries weren't the reason they were 4-12, what was it? The incompetent game planning perhaps? Team wasn't prepared? Not enough depth? How come not a single coach or anyone in management (yes I realize the GM isn't going anywhere) was fired?

I sincerely hope they are not pinning it on Greg freakin' Hardy.

Btw-isn't having a great draft ALWAYS important?

 

[Idgit]

These comments make zero sense.

If injuries weren't the reason they were 4-12, what was it? The incompetent game planning perhaps? Team wasn't prepared? Not enough depth? How come not a single coach or anyone in management (yes I realize the GM isn't going anywhere) was fired?

I sincerely hope they are not pinning it on Greg freakin' Hardy.

Btw-isn't having a great draft ALWAYS important?

He's acknowledging that personnel is important. And saying new personnel is going to have to come at the end of FA and then through the draft.

Really, he's saying nothing that wasn't perfectly clear already. This is just a chance for some to complain about that fact some more.

 

[lwehlers]

There's no doubt the market was hotter than we wanted to pay at DE and Safety. I'm not sure the solution was to blow the budget.

QB was a weird one. We really haven't shown interest in anybody other than Matt Moore, and in him we clearly had very little actual interest. For a glaring hole, we really seem to be targeting filling it via the draft.

that is the one thing that bothers me right now is that the cowboys still do not have a quality backup for when romo gets hurt again. my biggest fear is that moore is the main backup and then they draft a guy like Prescott who will not be able to really do anything his first two years and we are stuck with moore and finish in the top five or ten in the draft next year and still have to wonder who is the future franchise qb for this team. I want wentz or goff as the first pick. if the cowboys pick bosa we are in trouble. I think that bosa is a bust waiting to happen. if we do not go qb then ramsey is the best option for defense.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

Lamarr Miller
Mike Wallace
Nick Fairley
Greg Hardy
Mario Williams
Chris Long
Danny Trevathan
Bruce Carter
Casey Hayward
Sean Smith
Nolan Carroll
Eric Weddle
Tashuan Gibson
Any SS
QB2

Hard to say they whiffed on guys that we didn't even bring in or have any apparent interest in, that takes about 3/4 of the guys off this list.

 

[gmoney112]

Comfortable no.

But the Cowboys have said they weren't going to pay for age.

I'm just confused as to the meaning of this post. If you're agreeing with it, okay. If you're saying it as that's the Cowboys new criteria, then I disagree with it.

Veterans are a valuable piece of FA, because they're inherently cheap and they've been around the block. The Panthers, even with their years of top 10 picks, had two players 32 or over starting and playing well on their defense. Tillman was also used effectively in spot duty. Denver went out and bought every defensive FA they could get.

It's foolish to set such debilitating criteria when it comes to talent acquisition. No one is signing vets to 5 year 50 million dollar deals. If you're not going to "overpay" for guys in their prime, and you're also not going to sign anyone over 30 to a reasonable deal, you're left with the Mincey's and Church's of the world while you pray a guy like Wilcox actually develops.

I'm not Jerrys accountant. I care about having enough cap space to resign our own when the time comes, but other than that I want to win football games.

How many teams won SB's in the last 10 years by being completely inactive during FA and not utilizing vet contributions? I can't really think of any. The 2013 ravens off the top of my head were really cheap, but even they had quite a few contributing vets on that team.

 

[Idgit]

that is the one thing that bothers me right now is that the cowboys still do not have a quality backup for when romo gets hurt again. my biggest fear is that moore is the main backup and then they draft a guy like Prescott who will not be able to really do anything his first two years and we are stuck with moore and finish in the top five or ten in the draft next year and still have to wonder who is the future franchise qb for this team. I want wentz or goff as the first pick. if the cowboys pick bosa we are in trouble. I think that bosa is a bust waiting to happen. if we do not go qb then ramsey is the best option for defense.

I have no idea what they think they're doing at QB. If they don't take one at 4, we've done nothing to get better there. That's crazy.

 

[stiletto]

Exactly who did they whiff on that they seriously wanted?

Yeah they whiffed on overpaying for mediocre players....YAY....guys like Alf, Robinson, and the guy from Oakland will provide some nice depth and ability at a much lower cost if they can get them signed. I am all for what they are doing in Free Agency so far. The only one I wished had come to fruition might have been Weddle. Our Safeties have sucked for so long, I was willing to see them pay a little more on him to see if a guy like him could get back there and play like he had a clue compared the slop we've been running out there lately.

 

[NEODOG]

So what would you say is our two biggest OMGRIGHTNOW needs? Or scratch that. What do you think the front office believes are the two top needs?

I'd say DE and CB.

And there is your first two rounds next month. Bosa/Fuller, Ramsey/Dodd, something like that. I'd bet a week's worth of likes on it.

Work week. Weekend doesn't count.

You did corner the market on the Amy likes.... Now you're just being greedy

 

[Alexander]

QB was a weird one. We really haven't shown interest in anybody other than Matt Moore, and in him we clearly had very little actual interest. For a glaring hole, we really seem to be targeting filling it via the draft.

That is one area I applaud the braintrust to back out of.

Garbage like Moore, etc, is a waste of time and money.

We already saw Orton milk it.

The whole QB situation is bad league wide.

I just hope they understand and draft Wentz if available.

 

[Idgit]

I'm just confused as to the meaning of this post. If you're agreeing with it, okay. If you're saying it as that's the Cowboys new criteria, then I disagree with it.

Veterans are a valuable piece of FA, because they're inherently cheap and they've been around the block. The Panthers, even with their years of top 10 picks, had two players 32 or over starting and playing well on their defense. Tillman was also used effectively in spot duty. Denver went out and bought every defensive FA they could get.

It's foolish to set such debilitating criteria when it comes to talent acquisition. No one is signing vets to 5 year 50 million dollar deals. If you're not going to "overpay" for guys in their prime, and you're also not going to sign anyone over 30 to a reasonable deal, you're left with the Mincey's and Church's of the world while you pray a guy like Wilcox actually develops.

I'm not Jerrys accountant. I care about having enough cap space to resign our own when the time comes, but other than that I want to win football games.

How many teams won SB's in the last 10 years by being completely inactive during FA and not utilizing vet contributions? I can't really think of any. The 2013 ravens off the top of my head were really cheap, but even they had quite a few contributing vets on that team.

I gues it depends what you think you need for Frederick, Martin, Lawrence, et al. They obviously had a healthy budget for Weddle (if the BTB artical got it right), but still didn't get it done.

I think the market surpassed what they think they can spend. We're looking at vet scrubs and the draft.

But I'm not convinced the alternative of paying more than we'd budgeted is the better route to go.

 

[YosemiteSam]

it's amazing people still say things like this.

Fat People.

 

[Risen Star]

I'm just confused as to the meaning of this post. If you're agreeing with it, okay. If you're saying it as that's the Cowboys new criteria, then I disagree with it.

Veterans are a valuable piece of FA, because they're inherently cheap and they've been around the block. The Panthers, even with their years of top 10 picks, had two players 32 or over starting and playing well on their defense. Tillman was also used effectively in spot duty. Denver went out and bought every defensive FA they could get.

It's foolish to set such debilitating criteria when it comes to talent acquisition. No one is signing vets to 5 year 50 million dollar deals. If you're not going to "overpay" for guys in their prime, and you're also not going to sign anyone over 30 to a reasonable deal, you're left with the Mincey's and Church's of the world while you pray a guy like Wilcox actually develops.

I'm not Jerrys accountant. I care about having enough cap space to resign our own when the time comes, but other than that I want to win football games.

How many teams won SB's in the last 10 years by being completely inactive during FA and not utilizing vet contributions? I can't really think of any. The 2013 ravens off the top of my head were really cheap, but even they had quite a few contributing vets on that team.

That's one factor at play here with the frugal FA period. Frederick, Martin and Collins. They all need to be re-signed and all three will command big deals.

 

[kiheikiwi]

Yeah they whiffed on overpaying for mediocre players....YAY....guys like Alf, Robinson, and the guy from Oakland will provide some nice depth and ability at a much lower cost if they can get them signed. I am all for what they are doing in Free Agency so far. The only one I wished had come to fruition might have been Weddle. Our Safeties have sucked for so long, I was willing to see them pay a little more on him to see if a guy like him could get back there and play like he had a clue compared the slop we've been running out there lately.

Replacing Hardy with Adrian Claiborne was their big target - it's been reported. That was their "whiff". The others were just reactions once that failed.
Like most here, the bold statement by Jerry at the end of the season about being handicapped by the backup QB. And how they had to fix that, is the biggest headscratcher. Moore was the last starter when Jerry proclaimed they would upgrade.
He's not upgrading himself.
Now, it seams that position is draft at # 4.
Or what ???

 

[skinsscalper]

That's one factor at play here with the frugal FA period. Frederick, Martin and Collins. They all need to be re-signed and all three will command big deals.

Not just big deals, but in all probability, the largest deals in the history of the league at their respective positions.

 

[ActualCowboysFan]

It can make up for it next year but not this season

What did you think of last year's draft?

 

[jazzcat22]

A few comments by Stephen, and almost an entire first page of negativity toward his comments.as well as anything else...wow, but normal...
I'll skip the rest of the mega...or Negathread....

 

[Idgit]

Not just big deals, but in all probability, the largest deals in the history of the league at their respective positions.

Lawrence's deal will be bigger than all of them.