If we just pay everyone

[Diehardblues]

Great question and I am not sure we know the answer to that. One equation we know is false is that fat payroll = success. We've seen that fail time and time again.

The itchy part of this is that this QB needs a strong supporting cast around him but at the same time wants to be one of the top paid QB's. This is not like having McMahon, Dilfer or Johnson and a great D to lead the team, this D isn't close to those but this QB is close to those 3 QB's.

To answer your question with a question, do we know we are a strong team? Pisses a lot of the posters off but most of the analysts don't think much of the Cowboys chances this season and I've got them no better than 5th in the NFC. And having the highest offensive payroll in NFL history doesn't change that.

I’ve never been here to be a fan favorite. Couldn’t care less if it ruffles feathers. I’ll always call it like I see it.

And if you truly feel that way about our QB and the situation not sure how can endorse signing him to a contract that limits the supporting cast he so depends on.

If we’ve discovered nothing else without rare occasion you either need an Elite QB or defense in Cap era. Where do we put our focus?

 

[Praxit]

Can you imagine if Dallas paid top five money to 6 players just on offense alone?

Not to mention Lawrence, and with Vander Esch, Jaylon, and Jones, too?

Meanwhile, New England doesn't pay top five money to anyone on their team.

..mind-boggling they do can do that, and still compete in playoffs every year.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Oh, I think their backs will definitely be against the wall with 1st year contract players. However, that has nothing to do with drafting well. The only wall the GM has had his back up against was the one he was leaning on in the bar.

So you believe Jerry is actually responsible for these drafts? Because I don’t. There’s a reason why they won’t let McClay leave.

 

[CouchCoach]

Analysts opinions aren’t facts. None of them had us winning the NFC east last year.

Of course they're not but last year they were coming off a very last half season performance by the QB and a bunch of so-so WR's going into the season.

They can all be wrong but I do listen to some and why they predict as they do and there are some issues with this team both in coaching and talent. And as far as posters predicting, you won't find many worse than I am which is why I don't do it. I just take a look at the teams, coaching and talent, and begin to stack them and I just do not see the Cowboys as good as at least the top 4 in the NFC but 1 of those has to keep their QB upright and that's our window if they can't.

 

[Proof]

Perpetual rebuild is bad. Eventually, you have to actually...try to win.

This team hasn't really gone through a fullblown rebuild in like 20 years, and certainly not perpetually. They've managed to re-tool and be competitive on the fly in very impressive fashion.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

3 playoff wins out of all those years? That's not much to be excited about.

It’s the most you’ve had to be excited about since the first Clinton administration

 

[erod]

..mind-boggling they do can do that, and still compete in playoffs every year.

That's what a football-obsessed elite quarterback and Einsteinian defensive head coach can do.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Can you imagine if Dallas paid top five money to 6 players just on offense alone?

Not to mention Lawrence, and with Vander Esch, Jaylon, and Jones, too?

Meanwhile, New England doesn't pay top five money to anyone on their team.

So you don’t think Stephen Gilmore is one of the highest paid corners in the league?

 

[Diehardblues]

The mistake we made with Romo is we could have surrounded him with less if we’d had a strong defense.

Romo illustrated the ability to move the ball and score without an all star cast with the likes of Robinson, Austin and Barber for example.

But for most of his career some of the worst defenses in Cowboy history. If we’d had this defense for most of his career I think the results would have been different.

We can’t pay Dak big money if he’s not a big time QB. That should be the bottom line.

 

[Diehardblues]

That's what a football-obsessed elite quarterback and Einsteinian defensive head coach can do.

Well said E!!

 

[Tooter_Magee]

It’s the most you’ve had to be excited about since the first Clinton administration

I can't argue with that.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Of course they're not but last year they were coming off a very last half season performance by the QB and a bunch of so-so WR's going into the season.

They can all be wrong but I do listen to some and why they predict as they do and there are some issues with this team both in coaching and talent. And as far as posters predicting, you won't find many worse than I am which is why I don't do it. I just take a look at the teams, coaching and talent, and begin to stack them and I just do not see the Cowboys as good as at least the top 4 in the NFC but 1 of those has to keep their QB upright and that's our window if they can't.

It’s the NFL they could very well miss the post season. But if they do that would be a hell of a job underachieving. Cowboys are just as good as anyone in the NFC. No one can tell me otherwise. They are right there in the mix with the rest of the best teams in the division.

 

[CouchCoach]

So you believe Jerry is actually responsible for these drafts? Because I don’t. There’s a reason why they won’t let McClay leave.

I do give him credit and McClay assembles the board, he does not pick. You saw that in the 3rd round from the war room when he stayed with McClay's board and took McGovern instead of trading down, which it looked like his son wanted to do.

Ya know, I suspect every team has a guy like McClay on board and just doesn't make it public to draw attention to him.

For some reason, some posters just can't give Booger credit for changing and learning. He changed those voices he was listening to because he's always had those guys to help advise him. He did not learn to change as much as he changed to learn.

No question that McClay is valuable to him, which is why he probably makes what other GM's make but more importantly, Booger listens to him because he trusts him. I believe it was McClay that started Bryant out the door.

 

[CouchCoach]

It’s the NFL they could very well miss the post season. But if they do that would be a hell of a job underachieving. Cowboys are just as good as anyone in the NFC. No one can tell me otherwise. They are right there in the mix with the rest of the best teams in the division.

We just disagree on that as I think the coaching and talent is better with NO, LAR, CHI and PHL. I've got another 4 teams right there with the Cowboys in that 2nd tier.

I start with the HC and QB of each team and honestly do not have our QB in the top 6 of the NFC.

 

[eromeopolk]

as some are suggesting, it's back to 8-8. That is what this formula gets you. Paying a few stars a ton of money always leads back to mediocrity. Especially if they're mostly on one side of the ball.

I totally disagree. When the Cowboys paid Emmitt, Troy, and Irvin their 3rd and extensions/contracts, they were in their 30's with the likely hood they would not play out those contracts.

Dak, Amari, and Zeke are all below 26 years old so they will likely play out any contract signing or extension. Also, if Jerry and Stephen, who profess they wanted a championship, would have signed Amari when they traded for him and extended Dak last year. If both Dak and Amari were signed, you would not be worried about a young RB holding out. Cowboys would not have problems with salary cap or signing any future stars with a QB signed, a no.1 WR signed, DE signed, and a young RB with 2 years and 2 Franchise tags in his future.

Because Jerry and Stephen waited and bought a Yacht, they created their own troubles. Once a contract is signed, you can manipulate it with upfront money and extensions to lower cap value (see all our OL). But you can not do that with unsigned players.

I truly believe that Jerry Jones is true to his word of not going after championships but "I think its a very good thing to be relevant". "I am still so damn mad. I get madder, every day, about missin' him." Manziel would "guarantee our relevance for 10 years. I'm still so damn mad at Stephen."

When Tex, Gil, Landry, and Johnson were in charge of football, the Cowboys use to get players to win championships . Tex did not trade up for Tony Dorsett to be relevant. John Wooten did not call the Steelers for Jimmy Johnson to get Emmitt Smith to be relevant. Jimmy Johnson did not trade Herschel Walker for draft picks to be relevant.

 

[erod]

I totally disagree. When the Cowboys paid Emmitt, Troy, and Irvin their 3rd and extensions/contracts, they were in their 30's with the likely hood they would not play out those contracts.

Dak, Amari, and Zeke are all below 26 years old so they will likely play out any contract signing or extension. Also, if Jerry and Stephen, who profess they wanted a championship, would have signed Amari when they traded for him and extended Dak last year. If both Dak and Amari were signed, you would not be worried about a young RB holding out. Cowboys would not have problems with salary cap or signing any future stars with a QB signed, a no.1 WR signed, DE signed, and a young RB with 2 years and 2 Franchise tags in his future.

Because Jerry and Stephen waited and bought a Yacht, they created their own troubles. Once a contract is signed, you can manipulate it with upfront money and extensions to lower cap value (see all our OL). But you can not do that with unsigned players.

I truly believe that Jerry Jones is true to his word of not going after championships but "I think its a very good thing to be relevant". "I am still so damn mad. I get madder, every day, about missin' him." Manziel would "guarantee our relevance for 10 years. I'm still so damn mad at Stephen."

When Tex, Gil, Landry, and Johnson were in charge of football, the Cowboys use to get players to win championships . Tex did not trade up for Tony Dorsett to be relevant. John Wooten did not call the Steelers for Jimmy Johnson to get Emmitt Smith to be relevant. Jimmy Johnson did not trade Herschel Walker for draft picks to be relevant.

Wow, apples and oranges.

There was no salary cap or free agency back then. Players were stuck where they were and the Cowboys didn't have to negotiate against other teams.

 

[glimmerman]

as some are suggesting, it's back to 8-8. That is what this formula gets you. Paying a few stars a ton of money always leads back to mediocrity. Especially if they're mostly on one side of the ball.

25 million this year and I think 75 next year. We should be able to sign most everyone as long as we don’t grossly over pay for a few. Which isn’t why SJ said we weren’t going to be a market setter.

 

[CouchCoach]

I totally disagree. When the Cowboys paid Emmitt, Troy, and Irvin their 3rd and extensions/contracts, they were in their 30's with the likely hood they would not play out those contracts.

Dak, Amari, and Zeke are all below 26 years old so they will likely play out any contract signing or extension. Also, if Jerry and Stephen, who profess they wanted a championship, would have signed Amari when they traded for him and extended Dak last year. If both Dak and Amari were signed, you would not be worried about a young RB holding out. Cowboys would not have problems with salary cap or signing any future stars with a QB signed, a no.1 WR signed, DE signed, and a young RB with 2 years and 2 Franchise tags in his future.

Because Jerry and Stephen waited and bought a Yacht, they created their own troubles. Once a contract is signed, you can manipulate it with upfront money and extensions to lower cap value (see all our OL). But you can not do that with unsigned players.

I truly believe that Jerry Jones is true to his word of not going after championships but "I think its a very good thing to be relevant". "I am still so damn mad. I get madder, every day, about missin' him." Manziel would "guarantee our relevance for 10 years. I'm still so damn mad at Stephen."

When Tex, Gil, Landry, and Johnson were in charge of football, the Cowboys use to get players to win championships . Tex did not trade up for Tony Dorsett to be relevant. John Wooten did not call the Steelers for Jimmy Johnson to get Emmitt Smith to be relevant. Jimmy Johnson did not trade Herschel Walker for draft picks to be relevant.

You are forgetting two things. Prescott was coming off a poor second half of the season, why would they extend him? If they hadn't traded for Cooper, they might not even be talking contract with Prescott as he started 2018 just like he ended 2017. Why would they extend Cooper, if they didn't know he could be the guy? He wasn't their first choice, they tried to sign Watkins and failed. OAK was willing to trade him for a reason, he led the NFL in drops for two seasons and would disappear, I know I played DFS a lot back then.

The Cowboys are looking at making 3 O players top 5 paid at their position and only 1 can even be mentioned in the top 5 at their position. If any team is going to do that, the QB better be a top 5 or make OL the top 5 paid, if deserving. But, the Cowboys throw in 3 OL in the top 6 paid at their position with a FA coming up this next off season.

 

[Diehardblues]

You are forgetting two things. Prescott was coming off a poor second half of the season, why would they extend him? If they hadn't traded for Cooper, they might not even be talking contract with Prescott as he started 2018 just like he ended 2017. Why would they extend Cooper, if they didn't know he could be the guy? He wasn't their first choice, they tried to sign Watkins and failed. OAK was willing to trade him for a reason, he led the NFL in drops for two seasons and would disappear, I know I played DFS a lot back then.

The Cowboys are looking at making 3 O players top 5 paid at their position and only 1 can even be mentioned in the top 5 at their position. If any team is going to do that, the QB better be a top 5 or make OL the top 5 paid, if deserving. But, the Cowboys throw in 3 OL in the top 6 paid at their position with a FA coming up this next off season.

Ultimately the mistake in this equation is paying our QB top 5 money since he needs so much supporting cast. If he was closer to Top 5 talent then doesn’t need all the supporting cast. Unfortunately this isn’t a popular dilemma we face.

I’d imagine since Jerry is a follow the ball type GM and covets his QB he’s going to do everything to prop him up and make due with the defense. That will keep the butts in the seats, sell jerseys maintaining some relevance and hope for the fringe fans.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I do give him credit and McClay assembles the board, he does not pick. You saw that in the 3rd round from the war room when he stayed with McClay's board and took McGovern instead of trading down, which it looked like his son wanted to do.

Ya know, I suspect every team has a guy like McClay on board and just doesn't make it public to draw attention to him.

For some reason, some posters just can't give Booger credit for changing and learning. He changed those voices he was listening to because he's always had those guys to help advise him. He did not learn to change as much as he changed to learn.

No question that McClay is valuable to him, which is why he probably makes what other GM's make but more importantly, Booger listens to him because he trusts him. I believe it was McClay that started Bryant out the door.

Naw I’m not giving Jerry credit. I’m not naive enough to believe it’s McClay alone but he’s not scouting these guys. Jerry is being fed information by the actual people doing the work.