Franchise Dez is the right move

[EGTuna]

I love Dez, and think he's a top3/top5 WR. However, I wouldn't sign him long-term to the contract he seemingly wants. You don't break the bank for WRs. You win championships with the trenches. Look at the SB winners of recent past: NE, Sea, BMore, NYG, GB, NO, Pitt, NYG, Indy. None of them gave ridiculous contracts to WRs except maybe Indy with Harrison (don't recall). Dez would not be happy with the franchise tag, so I would franchise and then try to trade for as much as I could get and continue to the build the spine of the defense and maintain the OL and also draft a QB in rnd2-rnd4.

 

[ChronicCowboy]

If dez is tagged he won't sit out any games. Each missed game would be like flushing 800k down the drain.

 

[supercowboy8]

What happens if he doesn't sign it? Is there a certain date he has to sign it by or he can't play in 2015?

Yes but that's way down the line. They should be able to have a long term deal set by then. Let's let the wr market set it self up. Cards just reduced Fitz big time.

 

[sbark]

Throw Dez a non-exclusive Franchise tag...........potentially 2 1st round picks if someone wants to throw money at him. could potentially be our replacement for Romo in those picks thinking long term. Dez gets to see the "market" for his services, with Fitz now signing for 11 million.

 

[DBOY3141]

Yes but that's way down the line. They should be able to have a long term deal set by then. Let's let the wr market set it self up. Cards just reduced Fitz big time.

Thanks. Just thinking if that was the case and Dez is pissed about the tag, he basically holds all the cards on a long term deal if he is willing to sit out the year. No way JJ fields a team in 2015 without Dez, knowing that's another year off the Romo clock. With the right FA's and draft, this team has a shot, but not without Dez.

 

[Doomsday101]

Thanks. Just thinking if that was the case and Dez is pissed about the tag, he basically holds all the cards on a long term deal if he is willing to sit out the year. No way JJ fields a team in 2015 without Dez, knowing that's another year off the Romo clock. With the right FA's and draft, this team has a shot, but not without Dez.

sitting out a season is not an option for Dez. Holding out an entire season has never been good for any player short term or long term.

 

[DBOY3141]

sitting out a season is not an option for Dez. Holding out an entire season has never been good for any player short term or long term.

in theory no. but players miss season's all the time and still get contracts. i'm sure if Dez sit out a year and he hit FA next year, some team would jump all over him like the Raiders and pay him big time. I know he wouldn't want to, but if me I would call the Cowboys bluff. JJ will blink before Dez will.

 

[zrinkill]

You do not punish a guy who always busts his *** for the team.

Sign him to a long term cap friendly contract with big money up front.

 

[THEHEREAFTER]

You do not punish a guy who always busts his *** for the team.

Sign him to a long term cap friendly contract with big money up front.

 

[Nightman]

in theory no. but players miss season's all the time and still get contracts. i'm sure if Dez sit out a year and he hit FA next year, some team would jump all over him like the Raiders and pay him big time. I know he wouldn't want to, but if me I would call the Cowboys bluff. JJ will blink before Dez will.

I think it's Week 10 or he loses the year of service time and stays in the same position

If he sits out until Week 10 the fines and loss of game checks would be huge

If they withdraw the tag they can't re-apply it, but once Dez signs it can't be undone and it guarantees the 13m

Sitting out once training camp starts would be a terrible strategy. It's ok to miss the OTAs to make your point, but once you start missing mandatory practices it's becomes a real distraction.

 

[Nation]

in theory no. but players miss season's all the time and still get contracts. i'm sure if Dez sit out a year and he hit FA next year, some team would jump all over him like the Raiders and pay him big time. I know he wouldn't want to, but if me I would call the Cowboys bluff. JJ will blink before Dez will.

He doesn't become a free agent if he sits out the season. He'd have to have at least 6 weeks to get an accrued year.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

Thanks. Just thinking if that was the case and Dez is pissed about the tag, he basically holds all the cards on a long term deal if he is willing to sit out the year. No way JJ fields a team in 2015 without Dez, knowing that's another year off the Romo clock. With the right FA's and draft, this team has a shot, but not without Dez.

No shot with out Dez? I don't think I would go that far. It seems WR has been easier to get and make an immediate impact more now than ever before.
Dez pulled a disappearing act plenty of times over the years. I hate to see him go but I hate to see us suffer even more because of his wants.
What good is Dez when this team is looking for a new QB? It's right around the corner.

 

[DBOY3141]

No shot with out Dez? I don't think I would go that far. It seems WR has been easier to get and make an immediate impact more now than ever before.
Dez pulled a disappearing act plenty of times over the years. I hate to see him go but I hate to see us suffer even more because of his wants.
What good is Dez when this team is looking for a new QB? It's right around the corner.

I was just thinking that when Dez came to the team, it seemed to take him and Romo a couple of years to get comfortable with each other. I don't know that they could bring in another WR and he and Romo be on the same page right out the gate.

 

[DBOY3141]

I think it's Week 10 or he loses the year of service time and stays in the same position

If he sits out until Week 10 the fines and loss of game checks would be huge

If they withdraw the tag they can't re-apply it, but once Dez signs it can't be undone and it guarantees the 13m

Sitting out once training camp starts would be a terrible strategy. It's ok to miss the OTAs to make your point, but once you start missing mandatory practices it's becomes a real distraction.

So if they put the tag on him, he doesn't sign it, they can still fine him if he decides not to play? If he doesn't sign, how is he still under contract? I don't know the rule of the tag, but wow, that seems a little unfair.

 

[Dave_in-NC]

I was just thinking that when Dez came to the team, it seemed to take him and Romo a couple of years to get comfortable with each other. I don't know that they could bring in another WR and he and Romo be on the same page right out the gate.

Dez was missing a lot of routes because he just didn't know them. remember Romo always pointing and yelling? That doesn't mean the next guy would be the same way. Dez was pretty immature when he got here. He's great now but it took a while. That doesn't mean another couldn't walk in and make it click right out of the gate.Plus we have a better staff than when Dez arrived. That would help a new guy also.

 

[Nightman]

So if they put the tag on him, he doesn't sign it, they can still fine him if he decides not to play? If he doesn't sign, how is he still under contract? I don't know the rule of the tag, but wow, that seems a little unfair.

No you are right, he has to sign it to get fined. If not he is just a FA that can't sign with anyone else. If misses more than 10 games then he loses the year and is in the exact same boat next year.

If he signs the tag it guarantees the money, but they only have until July 15th to sign a long term deal.

 

[DBOY3141]

No you are right, he has to sign it to get fined. If not he is just a FA that can't sign with anyone else. If misses more than 10 games then he loses the year and is in the exact same boat next year.

If he signs the tag it guarantees the money, but they only have until July 15th to sign a long term deal.

Got it. thanks. would be a huge gamble on Dez part and I doubt he would do it. 13M is a lot of money, but I do believe the Cowboys would cave and meet his demands. They know the clock is ticking and Dez is a huge factor in 2015.

 

[Nightman]

Dez was missing a lot of routes because he just didn't know them. remember Romo always pointing and yelling? That doesn't mean the next guy would be the same way. Dez was pretty immature when he got here. He's great now but it took a while. That doesn't mean another couldn't walk in and make it click right out of the gate.Plus we have a better staff than when Dez arrived. That would help a new guy also.

Guys are coming in more experienced with more reps in college. They all run the spread and they are getting almost 100 snaps in some games. With the new rules in the NFL to discourage roughing up WRs more top athletes are becoming WRs.

Look at the rookie draft class last year. There were 10+ WRs that made an impact led by OBeckham and Mike Evans.

 

[BAT]

Why not remember the more recent evidence, like when Kitna/McGee went 5-5 in 2010 and Romo went 1-5?

A lot of QBs would have had success playing with the league's leading rusher, a top 3 WR, HOF TE, and the consensus top OL in the game.

I guess Weeden and Orton would not be included with the grouping of "a lot" of QBs.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

in theory no. but players miss season's all the time and still get contracts. i'm sure if Dez sit out a year and he hit FA next year, some team would jump all over him like the Raiders and pay him big time. I know he wouldn't want to, but if me I would call the Cowboys bluff. JJ will blink before Dez will.

I don't think that would work out well for Dez. What's the message you send there? The Cowboys are already worried about Dez long term and big money. They are not unique in that regard. Every team in the NFL likely knows this and has a certain level of concern over the same thing. If Dez sat out, that would only add fuel to the fire. Now you worry about what happens with Dez if he is unhappy. Will he sit out the season?

I don't think that's a message Dez should send. The Cowboys are likely trying to figure out what Dez will do if they franchise him. Stephen didn't have to make that thought public knowledge. He likely did it to see how Dez would react. That will tell them where his head is at. If he reacts poorly, he will likely never see a big long term contract from Dallas. If he reacts positively, I'd bet the Cowboys will offer him a nice long term deal. I'm just guessing here but I'd bet that at least some of this is true.