Cowboys a top 6 team in wins and cap space

[Hawkeye0202]

 

[Hawkeye19]

IMO... the team has been in a quasi rebuilding mode since Romo got hurt in Seattle and Dak took his job.

The books/cap were allocated towards older players (Romo, Dez, Witten) and they were committed to helping Tony win a SB and then rebuild traditionally by finding a QB and starting over.

Instead— they believe they found their franchise QB in Dak and have been trying to do 2 things simultaneously: 1) clear the books of old contracts 2) win now with a young core.

Their refusal to enter into FA and only build through the draft over the last few years is partially a discipline they have had to impose in order to “reset” the cap to accomodate a new crop/core of players.

They just cleared a lot of dead money off their books, and they are looking to make some long terms commitments to current players. Our cap space is an illusion. There is not enough there to add a lot of new toys and sign our guys— while also keeping the cap healthy.

 

[Idgit]

Kind of makes the annual offseason moaning seem pathetic, right?

 

[Hawkeye0202]

IMO... the team has been in a quasi rebuilding mode since Romo got hurt in Seattle and Dak took his job.

The books/cap were allocated towards older players (Romo, Dez, Witten) and they were committed to helping Tony win a SB and then rebuild traditionally by finding a QB and starting over.

Instead— they believe they found their franchise QB in Dak and have been trying to do 2 things simultaneously: 1) clear the books of old contracts 2) win now with a young core.

Their refusal to enter into FA and only build through the draft over the last few years is partially a discipline they have had to impose in order to “reset” the cap to accomodate a new crop/core of players.

They just cleared a lot of dead money off their books, and they are looking to make some long terms commitments to current players. Our cap space is an illusion. There is not enough there to add a lot of new toys and sign our guys— while also keeping the cap healthy.

The other side of this coin, as long as they're drafting well ( core players in key positions ) enough where 1 or 2 players become major starters, I'm not sure you need a lot of new free agent toys. At least not tier-one players. To be honest, I'm not sure they will ever be a major player in the free agent market if you listen to Stephen unless a lot of things go wrong at a particular position ( Cooper trade to help WR unit ).

 

[CowboyRoy]

Kind of makes the annual offseason moaning seem pathetic, right?

I don't hear anyone moaning about the cap anymore. In fact, I hear everyone applauding how much cap room we have. The cowboys, have FINALLLY done the right thing with the cap for the last 5 years in order to get us here. No need to moan about that.

But what are people still moaning about that you continue to hear from most Cowboys fans all over the place? Should I give you a hint?

 

[cowboyblue22]

to bad they flat out suck when it comes to playoff wins

 

[pansophy]

I'm sure we have had some, but hard to remember the last significant FA signing that was worth the money.

 

[Oh_Canada]

I'm sure we have had some, but hard to remember the last significant FA signing that was worth the money.

Brandon Carr was a solid corner who rarely missed a game.

 

[Dodger12]

Amazing how Dallas Cowboys fans have gradually lowered the bar for this storied franchise. #JerryLovesYou

 

[Stash]

Brandon Carr was a solid corner who rarely missed a game.

And he rarely made a difference here either. We compounded the mistake of overpaying a good, but not great player "great player money", by changing from a 3-4 man corner scheme to a 4-3 team with Tampa 2 concepts. That did neither Carr nor Morris Claiborne - who we gave up a lot of draft capital for - any favors. Both played out their contracts (and Claiborne got hurt a lot) before moving on to be better players for other teams. Teams that actually knew how to play them to their strengths.

 

[Stash]

More Sunshine Pumping from the biggest Cowboys Homer in the world. Even the collection of guys they have at Blogging the Boys have to look at this clown and say "Dude, seriously?"

 

[OmerV]

It’s a good position to be in, but they have to find a way to take advantage of it and turn it into playoff success and not just regular season success

 

[HungryLion]

This is only meaningful if the Cowboys actually win something. I would rather have little cap space and actually make it to a super bowl.

 

[northerncowboynation]

Makes me feel good about the future, at least for the next couple pf years. Hopefully we don't go down a road often travelled, over paying for aging players and guys like Brandon Carr in FA. Key is drafting well, keeping the average age and salary commitments lower. I think if you look at that same group of teams and their success in the draft over the past 3 years you would find the Cowboys near the top too. Keep finding guys like X Woods and Anthony Brown in late rounds and guys like Antuan Woods from other teams and you have your answer. Forget overpaying for high priced FA's.

Here is a stat I'd like to see. Top 5 teams that have payed the biggest $$ for FA over the past three years and their wins. I think many would tuck tail and get off the "have to sign big name FA's" bandwagon if someone wants to do some digging. Sure the Giants spent big on FA defensive players three years ago. Where are they now? The Squiggles did the same 2 years ago and missed the playoffs in 2018. Any lessons from that?

 

[links18]

Top 6 team? That gets you what? To the divisional round? That sounds about right.

 

[TWOK11]

IMO... the team has been in a quasi rebuilding mode since Romo got hurt in Seattle and Dak took his job.

The books/cap were allocated towards older players (Romo, Dez, Witten) and they were committed to helping Tony win a SB and then rebuild traditionally by finding a QB and starting over.

Instead— they believe they found their franchise QB in Dak and have been trying to do 2 things simultaneously: 1) clear the books of old contracts 2) win now with a young core.

Their refusal to enter into FA and only build through the draft over the last few years is partially a discipline they have had to impose in order to “reset” the cap to accomodate a new crop/core of players.

They just cleared a lot of dead money off their books, and they are looking to make some long terms commitments to current players. Our cap space is an illusion. There is not enough there to add a lot of new toys and sign our guys— while also keeping the cap healthy.

Which is the case for any team with a good young QB still on their rookie deal.

Look, Dallas is doing EXACTLY what the fanbase was screaming for from 1997 or so through the Wade Phillips era: Stop signing aging veterans to big deals in an attempt to win now and instead build almost exclusively through the draft which is a more sustainable model.

Now, we’ve flipped 180 degrees and are screaming for Jerry to sign multiple 30ish year old free agents and sacrifice our future in a desperate attempt to win now.

Fans are fickle (and generally, sorry, stupid/ignorant) and simply opine for a different strategy any time the results on the field aren’t to their liking. There is no logic behind this way of thinking, it’s just blind emotion.

Not saying either strategy is inherently right or wrong, only that a fan bases perceptions and desires are generally meaningless because they are akin to the tantrums of a toddler not getting their way.

 

[northerncowboynation]

It’s a good position to be in, but they have to find a way to take advantage of it and turn it into playoff success and not just regular season success

Gotta win to get in man. Yes, would like to see more wins in the playoffs for sure BUT without the wins during the season that has no chance of happening. Can a wild card team win it all? Rarely but it has happened. Still, the odds are against them. One goal to start the season, win the division by winning games and then.... NEXT GOAL, win a playoff game, win another and so on

 

[northerncowboynation]

Which is the case for any team with a good young QB still on their rookie deal.

Look, Dallas is doing EXACTLY what the fanbase was screaming for from 1997 or so through the Wade Phillips era: Stop signing aging veterans to big deals in an attempt to win now and instead build almost exclusively through the draft which is a more sustainable model.

Now, we’ve flipped 180 degrees and are screaming for Jerry to sign multiple 30ish year old free agents and sacrifice our future in a desperate attempt to win now.

Fans are fickle (and generally, sorry, stupid/ignorant) and simply opine for a different strategy any time the results on the field aren’t to their liking. There is no logic behind this way of thinking, it’s just blind emotion.

Not saying either strategy is inherently right or wrong, only that a fan bases perceptions and desires are generally meaningless because they are akin to the tantrums of a toddler not getting their way.

 

[Stash]

It’s a good position to be in, but they have to find a way to take advantage of it and turn it into playoff success and not just regular season success

Bingo!

And I can't help to wonder how they approach using that cap money? Do they simply use it to keep their own, and lock up Lawrence, Cooper, Prescott, and Elliott for the long term?

Or do they go bigger, and use some of it to sign an Earl Thomas or try to upgrade their defensive line?

Do they "play out" this contract year for Garrett and go conservative? Or do they try to "kick the door in" and use more resources to give him the best chance to succeed?

It's going to be interesting to find out!

 

[OmerV]

Gotta win to get in man. Yes, would like to see more wins in the playoffs for sure BUT without the wins during the season that has no chance of happening. Can a wild card team win it all? Rarely but it has happened. Still, the odds are against them. One goal to start the season, win the division by winning games and then.... NEXT GOAL, win a playoff game, win another and so on

Of course you have to win in the regular season to have a chance, but after 20 + years you can’t be happy stalling out in the playoffs while smiling about having a lot of cap space. I’m certainly not one who thinks we’re should spend everything and kill financial flexibility by using up all the cap space, but the point of having the flexibility is to help do more than make the playoffs here and there.