Does Anyone Else Feel Like We Are Hitting A Personnel Cliff?

[CanadianCowboysFan]

oh for god's sake..

 

[Cebrin]

I’m loving the solid moves the Cowboys have made this off-season so far, but Im also concerned we are quietly approaching a significant personnel cliff in the next 2 years due to age or guys just not quite worth a new contract (T Smith, Martin, Gilmore, Cooks, Lawrence, our DTs, etc)

They’d have to draft extremely well to cover outgoing personnel while also improving other positions

They've been running this franchise off a cliff since the day they fired Jimmy.

 

[CowboyoWales]

I’m loving the solid moves the Cowboys have made this off-season so far, but Im also concerned we are quietly approaching a significant personnel cliff in the next 2 years due to age or guys just not quite worth a new contract (T Smith, Martin, Gilmore, Cooks, Lawrence, our DTs, etc)

They’d have to draft extremely well to cover outgoing personnel while also improving other positions

Yep, and that's why we started making (hard) decisions last year...1) to shed CAP and 2) to elevate some of these players to see whether they're able to warrant the contract (extensions).
The successes were Steele, Tyler and CeeDee came out as a WR1 (who should be paid)...also Bland, Williams, Fergershot and Wilson (maybe Golston) showing they have a good future.
I know I shouldn't, but this was where Dak (to dome degree failed), as it was evident that he couldn't raise his personal game to overcome the shortfalls in the receiving game.
Now if we can get Dak/France to accept that he's made his money and if he wants a ring he has to sign a contract which allows us to maintain a good roster, we're in business

 

[AKATheRake]

Dak's the only outright tough contract to swallow right now.

You always have to draft well. We are doing that.

Yes, there will be large contracts coming up but every team has them.

Especially with what i'm seeing at QB in the NFC this year. I think we got a real good shot.

A lot of these vets are on 1 or 2 year deals and they're not overpaid for what they can produce. We're good right now.

 

[CowboyoWales]

Dak's the only outright tough contract to swallow right now.

You always have to draft well. We are doing that.

Yes, there will be large contracts coming up but every team has them.

Especially with what i'm seeing at QB in the NFC this year. I think we got a real good shot.

A lot of these vets are on 1 or 2 year deals and they're not overpaid for what they can produce. We're good right now.

I think the OP alludes to the secondary pieces that may be difficult to resign....Steele, Biadasz, the whole secondary (outside of Donovan).
Yep, we'll manage to incorporate the possible $40m paid to Lamb and Diggs in 2024, but it'll mean further restructuring AND going back to the Dumpster to replace the Steeles, Osa's and Biadasz's.

 

[AKATheRake]

I think the OP alludes to the secondary pieces that may be difficult to resign....Steele, Biadasz, the whole secondary (outside of Donovan).
Yep, we'll manage to incorporate the possible $40m paid to Lamb and Diggs in 2024, but it'll mean further restructuring AND going back to the Dumpster to replace the Steeles, Osa's and Biadasz's.

Cap goes up another $20 million probably next year anyways. We also shed some more dead money. Steele would get paid but what has Osa done to be such a hot commodity? Biadasz will get a deal done, but he is very replaceable. Very.

Diggs and Lamb are top players at their positions and young. Also on an incline. Got to pay them, believe me, the rest of the league will. 1 will get franchised. They'll sign Lamb before Diggs.

The draft this year and next along with FA are adequate options to find replacements if need be for Osa and Biadasz. Steele I would pay, he's young, just about to enter his prime and is our solidified RT who earned it.

 

[CowboyoWales]

Cap goes up another $20 million probably next year anyways. We also shed some more dead money. Steele would get paid but what has Osa done to be such a hot commodity? Biadasz will get a deal done, but he is very replaceable. Very.

Diggs and Lamb are top players at their positions and young. Also on an incline. Got to pay them, believe me, the rest of the league will. 1 will get franchised. They'll sign Lamb before Diggs.

The draft this year and next along with FA are adequate options to find replacements if need be for Osa and Biadasz. Steele I would pay, he's young, just about to enter his prime and is our solidified RT who earned it.

The CAP is expected to go up considerably more than $20m.
The $40m on Lamb/Diggs is factoring in the 5th year/Franchise Tag both will get.
Your dismissal of the Osa's and Biadasz's of the roster (and I presume the same goes for the Secondary) IS THE PRECISE ISSUE....we are never players in Free Agency, because we can't afford to compete with the remaining 31 teams are are left filling out our roster with JAG's and expecting draft pucks to succeed (luckily past couple of years have worked).
The bottom line is still that if Dak commands the top of the market contract extension we will have to make savings elsewhere in the roster = more pressure on Dak as the emphasis on improving the shortfall will be on him (which I think may have be contributory factor in his more risk taking in 2022, as he tried to justify the contract).

 

[gtb1943]

To build and maintain a solid team you have to draft well. With a salary cap you can’t be loading up on high priced free agents. Great teams that win consistently are still built through the draft. That’s where you find your greatest players and have them at a reasonable price for a few years.

Nobody wins it all without doing well in FA. No team has won it all without getting some high priced critical FA's.
For those satisfied with the status quo this is fine.
For those of us wanting more; expecting more it is not far enough

 

[birdwells1]

I share the same worries as the OP. We have guys getting older that are not easily replaced.

We worry about the future too much around here, we haven’t won a Super Bowl since 1995. The Cowboys have a 2year plan to try to win the championship. Let them work it, they drafted well and will continue to do so with McClay and the gang.

 

[Cowboys22]

This group hasn’t won anything and they haven’t stopped making new football players. We have some very good players but no one is irreplaceable so I’m not worried one bit. Now, if this group wins the next two Super Bowls, then we would probably all get greedy and worry about it.

 

[BoyzBlaster]

Someone needs to push Dak off a cliff.

 

[shabazz]

Dallas was one of the youngest teams last year. Adding a few older vets is not making them that much older.
If they draft well. Then in a few years those players will still keep the team young As they move on from the older players.

I agree. All teams face this same dilemma but the Cowboys seem to be positioned well since they are one of the 5 youngest teams, as you mentioned.

although we haven’t progressed to the NFC Championship game, our youthful status should bode well.

The GMs in salary capped sports really earn their money…..maybe one day we’ll get one here

 

[Jipper]

The only core older player that we do not have a transition plan for is Martin, and that can be addressed with the draft.

We have youth across the board and some mid age vets sprinkled in.

The issue isn't so much aging out as much as keeping the new core of young players together with the cap....dak plus mikah plus ceedee plus digs is going to suck up a crap ton of cap....something will have to give

 

[Vtwin]

Hitting a cliff?
Spouting mixed metaphors won't get you far in life.

 

[Bobhaze]

IMO, Being too concerned about the future is one of the bad habits of our FO. If you want to be serious contenders for a Lombardi, what matters most is is the upcoming season.

 

[lukemartin79]

I’m loving the solid moves the Cowboys have made this off-season so far, but Im also concerned we are quietly approaching a significant personnel cliff in the next 2 years due to age or guys just not quite worth a new contract (T Smith, Martin, Gilmore, Cooks, Lawrence, our DTs, etc)

They’d have to draft extremely well to cover outgoing personnel while also improving other positions

Thats how it works in todays NFL. You can go from last to first in one year, but also from first to last as well.

 

[kskboys]

It can't be any worse than the last 27 years. What's the worst thing that could happen?

Being a .500 team for several seasons.

 

[kskboys]

name them

Martin, DLaw. Only 2 I got.

 

[jazzcat22]

Every team in the league is getting older fast.
The average length of a player's career in the NFL is around 3.3 years.

Here is my theory on that average dropping to 3.3. It was around 5, then 4.
As teams were added and rosters expanded. The talent level gets diluted. So a player coming out of college can replace a player at the bottom of the roster. So the rosters are churned at a much higher rate now.

Also FA has something to do with that as well. A player a team wanted to draft, but didn't as he was selected by another team first. Is now available, or on a PS. He comes is over a 2nd year player they took in the 7th round, because they did not get him in the 5th before.

 

[jazzcat22]

Cap goes up another $20 million probably next year anyways. We also shed some more dead money. Steele would get paid but what has Osa done to be such a hot commodity? Biadasz will get a deal done, but he is very replaceable. Very.

Diggs and Lamb are top players at their positions and young. Also on an incline. Got to pay them, believe me, the rest of the league will. 1 will get franchised. They'll sign Lamb before Diggs.

The draft this year and next along with FA are adequate options to find replacements if need be for Osa and Biadasz. Steele I would pay, he's young, just about to enter his prime and is our solidified RT who earned it.

As of now the cap is expected to be $256 million. When the new TV contracts kick in. Could be more possibly. So that is $31 million more, it is almost $225 million now.