DMN Blog: A case for Stephen Bowen... for contract extension

[WoodysGirl]

9:49 AM Tue, Nov 03, 2009 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
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After the Cowboys signed DeMarcus Ware to a six-year extension worth $78 million last week the natural question was to ask, "Who's next?"

A lot of people turned to wide receiver Miles Austin, which made sense given his success. I'll come up with another name: Stephen Bowen.

Like Austin, he was an undrafted free agent in 2006 but had to work his way up to the active roster from the practice squad. He has developed into an excellent rotation-type defensive end/tackle. He plays mostly in passing situations and is a tough pairing with Jay Ratliff on the interior for offenses.

So far this year, he has 14 tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. But he has 13 quarterback pressures, which is second on the team to Ware's 15.

Bowen is playing for the second-round tender this year, $1.5 million, like Austin, and will be a restricted free agent again this off-season because of the expiring collective bargaining agreement.

It might be time for the Cowboys to lock him up to a mid-level extension while they can.


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[theogt]

Not sure why you'd give him a long-term contract now. Tender him whatever you like next off-season, see how he performs that year and just go from there.

 

[DCBoysfan]

No arguments from me, I say lock them both up.

 

[CATCH17]

Not sure why you'd give him a long-term contract now. Tender him whatever you like next off-season, see how he performs that year and just go from there.

Its good to know we have him if something goes wrong with resigning Spears.

 

[Doomsday101]

I would like to get Bowen resigned, I think he is good role player who is not going to cost us a lot.

 

[EPL0c0]

i think both Bowen and Hatcher have been underrated as far as their contributions go. They provide something Dallas has little of: quality depth. I don't think they're starting material, but they're the kind of guys that can come in during the 2nd half with fresh legs to give an Oline problems.

 

[speedkilz88]

Its good to know we have him if something goes wrong with resigning Spears.

Spears is in the same boat. No CBA, means restricted and I believe the Cowboys can give Spears a cheaper tender and have first round compensation since that was his original draft pick.

 

[21Savage]

Not sure why you'd give him a long-term contract now. Tender him whatever you like next off-season, see how he performs that year and just go from there.

Because he's an integral part of our interior pass rush and in our DE rotation. He's our 2nd best interior pass rusher and is not a weakness in the run game in any shape or form. I think you sign him now to some 4 year deal to get a Ratliff kind of steal if you know what you have already.

When Rat signed his deal, Wade already knew what he had but a lot of people were like who? Why? We need a Giant NT. 2 years later, his deal looks laughable comapred to his worth.


I'm also one of those who thinks Hatche'rs contribution is underrated as well. I actually predict that we let Spears walk and start and pay Hatcher instead. And for those of us Rueing Mac Unger, if you watch the tape, Hatcher owned him quite a few times in the run and pass games. That hit he put on Hassleback came after he demolished Unger.

 

[TheCount]

I knew this was coming as soon as the announcers talked about Bowen's pressures, all of a sudden someone would realize he was on the team.

I knew after Bobby's sack we'd see articles this week about how well he's doing too.

 

[xWraithx]

I hate Stephen Bowen actually. He told Julius Crosslin to "shut up" in one of the "Tulius" videos and came across as an ***...

SCREW HIM.

 

[xWraithx]

Not sure why you'd give him a long-term contract now. Tender him whatever you like next off-season, see how he performs that year and just go from there.

kinda like you do with chicken?

 

[theogt]

Because he's an integral part of our interior pass rush and in our DE rotation. He's our 2nd best interior pass rusher and is not a weakness in the run game in any shape or form. I think you sign him now to some 4 year deal to get a Ratliff kind of steal if you know what you have already.

When Rat signed his deal, Wade already knew what he had but a lot of people were like who? Why? We need a Giant NT. 2 years later, his deal looks laughable comapred to his worth.


I'm also one of those who thinks Hatche'rs contribution is underrated as well. I actually predict that we let Spears walk and start and pay Hatcher instead. And for those of us Rueing Mac Unger, if you watch the tape, Hatcher owned him quite a few times in the run and pass games. That hit he put on Hassleback came after he demolished Unger.

It's a poor business decision. The guy isn't going anywhere unless we release him. And he's not going to play himself into a mega-contract because he's not going to have enough snaps to do so, unless multiple defensive linemen get injured.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

Only thing about Bowen is that he seems pretty one-dimesional to me. I don't know how he'd do if he had to play the run most of the game.

Not that he's a bad player or anything, but I don't think he'd be that hard to replace.

I do still like Hatcher, though. He seems like he has more everydown potential.

 

[21Savage]

Only thing about Bowen is that he seems pretty one-dimesional to me. I don't know how he'd do if he had to play the run most of the game.

Not that he's a bad player or anything, but I don't think he'd be that hard to replace.

I do still like Hatcher, though. He seems like he has more everydown potential.

He's very good against the run also. Starter material. Just trust me on this one.

 

[21Savage]

It's a poor business decision. The guy isn't going anywhere unless we release him. And he's not going to play himself into a mega-contract because he's not going to have enough snaps to do so, unless multiple defensive linemen get injured.

I don't think so. Would you say Ratliff's contract was a poor decision as well?

IMO, a poor decision would be paying Spears big money when Bowen and Hatcher are more than capable of replacing his production. And Bowen very well might play himself into a bigger contract. Teams scout also and I remember scouts from training camp saying other than Rat and Hurd he was having the best training camp.

Teams watch how he performs against the run and how he's one of our better pass rushers. He very well could play into a bigger contract. At least much bigger than what we'll pay him right now knowing how good he is.

 

[TheCount]

I don't think so. Would you say Ratliff's contract was a poor decision as well?

IMO, a poor decision would be paying Spears big money when Bowen and Hatcher are more than capable of replacing his production. And Bowen very well might play himself into a bigger contract. Teams scout also and I remember scouts from training camp saying other than Rat and Hurd he was having the best training camp.

Teams watch how he performs against the run and how he's one of our better pass rushers. He very well could play into a bigger contract. At least much bigger than what we'll pay him right now knowing how good he is.

I think paying a guy early for fear of paying him late is a terrible way to do business, personally.

 

[21Savage]

I knew this was coming as soon as the announcers talked about Bowen's pressures, all of a sudden someone would realize he was on the team.

I knew after Bobby's sack we'd see articles this week about how well he's doing too.

Carpenter to me is still garbage. He's very good in pass coverage but not in any way, shape or form adequate in the run game. He's one of the main reasons we aren't in the top 8 in the league in run defense. Teams have busted big runs on our nickel package running directly at him. Deangelo Smith for the Panthers, Smelly for the Falcons etc.

I speak based on what I see in the game and not what some superficially knowledgeable reporter says. And Bowen is a very good player. Not an adequate backup or JAG. A very good player indeed. Both as a rusher and as a run stopper.

 

[The Realist]

If Bowen has 13 QB pressures then Ratliff has 50.

 

[21Savage]

I think paying a guy early for fear of paying him late is a terrible way to do business, personally.

It's not just that. It's also for the sake of keeping him long term knowing what you already have.

I believe we should know he's a very good player by now before the rest of the league and the fans know and so we should pay him already.

 

[theogt]

I don't think so. Would you say Ratliff's contract was a poor decision as well?

I don't see how that has any relevance whatsoever. Ratliff was signed after nearly a full year as a starter. His value was only going to go up from then to when he'd have played out his one year contract as a RFA. There's virtually no threat of that at all with Bowen. He won't be a starter any time soon. Sign him to the one year deal as a RFA and see how that plays out. If he's continually improving at the end of that deal, you might give him a longer term deal at that point.

Basically, there's no benefit to signing him long-term now, but there's a potential downside.