BTB: 8 Free Agency mistakes Cowboys must avoid

[gimmesix]

Wow. I didn't realize how many first round picks we had on that defense. Sorry fellas, I have zero faith that Jones, McClay, whomever is making the picks, can actually build a good defense unless Parker ends up being a talent savant.

I just feel like no matter what Parker wants, it's not going to be any different than, for example, when Quinn wanted Bobby Wagner. Quinn openly recruited Wagner, but he went elsewhere because Dallas wasn't willing to meet his asking price. Then, we failed at linebacker when LVE got hurt and we moved Bell to full-time LB, and fans blamed it on Quinn.

 

[MoeWick127]

Here are some free agency mistakes the Cowboys should avoid
by One Cool Customer
Mar 7, 2026

On March 9, hundreds of free agents will become available, and all of them share one defining characteristic: their old team did not want to re-sign them. Perhaps because the team didn’t want to pay the price the player is demanding, perhaps because the player is too old/injured/ineffective, perhaps because the player has fallen out of favor with a new coaching staff, perhaps the player was no longer a scheme fit; whatever the reason, the fact that their old team didn’t want them anymore should make every acquiring team wary of the free agents on offer. Here are a eight common free agency mistakes the Cowboys should be particularly wary of in 2026:

1. The pass rusher coming off a big year
2. Beware the veteran defender from a top defense
3. Ignoring why the old team let the player go.
4. Valuing physical traits over mental capacity
5. The player you’ll ask to do something else
6. You are going to overpay regardless
7. Not being active in free agency at all.
8. Free agency is as much about your own players as it is about external free agents.

More: https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/dal...-mistakes-nfl-teams-contract-costs-production

Rules to definitely live by in the NFL.

 

[phildadon86]

They weren’t even old and beat up they just sucked. Solomon and Clowney weren’t but they were the oldest ones.

Guys just couldn’t play. They kicked the tires. I’m not even upset about that. Kick the tires again because you never I know. They kicked the tires on Javonte and there was something there. Problem is only doing that and nothing else kills us. Gotta do more than just the guys who failed elsewhere.

Jerry’s problem is he equates draft position to how good you are. After the draft.

Mingo is a perfect example. He showed nothing in Carolina. Jerry gave up a fourth because they had a second round grade on him a couple years prior. Even with his NFL tape lol.

That’s the GM.

 

[nhcowboyfan]

I will probably get torn apart for making this statement, but the Cowboys do have some talent on defense. I think the problem last year was Eberflus being so stubborn and not adjusting his scheme to match the strengths of the players.

It's not an all-pro unit but Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, and a healthy Bland and Overshown are all excellent starting points for Parker to build his defense on.

I would also add Revel and Ezeraku to that group. A dark horse would be Liafu: he looked promising under Quinn and Zimmer, but then took a dive under Eberflus.