A Radically Different Plan for the Cowboys

[T-RO]

You aren't arguing for a plan....Part 1 is just some nebulous claptrap. No specifics just generalities that you have no idea how to accomplish.

I explicitly said I wouldn't be doing ANY of this deferral/renegotiate crap. Do I have to spell it out for you one letter at a time?

• Jerry redid contract on Ware. I wouldn't have.
• Jerry redid contract on Witten. I wouldn't have.
• Jerry redid contract on Carr. I wouldn't have.
• Jerry redid contract on Cook. I wouldn't have.
• Jerry speaks of keeping Free. I wouldn't.
• Jerry hints of keeping Austin. I wouldn't.
• Most centrally, I wouldn't be paying Romo 22.5 mil per season and I most certainly wouldn't give the man a 5 or 7 year contract.

Part 2 of the plan was to trade Romo. And through the thread I articulated some variability on the expected return.

Part 3 of the plan was to anticipate public fuss and have a PR campaign ready...because it would certainly lead to a disappointing 2013 campaign.

Part 4...perhaps you are finding it difficult to read or think clearly this time of night...So I'll give you a little help. Part 4 was the payoff of the grand design. By defanging our immediate arsenal, we would sink to the bottom of the pond. And that's where we need to be do catch the bigger fish. Big Fish = A franchise quarterback.

I then summed up the larger payoff of my grand initiative:
-Draft pick abundance
-Premium picks
-Loads of salary cap flexibility and space

I'm Nebulous? I'd say you are the one all FUZZY.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

That's not all you said. It was little doubt that you were 'upset' by all of the restructures and that is what precipitated your post. I get that.

You said that you wanted to get rid of all the 'dead weight.' Apparently Romo is dead weight? What about Witten and Ware? Hey why don't we just pay everyone the minimum?

So could you point to the difference between 'I want to rebuild' and what you are suggesting as a 'radically different?'

It is neither radical nor some novel thought.

 

[T-RO]

So could you point to the difference between 'I want to rebuild' and what you are suggesting as a 'radically different?'

It is neither radical nor some novel thought.

Where did I ever say my ideas were novel? Where did I ever say my ideas were radically different than others on this forum? Clearly you have conjured up a little straw man to chase--Don Quixote style.

I said my plan was radically different than what we are watching unfold with CaptainSuperBillionaire and the show at Rally Dance.

P.S....and on page 2 or so I agreed that it might make sense to get some value from Witten and Ware. That has always been the Patriots way: get value while you still can.

 

[T-RO]

Another angle on my initiative would be this:

If we really kept our gunpowder dry and had a huge war chest...we could go after a *young* free agent franchise quarterback as he is finishing his rookie contract.

That is, if we couldn't find a suitable target in the draft.

 

[gimmesix]

Here is what I would do if I were GM. It is radically different than what we'll likely see from Valley Ranch.

1. I'd have absorbed the necessary big hit in salary cap and gotten my books in order so that the future is clean. What's happening now with all these renegotiations is going to bleed us for years to come. And indeed I'd go further, in clearing out aging and dead wood (Austin, Free, etc).

The books are in order. Dallas has set up the contracts the way that it wants to free up money when it needs money. These renegotiations aren't "going to bleed us for years to come." The sooner people get to the point where they understand that, the better.

Stephen Jones has tried to lay it out for fans in statements he's made, but many still choose not to believe him. I don't understand why when he's the one keeping the books in order.

 

[jjktkk]

Another angle on my initiative would be this:

If we really kept our gunpowder dry and had a huge war chest...we could go after a *young* free agent franchise quarterback as he is finishing his rookie contract.

That is, if we couldn't find a suitable target in the draft.

Do you actually believe that any NFL team is going to let a "*young* free agent quarterback" walk? Nice fantasy. :laugh2:

 

[Wood]

Here is what I would do if I were GM. It is radically different than what we'll likely see from Valley Ranch.

1. I'd have absorbed the necessary big hit in salary cap and gotten my books in order so that the future is clean. What's happening now with all these renegotiations is going to bleed us for years to come. And indeed I'd go further, in clearing out aging and dead wood (Austin, Free, etc)

2. If I could get somebody's 1, 2 and 3 for Romo --slightly less than has been suggested--I'd do that.

3. I'd make everybody angry and unhappy about the '13 season, but the team would be far better in the longterm. Without Romo we would be a 3-13 team. That's perfect.

4. I'd be willing to stink in 2013. I'd WANT to stink in 2013. Then next March we snag the pick of the litter of the young QBs. We'd have a high 2, a high 3, etc.

Consider where my plan would seat us:
-We'd have 3 premium picks from our trading partner.
-We'd have a top 3 or top 4 pick in the 2014 draft to get our QB because of 2013 suckage.
-We'd have lots of money to spend in future free agency, or to extend our own stars before they whiffed free agency.

I would miss Romo but you don't want to give a MASSIVE contract to a guy of his age...esp. when the cap situation already sucks. And hey...I'm a Romo fan.

If your the team is gonna stink....2013 would be the year because I like what I am seeing in next years draft.

 

[cowboysooner]

The franchise tag would require the Cowboys to pay Romo $20 million* in 2014. That would nearly double the $11 million he's getting in 2013. And I suspect that teams cannot amortize that amount in any way....it must be paid as base guaranteed salary.

If F-tagged again in 2015 the number would be 24.2 million.**

So to use the franchise tag would still represent a huge salary increase and hit relative to the team's cap.

*Franchise tags insure the player must be paid the average of the top five salaries in the league at their respective position.

**source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/02/21/report-cowboys-launch-romo-negotiations/

I think the salary numbers you are posting are for the exclusive tag. The non-exclusive tag for qb's is expected to be in the $14.5mm range.

T-RO, interesting discussion. I think you may be correct that creative destruction is the way to go with this team, but if you do that you don't just get rid of Romo. You need to trade Witten and Ware too and perhaps Miles. If you are going to suck, you don't need players who are good now but won't be in 3 years. Those good players make you a 6-10 team instead of 3-13. There is a gulf of difference. You resign the young core (Dez, Murray, Smith, Carter, Lee).

There are several teams that have done this recently, Tampa, Bengals, Browns, KC, Denver, Cleveland, honestly San Fran. They did it because the CBA did not force them to spend and the change in quality of their team was cheaper than what could be earned from higher ticket prices and stadiums being fuller.

This is the way you might go to win a championship faster, but it ignores the business realities of cash flow for the Cowboys. The stadium generates at least $100mm more in revenue than most other teams. It won't generate that revenue without Romos and Wares. Nobody wants $16 margaritas and $40,000 suites when it is Orton vs. Foles.

So in the end I think we may be in the dreaded fringe playoff team area where the qb is very good but not top 3 and the talent around him is not good enough to truly be competing for Super Bowl championships.

What is left is the hope that Garret develops into a truly elite coach and talent man. I don' t think he is there scheme wise but I do have hope that he can get there on the personnel-team building side.

 

[SWG9]

I'd be all for trading Romo. Instead of overpaying a depreciating asset, trade it and get a good return. Sounds like basic roster management to me.

The only problem with this move is that the Cowboys wouldn't be guaranteed to be bad enough to finish with top 3 pick (which is what you would need to guarantee a shot at one of the top QB's). Turn it over to Orton and we'd be some thing in the 7-9/6-10 range.

It's a risky move to be sure, but as a fan, I'd be more excited about that than watching the Cowboys ride the same group of underachievers into the ground for the next 3-4 years.

Yes, 2013 would be painful, but can you imagine the excitement of having (hypothetically) 5 picks in the top 40 next year (to pair with the young players already on the roster)? It's a potential game changer.

 

[conner01]

Here is what I would do if I were GM. It is radically different than what we'll likely see from Valley Ranch.

1. I'd have absorbed the necessary big hit in salary cap and gotten my books in order so that the future is clean. What's happening now with all these renegotiations is going to bleed us for years to come. And indeed I'd go further, in clearing out aging and dead wood (Austin, Free, etc)

2. If I could get somebody's 1, 2 and 3 for Romo --slightly less than has been suggested--I'd do that.

3. I'd make everybody angry and unhappy about the '13 season, but the team would be far better in the longterm. Without Romo we would be a 3-13 team. That's perfect.

4. I'd be willing to stink in 2013. I'd WANT to stink in 2013. Then next March we snag the pick of the litter of the young QBs. We'd have a high 2, a high 3, etc.

Consider where my plan would seat us:
-We'd have 3 premium picks from our trading partner.
-We'd have a top 3 or top 4 pick in the 2014 draft to get our QB because of 2013 suckage.
-We'd have lots of money to spend in future free agency, or to extend our own stars before they whiffed free agency.

I would miss Romo but you don't want to give a MASSIVE contract to a guy of his age...esp. when the cap situation already sucks. And hey...I'm a Romo fan.

IF YOU DO THAT MIGHT AS WELL TRADE WARE AND WITTEN ALSO.why keep them if you plan on being bad for the rest of their careers. then we can go 1-15 and get the first pick. boy better hope you hit on a qb or you will be in the tank for a decade

 

[Nightshade]

My radical plan would involve trading Romo and trading for Ryan Mallett.

The Bills will pony up a first for Romo...that organization is desperate.

Same goes for the Cards who remember how prolific their offense was with a QB.

You can probably get both to offer a conditional for 2014 as well.


If Romo works out and Mallett fails, you still have your own high pick (you presume) and the other team's (first or second) in 2014. Meanwhile you can draft one of the guards and dlineman this year in the first which gives you a nice core to work with.

Mallett's in New England isn't he? You gonna take Fitzpatrick instead of Mallet from the Bills?

 

[T-RO]

I think the salary numbers you are posting are for the exclusive tag. The non-exclusive tag for qb's is expected to be in the $14.5mm range.

T-RO, interesting discussion. I think you may be correct that creative destruction is the way to go with this team, but if you do that you don't just get rid of Romo. You need to trade Witten and Ware too and perhaps Miles. If you are going to suck, you don't need players who are good now but won't be in 3 years. Those good players make you a 6-10 team instead of 3-13. There is a gulf of difference. You resign the young core (Dez, Murray, Smith, Carter, Lee).

There are several teams that have done this recently, Tampa, Bengals, Browns, KC, Denver, Cleveland, honestly San Fran. They did it because the CBA did not force them to spend and the change in quality of their team was cheaper than what could be earned from higher ticket prices and stadiums being fuller.

This is the way you might go to win a championship faster, but it ignores the business realities of cash flow for the Cowboys. The stadium generates at least $100mm more in revenue than most other teams. It won't generate that revenue without Romos and Wares. Nobody wants $16 margaritas and $40,000 suites when it is Orton vs. Foles.

So in the end I think we may be in the dreaded fringe playoff team area where the qb is very good but not top 3 and the talent around him is not good enough to truly be competing for Super Bowl championships.

What is left is the hope that Garret develops into a truly elite coach and talent man. I don' t think he is there scheme wise but I do have hope that he can get there on the personnel-team building side.

Good post, C-Sooner. Jerry won't ever admit to a need for rebuilding so we'll never see such a plan in place at Folly Ranch. I'm resigned to that.

As per selling tickets....this perpetual mediocrity is going to hurt ticket and merchandise sales.

Fans need hope. If they can look in the pipeline and see something special coming...that works. I remember how much fun it was in the early 90s with the Cowboys just when they were starting to get good. You could tell where things were headed.

Hope. Even in sports it can be ..."a good thing, maybe the best of things." Saddling the future with old players and debt is the antithesis of hope.

 

[T-RO]

Yes, 2013 would be painful, but can you imagine the excitement of having (hypothetically) 5 picks in the top 40 next year (to pair with the young players already on the roster)? It's a potential game changer.

EXACTLY!

 

[BrassCowboy]

ugh! No to tanking any season no matter what.....

 

[T-RO]

It's not tanking! It's following nature's way.

Nature's way is to have a growing season and a dormant season. Nature's way is to permit fires that wreak and devastate...clearing out the old to make way for new life.

Jerry's way is artificial. Through machination and manipulation he keeps the team on a life support system, perpetuating a zombie team of half life.

 

[weaver21]

I understand the concept of essentially wasting a season just to get us more picks in the 1st and 2nd rounds. It's definitely exciting to think about it, but I guess my own personal problem with it is that I love football and I look forward to it every year. It's only four-five months of the year and the off-season, although it does get exciting come free agency and the draft, still makes me miss football even more. What I'm trying to say, from a fan's stand-point, it would suck to go into a season knowing you're gonna be terrible and essentially have to waste a season considering I look forward Cowboys football every year and no matter how average we've been the past 15 years, we're always in the hunt. But we have had no postseason success so I get why people would want to clean house and start over again. I might be in the minority, but I feel like we have a top-10 quarterback in Romo who we should continue to build around (the offensive line) and hopefully improve our chances on getting deep into the playoffs and winning a Super Bowl. I'll say this though if Romo does pull one of his choking games again this season in a situation where we can get into the playoffs or if were in the playoffs, I'll fully be on board with this plan because I would lose full trust in him completely.

 

[Kristen82]

It's not tanking! It's following nature's way.

Nature's way is to have a growing season and a dormant season. Nature's way is to permit fires that wreak and devastate...clearing out the old to make way for new life.

Jerry's way is artificial. Through machination and manipulation he keeps the team on a life support system, perpetuating a zombie team of half life.

Think Jerry's part of it but circumstance is as well. Jerry wasn't responsible for injuring Lee, Carter, Murray, Coleman, Church, Scandrick etc. last year. 91 total games were lost by players on IR, a Cowboys record I think. He is responsible though for the lack of quality depth behind these guys and really at every spot up and down the chart.

 

[T-RO]

...Jerry wasn't responsible for injuring Lee, Carter, Murray, Coleman, Church, Scandrick etc. last year. 91 total games were lost by players on IR, a Cowboys record I think. He is responsible though for the lack of quality depth behind these guys and really at every spot up and down the chart.

I wouldn't pin any responsibility on Jerry for the injuries except for this: Jones has a penchant for trying to get cute in the draft. One of the ways in which that manifests itself is trying to acquire "top talent" that slides because of injury concerns or injured status.

-Murray had injury concerns when drafted
-Carter had a known injury when drafted that was going to keep him out early his first year for sure.
-Sean Lee had injury red flags.

 

[T-RO]

It looks like RADPLAN has leaked C-Zone and gone Viral. Perhaps there is hope after all.

http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sports/...nd-something-cowboys-may-be-interested-in.ece

 

[Primetime42]

I know EXACTLY what I'm talking about at the Macro level. We are in cap hell RIGHT NOW...scrambling around with our credit card, pushing our due dates back. As has been widely stated...we have no meaningful money to be a player in this year's free agency.

That's not "cap hell".

1999-2002 was "cap hell".