Cowboys have 19.3 million in cap space

[CATCH17]

This.

I'm not interested in being competitive for a season or two and then falling off the map.

I want a team that's playoff caliber year after year after year. Just like Dallas from the late 60's until the mid 80's.

If your playoff caliber year after year you'll get a SB or two along the way.

No more of this "let's win now" nonsense.

But we haven't been playoff caliber. We've been playoff contenders when healthy but super super fragile because of coaching that relies solely on out-athleting the other team.

 

[jterrell]

Earl is in the last year of his contract, his cost, assuming he plays and plays well this year, will go up.

But quite frankly I am not totally convinced he's as good as advertised, you play on a team with Sherman, et al most any safety will look good. Greg Hardy was a beast in Carolina, we get him and he didn't do squat. Same with Pac Man and his return game, wasn't good in Dallas.

I want to see ET play this year before I shell out big bucks for him, blowing most of the money that you will need for Dak, Zeke, etc. Sure he could be the NFL's MVP this season and the Cowboys wouldn't be able to afford him, but that's the risk you take.

Personally I think Woods, etc. can be very very good, and they're lots younger and cheaper at this point, ET might bring a SB to Dallas but realistically at his age how long would he be around? I don't want the Cowboys to be a "flash in the pan", a la the Jets in the 60's....

The biggest problem with ET is that he is declining (from the best overall true FS in football but declining just the same) and plays a position that has been devalued mightily by scheme so will he be happy with what the market bears?
He is a rabid Cowboys fans but the team likely values him at about 8-9M per year and he would be insulted by that.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

This.

I'm not interested in being competitive for a season or two and then falling off the map.

I want a team that's playoff caliber year after year after year. Just like Dallas from the late 60's until the mid 80's.

If your playoff caliber year after year you'll get a SB or two along the way.

No more of this "let's win now" nonsense.

I grew up on the 9 straight playoff years teams, this yo yo team isn't my cup of tea...

 

[Nightman]

Being conservative now because of potential contracts in the future is a fool's folly

The future is not guaranteed for Dak, Zeke, DLaw....... the window is now

Leaving 20m on the salary cap shelf when we are this close is shameful

With good health, good luck and a FS and WR stepping up this can win it all this year...... that is a fact

 

[LACowboysFan1]

But we haven't been playoff caliber. We've been playoff contenders when healthy but super super fragile because of coaching that relies solely on out-athleting the other team.

True, but i do think with the hiring of Richard, etc. the coaching is going to get better...

 

[Batman1980]

True, but i do think with the hiring of Richard, etc. the coaching is going to get better...

Still hoping Richard will be DC/assistant HC next and then HC.

 

[pitt33]

Hey how about that news on Beasley's contract extension? That sucks, eh?

Why the bleep are we looking to extend him?

The only extension he needs is in the form of height.

 

[mardwin]

There's merit to your argument.

But there are times pre=paying is not a bad thing.

Philly and NE BOTH sign young talent (if they can) before "push comes to shove".

LA did it with Gurley.

They didn't do with Donald and it cost them the richest contract for a defensive player in league history.

The Raiders didn't do it with Mack and it cost them giving up maybe the best defensive player in the AFC for basically 2 first round draft picks.

If you wait and the player meets expectations then the pain of the contract will be greater than signing that player a year early.

You are overlooking a key element all of these folks were already performing at an elite level, not sure we can say Dak fits their example. Dak had a very strong rookie season but then his performance was very inconsistent last year. Doubt he will command a top 5 QB salary in a couple of years, remember that if things get really out of hand Dallas can franchise him twice.

 

[Kevinicus]

This is not the year to spend cap money to go "all-in." If we had a better QB, maybe. Or, maybe if we were certain the D was going to be absolutely dominant by doing so (like 2000 Ravens dominant).

 

[Sydla]

This.

I'm not interested in being competitive for a season or two and then falling off the map.

I want a team that's playoff caliber year after year after year. Just like Dallas from the late 60's until the mid 80's.

If your playoff caliber year after year you'll get a SB or two along the way.

No more of this "let's win now" nonsense.

The problem is that the landscape of the NFL is drastically different now than in the 60s to mid 80s. For part of that, FA wasn't even in existence and teams weren't limited by a salary cap. So it was much easier to build a consistent team for a long stretch because typically once you had a great player, you could keep that great player as long as you were willing to pay him. Teams don't have that luxury anymore where every NFL team, at some point, in a small window has to make tough roster decisions with regards to good players based on cap space.

The teams that are able to stay relevant for long stretches in today's NFL are few and far between. The Pats for one, but they have a fantastic head coach and front office and arguably the greatest QB of all time. The Steelers are probably a team one can look at for some consistency, they too have a coach who has been pretty successful and a really good QB, likely Hall of Fame, QB. Packers? Ehhh, they've had some down years here and they also have arguably the best QB in football right now.

 

[jterrell]

Drafted players on their rookie contract can't renegotiate until after their 3rd year. I believe UDFAs can renegotiate after their 2nd which is why La'el told teams he didn't want to be drafted after he feel so far in the draft. It gave him the ability to renegotiate his contract earlier. Dak has to wait another year.

That is correct. He can't officially SIGN anything until this season is over.
But as a team you'd like to have basic parameters with him in place soon.

Dak has spoken on this topic and said he wants to be mindful of the team around him and knows all the money is crazy large money.
As Dak will be the first thing you do next off-season you want to be well down that road.
The rest of the off-season will form off that.

You could hold him at pennies on the dollar for year 4 then franchise him year 5 but you'd be setting up a nasty contentious deal and he'd end up the highest paid QB in football likely in year 6.

A QB that holds out is detrimental and team-killing.

 

[Reid1boys]

As long as the stadium generates revenue and the team sells merchandise Jerra isn’t about to worry about trivial things like winning titles

Dumbest thing I hear from people is this post above.

 

[CATCH17]

True, but i do think with the hiring of Richard, etc. the coaching is going to get better...

We will see.

If we see Cole Beasley running 9 routes and they are throwing him 50/50 balls then I think we can all agree this coaching staff just isn't up to par and that they can't adjust their scheme to players strengths.

 

[Nightman]

This is not the year to spend cap money to go "all-in." If we had a better QB, maybe. Or, maybe if we were certain the D was going to be absolutely dominant by doing so (like 2000 Ravens dominant).

Going all in is a lot different than leaving 25m+ on the shelf

 

[MichaelWinicki]

But we haven't been playoff caliber. We've been playoff contenders when healthy but super super fragile because of coaching that relies solely on out-athleting the other team.

It's a new year and the defense finally looks like it can hold up it's end of the deal.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

You are overlooking a key element all of these folks were already performing at an elite level, not sure we can say Dak fits their example. Dak had a very strong rookie season but then his performance was very inconsistent last year. Doubt he will command a top 5 QB salary in a couple of years, remember that if things get really out of hand Dallas can franchise him twice.

Agreed on Dak… This season is key for him.

 

[Reid1boys]

If I thought acquiring and paying Earl Thomas was the "missing piece" to a championship season then I'd be beating the drum to get the guy.

But quite frankly I'm not seeing this team as being a SB contender this season and that being the case, they save what cap they can and roll it into next season.

I always chuckle when I rad how people say how our season is going to be 8 and 8 or whatever. Just look to 2014 when you predicted we would win 3 games and we won 12. Then look to 2016 with Romo out, and you probably predicted we would win 4... how did those predictions work out for you?

 

[jterrell]

Dumbest thing I hear from people is this post above.

Yup.
EVERYONE wants to BOTH win and make money.
In capitalism making money is in fact winning.

 

[CATCH17]

It's a new year and the defense finally looks like it can hold up it's end of the deal.

And then the offense weakens and we start losing guys offensively because we have to pay defenders and round and round we go.

Unless Bill Belichick walks through that door we need to try and cash in the ticket when we have a chance.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

The problem is that the landscape of the NFL is drastically different now than in the 60s to mid 80s. For part of that, FA wasn't even in existence and teams weren't limited by a salary cap. So it was much easier to build a consistent team for a long stretch because typically once you had a great player, you could keep that great player as long as you were willing to pay him. Teams don't have that luxury anymore where every NFL team, at some point, in a small window has to make tough roster decisions with regards to good players based on cap space.

The teams that are able to stay relevant for long stretches in today's NFL are few and far between. The Pats for one, but they have a fantastic head coach and front office and arguably the greatest QB of all time. The Steelers are probably a team one can look at for some consistency, they too have a coach who has been pretty successful and a really good QB, likely Hall of Fame, QB. Packers? Ehhh, they've had some down years here and they also have arguably the best QB in football right now.

Agree that the landscape has changed, but I do not think you stop striving for it.

We've seen one "Let go all in this season" team fall short time after time, and many times leading to a complete overhaul within a short period of time.

I'm not interested in complete overhauls anymore.