News: BTB: Cowboys Veterans With Something To Prove Against Washington

[NewsBot]

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[Bluefin]

Ronald Leary. He is a restricted free agency, which means the Cowboys could put themselves in a win-win situation by tendering an offer to him so that another team would have to send Dallas a draft pick (in 2017, I believe) if they signed him away.

2016, actually.

Tendered restricted free agents must be signed by a new team one week prior to this year's draft, allowing the original team 7 days to either match the offer or receive draft choice compensation (when applicable).

2017 is when teams will receive compensatory draft picks for net free agent losses in 2016.

 

[LatinMind]

Greg Hardy: would love to have him back, but IDK if thats the best thing for this team being as they drafted gregory, I dont think he will be back.

Rolando McClain: cant wait until this guy is gone. People like him because he flashes a couple of great plays in games but then just disappears for a couple of games. He's lazy and is there strictly for the money.

Carr: gone

Claiborne: i thought he would put it together this yr and he had a very good start but his body just cant handle it. Its not like Lee where he's getting hurt with vicious contact and getting concussions. He's getting hurt by slipping,and changing directions. Thats a huge red flag.

Ron leary: he held up pretty good, but Collins was going to be the guy. Dallas should tender him and then try and trade him. Lety him go somewhere and start. He's too good to be sitting on the bench. He has value.

Mincey: dont close the door on him. Think if hardy leaves Mincey will be back.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

So, all season long these vets couldn't prove their worth against teams starters, but now in the last game of the season, against the Commanders backups is their chance to make a point. lol.

 

[Doomsay]

I think that Jerry is right, we were closer to Super Bowl appearance this year than not. Nothing to prove here, especially on Sunday when we are looking to lock in a top 4.

 

[Bluefin]

Greg Hardy: would love to have him back, but IDK if thats the best thing for this team being as they drafted gregory, I dont think he will be back.

If the team is high on Randy Gregory, it probably will let Greg Hardy walk in free agency unless no big offers come forth and he can be retained on a less expensive one year deal structured like the one he's playing on.

Rolando McClain: cant wait until this guy is gone. People like him because he flashes a couple of great plays in games but then just disappears for a couple of games. He's lazy and is there strictly for the money.

Agreed.

The upside with Rolando McClain, the few times we actually see it, isn't worth all the distractions that come with a player who is one more failed drug test away from a year long suspension.

Let McClain and Kyle Wilber walk in free agency and continue retooling the LB corps.

Carr: gone

Absolutely.

The only positives Brandon Carr brings to the table is that he never misses any games and is reportedly a positive in the locker room.

That doesn't begin to outweigh his sub-par on the field performance that comes with a top shelf paycheck.

Claiborne: i thought he would put it together this yr and he had a very good start but his body just cant handle it. Its not like Lee where he's getting hurt with vicious contact and getting concussions. He's getting hurt by slipping,and changing directions. Thats a huge red flag.

It's amazing that Morris Claiborne was ready to play during training camp after having surgery on both Patellar tendons in 2014.

I'm prepared to let Mo walk, but am willing to bring him back on a one year "prove it" deal.

But I'd rather just turn the page here.

Ron leary: he held up pretty good, but Collins was going to be the guy. Dallas should tender him and then try and trade him. Lety him go somewhere and start. He's too good to be sitting on the bench. He has value.

I'm expecting a second round tender and for Dallas to listen to any offers. Ron Leary's value has always been diminished by not being able to play center, but he still has value and Jason Garrett is open to letting him try learning to snap.

Mackenzy Bernadeau will be an unrestricted free agent, so the game day reserve C/G for next season is up in the air at the moment.

Mincey: dont close the door on him. Think if hardy leaves Mincey will be back.

I wouldn't mind re-signing Jeremy Mincey to a one year deal with a minimal signing bonus and some performance incentives. But I also wouldn't mind seeing him get churned during the off-season, training camp or pre-season.

 

[Staubacher]

So, all season long these vets couldn't prove their worth against teams starters, but now in the last game of the season, against the Commanders backups is their chance to make a point. lol.

Yeah pretty pathetic.

Sorry vets - but the courtroom has been adjourned this season and you have been found guilty.

 

[Redball Express]

Yeah pretty pathetic.

Sorry vets - but the courtroom has been adjourned this season and you have been found guilty.

Not sure you want a big turnover in the depth of the defense by letting all these guys go.

One or two this year and one or two next year while you draft their replacements.

Losing Hardy, McLean and Carr/Claiborne all at once would be a setback.

Crys went up here recently calling into question the defenses maturity.

Adding more young faces is not going to fix things.

 

[Beast_from_East]

The game is meaningless, but for some players it is a last chance to prove they can contribute next season.

Although we are all more than ready to put the travesty that is the 2015 season of the Dallas Cowboys behind us, we still have one last game to play against our long-time archenemy Washington. While a loss may be the most favorable outcome for Dallas going into the draft, there is still a certain satisfaction that would come from closing things out on a high note with a win, as our own Dawn Macelli has so clearly expressed. But the game does have an intrinsic value for the staff in letting them take one last look at many players that they have to make decisions on. We have been focused a lot on Kellen Moore trying to earn a chance to be the backup quarterback because of the disaster that position was. And a lot of down-roster players will have an opportunity due to injuries and other considerations. But there are also several veteran players who are likely on the roster bubble for the staff, and Sunday's anticlimactic finale is also their last chance to sway some minds.

Injuries have robbed some players who might be candidates for the team to part ways of a last chance to make their case, such as Barry Church, but here are some that likely have a lot on the line.

Greg Hardy. Based just on numbers, Hardy looks like something of a disappointment given his salary and the controversy he brought. But the coaching staff does not share that opinion.

Rod Marinelli says he would like to see Greg Hardy comes back. He likes where he is headed.

— Mark Lane (@therealmarklane) December 31, 2015​

It is probably going to come down to just how much Hardy would cost. Many assume that he will not get a lot of interest as a free agent because of those off-field issues, but that is probably not accurate. It always comes down to what a team thinks a player can contribute on the field, and since Hardy is not looking at a possible suspension for next season, a bidding war for his talent may develop. This will almost certainly be the same kind of decision process for the Cowboys as the DeMarco Murray one after last season. A good game for Hardy may nudge the price ceiling up for Dallas.

Rolando McClain. While Marinelli may be leaning towards keeping Hardy, it is likely that the thinking on McClain is the opposite. He has not been the frequently fierce defender he was in 2014. Bob Sturm discussed down how disappointing he has been in his weekly X and O breakdown of the Buffalo Bills game.

McClain has shown off some elite skills at certain times during his run here and was an amazing player out of Alabama But, a few snaps in a game like this have you questioning whether you can give him the job in 2016. This is not good enough at all.
​

The Cowboys would have to figure out who would take his place at the Mike position, since moving Sean Lee to the Will was very successful. They may try to find someone in the draft (Myles Jack, anyone?). But based on the approach of the past few years, they would first try to find someone in free agency.

Brandon Carr. He is a serviceable cornerback, but he is paid to be much, much better. This is the first year that the Cowboys can afford to cut him. With Orlando Scandrick due to return, and Terrance Mitchell and Deji Olatoye both showing some promise, Carr may also be more expendable than he ever has. Given that Carr has played all season, this game is not likely to change many opinions of him, but an exceptionally strong or weak showing could be noticed.

Morris Claiborne. This was unquestionably the best season of Claiborne's career, but it may not be enough. He has stated that he would like to remain in Dallas. However, money talks, and the Cowboys could be outbid for him. They might try to lock him up early, but the question is just how much it would take to keep him from testing the waters. He is fighting through injury to try and play, and given his injury history, how successful he is in doing that may carry a lot of weight in the minds of the staff.

Ronald Leary. After he was sidelined by injury, he lost his starting job to La'el Collins, and it looks like there is little to no chance of him getting it back. Still, the team would probably love to have a backup guard that could start for many NFL teams. He is a restricted free agency, which means the Cowboys could put themselves in a win-win situation by tendering an offer to him so that another team would have to send Dallas a draft pick (in 2017, I believe) if they signed him away. With Collins not practicing so far this week, it looks like Leary will have a chance to showcase himself for both the Cowboys and the rest of the league. For a player who went undrafted because of concerns over a degenerative knee condition, the chance of getting a nice second contract, no matter where, must be very gratifying.

Jeremy Mincey. Mincey is a real leader for the defensive line, but he certainly has had a down year. The emergence of DeMarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory, David Irving, and perhaps also Casey Walker may simply have made Mincey expendable. But with Irving now unavailable, Mincey will get one more chance to show his value to the team. Nonetheless, he may be a case of a very likable player who just will fall prey to the numbers game.

Those are perhaps the biggest names that have something to prove to the organization this week, but there may be others. What other veterans do you think might also be playing for a chance to extend their career with the Star?

Follow me @TomRyleBTB​

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The Vets showed me all I needed to see.................1-10 without Romo

Beating the Skin's 2nd and 3rd teamers shows me jack, you guys couldn't beat Div 3 Western Omaha when it actually mattered.

 

[MRV52]

So, all season long these vets couldn't prove their worth against teams starters, but now in the last game of the season, against the Commanders backups is their chance to make a point. lol.

Just in time to screw the draft position.

 

[Toruk_Makto]

Why in the world would the presence of Gregory mean we should automatically let Hardy walk? It will of course be an issue of compensation but one can never have too many young pass rushers. Especially in a game as violent as football. Silly talk.