- Messages
- 79,348
- Reaction score
- 45,909
Posted by rphillips at 3/6/2010 5:02 PM CST on truebluefanclub.com
The Giants believe they've improved their struggling defense by signing safety Antrel Rolle at the start of free agency. Gotten a lot of e-mails asking why the Cowboys didn't make a strong play for him.
My answer starts with $37 million, including $15 million guaranteed.
Rolle's a good player, but is he worth the biggest safety contract in NFL history?
The Cowboys have already spent that kind of money on safeties in the past: Roy Williams and most recently Ken Hamlin. I'm not convinced they'll be willing to again, though they would like to re-sign restricted free agent Gerald Sensabaugh. Right now they'll monitor teams that might not be scared off by Sensabaugh's second-round level tender. Apparently there's already some interest, though no offer sheets yet.
Is safety a position the Cowboys will address? Maybe. There's been speculation about Hamlin's future, even though he's guaranteed a small portion of money this year and the coaches do value his leadership in the secondary.
Jerry Jones does want to see big plays from his safeties. There are some playmakers on market, like Darren Sharper (unrestricted) and Oshiomogho Atogwe (restricted). And the draft has a solid crop. But the Cowboys don't appear interested in a bidding war for anyone.
The truth is, do they really have to? This is a top-10 defense as presently constituted. They like young safeties Alan Ball and Michael Hamlin. More takeaways are the one thing the unit appears to lack.
Any team looking at Rolle has to ask -- even in an uncapped year -- if he can make a difference at the level of his contract. That's a big contract to live up to.
Remember, Jones said the team is operating under a self-imposed budget. Eventually (we all hope) a new CBA will get drafted and the salary cap will come back. The Cowboys want to get something done with Miles Austin, Sensabaugh and maybe some others.
-Rob
The Giants believe they've improved their struggling defense by signing safety Antrel Rolle at the start of free agency. Gotten a lot of e-mails asking why the Cowboys didn't make a strong play for him.
My answer starts with $37 million, including $15 million guaranteed.
Rolle's a good player, but is he worth the biggest safety contract in NFL history?
The Cowboys have already spent that kind of money on safeties in the past: Roy Williams and most recently Ken Hamlin. I'm not convinced they'll be willing to again, though they would like to re-sign restricted free agent Gerald Sensabaugh. Right now they'll monitor teams that might not be scared off by Sensabaugh's second-round level tender. Apparently there's already some interest, though no offer sheets yet.
Is safety a position the Cowboys will address? Maybe. There's been speculation about Hamlin's future, even though he's guaranteed a small portion of money this year and the coaches do value his leadership in the secondary.
Jerry Jones does want to see big plays from his safeties. There are some playmakers on market, like Darren Sharper (unrestricted) and Oshiomogho Atogwe (restricted). And the draft has a solid crop. But the Cowboys don't appear interested in a bidding war for anyone.
The truth is, do they really have to? This is a top-10 defense as presently constituted. They like young safeties Alan Ball and Michael Hamlin. More takeaways are the one thing the unit appears to lack.
Any team looking at Rolle has to ask -- even in an uncapped year -- if he can make a difference at the level of his contract. That's a big contract to live up to.
Remember, Jones said the team is operating under a self-imposed budget. Eventually (we all hope) a new CBA will get drafted and the salary cap will come back. The Cowboys want to get something done with Miles Austin, Sensabaugh and maybe some others.
-Rob
