Cowboys are proceeding according to plan and why that is a good thing.

[jterrell]

Off-seasons are heinously long for downtrodden fan bases and this fan base is amongst the worst at handling downtime. We are like Dez on speed. So being patient or having any calming suggestion at all is pretty hard to stomach. All that said, the situation required a smart front office to do just that.

Coming into this off-season there was very little doubt Dallas would be tight against the cap and sitting out early, high-priced free agency. I mean little doubt amongst people who weren't just doing wishful thinking but instead focused on logic. Dallas has actually now done this three out of the previous four seasons IIRC. When you are paying the premier pass rusher in football and a franchise QB that's how things fall. --obviously it sucks to not be winning more with those guys btw.

But right now Dallas is sitting where they should if they had you know actual football guys doing smart football things based on sound football principles. They are all of 177k under the cap I know. But the three biggest salary cap savers are ALL still in play. Trade/extend Spencer, Extend Romo, and cut Doug Free June 2nd. Dallas has no reason to panic and move on any of those items. They have leverage in all 3 cases.
-Spencer keeps getting a year older and is coming off of a career year by a mile. Does he want to chance another year-long spectacular effort while playing in a new scheme?
-Romo has been carrying Dallas but how long can he stay healthy? Does he want to ride the Flacco gambling train? He is very, very good but also not a young man anymore. And maybe you've heard that Romo gets hit a lot behind this OL.
-Free was probably the worst OT in football until he started rotating with Parnell. All of sudden he went from worst to just mediocre. VERY likely he's cut but no need to panic and create another hole on the roster when the cap relief really comes June 2nd. In the mean time maybe Free wants to take a pay cut that guarantees him one year rather than hope for a post June 2nd contract of note.

Dallas needs 1 of those moves to operate the draft. They are talking with both Spencer and Romo now. The other move can come after the draft. We can sit and wait to decide on Free based upon adding at least 1 OT in this draft. But Dallas truly can let the game come to them.

Right now they need to maximize draft preparation and performance.

More often than not, losing the off-season tends to lead to winning a lot of games. Believe it or not NFL players do not improve watching sports center or reading online reports. The more bored we are as a fan base the better off the team is.

 

[visionary]

Off-seasons are heinously long for downtrodden fan bases and this fan base is amongst the worst at handling downtime. We are like Dez on speed. So being patient or having any calming suggestion at all is pretty hard to stomach. All that said, the situation required a smart front office to do just that.

Coming into this off-season there was very little doubt Dallas would be tight against the cap and sitting out early, high-priced free agency. I mean little doubt amongst people who weren't just doing wishful thinking but instead focused on logic. Dallas has actually now done this three out of the previous four seasons IIRC. When you are paying the premier pass rusher in football and a franchise QB that's how things fall. --obviously it sucks to not be winning more with those guys btw.

But right now Dallas is sitting where they should if they had you know actual football guys doing smart football things based on sound football principles. They are all of 177k under the cap I know. But the three biggest salary cap savers are ALL still in play. Trade/extend Spencer, Extend Romo, and cut Doug Free June 2nd. Dallas has no reason to panic and move on any of those items. They have leverage in all 3 cases.
-Spencer keeps getting a year older and is coming off of a career year by a mile. Does he want to chance another year-long spectacular effort while playing in a new scheme?
-Romo has been carrying Dallas but how long can he stay healthy? Does he want to ride the Flacco gambling train? He is very, very good but also not a young man anymore. And maybe you've heard that Romo gets hit a lot behind this OL.
-Free was probably the worst OT in football until he started rotating with Parnell. All of sudden he went from worst to just mediocre. VERY likely he's cut but no need to panic and create another hole on the roster when the cap relief really comes June 2nd. In the mean time maybe Free wants to take a pay cut that guarantees him one year rather than hope for a post June 2nd contract of note.

Dallas needs 1 of those moves to operate the draft. They are talking with both Spencer and Romo now. The other move can come after the draft. We can sit and wait to decide on Free based upon adding at least 1 OT in this draft. But Dallas truly can let the game come to them.

Right now they need to maximize draft preparation and performance.

More often than not, losing the off-season tends to lead to winning a lot of games. Believe it or not NFL players do not improve watching sports center or reading online reports. The more bored we are as a fan base the better off the team is.

good post JT
agree with your thoughts

 

[rocboy22]

why do you say they need one of those moves to operate the draft?

 

[Disturbed]

Very good post. I hope the Cowboys stay out of FA and focus on the draft.

 

[conner01]

why do you say they need one of those moves to operate the draft?

you need one of those moves to clear enough to sign your picks. i think the off season i going exactly as i expected. i do think we will sign avet or two but the most important thing is we need to hit on 3 or 4 guys in the draft. this is a very important draft. all drafts are important but when you are up against the cap they are even more important. plus we are still dealing with the 07 thru 09 drafts not being core's of the team. this draft has to be a home run

 

[jterrell]

why do you say they need one of those moves to operate the draft?

Because they need the cap space to sign those guys.

I don't mean to simply conduct the draft however. They can draft as is, they just can't sign guys. Realistically they can probably sign all of their UDFA for the 177k (they'll eat some signing bonus for most of those guys but it can be as little as 3000; with no 7th round pick currently yoiu have to think they'll plunk down larger 20k type bonuses to 1 or 2 preferred UDFA types) but that's cutting it a bit close.

 

[rocboy22]

you need one of those moves to clear enough to sign your picks. i think the off season i going exactly as i expected. i do think we will sign avet or two but the most important thing is we need to hit on 3 or 4 guys in the draft. this is a very important draft. all drafts are important but when you are up against the cap they are even more important. plus we are still dealing with the 07 thru 09 drafts not being core's of the team. this draft has to be a home run

but, we don't need the cap room until we sign those guys. So that isn't the reason. We could not extend Spence, not extend Romo, and cut Free after June 1 and sign the rooks at the end of July.

 

[rocboy22]

Because they need the cap space to sign those guys.

I don't mean to simply conduct the draft however. They can draft as is, they just can't sign guys. Realistically they can probably sign all of their UDFA for the 177k (they'll eat some signing bonus for most of those guys but it can be as little as 3000; with no 7th round pick currently yoiu have to think they'll plunk down larger 20k type bonuses to 1 or 2 preferred UDFA types) but that's cutting it a bit close.

ok, that's how I thought you meant it

 

[jobberone]

Nice post jt.

 

[Doomsday101]

Off-seasons are heinously long for downtrodden fan bases and this fan base is amongst the worst at handling downtime. We are like Dez on speed. So being patient or having any calming suggestion at all is pretty hard to stomach. All that said, the situation required a smart front office to do just that.

Coming into this off-season there was very little doubt Dallas would be tight against the cap and sitting out early, high-priced free agency. I mean little doubt amongst people who weren't just doing wishful thinking but instead focused on logic. Dallas has actually now done this three out of the previous four seasons IIRC. When you are paying the premier pass rusher in football and a franchise QB that's how things fall. --obviously it sucks to not be winning more with those guys btw.

But right now Dallas is sitting where they should if they had you know actual football guys doing smart football things based on sound football principles. They are all of 177k under the cap I know. But the three biggest salary cap savers are ALL still in play. Trade/extend Spencer, Extend Romo, and cut Doug Free June 2nd. Dallas has no reason to panic and move on any of those items. They have leverage in all 3 cases.
-Spencer keeps getting a year older and is coming off of a career year by a mile. Does he want to chance another year-long spectacular effort while playing in a new scheme?
-Romo has been carrying Dallas but how long can he stay healthy? Does he want to ride the Flacco gambling train? He is very, very good but also not a young man anymore. And maybe you've heard that Romo gets hit a lot behind this OL.
-Free was probably the worst OT in football until he started rotating with Parnell. All of sudden he went from worst to just mediocre. VERY likely he's cut but no need to panic and create another hole on the roster when the cap relief really comes June 2nd. In the mean time maybe Free wants to take a pay cut that guarantees him one year rather than hope for a post June 2nd contract of note.

Dallas needs 1 of those moves to operate the draft. They are talking with both Spencer and Romo now. The other move can come after the draft. We can sit and wait to decide on Free based upon adding at least 1 OT in this draft. But Dallas truly can let the game come to them.

Right now they need to maximize draft preparation and performance.

More often than not, losing the off-season tends to lead to winning a lot of games. Believe it or not NFL players do not improve watching sports center or reading online reports. The more bored we are as a fan base the better off the team is.

I like boring off seasons. :laugh2:

Based on what S. Jones has said I do think Dallas will make some minor moves in FA just not looking at the big name FA. Personally think getting a lower level FA can work out pretty good for a team. Kosier was not a top FA yet was able to come in and do a good job in Dallas without costing an arm and leg to get him

 

[jterrell]

I like boring off seasons. :laugh2:

I hate em.

It's like being in college sitting home studying while your friends go out and party. They are sending you pics of girls they are drunkenly chatting up and it sucks to miss out. But grades come out and you pass classes while they head home for a time out in a community college....

 

[Doomsday101]

I hate em.

It's like being in college sitting home studying while your friends go out and party. They are sending you pics of girls they are drunkenly chatting up and it sucks to miss out. But grades come out and you pass classes while they head home for a time out in a community college....

Over the years I learned no news in Dallas is good news. :laugh2:

Granted you get no entertainment value as a fan and it limits the conversations on boards like this but seems to me many of the high priced FA never live up to the billing or the price tag. Look for guys the coaches feel fit within what they are putting together at a good cost. As I said Koiser in my opinion was a good move. You got a solid player and did not take a big chunk out of the cap.

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

Very good post. I hope the Cowboys stay out of FA and focus on the draft.

I'm of that mindset as well. Keep putting young talent on the roster for the next time the thirty somethings want big dollars.

 

[cowboysooner]

I'm of that mindset as well. Keep putting young talent on the roster for the next time the thirty somethings want big dollars.

The value is going to be in some very good 30 something vets that are taking backup money and can be an average starter for you. The Willie Colon $1.3mm deal for the NYJ is a great example. There are several safeties, running back and guards that might step in and improve our roster for little or no real money. For about $2-3mm in cap space you can add some important pieces for a year.

 

[rocboy22]

The value is going to be in some very good 30 something vets that are taking backup money and can be an average starter for you. The Willie Colon $1.3mm deal for the NYJ is a great example. There are several safeties, running back and guards that might step in and improve our roster for little or no real money. For about $2-3mm in cap space you can add some important pieces for a year.

for sure

 

[kiheikiwi]

Because the bargin hunting we did at guard last year paid off so handsomely well ...

 

[AMERICAS_FAN]

Because the bargin hunting we did at guard last year paid off so handsomely well ...

While the OP was fantastic, this reply is ignorant.

Last year we had drastic needs at OLB and we franchised Spencer. We needed a replacement for Newman and signed Carr. That paid off, but had to come at the expense of OL.

Stop with the short sighted replies that call out the bad by purposefully hiding the good just to feed an ignorant agenda.

 

[kiheikiwi]

While the OP was fantastic, this reply is ignorant.

Last year we had drastic needs at OLB and we franchised Spencer. We needed a replacement for Newman and signed Carr. That paid off, but had to come at the expense of OL.

Stop with the short sighted replies that call out the bad by purposefully hiding the good just to feed an ignorant agenda.

It came at the expense of the OL AGAIN ! There were plenty of people on this site when we picked up those guys last year - and took no-one in the draft - who were not only shocked that we went cheap AGAIN, but also failed to upgrade in the draft. Its a lesson I do not want to see repeated. It's been repeated for quite a few years now.
It's not ignorant to hope that history does not repeat itself AGAIN.
Bad for good ? WHat the hell are you talking about man. I think Carr is a great pick up, I do think we will have good to great corners now set for years to come.
That does not change the fact or belittle what has happened to the OL - or not happened. I pray that with all the collective heads in the draft room, that we do hit on all of our picks this year.
Even so far as to say this may be one of the most important drafts we have had in quite some time. With no Free agents to speak of - we must get starters deep into the draft. Not only on OL but several other positions as well. To cover what tried last year and failed ...
Ignorant my a-- !

 

[xwalker]

Because they need the cap space to sign those guys.

I don't mean to simply conduct the draft however. They can draft as is, they just can't sign guys. Realistically they can probably sign all of their UDFA for the 177k (they'll eat some signing bonus for most of those guys but it can be as little as 3000; with no 7th round pick currently yoiu have to think they'll plunk down larger 20k type bonuses to 1 or 2 preferred UDFA types) but that's cutting it a bit close.

They would only need additional cap space if the UDFAs cost more than players already counting against the top 51 salaries.

 

[jterrell]

They would only need additional cap space if the UDFAs cost more than players already counting against the top 51 salaries.

good point and very true.

right now that would be second year minimums so rookies wouldn't cost us anything under the cap unless they were paid 75K more than minimum.

while we may eventually cut a bunch of these second year guys i dont think it will be prior to TC.

where rookie udfa signing bonus money will hit us is next year but those totals are very low like the 1k we pay in dead money for lance dunbar.