2017 Free Agents. Decisions

[sweetness0986]

I want Mo, Leary, Durant, Church, Wilcox, Sanchez.

Mo on a short term deal.

I know Leary is doubtful but look how nice that depth turned out this year. Agree with others who want to try out Collins in place of Free and keep Leary.

Sanchez has vet experience and has clearly built a bond with Dak. I've seen enough from Kellen.

Butler/Williams - I'm not in love with either but we would need viable replacements. Would be interested in a trade for a WR and drafting a new prospect this year.

Church and Wilcox have done their jobs. Wilcox hits so hard. Would like to see both of these guys return.

 

[JoeyBoy718]

Here are the defensive players currently under contract for next season.

DL
DE DeMarcus Lawrence (24/25 April)
DE Benson Mayowa (25/26 Aug))
DE Charles Tapper (23/24 May)
DT Tyrone Crawford (27/28 Nov)
DT Cedric Thornton (28/29 June)
DT Maliek Collins (21/22 April)
DT David Irving (23/24 Aug)

Suspension: Randy Gregory (24/25 Nov)

LB
Sean Lee (30/31 July)
Jaylon Smith (21/22 June)
Damien Wilson (23/24 May)
Anthony Hitchens (24/25 June)
Mark Nzeocha (27)
Kyle Wilber (27/28 April)

Suspension: Rolando McClain (27/28 July)

CB
Orlando Scandrick (30)
Anthony Brown (23/24 Dec)
Leon McFadden (26/27 April)

S
Byron Jones (24/25 Sept)
Kavon Frazier (22/23 Aug)
Jeff Heath (25/26 May)

Current Practice Squad players DE Zach Moore, LB Jeremiah George and CB Sammy Seamster will all likely sign Futures contracts following this season and return next year. I don't expect any of them to challenge for a spot on the 53, though.



Hopefully, this gets worked out. The team likes Mo' and he likes being here.


Let Anthony Brown and Orlando Scandrick compete for the starting job. I'd like to keep Claiborne and churn Brandon Carr in favor of a younger player. Draft the position and sign as many undrafted CBs as possible.


Barry Church is a veteran leader on defense and the odds on favorite to return over fellow free agent to be J.J. Wilcox. Drafting a young SS to compete for a spot and a developmental FS in the later rounds to do the same would be nice.


Bring it!


Already starting to bring it!


Agreed.

I don't care about his contract or his stats. Tyrone Crawford is a good player. We need to keep good players. Craw can compete with Maliek Collins to start at UT, both will play a ton of snaps no matter who "starts."


Dallas already paid Cedric Thornton at NT, so Terrell McClain probably walks.


I've got 4 with McClain leaving. Thornton, Crawford, Collins and David Irving. I want my 5th DT to be a draft pick or maybe an undrafted free agent or a young waiver claim. A youngster with legit upside.


Love to!

Maybe even two free agents and a draft pick.


That's the plan, I hope. We've already seen what DeMarcus Lawrence can do when a real DE is on the other side of the line. I'll be ecstatic if Charles Tapper can become our 3rd or 4th end and bring some juice from either side as a reserve.


I expect it's line one in every fans off-season plan, no matter if they have started thinking that far ahead yet or not.

I can live with losing T. McClain. I think we should make en effort to bring him back if he's cheap, but I don't think we should overpay a guy who was injured the majority of his time here. I know the same could be said for Claiborne, but I think Claiborne has shown that he is an elite talent when healthy, unlike T. McClain. I could live with Collins, T. Crawford, Thornton and Irving on the inside. I think that's where the 4 of them play best anyway. Wouldn't mind seeing a starting duo of T. Craw at the 3 and Collins at the 1, with Irving backing up the 3 and Thornton backing up the 1. But it really doesn't matter who starts, as long as we have 4 quality guys. We just need 4 quality guys on the edge too. Currently (with T. Craw and Irving moving back inside in this scenario), we really only have one quality guy in Lawrence. The only other guys on the roster are Mayowa and Tapper. If we properly addressed the position, Mayowa might not even make the team. Tapper can be like an extra draft pick if he manages to get healthy. But it's hard to trust a guy who missed his entire rookie season with a mysterious injury and seems to have no timetable to return. We really need another veteran to start on the weak side across from Lawrence. Then we need 1-2 more guys via free agency or the draft. Hopefully Tapper can backup one side so that we can draft a DE in the 1st round to backup the other side.

TL;DR
Here's what I hope to see in 2017:

RDE - Veteran FA, 1st round pick
3DT - T. Crawford, Irving
1DT - Collins, Thornton
LDE - Lawrence, Tapper

 

[Kaiser]

We already have 4 DTs, Ty Crawford, Ced Thornton, Mal Collins and David Irving. Adding a young NT to groom behind Thornton would be peaches.

I'm sure we will draft more DL and also draft the late round projects like we did with Rico Gathers at TE and Darius Jackson at RB.

But I do think we resign Terrell McClain and Jack Crawford, both are good depth at an affordable cost who fit Marinelli's scheme.

I see Jack Crawford as backing up 3T and SDE but who knows. I see Tyrone Crawford staying at SDE and Irving backing up several positions, but they will obviously plug both guys in where they are needed - like they did moving Crawford outside in the first place.

I think they target another edge rusher in FA, they will have plenty of money. Likely not a big splashy signing but a good pass rush guy even if they have to overpay.

Then take DL where you get value in the draft, but they head into the draft with these players -

DT - Collins, Thornton, McClain, Irving, J. Crawford

DE - DLaw, Free Agent, T. Crawford, Tapper, Ryan Davis (Mayowa comes to camp but is cut unless he makes dramatic improvement)

 

[Bluefin]

If we properly addressed the position, Mayowa might not even make the team.

Tapper can be like an extra draft pick if he manages to get healthy. But it's hard to trust a guy who missed his entire rookie season with a mysterious injury and seems to have no timetable to return.

We really need another veteran to start on the weak side across from Lawrence. Then we need 1-2 more guys via free agency or the draft. Hopefully Tapper can backup one side so that we can draft a DE in the 1st round to backup the other side.

Here's what I hope to see in 2017:

RDE - Veteran FA, 1st round pick
3DT - T. Crawford, Irving
1DT - Collins, Thornton
LDE - Lawrence, Tapper

You might as well have pulled the words right out of my mind.

Benson Mayowa may definitely find himself on the bubble next summer. Bring in some competition and settle things on the field.

Charles Tapper, if healthy, could start developing into a nice wave player as a reserve playing both sides.

I've wondered if they might consider starting Maliek Collins at NT beside Tyrone Crawford at UT. As you said, it won't matter who the starters are, both are going to play the most snaps on the inside even if Cedric Thornton is "starting."

RDE: Veteran FA, early draft pick, Benson Mayowa/TBD
NT: Cedric Thornton, rookie draft pick/college FA
UT: Tyrone Crawford, Maliek Collins, David Irving
LDE: DeMarcus Lawrence, Charles Tapper

Go 10 deep on the DL and have a few more youngsters incubating on the Practice Squad.

 

[Bluefin]

But I do think we resign Terrell McClain and Jack Crawford, both are good depth at an affordable cost who fit Marinelli's scheme.

It's possible.

However, both players are 28 years old. So is Cedric Thornton. All will turn 29 by September.

Add an older free agent DE and the group is getting long in the tooth.

That can work, but I'd prefer to churn Terrell McClain, Jack Crawford and Ryan Davis (27) with Benson Mayowa on the bubble.

Mix in more youth.

McClain isn't really needed with Tyrone Crawford, Maliek Collins, Cedric Thornton and David Irving. Try to find a young DT to groom, instead.

Nothing against JCraw, he was a decent pick up, but I just don't see a spot for him next year.

Davis needs to be replaced by a better player.

 

[Kaiser]

That can work, but I'd prefer to churn Terrell McClain, Jack Crawford and Ryan Davis (27) with Benson Mayowa on the bubble.

I would bring all of them back plus the draft picks. To borrow a phrase, "Draft 'em all and let Rod sort them out".

 

[Bluefin]

I would bring all of them back plus the draft picks. To borrow a phrase, "Draft 'em all and let Rod sort them out".

Understandable.

But the team is serious about churning the roster every year in an effort to get better players with the draft as their primary resource.

Right now, there are 38 players on the entire roster (active, IR, NFI, PUP, Susp, PS) who are age 26 or older.

25 of the players are in danger of being replaced.

Some will stick around, some need to.

But more than half of those 25 won't be back.

Rookies and new free agent signings will see to it.

The 2017 roster is going to have upwards of 30 players age 25 and younger legitimately competing for a spot.

 

[Kaiser]

But the team is serious about churning the roster every year in an effort to get better players with the draft as their primary resource.

I'm not saying we shouldn't churn, I'm saying the churn should happen in competition in Training Camp. I would have the churn at the cuts at the end of Preseason.

 

[BAT]

Are you being sarcastic?

Drug suspension, love life is a circus, not towing the Garrett homilies by complaining of his demotion, placing his individual goals over greater good of the team.

 

[T-RO]

Benson Mayowa may definitely find himself on the bubble next summer. Bring in some competition and settle things on the field.

Mayowa's contract is 75% locked in! $3.3 mil of his contract is guaranteed and he had a $3.3 mil signing bonus spread over 3 years. Player has huge leverage.

He will almost certainly be in a Cowboy uniform unless he is 50 pounds overweight or doing purple drank.

 

[T-RO]

Drug suspension, love life is a circus, not towing the Garrett homilies by complaining of his demotion, placing his individual goals over greater good of the team.

Scandrick is a very good player dude...and since when does a guy's love life have anything to do with anything?

Garrett will handle Scandrick just fine. You want a guy to want to play. He had an OUTSTANDING game Thursday btw in case you didn't notice.

We would owe Scandrick $6mil in dead money, have only 1 cornerback under contract! There is no way in hell the Cowboys spend 5 seconds thinking of cutting Scandrick.

 

[T-RO]

I would bring all of them back plus the draft picks. To borrow a phrase, "Draft 'em all and let Rod sort them out".

Bizarre statement. No teams do that. No GM throws around signing bonuses and guaranteed money on guys likely to churn during roster cuts....that is throwing away cap money.

You sort it out as best you can before you start giving people money.

 

[Longboysfan]

I think a lot will depend for MO if he comes back and plays well this year.

Then it's an incentive deal to stay on the field for him by the Cowboys.

Another team may just give him the $ up front.

 

[John813]

I think Leary will walk.

We knew how Leary played in 14. Yet when we signed Collins we plugged him at guard right away. IMO they don't see Collins as a Tackle.

Collins has one more year of a dirt cheap salary and well he still oozes potential. Another year in the offseason and hopefully he can continue to improve his game.

I'll be curious to see what they do with the SS spot. Do they let both guys walk, or re-sign one of them?
Same with Mo, what do we do with our 2012 pick who has turned into a starter but can't stay healthy?

 

[DeaconMoss]

At WR, I think T-Will will get overpaid by another team. Look what some FA WR's got last off-season.

Allen Hurns 4 years/40 mil....gross.
Marvin Jones 5 year/40 mil
Mohamed Sanu 5 years/32 mil

I bet we could get Brice Butler back reallllly cheap. I wouldn't mind Butler as the #2 and drafting a WR to groom as the eventual #2. Dak and Butler have shown to have good chemistry in limited opportunities for Butler.

400 yards and 2 tds, most of this came without Dez and hime being the #1 WR. i dont see him being a prized FA for any team

 

[JBell]

400 yards and 2 tds, most of this came without Dez and hime being the #1 WR. i dont see him being a prized FA for any team

Sanu got his contract coming off of a 36 reception, 394 yard, 0 TD year in 2015. Marvin Jones' 2015 wasn't anything special either: 800 yards receving and 4 TD's.

 

[Clarkson]

Leary is 100% gone.
I think Mo comes back on a 1-yr deal.
McClain is probably gone.
Jack Crawford - see yah buddy.
I'd like Butler back, but T-Will is probably gone.

 

[Nightman]

Leary is 100% gone.
I think Mo comes back on a 1-yr deal.
McClain is probably gone.
Jack Crawford - see yah buddy.
I'd like Butler back, but T-Will is probably gone.

Succinct and confident......I like it

 

[slomoxn]

I saw a mock draft the other day that had the Cowboys drafting Alabama TE OJ Howard with the 32nd pick. Said it may not be a 1st rd De at that pick and Howard is clearly the best TE in the draft and would take the Cowboys offense to a new level. I thought it was interesting, He could be Witten's replacement.

NO,NO,NOOOOOOOOOOOOO,NONONONO!!! NO

Defense, enough with tight ends.

 

[Kaiser]

Bizarre statement. No teams do that. No GM throws around signing bonuses and guaranteed money on guys likely to churn during roster cuts....that is throwing away cap money.

You sort it out as best you can before you start giving people money.

That's nonsense. McClain only has 300K of guaranteed money and he probably has been our best DL this year. He is exactly the kind of guy posters here called to be cut but Dallas brought him to camp. Jack Crawford only has 250K of guaranteed money, which is half of what we pay some Practice Squad players.