Explain to me why we are cheap

foofighters

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I’m just a simple man.

The Cowboys are the richest team in the NFL……but we are cheap

What are we saving this cap space for?
It's not that we are cheap. We are afraid. It's easier for the Jones boys to toe the line of safety because they know that every year the media will hype this team up which then gets fans excited and jersey sales start flying. It's a formula that they don't want to mess with because in the end, this is a business first.
 

dckid

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What cap space? The Cowboys spend right up to the cap every year..
Man @RonnieT24 I just don't understand you at all. I know you are a Dak apologist but stop being a Jerry & Stephen guy.
How can our fanbase not see the clown show that is this organization?
All team's reach the salary cap floor, that is never the problem. If you actually look at dollars spent per year Cowboys are usually near the bottom.

Please see this article on CBS sportsline.
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...ce-2016-why-cash-trumps-cap-new-cba-and-more/
 

kskboys

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Easy answer. They are confused. They've tried big spending, didn't work. They've tried mid range and cheap FA's. Didn't work.

The Problem: Extremely poor player evaluation skills.

The one thing that would fix this is what they refuse to do: Get a football man in charge. Neither is anywhere near football saavy enough to manage personnel decisions at the NFL level.
 

pansophy

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Who are the recent big price free agents -- for any team -- that earned their contract? I believe that is a short list. We traded a 1st and spent big dollars on Cooper and that didn't work out long enough to justify a 1st rounder.
 

gimmesix

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I’m just a simple man.

The Cowboys are the richest team in the NFL……but we are cheap

What are we saving this cap space for?

Philosophical change. The Cowboys went out in 2012 and signed one of the most expensive free agent corners on the market, Brandon Carr. While Carr was a better corner than he's given credit for being, the Joneses didn't believe he was worth the contract they gave him. Looking at a few other big contracts they had rewarded that didn't pay dividends as far as winning goes, they changed philosophies. Carr was the tipping point.

What they decided is that the return on investment for entering the NFL free agency feeding frenzy was not worth it. You pay higher prices because everyone is after the best players on the market and you don't always know what you are getting for the cost. They decided it was better to pay players they know fit with the team (i.e. their own) than invest in players they don't know.

They are not cheap. Look at the contracts they gave Elliott (highest for a running back at the time), Lawrence (among the top-paid DEs at that time) and Prescott (one of the top-paid QBs at the time). They just decided it was best to fill gaps in the roster with cheap FAs and then try to upgrade the roster through the draft.

The plan is an overreaction by the Joneses (as always) and is flawed since teams have shown that free agency can be used to help teams reach Super Bowls. What the Joneses' problem was is that they were overpaying for needs in free agency, giving big contracts to maybe the best player at a position of need but not the best available free agents. They needed to be going after difference-makers. Instead, they just gave up on the whole thing and now shop in the discount aisle hoping to find a bargain.
 

KingintheNorth

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I’m just a simple man.

The Cowboys are the richest team in the NFL……but we are cheap

What are we saving this cap space for?

When Stephen was a young man, finishing college, he asked his Dad if he could have an allowance. His father, who used to risk-it-all and try to sign free agents, said " Sure Son, your allowance is whatever cap room we have left over each year."

Stephen responded " Hold my beer!" and has been holding this team back for close to three decades.
 

kskboys

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Philosophical change. The Cowboys went out in 2012 and signed one of the most expensive free agent corners on the market, Brandon Carr. While Carr was a better corner than he's given credit for being, the Joneses didn't believe he was worth the contract they gave him. Looking at a few other big contracts they had rewarded that didn't pay dividends as far as winning goes, they changed philosophies. Carr was the tipping point.

What they decided is that the return on investment for entering the NFL free agency feeding frenzy was not worth it. You pay higher prices because everyone is after the best players on the market and you don't always know what you are getting for the cost. They decided it was better to pay players they know fit with the team (i.e. their own) than invest in players they don't know.

They are not cheap. Look at the contracts they gave Elliott (highest for a running back at the time), Lawrence (among the top-paid DEs at that time) and Prescott (one of the top-paid QBs at the time). They just decided it was best to fill gaps in the roster with cheap FAs and then try to upgrade the roster through the draft.

The plan is an overreaction by the Joneses (as always) and is flawed since teams have shown that free agency can be used to help teams reach Super Bowls. What the Joneses' problem was is that they were overpaying for needs in free agency, giving big contracts to maybe the best player at a position of need but not the best available free agents. They needed to be going after difference-makers. Instead, they just gave up on the whole thing and now shop in the discount aisle hoping to find a bargain.
Mostly agree, except I don't think they have a philosophy!!
 

LittleD

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They have a philosophy. It's about maximizing their shareholder value while keeping the fans just viewing and buying enough. As long as they can beat up on their division, Jerry is making money, buying other business and keeping the media coming back to make more money. They only pay about 10-12 players real money and keep the others working for vet min. That's how it's done.
 

stuckindc

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A lot changed when Stephen took over. After years of Jerry blowing the cap, Stephen took over managing it. IMO the Patriots approach during that time had a significant impact on how Stephen approaches the cap and player management. New England never over paid for players and always signed vets for minimal contracts. They primarily built through the draft and did not chase players in FA. Essentially the exact opposite of Jerry's approach.
With the Gigantic caveat of two things: Bill Bellichek and Tom Brady.
 

Jarntt

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We save our cap space to resign our own players because our "brain trust" always thinks we are just one player or one good break away...
 

viman96

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With the Gigantic caveat of two things: Bill Bellichek and Tom Brady.

IMO that is irrelevant if SJ was following their methods from the 2000s. I know it matters in the real world and results but I only providing an opinion on SJ's approach.
 

coult44

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I’m just a simple man.

The Cowboys are the richest team in the NFL……but we are cheap

What are we saving this cap space for?

Simple answer man. Jerry and SJ have got rich being the cheapest guys in the league. It really is as easy as that.
 

gimmesix

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Mostly agree, except I don't think they have a philosophy!!

It's there, just most fans choose not to believe it because it makes them feel better about the front office incompetence or allows them to paint Jerry as completely clueless. Jerry and Stephen have both commented on their philosophy over the years since they made the decision and it's not hard to follow the money. I just think fans can't believe their eyes so they'd rather close them to what's going on.
 

Whyjerry

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Easy to do with Tom Brady

we don’t have Tom Brady

Because Sonny Boy fashions himself as a financial guru. It’s his calling card and what he tells himself to be worthy of his louse Daddy.
 

Whirlwin

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CowboysZone DIEHARD Fan
I’m just a simple man.

The Cowboys are the richest team in the NFL……but we are cheap

What are we saving this cap space for?
I don’t think the Cowboys are cheap. I just don’t think they know how to spend money.
 
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