Free agency has begun

[WoodysGirl]

First "What are the Cowboys doing?" e-mail has arrived
8:56 AM Fri, Mar 05, 2010 | Permalink | Yahoo! Buzz
Todd Archer/Reporter Bio | E-mail | News tips

We have a winner. At 7:51 a.m. I received my first, "Why aren't the Cowboys doing anything in free agency?" email. I thought it would get to Noon before I got one. I'm sure many more will come because I don't see the Cowboys being active players here early in the signing period.

I'll protect the e-mailer but he wants Jamal Williams ... NOW. And he wants Oshiomogho Atogwe, Brodney Pool or Darren Sharper at safety. He also wants to see kickers Shayne Graham, Jay Feely or Neil Rackers in for a visit.

We'll go in reverse order here:

The Cowboys will not pay money to a big-time kicker or even a semi big-time kicker. Not when they have a kickoff guy in David Buehler. Even without a cap, they're not going to change their thought process on roster building.

Now the safeties: I like the thought on Atogwe and Sharper. Pool? No.

The Rams tendered Atogwe at the lowest amount possible and would not get any compensation back, so he's basically unrestricted right now. The feeling, however, is that the Rams will let somebody else do the deal for them and just match it.

Sharper is a playmaker but he is old. He looked old in the Super Bowl and the Cowboys didn't really fear him when they played him despite his high number of picks. But this secondary needs a guy that can make a play on the ball from the middle of the field. I'd go after Sharper but not for crazy money.

Jamal Williams is a good thought too, especially with his ties to Wade Phillips. But I wrote this last week: if you sign a true nose tackle and move Jay Ratliff to defensive end are you taking away what makes Ratliff special? He can dominate centers. Can he do the same against guards/tackles? I don't know the answer to that.

 

[jobberone]

I tell you what, if JJ/Wade can come away with quality talent/depth in the next couple of months with this class, they did their jobs! :laugh2:

That said, I'm sure somehow and someway they will unearth a couple FAs. But it's going to be hard work this year.

I wouldn't sign a FA for depth on this team unless it was at CB. Even there I'm not sure it'd be necessary.

 

[TheSport78]

Jamal Williams is a good thought too, especially with his ties to Wade Phillips. But I wrote this last week: if you sign a true nose tackle and move Jay Ratliff to defensive end are you taking away what makes Ratliff special? He can dominate centers. Can he do the same against guards/tackles? I don't know the answer to that.

Why the **** would we move Ratliff to DE? I'm pretty sure the e-mailer just wants to sign Jamal Williams as a backup to Ratliff.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Why the **** would we move Ratliff to DE? I'm pretty sure the e-mailer just wants to sign Jamal Williams as a backup to Ratliff.

Because the guy has probably gotten a huge amount of emails in the offseason saying we should get this fa or draft that guy to play NT and move Rat to DE.

Heck there have been plenty of people on this forum that have called for moving Rat to DE and get (insert name here) to play NT.

So he has probably heard that a hundred times and is just assuming (right or wrong) that the person who emailed had that in mind.

 

[DaBoys4Life]

I hope we bring Rolle in.

 

[JonJon]

I think by and large over the years many of us look at the start of FA like Christmas day and it sucks when everyone else is showing their new toys while we don't even have a present under the tree. I do think Jerry has done the right thing in not rushing into FA but it is none the less hard when you see the other kids showing off what they got. :laugh2:

The thing is that those gifts are used and don't even come in the original package.

 

[Doomsday101]

The thing is that those gifts are used and don't even come in the original package.

I know and many of those toys will break or the kid who got that toy wished he had a better toy after a couple of months. :laugh2: