Are some of you mad at how we are building the team through the draft?

[foofighters]

Or are you just upset that we aren't using FA to sign a couple high priced guys from other teams that will get us over the top?

Nope, I stopped being passionate about this team a while ago. I always love the Star but as long as a Jones is an owner, I'll never have much to be excited about.

 

[CowboyoWales]

That’s fair if that’s the approach you want to take.


To be honest. I have reached the point where I am done giving the front office the benefit of the doubt. I’ve been doing it for 2 decades now.

I am now “mad until they get to an NFC championship game”

But to win the Championship game we need a strategy.
We couldn't sustain last year's team (due to CAP concerns in 22 and 23).
I for one like the idea of using this season as evaluating what we've got (especially the recent draftee's)...hopefully a number of them establish themselves and we use the CAP at the deadline to fill in the holes (with players that can contribute in the next couple of years).
One of the persistent problems (with Jerry) is this annual forlorn hope, sometimes you have to stand pat and evaluate.....
....then again the only way forward is the day he realises, or more likely cognitive ability gives up on the fantasy that he's an elite football executive and we employ an independent GM (with total control).

 

[xwalker]

Building through the draft is certainly ideal, but by the same means, it hasn't worked.

The surely do get up there and smirk and giggle in front of the media and act like they have a proven winning formula don't they?

Actually, it has worked better than the expensive free agent approach.

Jimmy era: They won with draft picks plus Charles Haley.

Romo era: The best years were based on draft picks and UDFAs.
Romo UDFA
Witten
DWare
Jason Hatcher
Tyron
Ratliff
Spencer
MB III

Later Romo years
Frederick
Martin
Demarco Murray
Ron Leary

Jerry tried some big free agents and trade in the Romo era, but they were not difference makers.
Roy (WR) Williams
Brandon Carr
Bigg Davis

 

[Miller]

We’ve built through draft for a bit but recent SB winners have shown you also have to plug holes with top FA talent. As in most things it’s a combination of good moves. We waste draft talent.

 

[xwalker]

Or are you just upset that we aren't using FA to sign a couple high priced guys from other teams that will get us over the top?

How many big contract free agents did Belichick sign during their 6 Super Bowl championships?

He did sign on occasionally, but overall, he always seemed to trade away or not re-sign great players than acquire them on big contracts.

It worked for the Rams and the Eagles got 1 Super Bowl doing it, but in general spending in free agency is not the ticket to Super Bowls.

How many years was Washington the 'winner' of free agency?

Tom Brady: Definitely if you get a once in a decade or once in history opportunity like signing Tom Brady, then go all in, but those players rarely ever hit free agency.

Reggie White: One of the few true Super Starts still in his prime that hit free agency.

WR Davante Adams: I would have been in favor of signing the best WR in the league, but he never became a free agent.

DL Aaron Donald: If he suddenly becomes a free agent, sign me up. Unfortunately that won't happen until he is past his prime.

TE Mark Andrews: I would overpay for this player. One of the least talked about great players in the league. Unfortunately he won't be in free agency.

Denver paid 70M for Randy Freaking Gregory.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Amari > CD + Gallup

that’s about as laughable as all your clown threads.

 

[CowboyRoy]

They signed the same guys who failed (again) last year. Not every FA is a cast off. As you admitted, and it's almost universally agreed here, Wagner could've taken the D up another level. They had him sitting there, and couldn't summon the interest to even try. No, they don't need to recklessly sign a whole bunch of guys, but they sign NOBODY. Inevitably, there will be mistakes and bad deals. But what the hell is the difference between overpaying your own FAs or someone else's?

And by this time next year, when you think they've shored up the Oline and RB positions, some other group(s) will start taking on water. Without a bonanza of picks (and luck), they will not markedly improve the team to contender status, because you simply end up replacing a lot of the talent rather than increasing it.

Failed?

is that your pathetic angle? At least you admit we signed them.

 

[CowboyRoy]

How many big contract free agents did Belichick sign during their 6 Super Bowl championships?

He did sign on occasionally, but overall, he always seemed to trade away or not re-sign great players than acquire them on big contracts.

It worked for the Rams and the Eagles got 1 Super Bowl doing it, but in general spending in free agency is not the ticket to Super Bowls.

How many years was Washington the 'winner' of free agency?

Tom Brady: Definitely if you get a once in a decade or once in history opportunity like signing Tom Brady, then go all in, but those players rarely ever hit free agency.

Reggie White: One of the few true Super Starts still in his prime that hit free agency.

WR Davante Adams: I would have been in favor of signing the best WR in the league, but he never became a free agent.

DL Aaron Donald: If he suddenly becomes a free agent, sign me up. Unfortunately that won't happen until he is past his prime.

TE Mark Andrews: I would overpay for this player. One of the least talked about great players in the league. Unfortunately he won't be in free agency.

Denver paid 70M for Randy Freaking Gregory.

Who are you arguing with?

 

[zrinkill]

I wish there was a draft for the front office ..... That's where our team actually sucks.

 

[JonesBoys]

Or are you just upset that we aren't using FA to sign a couple high priced guys from other teams that will get us over the top?

Always build through the draft and when you have a team that has the talent to compete for a super bowl you go for it. You don't fall back and use the cap as an excuse and continue to have to rebuild through the draft. Cowboys deserve credit for getting the talent of the roster to where it was last year and mostly through the draft. Where they fail miserably is not understanding the moment to go for it. Which is why they have not won a thing since 1996. Always rebuilding something through the draft but never take the next step to overcome their failures. Just a treadmill of mediocrity.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Yep….they do good things and bad things. Simple analysis. “This season” is short term thinking. Can’t run your team like that.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I'm disappointed in the 21st century results, and the two guys responsible who will never be fired.

"How" doesn't matter to me. It's about the results.

This thread is about the current team.

 

[CowboyRoy]

The NFL isn't made in the salary cap era for success only through drafting. At most, you get three starters a year (generally two, but we'll be generous) and they may not be quality starters. Right now, we have four from 2020 (Lamb, Diggs, Gallimore, Biadasz), none from 2019 (although Donovan Wilson and Pollard play key roles), two from 2018 (Vander Esch and Gallup, although Armstrong might be considered a starter now), none from 2017 (Lewis and Noah Brown are contributors) and three from 2016 (Elliott, Prescott and Anthony Brown for now).

That's nine starters over five years, push it to 11 if you want to count Wilson and Pollard as starters, so it would take 10 years to completely replenish your starting lineup through the draft, not to mention adding quality depth. Meanwhile, you are not holding on to most of those starters that long, so it actually takes even more time unless you really get lucky with undrafted free agents or low-cost signings.

You don't have to dip into FA because you whiffed in the draft. Dallas' draft success percentage is about as high as any team's. You have to dip into FA because you just can't successfully fill all your needs in the draft. When you could hold on to all your players as long as you wanted, it was possible, but salary cap-era free agency makes it impossible.

I haven't looked it up, but I would bet that there's not a team in the last 10 years that won a Super Bowl without signing at least one high-cost free agent.

Like Gallup, Dak, and Shultz?

 

[fivetwos]

Actually, it has worked better than the expensive free agent approach.

Jimmy era: They won with draft picks plus Charles Haley.

Romo era: The best years were based on draft picks and UDFAs.
Romo UDFA
Witten
DWare
Jason Hatcher
Tyron
Ratliff
Spencer
MB III

Later Romo years
Frederick
Martin
Demarco Murray
Ron Leary

Jerry tried some big free agents and trade in the Romo era, but they were not difference makers.
Roy (WR) Williams
Brandon Carr
Bigg Davis

I have no desire to take a Rams approach.

I dont know that the majority around here does either, but a FA or two may get us over the hump. At least give it a shot.

They honestly depended on round one this year to fill a starting position. Generally speaking, that's kinda playing with fire.

Building through the draft is of course ideal, but I'd say these two take it to an extreme.

Why? My guess.....the kid loves a bargain, and the draft typically provides players who outperform their salary......and they aren't as familiar with the rest of the leagues players as your typical GM, so they would rather give money to a guy they know than a guy they don't. Parcells taught them the "devil you know" thing, and they've ran with it to a fault.

How it is a fault? They haven't won, or come close.

Sure, they have had some nice seasons.....which were more disappointing than the bad ones IMO when they choked in the playoffs....and early.

 

[birdwells1]

Did you forget Amari Cooper???

Not a free agent he was traded for after wr by committee didn't work.

 

[HungryLion]

But to win the Championship game we need a strategy.
We couldn't sustain last year's team (due to CAP concerns in 22 and 23).
I for one like the idea of using this season as evaluating what we've got (especially the recent draftee's)...hopefully a number of them establish themselves and we use the CAP at the deadline to fill in the holes (with players that can contribute in the next couple of years).
One of the persistent problems (with Jerry) is this annual forlorn hope, sometimes you have to stand pat and evaluate.....
....then again the only way forward is the day he realises, or more likely cognitive ability gives up on the fantasy that he's an elite football executive and we employ an independent GM (with total control).

When does the strategy kick in? It’s been 25 years man.

I’m fine with them having a strategy. But sooner or later that strategy has to lead to them getting to a conference title game at least.

 

[CowboyoWales]

When does the strategy kick in? It’s been 25 years man.

I’m fine with them having a strategy. But sooner or later that strategy has to lead to them getting to a conference title game at least.

They've only just started going down this road, of fire sale. By all means use the tried and tested 1996 argument and the fact that we need an actual GM not named Jones, but you cant really argue we're using the same strategy.

 

[terra]

Actually, it has worked better than the expensive free agent approach.

Jimmy era: They won with draft picks plus Charles Haley.

Romo era: The best years were based on draft picks and UDFAs.
Romo UDFA
Witten
DWare
Jason Hatcher
Tyron
Ratliff
Spencer
MB III

Later Romo years
Frederick
Martin
Demarco Murray
Ron Leary

Jerry tried some big free agents and trade in the Romo era, but they were not difference makers.
Roy (WR) Williams
Brandon Carr
Bigg Davis

Show me rings in the last quarter century and then you have cred.

 

[terra]

How many big contract free agents did Belichick sign during their 6 Super Bowl championships?

He did sign on occasionally, but overall, he always seemed to trade away or not re-sign great players than acquire them on big contracts.

It worked for the Rams and the Eagles got 1 Super Bowl doing it, but in general spending in free agency is not the ticket to Super Bowls.

How many years was Washington the 'winner' of free agency?

Tom Brady: Definitely if you get a once in a decade or once in history opportunity like signing Tom Brady, then go all in, but those players rarely ever hit free agency.

Reggie White: One of the few true Super Starts still in his prime that hit free agency.

WR Davante Adams: I would have been in favor of signing the best WR in the league, but he never became a free agent.

DL Aaron Donald: If he suddenly becomes a free agent, sign me up. Unfortunately that won't happen until he is past his prime.

TE Mark Andrews: I would overpay for this player. One of the least talked about great players in the league. Unfortunately he won't be in free agency.

Denver paid 70M for Randy Freaking Gregory.

Show me how many teams in the last 15-20 years won the SB WITHOUT major free agents. Then show me the ones that won the SB with major FA's.
Meanwhile WE have FAILED and you seem to think that is OK.

 

[jay94]

Or are you just upset that we aren't using FA to sign a couple high priced guys from other teams that will get us over the top?

Mad we had a dumpster fire of an offseason. I'm fine with primarily going through the draft, Gregory, Cooper, and Collins all ***.