Dak/Amari problem could have been avoided

[BotchedLobotomy]

By simply not paying Zeke.

Zeke was third in line for a contract, but Jerry gave in to the pouting brat.

If the Cowboys had just done what the Chargers did with Melvin Gordon, Zeke would be here (still on a rookie deal), and we’d be able to shell out $35 million for Dak and $20 million for Amari. Or franchise tag either/or, if negotiations weren’t going well.

But nooooooo, we had to overpay for the most replaceable position in football and back ourselves into a corner. It’s really coming back to bite us now.

Even if Zeke had held out and not come back, who cares? Anyone who says Pollard wouldn’t have similar production #s is a liar.

This goes back to my claim that JJ is still living in the 90's and firmly believes the only path to winning a SB is to replicate the 90's. In the 90's you paid Zeke no question. In todays NFL, you don't pay Zeke, you either let him sit, or you let him walk and you replace him with the next RB up.

 

[baltcowboy]

Zeke is no Barkley

#DontpayDak

Who?

 

[jwooten15]

@jwooten15 How do you know there is a problem? I see Dak, Amari, and Jerry every week on TV and they don't seem to be too worried. Dak and Amari aren't complaining about a new contract. Dak has been nothing but the consummate professional team first player in my opinion. Amari seems to be just cool with whatever the contract stuff is.

Part of me thinks you’re right. I just opened this topic in light of the reports of Cooper potentially walking. But I hope it all does work out and they both sign!

 

[Ranched]

who the hell wants to give Dak and Amari 35 and 20 mil

 

[Proof]

Paying zeke or not has zero affect on these 2. We have 2 tags available for use, the franchize and transition tags can and will be used. Zeke's money will not affect their ability to pay the others as they slatted all of this money out months ago. it will affect the ability to pay other guys but these 3 were pencilled in last year.

This is true, they can still set the market for both, even with Zekes deal. It’s definitely factored in though, and that’s unfortunate.


They brought it on themselves though by the way they blatantly (and arrogantly) ran Demarco into the ground and then lowballed him by design.

 

[blueblood70]

By simply not paying Zeke.

Zeke was third in line for a contract, but Jerry gave in to the pouting brat.

If the Cowboys had just done what the Chargers did with Melvin Gordon, Zeke would be here (still on a rookie deal), and we’d be able to shell out $35 million for Dak and $20 million for Amari. Or franchise tag either/or, if negotiations weren’t going well.

But nooooooo, we had to overpay for the most replaceable position in football and back ourselves into a corner. It’s really coming back to bite us now.

Even if Zeke had held out and not come back, who cares? Anyone who says Pollard wouldn’t have similar production #s is a liar.

WRONG!!!! they all were offered deals.. Amari/Dak want more, more years, more guaranteed money or less years and more money..they CHOSE to not sign!!

in nutshell they dont have new deal because of themselves.. not anything to do with Zeke..

zeke troll's go away.. its not him.. hes top 5 this year in down year only 200yards off #1 spot. that KM and Dak going into full pass mode the first 3 games and serval games of late where somehow Zeke was the hot hand and they simply decided to pass a lot.. its more of a scheme and playcalling issue with the Oline also having struggles in the run game.. yet down year for zeke will be 12-1300 and 10tds with all these issues.. sire its his fault lol

you realize Tank got more, Jsmith got paid, Collins got paid..

odd the 2 players named here have gotten offers and Again , CHOSE TO turn them down?

the blame is on those players..

 

[OmerV]

Dallas has enough money to pay all three. 70M available next year before any restructures. Could get to 100M if needed. Money isn't the issue.

I think this is the case. Jerry is simply trying to hold the line as much as he can to leave as much as he can to fill out other areas of the team as well.

 

[starfan1]

Dallas has the money and cap space to pay them both the question is should they? I mean in every case thus far with the exception of Collins the extensions have not been wise. I was never on board with paying DLaw I would have let him walk but that being said even though his sack numbers dont show up he plays the run well and does not give up on plays I just think he should have better numbers with Quinn on the other side. The only thing I can think of is the 2 in the middle are just that bad.

Jaylon has regressed,Zeke has regressed. I really am not interested in paying Byron we can get 2 career picks anywhere we need play making ball-hawks he is over rated on this board and it wont kill me if he moves on and as far as I'm concerned if every one of them left it wouldn't kill me.

Now as big of a Dak fan as I am Im not sure paying him a large amount of money is the right thing to do. Unless you have early outs. Dak is a top 10 QB in this league according to stats and those just don't grow on trees.

 

[Dylan88Wilson]

Paying a running back was a mistake, but it won’t hinder us from re-signing Dak or Cooper. We’re fine, cap wise.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Anyone who claims to know what Pollard's production would be is the liar. No one knows.

That said, I agree re: Jerry caving. I expected he would and so did Zeke's agent. No way was Jerry going to invest the 4th overall pick in a RB (another mistake) then have him sit out. Jerry remembers the heat he got when Emmitt missed two games and wasn't going to go through that again.

One thing about Amari, though. He hasn't shown any interest in an extension. Yes, he could be franchised but he could also refuse to sign it and you have another impasse. Dak wants paid, which will be a bigger cap hit than Zeke and Amari combined. Not sure that's such a good idea either.

So to are those who made statements about Zeke's performance, projected into the future, as justification for giving him the contract. So what....... I mean, if you are going to allow that as reasons for the contract, then you have to allow for those of us who said that Pollard and other RBs could carry the load and be fine. I don't think you can say that anybody who said Pollard along with other FA RB options could carry the load is a liar. I think that's BS.

I don't know if Amari Cooper wants to resign or not. This all steams from something that is basically opinion by a writer. I have not heard Cooper say anything one way or another. I mean, he may have but I haven't seen or heard anything like that.

 

[Creeper]

Jerry should not have traded a 1st round pick for Cooper unless he could get him signed. Why commit to a first round pick for one year? The Giants gave up a 5th round pick to get Leonard Williams for a year. Its not that Williams is as good as Cooper but you don't rent for the same price you pay to buy. They should have penned Cooper to an extension immediately after trading for him.

Also, Jerry overpaid Zeke and this is what drives me crazy about the Cowboys front office. They claim they don't want to get into free agency because it means overpaying for top tier players but then they overpay their own free agents. What the heck is the difference? I would not have paid Zeke because he is under contract and because RBs are not worth that kind of money. And Zeke isn't even the player he once was already.

At least with Cooper, he is an elite WR in a passing league. I would pay him before Zeke, not because Zeke is not good but because WR is more valuable. When they had Zeke and no Cooper last year, the offense was terrible. It was Copper who made the difference which is why he should get paid. But now I am afraid he will go to free agency and some team in need of a WR will offer him much more than Dallas will pay. The Eagles? or Commanders?

They also should have paid Dak the minute the Eagles paid Wentz. They could have gotten Dak for less than they will pay now just by using Wentz's deal as a mogotiating point. Now, with the year Wenzt is having - and Goff - they will have to pay Dak so much more. Those fans saying let Dak walk are not thinking straight. Franchise QBs don't grow on trees. Who else could the Cowboys sign to be the future of the franchise. I have seen some of the names, like Mariotta and that's nuts. Dak is so much better than him.

So I agree that Jerry messed this all up but its not that out of the norm for the Cowboys front office.

Building a team is hard and Jerry has proven time and again he is not up to it. DT and Safety have been a weakness for years and the best he can do is sign Christian Covington?

 

[Frozen700]

Who?

Yeah play stupid

He's 10x the player Zeke is

#DontpayDak

 

[jaythecowboy]

Zeke's timing was really miserable and selfish. It's disappointing and made me sour on him

Zeke's timing was perfect...for him. I saw this coming a mile away.

 

[dstew60105]

Jerry should not have traded a 1st round pick for Cooper unless he could get him signed. Why commit to a first round pick for one year? The Giants gave up a 5th round pick to get Leonard Williams for a year. Its not that Williams is as good as Cooper but you don't rent for the same price you pay to buy. They should have penned Cooper to an extension immediately after trading for him.

Also, Jerry overpaid Zeke and this is what drives me crazy about the Cowboys front office. They claim they don't want to get into free agency because it means overpaying for top tier players but then they overpay their own free agents. What the heck is the difference? I would not have paid Zeke because he is under contract and because RBs are not worth that kind of money. And Zeke isn't even the player he once was already.

At least with Cooper, he is an elite WR in a passing league. I would pay him before Zeke, not because Zeke is not good but because WR is more valuable. When they had Zeke and no Cooper last year, the offense was terrible. It was Copper who made the difference which is why he should get paid. But now I am afraid he will go to free agency and some team in need of a WR will offer him much more than Dallas will pay. The Eagles? or Commanders?

They also should have paid Dak the minute the Eagles paid Wentz. They could have gotten Dak for less than they will pay now just by using Wentz's deal as a mogotiating point. Now, with the year Wenzt is having - and Goff - they will have to pay Dak so much more. Those fans saying let Dak walk are not thinking straight. Franchise QBs don't grow on trees. Who else could the Cowboys sign to be the future of the franchise. I have seen some of the names, like Mariotta and that's nuts. Dak is so much better than him.

So I agree that Jerry messed this all up but its not that out of the norm for the Cowboys front office.

Building a team is hard and Jerry has proven time and again he is not up to it. DT and Safety have been a weakness for years and the best he can do is sign Christian Covington?

Giants traded a 3rd AND a 5th. The third will be like a late 2nd since the Giants will be picking in the top 3.

 

[PA Cowboy Fan]

You don't trade a #1 draft pick unless you know you can sign that player long term. Nobody's fault but Jerry's.

 

[dstew60105]

You don't trade a #1 draft pick unless you know you can sign that player long term. Nobody's fault but Jerry's.

Rams traded 2 #1's for Ramsey and Pittsburgh traded a 1st for Fitzpatrick without new deals.

 

[Proof]

Zeke's timing was perfect...for him. I saw this coming a mile away.

well yeah, there was an implied "for the team, for his teammates, for the fans" etc.

 

[superonyx]

By simply not paying Zeke.

Zeke was third in line for a contract, but Jerry gave in to the pouting brat.

If the Cowboys had just done what the Chargers did with Melvin Gordon, Zeke would be here (still on a rookie deal), and we’d be able to shell out $35 million for Dak and $20 million for Amari. Or franchise tag either/or, if negotiations weren’t going well.

But nooooooo, we had to overpay for the most replaceable position in football and back ourselves into a corner. It’s really coming back to bite us now.

Even if Zeke had held out and not come back, who cares? Anyone who says Pollard wouldn’t have similar production #s is a liar.

yea because Zeke 6.3m cap hit has anything to do with Cooper and Dak.

Maybe not paying Jalen Smith to promote his sunglasses after 1 productive season would be something to look at.
Or not paying 20m to a DE with multiple back surgeries?

 

[BatteryPowered]

I see people still saying they should sign Dak and Amari...right now. Has it occurred to anyone that the message from their agents might just be; "Nah, we're good. Let's wait till the off season."? They may want to see if Jerry is REALLY committed to winning by letting The Clapper go clap somewhere else, the perceived quality of the incoming coach, the (at least) public authority the HC will be given and the philosophy they want to employ.

Remember, you cannot force someone to agree to a contract.

 

[Future]

Another day, another grown man whining about what Zeke gets paid.