Cowboys fail the acid test again (Bust the budget)

[Verdict]

I think the premier defense talent will be gone before 12, so if we don't get a trade offer, we're in a bad spot. I've seen some mock Dillon Thienemen to us at 12 perhaps because of that. I think that's a bit of a reach but wouldn't be against it. OL or WR probably will be the best value or Love, if he makes it to that point.

I could definitely see a DE at 20 because we haven't done enough there and it's a high-value position. I'm just not sure of the quality at that point. Of course, I do think we can get a quality starting linebacker a little lower than 20.

My draft right now would go something like 21 (trade down with Pittsburgh to pick up a second) CB Avieon Terrell or Colton Hood; trade down from 20 to 28-32 and take LB Jacob Rodriguez. With Pittsburgh's pick take Gabe Jacas or A.J. Haulcy. With the pick we get for trading down from 20, take Genesis Smith or Malachi Lawrence. (Obviously, we don't know who will be available.)

Maybe I’m wrong but as of right now, I think corner is lowest on the list of needs for the Cowboys on defense. I guess time will tell if I’m in the ballpark on that or not.

 

[Verdict]

How many picks do we have after pick 20?

This team isn't trading back. They hoard draft picks on draft day. Especially high ones.

I think in this drat you will see the Cowboys attempt to trade down, unless someone they REALLY like is on the board at their pick.

 

[Verdict]

I don't know. Secondary was our weakest area last year BUT the team may view Revel and Bland as the starters and believe we only need to find a nickel starter. Of course, because of the play of the group last year, it could be at the top of the list since you pretty much need three starters anyway.

Yeah. We don’t really know how the Cowboys are looking at this situation. Right now I would say that linebacker is the biggest need in terms of lack of talent and lack of numbers. Pass rusher/end/edge also seems decently high on the list.

 

[phildadon86]

I think in this drat you will see the Cowboys attempt to trade down, unless someone they REALLY like is on the board at their pick.

Interesting.

And what happens when (since everyone and their mother now know our biggest need) a team trades up in front of us?

The last time the Cowboys traded down, they grabbed Tyler Guyton.

This nonsense that they draft well hasnt been true in years.

So they are poor at drafting, and now havent utilized FA properly to address the biggest need on the team.

Go look at other franchises. Their biggest needs are the FIRST player signed.

Its frustrating man. It really is.

I wanted to buy in but seeing this has made me even more apathetic. How can you ignore your biggest need? After getting in front of every microphone you could telling us youre going to "take from the future and bust the budget"

 

[Sydla]

Yep, Gary was supposed to be a piece, nobody thought he was THE piece. Im still going with the inability to beat the Raiders for Dean and Walker when we dont have any MLB's

Yeah that was a sign they were gonna be happy with the Gary trade and Thompson signing and be done with FA other than some bargain bin shopping. I like the Thompson signing but frankly, I'd rather hae used his money on a LB.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

In the Cowboys' mind paying for Gary and Thompson represents busting the budget.

If you look at it relative to what they spent in FA in past years, it is.

If you look at it relative to what most other teams do, it's an embarrassment.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

Yeah that was a sign they were gonna be happy with the Gary trade and Thompson signing and be done with FA other than some bargain bin shopping. I like the Thompson signing but frankly, I'd rather hae used his money on a LB.

Agreed. Thompson is a heck of a good safety but LB was a bigger need. They could have used that money to get Devin Lloyd and the safety they got yesterday, P.J. Locke, could have held down a starting spot.

 

[fivetwos]

Understand that when Jerry says “bust the budget,” the way he sees it…they’ve done that.

All of those restructures require a significant immediate cash investment. They see that as significantly investing in the team. It’s also why they prefer to trade picks for players….no signing bonus required.

They are way too close to the money and it’s a serious conflict when it comes to signing players.

I knew Stephen would win in the end.

 

[JohnsKey19]

They are way too close to the money and it’s a serious conflict when it comes to signing players.

Bingo. This is why the organization will always be hamstrung. This model will never work, certainly not with this family.

 

[Robster8989]

The Jags declined his fifth year option and didn’t try to keep him. They thought the price was too high, and like us, they have some salary cap issues.

When a team with hopes of contending and who had developed a player decided cut him loose, I’m wondering why and why. Im assuming Parker might have seen what the Jags saw and made other players a priority.

Or it could just be a money issue.
The Ravens let Linderbaum walk too, do you think it was because they didn't think he was that good?

 

[Verdict]

Interesting.

And what happens when (since everyone and their mother now know our biggest need) a team trades up in front of us?

The last time the Cowboys traded down, they grabbed Tyler Guyton.

This nonsense that they draft well hasnt been true in years.

So they are poor at drafting, and now havent utilized FA properly to address the biggest need on the team.

Go look at other franchises. Their biggest needs are the FIRST player signed.

Its frustrating man. It really is.

I wanted to buy in but seeing this has made me even more apathetic. How can you ignore your biggest need? After getting in front of every microphone you could telling us youre going to "take from the future and bust the budget"

I understand why you are exasperated. I truly do. But the Cowboys are not nearly as inept of an organization as many here believe that they are. They do make some bone headed moves ( especially overpaying their own).

Having said that you can’t FORCE needs to be fixed. Playing that game just results in fools gold, a waste of resources (cap and picks). You can’t acquire a solution that is worse than the problem you already have.

The Cowboys need linebackers. The Cowboys don’t need a couple of linebackers. The Cowboys need 4-5 linebackers. And they need to be able to really play and play well.

Fortunately, linebackers tend to acclimate quickly in the NFL. And there is a lot of quality and numbers of linebackers in this class.

Styles is the cream of the linebacker crop. I suspect he will be gone at #12. In fact I think we will get washed out of premium defenders at #12. If so, that’s going to leave us with taking an OT or WR at #12 or a trade back (which is preferred.)

I think you will see the Cowboys try to move back from #12. That’s the right move to fix the defense. But if not we cannot reach for need. Take the OT or WR and call it a win and move on.

At #20 the board is going to open up and from 20 to 65-70. You will see similar quality players. Fortunately for the Cowboys there will be multiple DE/OLB/ILB picks available in that range. Teams may want to trade up to 20 for more scarce positions.

If I were the Cowboys I would have a list of acceptable targets in that 20-70 range and I would be seriously trying to add as many of those targets in that range as I could, even if means trading back all the way out of the first round altogether.

If you are going to get an edge player you will need to take one by about pick 35 or risk the better ones all being gone by pick 35 (in that upper tier). Linebackers will be available a bit deeper than that.

Later in the draft you will see some guys who can play linebacker (York, Hienicke, Daniels, Barton, etc) that will be 4th round guys —or in some cases towards the end of the draft —who can still help you.

 

[Starforever]

We did draft an elite LB.

Traded him.

Is he the only one in the history of the NFL? If not, play on.

 

[Robster8989]

Yes Lloyd was rated highly in 2025, which is why I said (in the post you quoted) prior to last year he has disappointed. It was his one good year. Jax didn’t want to try to keep him because all the others weren’t good.

I’m not sure who you’re quoting that has regarded Lloyd as a high IQ player as you say, but I’ve heard in more than one spot that he has trouble processing. The latest time I heard it was Brian Broaddus on a video today where he said he heard it from some scouts and insiders that he knows. Said Lloyd has had problems processing on the run in games and it has hurt Jacksonville’s defense plenty of times. That would make him a bad fit for a Parker defense, much less when he costs $20M per year.

If you don’t want to believe that, then don’t believe it. It’s up to you.

And if you want to be mad, or disappointed or whatever it is that you are, that is obviously your decision too. Speaking for myself though, I wasn’t thrilled with this year’s free agent LB class outside of Dean who terrifies me because he’s as likely to miss long stretches of games as not. I just don’t see a good solution in FA this year.

As I mentioned above, I wanted Dallas to sign a good LB in order to provide freedom in the draft, but I don’t really see one that I’d have been thrilled with. Maybe that is Chenal, but I’m doubtful about that.

So I’m not happy about it, but Dallas will likely not have a good solution at LB heading into the draft. It is what it is. The good news is that this is a good draft class for off ball LB’s.

I'm not trying to be sparky with you.
I appreciate your feedback as an educated poster. You use facts and don't call people names which this board sometimes has too much of.

I just believe firmly that we had the worst LB room in the league last year, and that we desperately need to upgrade it.
And there were numerous solid FA options this year. LB was actually very deep in FA this year.
And so far we whiffed, and a lot of the best options are now off the board.

You knitpick Lloyd. Everything I've read about his 2025 was that it all came together and the guy is Fred Warner ish.
He didn't go for 20 he went for 15.
So between Lloyd, Bush, Chenal, Dean and Walker, plus others, there were some great and quite affordable options for us to improve our LB room. We paid Murray 7 million last year, so to me. Leo Chenal at 8 looks like a bargain.
Instead he's now a division rival.

So I question the decision making of our FO.
Maybe you don't and that's ok.
But we haven't been to a title game, not even an NFC Championship, in 30 years and counting.

Look at the top teams in the league.
The Rams were close last year, saw that their CB room was weak, and went out and addresses it in a big way.
Even the Eagles who have been quiet addressed one of their glaring weaknesses.
The Cowboys can make the cap space to do more,
I understand the Gary trade in lieu of the numbers thrown at what I consider average Edge FAs. Thompson is solid, though he wasn't top 5 on my avaliable S list, and we gave him 11 mil, so he fills a need which is good.
I'm not too exciting we kept Hooker and Steele, though I understand not wanting to clear new holes.
Sam Williams just makes me sick honestly.

So overall I'm unimpressed with the start of FA. Be impressed if you like.
Hoping for good things from the draft and that maybe some new guys hit the market after the draft too.

 

[gimmesix]

Parker has to be looking at our potential starters, Revel and Bland, and know we can do better than that. Unfortunately, he won’t have the luxury of picking a top corner because we didn’t sign any linebackers in free agency.

I think, though, they may be looking at safety (added Thompson and Locke) and defensive end (traded for Gary, spent a second last year on Eze, who had a decent rookie year) as more fixed than corner and linebacker. Maybe Eze's injury changes that since now both him and Bland are coming off surgery.

I think we'll get more of a hint about the draft direction based on the rest of free agency, but we have made sizable investments at end and safety so far.

 

[conner01]

Yes. That isn’t what the problem is. The problem is they’re doing neither.

We already traded a next years first and we have no second or third because we traded them. I’d say they did break the budget on trading picks

 

[ConstantReboot]

Interesting.

And what happens when (since everyone and their mother now know our biggest need) a team trades up in front of us?

The last time the Cowboys traded down, they grabbed Tyler Guyton.

This nonsense that they draft well hasnt been true in years.

So they are poor at drafting, and now havent utilized FA properly to address the biggest need on the team.

Go look at other franchises. Their biggest needs are the FIRST player signed.

Its frustrating man. It really is.

I wanted to buy in but seeing this has made me even more apathetic. How can you ignore your biggest need? After getting in front of every microphone you could telling us youre going to "take from the future and bust the budget"

The reason they haven’t drafted well is that they perform poorly in free agency. Then they’re surprised when the bargain-bin players they acquire turn out to be complete duds, and they use that as their measuring stick for the draft.

Jerry and the cap guy also don’t seem to know what they’re looking for when evaluating talent. They’re surrounded by yes-men who make them feel smart. I don’t think they actually watch film on players or check their 40 times. Why should they? It’s beneath their ego to figure those things out.

 

[john van brocklin]

If there was ever a way for Jerry and co to prove that this year was different, this was the perfect chance. They’ve already acquired Gary, now Crosby is back on the market, all that chatter about busting the budget, now is the time to put your money where your mouth is. And how do the cowboys respond ? “we are not expected to re-engage in trade talks for Maxx Crosby. Acquiring R. Gary and deciding that that takes you out of the running for Crosby is laughable at best.

I’m not going to close the door entirely on the Cowboys being out just yet. But if the latest reports are true, it’s just another offseason of the Cowboys not delivering.

As long as Jerry is the GM of this team,
We are not doing squat.
I know that's depressing, but that's our reality.