Cooks Deal Elucidates Point I've Made About Jones' Ownership

[joseephuss]

For every Cooks vs. OBJ deal (and even more so), there are good sound deals that are made each year to improve teams that the Joneses don't even try because they choose to stay out of free agency unless it's bargain basement. Prudent and cheap do not necessarily go hand in hand. Could we have improved WR last year prudently without going cheap?
A proven receiver Ju-Ju Smith-Schuster signed for a $3.25 million base, while we went for James Washington at a lower cost and much lower production. Yes, there were questions about Smith-Schuster as well, but Dallas has consistently shown that it wants to find outside FAs for under $2 million.

The only way you get more money with this team is if we trade for you or you've been here a year or two and we decide to re-sign you. That's just not good business if you want to win titles.

Most of us don't want Dallas to just throw money at the most expensive free agents no matter what. We want the team to be willing to not box itself in with a philosophy that doesn't allow it to seek a D'Onta Foreman for 1 year, $3 million after he rushed for season highs and instead stick with being as cheap as possible by signing Ronald Jones II for 1 year, $1.25 million coming off a season where he sunk to the back of a pack of backs.

Smith-Schuster is/was better than Washington, but probably wouldn't have been a good signing for Dallas, either. While his base salary was $3 million, he met some low tier incentives and was paid $10 million last season. He didn't top 1000 yards as the #1 WR in KC and only had 10 receptions, 89 yards and 0 TDs in 3 playoff games.

Ronald Jones hasn't been brought in to be the answer at the RB position and Foreman wouldn't be, either. They can easily sign another vet if they want and probably will if they don't end up drafting a rookie they like. The Bears overpaid for Foreman. He had such a strange season. He had 10 games where he had fewer than 35 yards and 9 games with fewer than 25 yards. He had a few big games, but those games are the outlier. I doubt he replicates any of that success and the price isn't right. For that amount, I would want better. The cost to cut Jones is cheaper than the cost to cut Foreman and neither would be reliable guys to count on in 2023 for Dallas in my opinion.

 

[aikemirv]

In summary, OBJ gets $15 million with $18 million potential in a deal negotiated by Zeke Sandhu.

Beckham hasn't averaged more than 65 yards per game since 2018.

Cooks broke 1,000 yards in 2,020 and 2021, and we signed him for $12 million, even though he has a proven history of production in recent years, minus the injury.

While defending my reason for supporting the job the current Jones ownership is doing, I've said that I like what they're doing a lot because of what they have not done, such as signing OBJ in this case, when they could get Cooks for as much as $6 million less.

Our fans will say this is cheap. I call it being prudent.

LINK: https://thelandryhat.com/2023/04/10/odell-beckham-jr-contract-details-ravens-cowboys-brandin-cooks/

What that the word of the day on your vocab calendar?

 

[gimmesix]

Smith-Schuster is/was better than Washington, but probably wouldn't have been a good signing for Dallas, either. While his base salary was $3 million, he met some low tier incentives and was paid $10 million last season. He didn't top 1000 yards as the #1 WR in KC and only had 10 receptions, 89 yards and 0 TDs in 3 playoff games.

Ronald Jones hasn't been brought in to be the answer at the RB position and Foreman wouldn't be, either. They can easily sign another vet if they want and probably will if they don't end up drafting a rookie they like. The Bears overpaid for Foreman. He had such a strange season. He had 10 games where he had fewer than 35 yards and 9 games with fewer than 25 yards. He had a few big games, but those games are the outlier. I doubt he replicates any of that success and the price isn't right. For that amount, I would want better. The cost to cut Jones is cheaper than the cost to cut Foreman and neither would be reliable guys to count on in 2023 for Dallas in my opinion.

I grabbed those two as examples and maybe they weren't the best. The point is every year there are free agents who teams sign for reasonable contracts that Dallas doesn't even look at because it wants only bargain deals. We have to rely on trades for non-bargain players because of this philosophy. Only rarely do you end up finding a player like Kearse with this philosophy. Instead, you are mostly filling out your roster with the James Washingtons, Tarell Bashams, Darryl Worleys, etc. Some like Dante Fowler and Carlos Watkins end up being good rotation fillers, but most don't move the needle forward.

 

[Big_D]

I grabbed those two as examples and maybe they weren't the best. The point is every year there are free agents who teams sign for reasonable contracts that Dallas doesn't even look at because it wants only bargain deals. We have to rely on trades for non-bargain players because of this philosophy. Only rarely do you end up finding a player like Kearse with this philosophy. Instead, you are mostly filling out your roster with the James Washingtons, Tarell Bashams, Darryl Worleys, etc. Some like Dante Fowler and Carlos Watkins end up being good rotation fillers, but most don't move the needle forward.

Clearing guys like Zeke and Cooper and Schulz should be a step towards being able to spend more down the road. They seem to be headed in the right direction at least. And are hitting on some free agents when they were just misses for a long time.

 

[gimmesix]

Clearing guys like Zeke and Cooper and Schulz should be a step towards being able to spend more down the road. They seem to be headed in the right direction at least. And are hitting on some free agents when they were just misses for a long time.

You are mistaking philosophy for a lack of funds. The Joneses adopted this philosophy years ago, after their last costly free agent signing of Brandon Carr in 2012.

 

[Big_D]

You are mistaking philosophy for a lack of funds. The Joneses adopted this philosophy years ago, after their last costly free agent signing of Brandon Carr in 2012.

Partly cause the team sucked. You overspend in free agency when the roster isn't very good and it's really not getting you anywhere. This roster is night and day from that one and I expect they should have a few more dollars next offseason. It's not something you can do every year but it is something you can work towards WHEN the team is good enough. And this one currently is. The philosophy already changed this year when they didn't wait 8 weeks from the start of free agency to peruse the bargain bin.

 

[gimmesix]

Partly cause the team sucked. You overspend in free agency when the roster isn't very good and it's really not getting you anywhere. This roster is night and day from that one and I expect they should have a few more dollars next offseason. It's not something you can do every year but it is something you can work towards WHEN the team is good enough. And this one currently is. The philosophy already changed this year when they didn't wait 8 weeks from the start of free agency to peruse the bargain bin.

Making trades is not a change in philosophy. The team has treated free agency the same as it has been treating it, only bargain basement signing. This philosophy does not hold true for trades as it wasn't that long ago that we sent a first-rounder to the Raiders for Amari Cooper.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

What does elucidate mean? Not Do

I think Sarge was making a joke.

 

[RustyBourneHorse]

Haha. I thought that was the reference. "What do voluntary mean?"

That's what I think he was trying to do lol

 

[Big_D]

Making trades is not a change in philosophy. The team has treated free agency the same as it has been treating it, only bargain basement signing. This philosophy does not hold true for trades as it wasn't that long ago that we sent a first-rounder to the Raiders for Amari Cooper.

It was a dumber regime in place with a team still making stupid decisions and a roster not nearly as good as this one. Those low level trades filled glaring holes for a great price and the free agent signings were productive players like Fowler and Hankins who were nice additions. Plus Turpin, Kearse, Hilton, etc.. So no the philosophy certainly isn't the same from years past. In years past they aren't trading for Haskins, they're drafting 7th round DTs. Go back to any one of Garrett's 10 years and find a better group of free agents then those signed in the past 3 years here. Carr certainly wasn't better cause overspending doesn't guarantee anything. Neither does overdrafting like Mo or Jaylon or Zeke. This team is not operating the same as years past.

 

[Bullflop]

Count me among those relieved to see Cooks included on the Cowboys' roster and OBJ excluded. Jerry did his team a big favor there!

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

How to figure out the definition of a word in a few steps.

Step 1: Go to Google or your preferred search engine.
Step 2: Enter "Elucidate definition"
Step 3: Press enter.

Elucidate means to explain without ambiguity or to illuminate.

 

[Coogiguy03]

Big dog likes to bust my chops... he means no harm.

Oh I know I'm just giving them a hard time until they make me one, it's been 10 years, they still haven't lol

 

[gimmesix]

It was a dumber regime in place with a team still making stupid decisions and a roster not nearly as good as this one. Those low level trades filled glaring holes for a great price and the free agent signings were productive players like Fowler and Hankins who were nice additions. Plus Turpin, Kearse, Hilton, etc.. So no the philosophy certainly isn't the same from years past. In years past they aren't trading for Haskins, they're drafting 7th round DTs. Go back to any one of Garrett's 10 years and find a better group of free agents then those signed in the past 3 years here. Carr certainly wasn't better cause overspending doesn't guarantee anything. Neither does overdrafting like Mo or Jaylon or Zeke. This team is not operating the same as years past.

The team has tweaked certain aspects about the players they acquire, probably because new coaches have their preferences (such as Quinn wanting Fowler and probably Hankins), but the FA philosophy remains the same: Pay your own and if you sign any outside free agents only sign them if they are cheap. This has not changed. The Joneses have said themselves that after the Carr signing they came to believe that teams overpay in free agency (which they do) and the free agents prove to be not worth it (which many of them do). They stay away from all but the cheapest FAs.

Trades are different because the player already has a set amount he is going to be paid that you can decide if you can handle and then it comes down to the pick value. But they traded for Tavon Austin, they traded for Cooper, they traded for Jamize Olawale, they traded for Robert Quinn ... I could keep going. This is not a new part of the philosophy.

 

[ConstantReboot]

In summary, OBJ gets $15 million with $18 million potential in a deal negotiated by Zeke Sandhu.

Beckham hasn't averaged more than 65 yards per game since 2018.

Cooks broke 1,000 yards in 2,020 and 2021, and we signed him for $12 million, even though he has a proven history of production in recent years, minus the injury.

While defending my reason for supporting the job the current Jones ownership is doing, I've said that I like what they're doing a lot because of what they have not done, such as signing OBJ in this case, when they could get Cooks for as much as $6 million less.

Our fans will say this is cheap. I call it being prudent.

LINK: https://thelandryhat.com/2023/04/10/odell-beckham-jr-contract-details-ravens-cowboys-brandin-cooks/

Yeah the Cooks deal was a good deal. But OBJ should not have been talked about in the media as if he was already signed. This is the problem with Jerry and Stephen. They ramble on about these deals while they could have kept it hush hush. Frankly, I don't give them the credit for this deal. I give the credit to Will McClay and the guys who know about football. If it weren't for them, Jerry would have signed OBJ in an instant for 25 million.

 

[ConstantReboot]

Jones front office is 1.8x more intelligent in decisions than the garden variety critic around here.

Still doesn't fix cultural issues where Jerry undermines accountability. Still doesn't fix never-ending-below-average-head-coach selections. Still doesn't address Goodell's trained zebras running as trained.

Jerry and Stephen should not be forgiven for keeping Garrett as head coach for 9 years. They mask their mistakes by double down on it and occasionally blame someone else besides themselves.

 

[speedkilz88]

Yeah the Cooks deal was a good deal. But OBJ should not have been talked about in the media as if he was already signed. This is the problem with Jerry and Stephen. They ramble on about these deals while they could have kept it hush hush. Frankly, I don't give them the credit for this deal. I give the credit to Will McClay and the guys who know about football. If it weren't for them, Jerry would have signed OBJ in an instant for 25 million.

Kind of looks like Jerry doesn't make the decisions any longer doesn't it.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Jerry and Stephen should not be forgiven for keeping Garrett as head coach for 9 years. They mask their mistakes by double down on it and occasionally blame someone else besides themselves.

Forgiven? We are on their radar in terms of game attendance, TV viewership, merchandise sales, and the like. Grudges where there are no interaction seem silly to me.

I am more interested in what they are going to do with coaches in the future. MM is a good coach. They seem to be letting MM and Quinn pick their staffs. Garrett has not been here in several seasons.

This free agency period have seen two inspired and fruitful trades as well as keeping most of the free agents plus jettisoning the albatross of Zeke's contract.

They do well drafting. We have had some hiccups so grains of salt are appropriate but things are looking up.

The Joneses are not going anywhere. Not sweating things you cannot change is a virtue.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Kind of looks like Jerry doesn't make the decisions any longer doesn't it.

At it's darkest it was Jerry, Berry, and Larry. Even then it was not "Jerry" making decisions. Nowadays there are 5 people on the committee so to speak along with their respective staffs.

Jerry is still in there.

 

[nobody]

In summary, OBJ gets $15 million with $18 million potential in a deal negotiated by Zeke Sandhu.

Beckham hasn't averaged more than 65 yards per game since 2018.

Cooks broke 1,000 yards in 2,020 and 2021, and we signed him for $12 million, even though he has a proven history of production in recent years, minus the injury.

While defending my reason for supporting the job the current Jones ownership is doing, I've said that I like what they're doing a lot because of what they have not done, such as signing OBJ in this case, when they could get Cooks for as much as $6 million less.

Our fans will say this is cheap. I call it being prudent.

LINK: https://thelandryhat.com/2023/04/10/odell-beckham-jr-contract-details-ravens-cowboys-brandin-cooks/

It was better to get Cooks than Beckham for sure, BUT....The Jones' are always reactionary and never proactive. They should have done something like this the second they knew that they were getting rid of Cooper and not a freaking year later. Jerry's GMship is ripe with example after example of this sort of thing...which is why Cooper was here in the first place.

He doesn't get to certain needs until well after it's been obvious for a long time and holds on to other players way too long because he refuses to acknowledge mistakes. That's what makes him a mediocre GM and a huge reason why the Cowboys can't get over the hump.