A few random thoughts from Verdict

[Verdict]

How you view this situation depends on part on how this issue is framed. For instance if I were to say “Do you want to mortgage the future and invest in a QB that has proven that can’t win in the playoffs” that doesn’t sound nearly as enticing. Lol.

I’m on the fence with Dak. The issue isn’t is Dak good enough to be our qb (I’d lean toward YES, he is). The question is can we win with a limited QB (Dak clearly is limited) while paying Dak to be the best QB in football? (I think that’s a clear NO).

If Dak wants the Cowboys to back up the brinks truck for him and pay him as a top 5 QB I would not do that. It serves no purpose. It ensures mediocrity.

If the Cowboys KEEP DAK they MUST either mortgage their future for a short window OR they have to liquidate talent for picks and go cheap on the rest of the team and hope to catch lightning in a bottle there.

I would be happy to win a SB with Dak, I just don’t see it happening.

I think the odds are better of winning a SB are better by moving on from Dak than keeping Dak over the longer haul, even though the odds might be slightly better for a year or two with Dak at the helm. I don’t think Dak is the man to get the job done. Sorry, I want to believe—I just don’t.

 

[Chasing6]

How you view this situation depends on part on how this issue is framed. For instance if I were to say “Do you want to mortgage the future and invest in a QB that has proven that can’t win in the playoffs” that doesn’t sound nearly as enticing. Lol.

I’m on the fence with Dak. The issue isn’t is Dak good enough to be our qb (I’d lean toward YES, he is). The question is can we win with a limited QB (Dak clearly is limited) while paying Dak to be the best QB in football? (I think that’s a clear NO).

If Dak wants the Cowboys to back up the brinks truck for him and pay him as a top 5 QB I would not do that. It serves no purpose. It ensures mediocrity.

If the Cowboys KEEP DAK they MUST either mortgage their future for a short window OR they have to liquidate talent for picks and go cheap on the rest of the team and hope to catch lightning in a bottle there.

I would be happy to win a SB with Dak, I just don’t see it happening.

I think the odds are better of winning a SB are better by moving on from Dak than keeping Dak over the longer haul, even though the odds might be slightly better for a year or two with Dak at the helm. I don’t think Dak is the man to get the job done. Sorry, I want to believe—I just don’t.

Or you can view that Dallas as not put a complete team together and have been expecting him to overcome those deficiencies.

 

[Verdict]

Or you can view that Dallas as not put a complete team together and have been expecting him to overcome those deficiencies.

What facts lead you to that conclusion?

 

[Chasing6]

What facts lead you to that conclusion?

How about the Wild Card Game. Did you see our defense?

 

[Creeper]

1. The Cowboys organization has plenty of things that fans rightly have angst over, (and to be critical of) but they are not nearly as inept as many make them out to be.

2. Every off season season contains a myriad of crossroads and infinite possibilities. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they won’t. Sometimes a plan of action falls apart due to no fault of the Cowboys.

3. My biggest complaint of the Cowboys is the tendency to overpay their own, overestimate talent that exists on the team, and a failure to move on from players.

4. Dak is the most polarizing player on the Cowboys right now, and the Cowboys have multiple options with how to approach this issue. There are merits and detractions with each option available. Having said that it is THE most overarching crossroads that the Cowboys can have major implications on the team going forward.

5. The salary cap is a real thing. Hard decisions will have to be made with CeeDee, Dak, Parsons, Diggs, and all of the top 10 contracts on the team.

6. It’s not going to be possible to pay everyone what many will call “market value”.

7. Just because the market dictates what a player can command on the open market does not mean that it is a sound move for the Cowboys to pay that player market value to keep said player.

8. I DO NOT believe that going all in (leveraging the future cap to fit players in this year) is the way to go. I do not believe that the Cowboys will do that in spite of Jerry saying that.

9. I think that unless Dak is moved (trade, walks in free agency) you have to move on from some of the top 10 players. (Diggs, Martin, Cee Dee, Parsons, etc) or have no depth to speak of. I think this is where the Cowboys are weighing options right now. Hard decisions have to be made.

10. I think think the worst possible scenario regarding Dak is to pay him mega deal money going forward. ($60M+ per year). He’s just not worth that IMHO.

11. When a player has you over a barrel regarding market value/contract numbers, at some point you have to take the barrel instead of paying the player.

12. The margin for error is greater (more forgiving) when risk is spread over a larger area. For instance a player like Parsons (who is going to probably be the largest contract ever for a defensive player) carries inordinate risk, because all of your eggs are in one basket. That player has to continue to perform at a hall of fame level for the duration of that contract to have any chance at breaking even. Even then, the contract price might not be worth it.

If you trade Parsons for say two first round picks (and change) you should get two starters that you have control over for 5 years at less than Parson’s contract would have cost you. Even though no one player replaces Parson’s skill level, maybe two players can accomplish more than Parsons could by himself. You also spread out risk of injury derailing your team and your salary cap.

13. We need to stick with BPA drafting. When we have deviated from that approach and targeted a position (Taco, Joseph, etc) we have historically screwed the proverbial pooch.

14. There is no sure fire formula to the draft, but it would be really nice to move back a few picks and to accumulate picks in this draft. I know we need to fill holes but forcing picks to fill holes does zero for the team in the long run.

15. This team needs to be playing the longer term vision for the team. A tough assessment needs to be made for this team and an honest evaluation of what it is going to take to get this team over the hump.

16. If the team is going to keep Dak as a core piece and pay him accordingly then the team needs to look at the possibility of trading one or more of CeeDee, Parsons, Diggs and Bland for picks at the appropriate time. Each one of these players is worth at least a first round pick and more.

17. If you get two first round picks for Cee Dee, Parsons and/or Diggs you should theoretically be able to replace the said player and fill another hole and keep your cap in relative order.

18. I am not saying trade away all of our great players or any of them, but if you keep Dak you sacrifice one or more of those players and team depth. That’s just the way it is.

19. If I had my way I would move on from Dak and try to make the most of the assets on hand whether via extending them, or swapping them for draft picks and/or players and moving forward.

#3 is it, as others have said. And it is a major contradiction with their philosophy that day 1 free agents are over paid. We won't pay an impact DT because it is too much money but we will overpay a RB like Zeke for who knows why?

At the same time, Jerry says he would rather sign 3 good players as free agents (I challenge the word good) than 1 top tier who gets paid too much. But he will pay Dak far more than he is worth, and potentially sign CeeDee to a record breaking contract. On this point, maybe Jerry is on to something. As good as CeeDee is, is it better to sign him to a $30 million contract, or get a couple of good receivers for the same money? If you have a balanced offense, you do not need on super star WR, IMO. If you pay CeeDee $30 million then you feel compelled to get him the ball all the time to earn his money, but I prefer an offense that spreads the ball around.

If CeeDee wants to break the bank then I say trade him now and use the draft to find a replacement.

 

[kskboys]

How about the Wild Card Game. Did you see our defense?

Very well said.

 

[Chuck 54]

#4 - Dak is polarizing for fans, not for ownership, coaches, or teammates.

 

[Chasing6]

#4 - Dak is polarizing for fans, not for ownership, coaches, or teammates.

Only for 30% of our fans.

 

[Verdict]

#3 is it, as others have said. And it is a major contradiction with their philosophy that day 1 free agents are over paid. We won't pay an impact DT because it is too much money but we will overpay a RB like Zeke for who knows why?

At the same time, Jerry says he would rather sign 3 good players as free agents (I challenge the word good) than 1 top tier who gets paid too much. But he will pay Dak far more than he is worth, and potentially sign CeeDee to a record breaking contract. On this point, maybe Jerry is on to something. As good as CeeDee is, is it better to sign him to a $30 million contract, or get a couple of good receivers for the same money? If you have a balanced offense, you do not need on super star WR, IMO. If you pay CeeDee $30 million then you feel compelled to get him the ball all the time to earn his money, but I prefer an offense that spreads the ball around.

If CeeDee wants to break the bank then I say trade him now and use the draft to find a replacement.

To further this thought, it’s not just that Dak is taking up a huge chunk of the salary cap at $60m cap hit. It’s that you are paying a decent/good player to be the best at his position.

If Dak is 75 percent of what Mahomes is he should, from a cap perspective, be paid far less than Mahomes.

Dak is probably not going to get any better than he already is. If Dak’s going to win a SB he is probably going to have to get carried there by the team around him. You can’t build that team with his curret cap hit and it not wreck the cap going forward.

 

[Chasing6]

#3 is it, as others have said. And it is a major contradiction with their philosophy that day 1 free agents are over paid. We won't pay an impact DT because it is too much money but we will overpay a RB like Zeke for who knows why?

At the same time, Jerry says he would rather sign 3 good players as free agents (I challenge the word good) than 1 top tier who gets paid too much. But he will pay Dak far more than he is worth, and potentially sign CeeDee to a record breaking contract. On this point, maybe Jerry is on to something. As good as CeeDee is, is it better to sign him to a $30 million contract, or get a couple of good receivers for the same money? If you have a balanced offense, you do not need on super star WR, IMO. If you pay CeeDee $30 million then you feel compelled to get him the ball all the time to earn his money, but I prefer an offense that spreads the ball around.

If CeeDee wants to break the bank then I say trade him now and use the draft to find a replacement.

GM Jeruh, likes to pay back players who over played their rookie contracts. So he over pays them, on their new contract.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Agree, except 13. Taco was BPA.

Bosa.

Taco was a consensus Best Player of Need and Scheme Fit. He wasn't a reach in that sense.
But Bosa was BPA.

Ironically, Bosa would have been the classic Jerry pick. Upside uber alles.

I think Taco was a classic "it's the DC's turn" pick. The DL Whisperer wanted Taco, and probably largely because Taco's character issues would need Marinelli to play DL Whisperer to get past them.

 

[xwalker]

1. The Cowboys organization has plenty of things that fans rightly have angst over, (and to be critical of) but they are not nearly as inept as many make them out to be.

2. Every off season season contains a myriad of crossroads and infinite possibilities. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they won’t. Sometimes a plan of action falls apart due to no fault of the Cowboys.

3. My biggest complaint of the Cowboys is the tendency to overpay their own, overestimate talent that exists on the team, and a failure to move on from players.

4. Dak is the most polarizing player on the Cowboys right now, and the Cowboys have multiple options with how to approach this issue. There are merits and detractions with each option available. Having said that it is THE most overarching crossroads that the Cowboys can have major implications on the team going forward.

5. The salary cap is a real thing. Hard decisions will have to be made with CeeDee, Dak, Parsons, Diggs, and all of the top 10 contracts on the team.

6. It’s not going to be possible to pay everyone what many will call “market value”.

7. Just because the market dictates what a player can command on the open market does not mean that it is a sound move for the Cowboys to pay that player market value to keep said player.

8. I DO NOT believe that going all in (leveraging the future cap to fit players in this year) is the way to go. I do not believe that the Cowboys will do that in spite of Jerry saying that.

9. I think that unless Dak is moved (trade, walks in free agency) you have to move on from some of the top 10 players. (Diggs, Martin, Cee Dee, Parsons, etc) or have no depth to speak of. I think this is where the Cowboys are weighing options right now. Hard decisions have to be made.

10. I think think the worst possible scenario regarding Dak is to pay him mega deal money going forward. ($60M+ per year). He’s just not worth that IMHO.

11. When a player has you over a barrel regarding market value/contract numbers, at some point you have to take the barrel instead of paying the player.

12. The margin for error is greater (more forgiving) when risk is spread over a larger area. For instance a player like Parsons (who is going to probably be the largest contract ever for a defensive player) carries inordinate risk, because all of your eggs are in one basket. That player has to continue to perform at a hall of fame level for the duration of that contract to have any chance at breaking even. Even then, the contract price might not be worth it.

If you trade Parsons for say two first round picks (and change) you should get two starters that you have control over for 5 years at less than Parson’s contract would have cost you. Even though no one player replaces Parson’s skill level, maybe two players can accomplish more than Parsons could by himself. You also spread out risk of injury derailing your team and your salary cap.

13. We need to stick with BPA drafting. When we have deviated from that approach and targeted a position (Taco, Joseph, etc) we have historically screwed the proverbial pooch.

14. There is no sure fire formula to the draft, but it would be really nice to move back a few picks and to accumulate picks in this draft. I know we need to fill holes but forcing picks to fill holes does zero for the team in the long run.

15. This team needs to be playing the longer term vision for the team. A tough assessment needs to be made for this team and an honest evaluation of what it is going to take to get this team over the hump.

16. If the team is going to keep Dak as a core piece and pay him accordingly then the team needs to look at the possibility of trading one or more of CeeDee, Parsons, Diggs and Bland for picks at the appropriate time. Each one of these players is worth at least a first round pick and more.

17. If you get two first round picks for Cee Dee, Parsons and/or Diggs you should theoretically be able to replace the said player and fill another hole and keep your cap in relative order.

18. I am not saying trade away all of our great players or any of them, but if you keep Dak you sacrifice one or more of those players and team depth. That’s just the way it is.

19. If I had my way I would move on from Dak and try to make the most of the assets on hand whether via extending them, or swapping them for draft picks and/or players and moving forward.

I call that a really well thought out post, not random...

 

[Floatyworm]

1. The Cowboys organization has plenty of things that fans rightly have angst over, (and to be critical of) but they are not nearly as inept as many make them out to be.

2. Every off season season contains a myriad of crossroads and infinite possibilities. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they won’t. Sometimes a plan of action falls apart due to no fault of the Cowboys.

3. My biggest complaint of the Cowboys is the tendency to overpay their own, overestimate talent that exists on the team, and a failure to move on from players.

4. Dak is the most polarizing player on the Cowboys right now, and the Cowboys have multiple options with how to approach this issue. There are merits and detractions with each option available. Having said that it is THE most overarching crossroads that the Cowboys can have major implications on the team going forward.

5. The salary cap is a real thing. Hard decisions will have to be made with CeeDee, Dak, Parsons, Diggs, and all of the top 10 contracts on the team.

6. It’s not going to be possible to pay everyone what many will call “market value”.

7. Just because the market dictates what a player can command on the open market does not mean that it is a sound move for the Cowboys to pay that player market value to keep said player.

8. I DO NOT believe that going all in (leveraging the future cap to fit players in this year) is the way to go. I do not believe that the Cowboys will do that in spite of Jerry saying that.

9. I think that unless Dak is moved (trade, walks in free agency) you have to move on from some of the top 10 players. (Diggs, Martin, Cee Dee, Parsons, etc) or have no depth to speak of. I think this is where the Cowboys are weighing options right now. Hard decisions have to be made.

10. I think think the worst possible scenario regarding Dak is to pay him mega deal money going forward. ($60M+ per year). He’s just not worth that IMHO.

11. When a player has you over a barrel regarding market value/contract numbers, at some point you have to take the barrel instead of paying the player.

12. The margin for error is greater (more forgiving) when risk is spread over a larger area. For instance a player like Parsons (who is going to probably be the largest contract ever for a defensive player) carries inordinate risk, because all of your eggs are in one basket. That player has to continue to perform at a hall of fame level for the duration of that contract to have any chance at breaking even. Even then, the contract price might not be worth it.

If you trade Parsons for say two first round picks (and change) you should get two starters that you have control over for 5 years at less than Parson’s contract would have cost you. Even though no one player replaces Parson’s skill level, maybe two players can accomplish more than Parsons could by himself. You also spread out risk of injury derailing your team and your salary cap.

13. We need to stick with BPA drafting. When we have deviated from that approach and targeted a position (Taco, Joseph, etc) we have historically screwed the proverbial pooch.

14. There is no sure fire formula to the draft, but it would be really nice to move back a few picks and to accumulate picks in this draft. I know we need to fill holes but forcing picks to fill holes does zero for the team in the long run.

15. This team needs to be playing the longer term vision for the team. A tough assessment needs to be made for this team and an honest evaluation of what it is going to take to get this team over the hump.

16. If the team is going to keep Dak as a core piece and pay him accordingly then the team needs to look at the possibility of trading one or more of CeeDee, Parsons, Diggs and Bland for picks at the appropriate time. Each one of these players is worth at least a first round pick and more.

17. If you get two first round picks for Cee Dee, Parsons and/or Diggs you should theoretically be able to replace the said player and fill another hole and keep your cap in relative order.

18. I am not saying trade away all of our great players or any of them, but if you keep Dak you sacrifice one or more of those players and team depth. That’s just the way it is.

19. If I had my way I would move on from Dak and try to make the most of the assets on hand whether via extending them, or swapping them for draft picks and/or players and moving forward.

#9.....is the easiest decision. He sucks....should have moved on 3 years ago...

 

[Chasing6]

#9.....is the easiest decision. He sucks....should have moved on 3 years ago...

Hahahha

 

[windward]

1. The Cowboys organization has plenty of things that fans rightly have angst over, (and to be critical of) but they are not nearly as inept as many make them out to be.

2. Every off season season contains a myriad of crossroads and infinite possibilities. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they won’t. Sometimes a plan of action falls apart due to no fault of the Cowboys.

3. My biggest complaint of the Cowboys is the tendency to overpay their own, overestimate talent that exists on the team, and a failure to move on from players.

4. Dak is the most polarizing player on the Cowboys right now, and the Cowboys have multiple options with how to approach this issue. There are merits and detractions with each option available. Having said that it is THE most overarching crossroads that the Cowboys can have major implications on the team going forward.

5. The salary cap is a real thing. Hard decisions will have to be made with CeeDee, Dak, Parsons, Diggs, and all of the top 10 contracts on the team.

6. It’s not going to be possible to pay everyone what many will call “market value”.

7. Just because the market dictates what a player can command on the open market does not mean that it is a sound move for the Cowboys to pay that player market value to keep said player.

8. I DO NOT believe that going all in (leveraging the future cap to fit players in this year) is the way to go. I do not believe that the Cowboys will do that in spite of Jerry saying that.

9. I think that unless Dak is moved (trade, walks in free agency) you have to move on from some of the top 10 players. (Diggs, Martin, Cee Dee, Parsons, etc) or have no depth to speak of. I think this is where the Cowboys are weighing options right now. Hard decisions have to be made.

10. I think think the worst possible scenario regarding Dak is to pay him mega deal money going forward. ($60M+ per year). He’s just not worth that IMHO.

11. When a player has you over a barrel regarding market value/contract numbers, at some point you have to take the barrel instead of paying the player.

12. The margin for error is greater (more forgiving) when risk is spread over a larger area. For instance a player like Parsons (who is going to probably be the largest contract ever for a defensive player) carries inordinate risk, because all of your eggs are in one basket. That player has to continue to perform at a hall of fame level for the duration of that contract to have any chance at breaking even. Even then, the contract price might not be worth it.

If you trade Parsons for say two first round picks (and change) you should get two starters that you have control over for 5 years at less than Parson’s contract would have cost you. Even though no one player replaces Parson’s skill level, maybe two players can accomplish more than Parsons could by himself. You also spread out risk of injury derailing your team and your salary cap.

13. We need to stick with BPA drafting. When we have deviated from that approach and targeted a position (Taco, Joseph, etc) we have historically screwed the proverbial pooch.

14. There is no sure fire formula to the draft, but it would be really nice to move back a few picks and to accumulate picks in this draft. I know we need to fill holes but forcing picks to fill holes does zero for the team in the long run.

15. This team needs to be playing the longer term vision for the team. A tough assessment needs to be made for this team and an honest evaluation of what it is going to take to get this team over the hump.

16. If the team is going to keep Dak as a core piece and pay him accordingly then the team needs to look at the possibility of trading one or more of CeeDee, Parsons, Diggs and Bland for picks at the appropriate time. Each one of these players is worth at least a first round pick and more.

17. If you get two first round picks for Cee Dee, Parsons and/or Diggs you should theoretically be able to replace the said player and fill another hole and keep your cap in relative order.

18. I am not saying trade away all of our great players or any of them, but if you keep Dak you sacrifice one or more of those players and team depth. That’s just the way it is.

19. If I had my way I would move on from Dak and try to make the most of the assets on hand whether via extending them, or swapping them for draft picks and/or players and moving forward.

These are good points across the board. Well balanced and fair in its treatment of the team and FO.

 

[xwalker]

1. The Cowboys organization has plenty of things that fans rightly have angst over, (and to be critical of) but they are not nearly as inept as many make them out to be.

1. The Cowboys organization has plenty of things that fans rightly have angst over, (and to be critical of) but they are not nearly as inept as many make them out to be.
I think their mode of operation now is the best that it has been since Jimmy departed.

2. Every off season season contains a myriad of crossroads and infinite possibilities. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they won’t. Sometimes a plan of action falls apart due to no fault of the Cowboys.

3. My biggest complaint of the Cowboys is the tendency to overpay their own, overestimate talent that exists on the team, and a failure to move on from players.
It seems that that each of the past few years they've moved farther and farther away from the "keep players too long" model that they used a decade ago.

Zeke: They moved as soon as it was feasible within the bounds of the contract (i.e. No more guaranteed money due).

Dak: Unfortunately teams have to overpay for starting QBs and the league does not really differentiate QB pay like it does pay at other positions.
- i.e. Next starting QB up for a contract gets more than Mahomes despite none of them curreently being on Mahomes talent/success level.

4. Dak is the most polarizing player on the Cowboys right now, and the Cowboys have multiple options with how to approach this issue. There are merits and detractions with each option available. Having said that it is THE most overarching crossroads that the Cowboys can have major implications on the team going forward.
- QB normally gets the most attention, good or bad.
- Some "fans" hated Aikman back in the day.
- I would wait until March 2025 to consider re-signing Dak..
- It's not as-if they'll get a discount for signing him now. Agents don't like discounts...
- Give Trey Lance max opportunity to show that he can play in the preseason.
- i.e. Let him play with all the starters in preseason games, even if the other teams use 3rd stringers.


5. The salary cap is a real thing. Hard decisions will have to be made with CeeDee, Dak, Parsons, Diggs, and all of the top 10 contracts on the team.
Agree. Teams can over-spend some years, but the overall multi-year spending has to even out.

6. It’s not going to be possible to pay everyone what many will call “market value”.
That's why they don't spend big in free agency. CeeDee, Parsons, etc...

7. Just because the market dictates what a player can command on the open market does not mean that it is a sound move for the Cowboys to pay that player market value to keep said player.
Keep the star players...Let Biadasz types move on when the cost is 10M per for a very average player.

8. I DO NOT believe that going all in (leveraging the future cap to fit players in this year) is the way to go. I do not believe that the Cowboys will do that in spite of Jerry saying that.
Stephen runs the team. The minimum spend in free agency is not a Jerry mode of operation. The lack of mega-trades is not a Jerry method.

9. I think that unless Dak is moved (trade, walks in free agency) you have to move on from some of the top 10 players. (Diggs, Martin, Cee Dee, Parsons, etc) or have no depth to speak of. I think this is where the Cowboys are weighing options right now. Hard decisions have to be made.
- Martin. Last season was the worst of his career after the holdout.
- His salary for 2024 is 18M. This is could be his last season with the Cowboys.

10. I think think the worst possible scenario regarding Dak is to pay him mega deal money going forward. ($60M+ per year). He’s just not worth that IMHO.
We saw the 2 formulas in this past Super Bowl.
1 KC: Elite QB with limitations at other roster spots due to QB cost.
2 SF: Cheap QB allows for high quality roster with high quality depth.

Not a good formula:
- Mediocre QB with max contract...

11. When a player has you over a barrel regarding market value/contract numbers, at some point you have to take the barrel instead of paying the player.
- Pay as you good on mega-contracts.
- If they had taken cap hits equal to Dak's average salary, then they would not have an issue with accumulated money (i.e. "dead money").

12. The margin for error is greater (more forgiving) when risk is spread over a larger area. For instance a player like Parsons (who is going to probably be the largest contract ever for a defensive player) carries inordinate risk, because all of your eggs are in one basket. That player has to continue to perform at a hall of fame level for the duration of that contract to have any chance at breaking even. Even then, the contract price might not be worth it.
- It's also a huge risk NOT to keep superstars. You might end up with 3 Mazi's in place of 1 Parsons...

If you trade Parsons for say two first round picks (and change) you should get two starters that you have control over for 5 years at less than Parson’s contract would have cost you. Even though no one player replaces Parson’s skill level, maybe two players can accomplish more than Parsons could by himself. You also spread out risk of injury derailing your team and your salary cap.
- Same trade-off since the beginning of the salary cap.
- You need a certain amount of star players.

13. We need to stick with BPA drafting. When we have deviated from that approach and targeted a position (Taco, Joseph, etc) we have historically screwed the proverbial pooch.
- The Cowboys best strategy is to draft players that they're "sold on".
- Last year they debated DT vs OT due to position value, but one of their favorite players in that draft was TE Sam LaPorta.
- The Lions ended up with LaPorta and he looks like a future superstar.

- They debated internally over the Taco pick.
- Stephen Jones literally said right after that pick "We might regret not pick Watt".
- McClay wanted Watt but Marinelli wanted Taco.

- In 2022, the Tyler Smith pick was unanimous within the Cowboys draft room.
- The 1 value of Mickey Spagnola is after the draft, he often tells what really happened.

14. There is no sure fire formula to the draft, but it would be really nice to move back a few picks and to accumulate picks in this draft. I know we need to fill holes but forcing picks to fill holes does zero for the team in the long run.
- Disagree. The #1 goal should be to get a great player in the 1st round.
- When that happens, the draft is a success.
- When the 1st round pick fails, the draft is normally a fail.
- Not saying that trading down is not an option, but only if they can still get another player with a similar rating on their board.

15. This team needs to be playing the longer term vision for the team. A tough assessment needs to be made for this team and an honest evaluation of what it is going to take to get this team over the hump.
- It seems like they're trying to do that.
- A decade ago, they would just hand out mega-contracts and push the cap to the absolute max without a plan for the following seasons.

16. If the team is going to keep Dak as a core piece and pay him accordingly then the team needs to look at the possibility of trading one or more of CeeDee, Parsons, Diggs and Bland for picks at the appropriate time. Each one of these players is worth at least a first round pick and more.
- Or avoid spending in free agency...

17. If you get two first round picks for Cee Dee, Parsons and/or Diggs you should theoretically be able to replace the said player and fill another hole and keep your cap in relative order.

18. I am not saying trade away all of our great players or any of them, but if you keep Dak you sacrifice one or more of those players and team depth. That’s just the way it is.

19. If I had my way I would move on from Dak and try to make the most of the assets on hand whether via extending them, or swapping them for draft picks and/or players and moving forward.

 

[zekecowboy]

1. The Cowboys organization has plenty of things that fans rightly have angst over, (and to be critical of) but they are not nearly as inept as many make them out to be.

2. Every off season season contains a myriad of crossroads and infinite possibilities. Sometimes things work out and sometimes they won’t. Sometimes a plan of action falls apart due to no fault of the Cowboys.

3. My biggest complaint of the Cowboys is the tendency to overpay their own, overestimate talent that exists on the team, and a failure to move on from players.

4. Dak is the most polarizing player on the Cowboys right now, and the Cowboys have multiple options with how to approach this issue. There are merits and detractions with each option available. Having said that it is THE most overarching crossroads that the Cowboys can have major implications on the team going forward.

5. The salary cap is a real thing. Hard decisions will have to be made with CeeDee, Dak, Parsons, Diggs, and all of the top 10 contracts on the team.

6. It’s not going to be possible to pay everyone what many will call “market value”.

7. Just because the market dictates what a player can command on the open market does not mean that it is a sound move for the Cowboys to pay that player market value to keep said player.

8. I DO NOT believe that going all in (leveraging the future cap to fit players in this year) is the way to go. I do not believe that the Cowboys will do that in spite of Jerry saying that.

9. I think that unless Dak is moved (trade, walks in free agency) you have to move on from some of the top 10 players. (Diggs, Martin, Cee Dee, Parsons, etc) or have no depth to speak of. I think this is where the Cowboys are weighing options right now. Hard decisions have to be made.

10. I think think the worst possible scenario regarding Dak is to pay him mega deal money going forward. ($60M+ per year). He’s just not worth that IMHO.

11. When a player has you over a barrel regarding market value/contract numbers, at some point you have to take the barrel instead of paying the player.

12. The margin for error is greater (more forgiving) when risk is spread over a larger area. For instance a player like Parsons (who is going to probably be the largest contract ever for a defensive player) carries inordinate risk, because all of your eggs are in one basket. That player has to continue to perform at a hall of fame level for the duration of that contract to have any chance at breaking even. Even then, the contract price might not be worth it.

If you trade Parsons for say two first round picks (and change) you should get two starters that you have control over for 5 years at less than Parson’s contract would have cost you. Even though no one player replaces Parson’s skill level, maybe two players can accomplish more than Parsons could by himself. You also spread out risk of injury derailing your team and your salary cap.

13. We need to stick with BPA drafting. When we have deviated from that approach and targeted a position (Taco, Joseph, etc) we have historically screwed the proverbial pooch.

14. There is no sure fire formula to the draft, but it would be really nice to move back a few picks and to accumulate picks in this draft. I know we need to fill holes but forcing picks to fill holes does zero for the team in the long run.

15. This team needs to be playing the longer term vision for the team. A tough assessment needs to be made for this team and an honest evaluation of what it is going to take to get this team over the hump.

16. If the team is going to keep Dak as a core piece and pay him accordingly then the team needs to look at the possibility of trading one or more of CeeDee, Parsons, Diggs and Bland for picks at the appropriate time. Each one of these players is worth at least a first round pick and more.

17. If you get two first round picks for Cee Dee, Parsons and/or Diggs you should theoretically be able to replace the said player and fill another hole and keep your cap in relative order.

18. I am not saying trade away all of our great players or any of them, but if you keep Dak you sacrifice one or more of those players and team depth. That’s just the way it is.

19. If I had my way I would move on from Dak and try to make the most of the assets on hand whether via extending them, or swapping them for draft picks and/or players and moving forward.

10. I think think the worst possible scenario regarding Dak is to pay him mega deal money going forward. ($60M+ per year). He’s just not worth that IMHO.

11. When a player has you over a barrel regarding market value/contract numbers, at some point you have to take the barrel instead of paying the player.

15. This team needs to be playing the longer term vision for the team. A tough assessment needs to be made for this team and an honest evaluation of what it is going to take to get this team over the hump.

16. If the team is going to keep Dak as a core piece and pay him accordingly then the team needs to look at the possibility of trading one or more of CeeDee, Parsons, Diggs and Bland for picks at the appropriate time. Each one of these players is worth at least a first round pick and more.

17. If you get two first round picks for Cee Dee, Parsons and/or Diggs you should theoretically be able to replace the said player and fill another hole and keep your cap in relative order.

18. I am not saying trade away all of our great players or any of them, but if you keep Dak you sacrifice one or more of those players and team depth. That’s just the way it is.

19. If I had my way I would move on from Dak and try to make the most of the assets on hand whether via extending them, or swapping them for draft picks and/or players and moving forward.



I would move on from Dak. That is the best solution long term for the Cowboys. Whether Dallas does it is another matter. I can see not keeping Dak and trading one of the other stars for two first round draft picks.

 

[Beast_from_East]

The Dolphins had less cap space than us.

They added some nice players.

Using the cap to excuse Dallas’ total ignoring of FA to this point doesn’t fly. If you want to make things happen, you can. if you are smart.

They could have restructured one contract and been able to sign Josey Jewell, for example.

We need to stop blaming the cap for what Dallas does. They sit out FA because they choose to, not because they are cap strapped.

Exactly..............people blaming Dak's contract for lack of activity in free agency are forgetting one very valuable piece of information.

The last AAA free agent Dallas signed was Brandon Carr in 2012.

Dak was drafted in 2016 and played 4 years on a dirt cheap 4th round rookie contract and the Cowboys did absolutely nothing during that "golden time" when you can spend big and try to make a run while your QB is dirt cheap, see what SF is doing with Purdy basically playing for peanuts right now.

So it doesnt matter if Dak is making 60K a year or 60 million a year, they still refuse to sign any AAA free agents, even when the analytics tell you that you should during the "golden time".