Building the Defense

[kskboys]

We need to start looking for pieces, not stopgaps. Problem w/ Poe/McCoy/Haha is that they were all stopgaps. What did we spend on them total, around 15 mil? Seems about right.

Meanwhile, Cincy signs top 5 DJ Reader for a measly 53 mil/4 years. Can you imagine him and Galley shoring up the middle? Talk about a nightmare for opposing D's.

What I'm saying is, fix something in FA. Signing stopgaps is not what we need at present, we need players who fix an issue.

 

[Majic]

Agreed but there is a problem. We have managed our salary cap badly and the dollars available just aren't there. Years ago we got burned signing high price free agents and in recent years have resorted to the cheaper ones. There used to be a thought that why were they free agents in the first place, but that's not right as you cannot keep every good player. The Bucs have set the template on what to do, but we won't take any notice of that.

 

[cowboyec]

better start from the inside back.
DT.
then S.

 

[exciter]

We need to start looking for pieces, not stopgaps. Problem w/ Poe/McCoy/Haha is that they were all stopgaps. What did we spend on them total, around 15 mil? Seems about right.

Meanwhile, Cincy signs top 5 DJ Reader for a measly 53 mil/4 years. Can you imagine him and Galley shoring up the middle? Talk about a nightmare for opposing D's.

What I'm saying is, fix something in FA. Signing stopgaps is not what we need at present, we need players who fix an issue.

Lol! You mean the DJ Reader that went on IR week 5 and missed the rest of the season. He’s the epitome of the reason they won’t bring in FA other than stop gaps!

 

[75boyz]

Agreed but there is a problem. We have managed our salary cap badly and the dollars available just aren't there. Years ago we got burned signing high price free agents and in recent years have resorted to the cheaper ones. There used to be a thought that why were they free agents in the first place, but that's not right as you cannot keep every good player. The Bucs have set the template on what to do, but we won't take any notice of that.

Excellent response. I don't have a ready made chart of existing defensive free agents but I feel McClay/Stephen/Jerry have not managed this part of free agency consistently as could be done. As you said, past signings of non Cowboy free agents backfired on them. Now it seems their own 2nd contract personnel are proving costly.

It just seems as though the combination of both a couple of true difference maker free agents along with a few stopgaps could be acquired during the offseasons more consistently, if done correctly. I actually thought the Bennett, Quinn and Cobb group of 2019 was good. 2020 was trash. Maybe they are due another good group this offseason. Always keeping in mind of course, the proper management of cap space.

Nice post.

 

[Cowboyny]

We need to start looking for pieces, not stopgaps. Problem w/ Poe/McCoy/Haha is that they were all stopgaps. What did we spend on them total, around 15 mil? Seems about right.

Meanwhile, Cincy signs top 5 DJ Reader for a measly 53 mil/4 years. Can you imagine him and Galley shoring up the middle? Talk about a nightmare for opposing D's.

What I'm saying is, fix something in FA. Signing stopgaps is not what we need at present, we need players who fix an issue.

You get stop gaps in fa, long-term pieces in the draft. Spend premium picks and develop them.

 

[AsthmaField]

We need to start looking for pieces, not stopgaps. Problem w/ Poe/McCoy/Haha is that they were all stopgaps. What did we spend on them total, around 15 mil? Seems about right.

Meanwhile, Cincy signs top 5 DJ Reader for a measly 53 mil/4 years. Can you imagine him and Galley shoring up the middle? Talk about a nightmare for opposing D's.

What I'm saying is, fix something in FA. Signing stopgaps is not what we need at present, we need players who fix an issue.

You’re right. Spend roughly the same amount in FA but just do it on fewer, better guys at key positions. Marcus Maye or Marcus Williams at safety would fit the description. Maybe a DT like Tomlinson wouldn’t be that unreasonable.

At least they could head into the draft knowing that DT or S is fixed and can focus on other things or even take offense at 10 if they are the BPA.

Stephen is stuck on the times they got away with cheap when some guy like Selvie actually played ok. That is rare... they need to fix a couple of positions and move on.

IMO, of course.

 

[AsthmaField]

You get stop gaps in fa, long-term pieces in the draft. Spend premium picks and develop them.

Yes but when your stopgaps are Haha (both literally and figuratively), Poe and an ancient, injured McCoy... something needs to be re-assessed. Something needs to change. At least enough where each FA isn’t just a roll of the dice.

 

[CowboyRoy]

We need to start looking for pieces, not stopgaps. Problem w/ Poe/McCoy/Haha is that they were all stopgaps. What did we spend on them total, around 15 mil? Seems about right.

Meanwhile, Cincy signs top 5 DJ Reader for a measly 53 mil/4 years. Can you imagine him and Galley shoring up the middle? Talk about a nightmare for opposing D's.

What I'm saying is, fix something in FA. Signing stopgaps is not what we need at present, we need players who fix an issue.

Sign me up for that deal no problem.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Agreed but there is a problem. We have managed our salary cap badly and the dollars available just aren't there. Years ago we got burned signing high price free agents and in recent years have resorted to the cheaper ones. There used to be a thought that why were they free agents in the first place, but that's not right as you cannot keep every good player. The Bucs have set the template on what to do, but we won't take any notice of that.

what template? Sign Brady for cheap and have everyone sign cheap to be with Brady?

bucs d was already good last year. We need 9 new players. Can’tt happen in one year.

and we don’t have the cap space. Get rid of zeke and jaylon and let’s talk.

 

[Chuck 54]

Excellent response. I don't have a ready made chart of existing defensive free agents but I feel McClay/Stephen/Jerry have not managed this part of free agency consistently as could be done. As you said, past signings of non Cowboy free agents backfired on them. Now it seems their own 2nd contract personnel are proving costly.

It just seems as though the combination of both a couple of true difference maker free agents along with a few stopgaps could be acquired during the offseasons more consistently, if done correctly. I actually thought the Bennett, Quinn and Cobb group of 2019 was good. 2020 was trash. Maybe they are due another good group this offseason. Always keeping in mind of course, the proper management of cap space.

Nice post.

The Bucs signed vets who outperformed expectations, and they all signed very reasonable contracts. Brady performed way beyond his contract. Gronk performed better than expected and was used sparingly until the playoffs. Shaq Barrett was on a cheap contract, but now they will have to pay big or lose him.

The key is our older vets who were signed on cheap short contracts all crapped the bed or got hurt. McCoy and HaHa and Poe were expected by most of us to at the very least be upgrades...none were. The problem is if you want a younger player just reaching his prime, you have to overpay and risk a bad contract. Dallas has not mismanaged the CAP. Not too many years ago, we fans wondered if we would ever be in a good cap situation again. One can argue that Smith and Elliott are grossly overplayed based on last year’s performance, but neither contract put us in a bad cap situation. The most egregious mistake was letting Dak get to the point of being tagged....that ate up quite a bit of cap space, though we still had plenty to do whatever they wanted. Tagging him again is another stupid move if it happens. Sign him to a contract, find a way to trade him (not at all easy at this point), or let him walk and start over.

 

[buybuydandavis]

We need to start looking for pieces, not stopgaps. Problem w/ Poe/McCoy/Haha is that they were all stopgaps. What did we spend on them total, around 15 mil? Seems about right.

Meanwhile, Cincy signs top 5 DJ Reader for a measly 53 mil/4 years. Can you imagine him and Galley shoring up the middle? Talk about a nightmare for opposing D's.

What I'm saying is, fix something in FA. Signing stopgaps is not what we need at present, we need players who fix an issue.

This would be the year for it. With the drop in cap, free agency could be a bloodbath for free agents. Unfortunately, we signed a lot of underperforming contracts, so aren't in a great position to make the most of it.

 

[Cowboyny]

Yes but when your stopgaps are Haha (both literally and figuratively), Poe and an ancient, injured McCoy... something needs to be re-assessed. Something needs to change. At least enough where each FA isn’t just a roll of the dice.

Absolutely need to better signings, but unrealistic to think they will find long-term pieces via fa

 

[75boyz]

The Bucs signed vets who outperformed expectations, and they all signed very reasonable contracts. Brady performed way beyond his contract. Gronk performed better than expected and was used sparingly until the playoffs. Shaq Barrett was on a cheap contract, but now they will have to pay big or lose him.

The key is our older vets who were signed on cheap short contracts all crapped the bed or got hurt. McCoy and HaHa and Poe were expected by most of us to at the very least be upgrades...none were. The problem is if you want a younger player just reaching his prime, you have to overpay and risk a bad contract. Dallas has not mismanaged the CAP. Not too many years ago, we fans wondered if we would ever be in a good cap situation again. One can argue that Smith and Elliott are grossly overplayed based on last year’s performance, but neither contract put us in a bad cap situation. The most egregious mistake was letting Dak get to the point of being tagged....that ate up quite a bit of cap space, though we still had plenty to do whatever they wanted. Tagging him again is another stupid move if it happens. Sign him to a contract, find a way to trade him (not at all easy at this point), or let him walk and start over.

Yep, you nailed it when you mentioned acquiring free agents who outperform the contract given.
Rather than underperform.

This is what all GMs wish they could accomplish in the offseason. Seems as though there is a delicate balance of finding just the right guys at just the right points in their careers willing to accept a pre determined number.
Like I said, I thought the production given based on the price paid on the Dallas 2019 free agent group was a good one. Their 2020 group was terrible. And of course your mention of Tampa's 2020 free agent class was the gold standard.

Nice post.

 

[ondaedg]

Agreed but there is a problem. We have managed our salary cap badly and the dollars available just aren't there. Years ago we got burned signing high price free agents and in recent years have resorted to the cheaper ones. There used to be a thought that why were they free agents in the first place, but that's not right as you cannot keep every good player. The Bucs have set the template on what to do, but we won't take any notice of that.

All things considered we aren't even close to some of the bad cap situations other teams are in.

 

[NEODOG]

The problem is just how many recent X-Cowboys that have a SB Ring


Either the talent was bad

OR

The coaching/ schemes were bad

 

[JBS]

Agreed but there is a problem. We have managed our salary cap badly and the dollars available just aren't there. Years ago we got burned signing high price free agents and in recent years have resorted to the cheaper ones. There used to be a thought that why were they free agents in the first place, but that's not right as you cannot keep every good player. The Bucs have set the template on what to do, but we won't take any notice of that.

This is absolutely bull crap. Get a clue.

 

[JBS]

All things considered we aren't even close to some of the bad cap situations other teams are in.

Not even close..Dallas is amongst the lowest cap spenders in the nfl..

 

[Jake]

The problem is just how many recent X-Cowboys that have a SB Ring

Either the talent was bad

OR

The coaching/ schemes were bad

The people acquiring the talent and coaches are bad and have been for years.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

We need to start looking for pieces, not stopgaps. Problem w/ Poe/McCoy/Haha is that they were all stopgaps. What did we spend on them total, around 15 mil? Seems about right.

Meanwhile, Cincy signs top 5 DJ Reader for a measly 53 mil/4 years. Can you imagine him and Galley shoring up the middle? Talk about a nightmare for opposing D's.

What I'm saying is, fix something in FA. Signing stopgaps is not what we need at present, we need players who fix an issue.

Nooo.
Jerry would rather throw money at a bus driver QB and an inconsistent RB. Then, what is left over is for pet projects for over the hill names and nobodies that he just knows will work out because he knows football.