Free Agents and Draft Picks

[rwalters31]

Lots of good reading, looks like Des stays and Murray goes. Free Stays and Pernell goes. Defense loses half of last year’s players. So, if the Cowboys spend on only their own free agents, who do you predict at each vacated position? I for one think that the Cowboys spend their money on draft picks and undrafted free agents. I’m thinking that the scouts are going to be the heroes this year and Dallas still remains a very good offense and the defense will look a lot younger.

 

[batman36]

I think the front office will look at adding some impactful veterans on defense, if the price is right.

 

[LatinMind]

Lots of good reading, looks like Des stays and Murray goes. Free Stays and Pernell goes. Defense loses half of last year’s players. So, if the Cowboys spend on only their own free agents, who do you predict at each vacated position? I for one think that the Cowboys spend their money on draft picks and undrafted free agents. I’m thinking that the scouts are going to be the heroes this year and Dallas still remains a very good offense and the defense will look a lot younger.

Dallas is losing half the defense? lol when did this happen?

 

[big dog cowboy]

Defense loses half of last year’s players.

What did he just say? Half our defense?

 

[Fredd]

I think the defense could be just the opposite (albeit, still improved), the defense could be receiving their OWN players back like Lee and Mo...sprinkle in some signings of their own defensive players

 

[rwalters31]

Dallas is losing half the defense? lol when did this happen?

This is still future tense, Last years defense was only average and most of the problems happen in the DL and LB. I look for the 8 man rotation to keep 3 maybe 4 players. The LBs have only one proven 16 game good lb in Hitchens with the other good ones broken (Lee and Ro) and the others only JAGS. The secondary could have used a better DL but Mo and Car are liabilities and need to be replaced. Yes, I can see half of last years defense being told to not let the door hit them in the arse on the way out.

 

[coach steele]

I think the defense could be just the opposite (albeit, still improved), the defense could be receiving their OWN players back like Lee and Mo...sprinkle in some signings of their own defensive players

I give you Lee but Mo probably won't be back until the middle of the season. Its tough to know how he will play afterwards. His injury is serious. I think we sign two of our three FA linebackers with Carter getting over payed in FA. Carr will probably take a pay cut and move over the the right side. If we strait out cut him we don't save anything, if we June 1st cut him we save some money after FA is pretty much over with dead money dumped into next year. Ideally, we add a few pieces through draft or FA. We could use a SDE and a more athletic 1 technique. We also need depth along the defensive line. Our safeties will be the same exact ones we had last year (I wouldn't mind an athletic playmaker at safety but I think the team likes JJ and see's him as an improving player). It would be nice to get a corner to make Carr a third corner.

 

[rwalters31]

Lots of good reading, looks like Des stays and Murray goes. Free Stays and Pernell goes. Defense loses half of last year’s players. So, if the Cowboys spend on only their own free agents, who do you predict at each vacated position? I for one think that the Cowboys spend their money on draft picks and undrafted free agents. I’m thinking that the scouts are going to be the heroes this year and Dallas still remains a very good offense and the defense will look a lot younger.

Let's go back to the OP and address the question here "So, if the Cowboys spend on only their own free agents, who do you predict at each vacated position? ".

 

[DFWJC]

This is still future tense, Last years defense was only average and most of the problems happen in the DL and LB. I look for the 8 man rotation to keep 3 maybe 4 players. The LBs have only one proven 16 game good lb in Hitchens with the other good ones broken (Lee and Ro) and the others only JAGS. The secondary could have used a better DL but Mo and Car are liabilities and need to be replaced. Yes, I can see half of last years defense being told to not let the door hit them in the arse on the way out.

Not sure that happens.
But if it does, is that really a bad thing?

 

[jazzcat22]

To review our FA's on defense.

LB's
Sign McClain, Durant, try to bring Carter back to, but I don't see that happening. We may be able to find a decent LB to replace Carter in FA and also draft a LB.
I initially wanted Carter back, and still do, but now thinking it may not be as a big of a loss s first thought. We will be getting Lee back. And I don't sit here thinking, yes Lee returns...but injuries... It's a new year, let's see what happens before we cry about it..... Wilber may improve, but I think he can be replaced, then Will Smith and Keith Smith to compete too.

DL
Really, who is a FA that must be brought back. One can argue Spencer, as he did show signs of improvement toward the end of the year. But does anyone think he will be a difference maker in the pass rush. He will be solid but I rather we draft his replacement. We have a lot of players coming off of injuries that have potential, so let's see if they do during camp. I would be fine sigining Spencer, but let them compete along with a FA and drafted players.
Selvie, Hayden, Crawford, Edwards...none of them jumps out to put us over the top.

DB's
Carr needs to take a pay cut, been discussed not quite as much as Dez's video, if it even exisists, AP to Dallas, or JJ's JWB bottles...but it's been discussed. Mo's health. But need to signe Moore, he's a RFA, need his depth, Spliiman, good ST's player, but can be replaced. Need FA's and drated DB's.

So other than McClain, Durant, Carter, Carr's contract. We need FA's and the draft to replace or add to an improved defense. Look what they did last year from the prior year. I can see a similar leap someway, somehow again.

Add a LB, DB, 2 on DL, it will be improved.

 

[xwalker]

Lots of good reading, looks like Des stays and Murray goes. Free Stays and Pernell goes. Defense loses half of last year’s players. So, if the Cowboys spend on only their own free agents, who do you predict at each vacated position? I for one think that the Cowboys spend their money on draft picks and undrafted free agents. I’m thinking that the scouts are going to be the heroes this year and Dallas still remains a very good offense and the defense will look a lot younger.

Not sure that happens.
But if it does, is that really a bad thing?

I don't want to see too much turnover. There is value in the returning players in terms of knowing the scheme. A big part of the improvement from 2013 to 2014 was that the base group of player had a year in the scheme.

In the past couple of years they needed quantity because they had so many holes. Now they need quality over quantity, IMO. Add a top notch free agent and get production from a draft pick or two, and the defense could take the next step.

 

[visionary]

Out biggest needs on D are in order:

2DL starters
FS
MLB (hopefully McClain )

People are under rating this but FS is a huge need if we truly want this defense at the next level

 

[gimmesix]

Lots of good reading, looks like Des stays and Murray goes. Free Stays and Pernell goes. Defense loses half of last year’s players. So, if the Cowboys spend on only their own free agents, who do you predict at each vacated position? I for one think that the Cowboys spend their money on draft picks and undrafted free agents. I’m thinking that the scouts are going to be the heroes this year and Dallas still remains a very good offense and the defense will look a lot younger.

Out of our defensive free agents, there are only a few must keeps, mainly in the linebacking corps ... and it's possible we could get away with just keeping one of them with Lee returning and Hitchens showing he can play. I'd prefer to keep two of the three (McClain, Durant, Carter), and think Carter is the most likely to leave.

On the defensive line, I don't think it's really going to hurt much to lose any of our free agents. Spencer, Selvie, Melton and Hayden are all replaceable, but it's also possible that some of them will return for cheap.

I'd say we're most likely to lose in free agency Murray, Parnell, Melton and Carter, which would be just two players on offense and two on defense, although Murray might be a big loss if we don't find an adequate replacement with the initials AP.

Running back would be the only position where we'd lose a player and not already have a player on the roster either starting ahead of that player or ready to step in for him. That would allows us to look for upgrades instead of having to replenish.