CFZ Here's Why Those Upset and Anxious of Free Agency are Wrong

[Big_D]

You have to utilize free agency. It’s part of the “process” in today’s NFL. Cowboys philosophy in this category is baffling considering what they shell out on their own free agents. It’s a necessary tool to improve your roster.

 

[TwoDeep3]

I predict the first thing many will do will come in and argue that I love Jerry Jones, or Stephen, or that I'm just too stupid to understand and wouldn't know how to build a team or know anything about football (my favorite). For that reason, I often just keep opinions like this to myself. This board is like an echo chamber, and I'm not concerned with changing that, but I think it's important to point out for those who are open-minded enough to consider.

The worst thing that you can do in free agency is be too anxious to get any player. A team should have several things in place before they are in a legitimate position to win through free agency anyway, and that is obviously best done through the draft. First, you get your quarterback. Check. Then you get your left tackle. Check. Then you solidify your skill positions. Check, check, check.

Then . . . if you want to compete for a championship in this league, you need a formidable EDGE rusher, a talented corner and a dominate linebacker. Question marks, plural, check, check,

The third phase is special teams, so you're looking for guys every year that can fit in those roles. And I'm not going to check or question mark or draw a line through anything just yet, since I cannot project with any certainty about who will play what on STs. It's just too early. But we do have the basic pieces in place to win enough as a team to get us into the regular season. If we're good enough to get into the playoffs, then it would make sense to stack this team with as many free agents and new talent acquisitions as possible.

When looking ahead at our strategy to building a championship team, we need to have a few rules in place. First, we shouldn't overpay for anyone in free agency. Free agent signings can be risky, because we may not know all the reasons a free agent isn't being resigned by their former team, etc. We may think we do, but we often find out later why they were a free agent in the first place. Dallas has overlooked this many times in the past — to their detriment. But I think they have finally learned from it.

Let's be real here for a minute. Do we really think Jerry and Stephen don't wouldn't spend the money assemble the best roster they could if all it took was money? We know they would. We have said in the past that they just don't know how to win, especially after they break the bank to sign a free agent.

Free agent signings have been some of Dallas' worst moves in the past.

Have they finally learned from it?

How does a team not overpay for a player?

They exercise patience.

The more patient we are, the less anxious we appear, the less urgent about it we act, the less likely we are to get into bidding wars with teams and agents over players.

What's the best way to get off on the right foot when you negotiate for players?

Establish a history.

If you have a history of being anxious and overpaying for your players, then that's the reputation you've built for yourself. If you don't overvalue anyone too much, as a team, then that's your reputation.

So it's important to establish a reputation. You do that by writing your own history.

On the other hand, if you can build a winning team that players want to play for, then free agency can become your friend. Did players take less to play for the Patriots for a chance to win the Super Bowl?

They sure did.

Please point out that I'm comparing the Cowboys to the Patriots, because I'm not saying that. I'm using the Patriots as an example. But it's something to strive for.

Lately, finally, Jerry and Stephen are doing the right things.

They're not letting a little success from last year get them too excited to the point they overspend.They're relaxed about signing free agents. And they're cool with laying back and letting the clock tick.

Because as time goes by, the Cowboys put themselves in a more advantageous position to do what they really want to do: fill the holes we have with as much available talent, at the lowest cost.And finally, they're doing it the right way by being patient enough to evaluate their own talent, patient enough waiting for cuts, and patient enough waiting for the market to come down.

And that's exactly what they should be doing in free agency, regardless of what the fans parrot from the talking heads. If getting the best players at the best price is the goal, the only thing for them to do is be patient about it.The trick here is balancing out their patience so that it works best for the team overall, in the end.

Not getting too anxious to overpay for one player, but being patient enough to make several key signings has proven to be the key to success in the NFL.

That, and keeping enough cap space open to sign your current core players in the future.

We've got our core players.

So right now, the name of the game is patience, evaluation, and timing with new signings.

So far, I'd say they're doing a pretty good job. It's just difficult to tell, since free agency is not yet over. And that's the part many bellyaching fans would have you forget.

(Should say About in the title, not of)

Interesting point of view. However, you are a bit wrong.

Dallas had the money to go get Von Miller. They were in the running. But, like usual, they will settle for some bargain basement player who will post just enough stats top get an offer somewhere else instead of getting a premier player.

All the things you have said may be true to a degree. But Dallas had the opportunity to get Julius Peppers at a time where he went to his second team and posted the most sacks for four years.

I am not advocating going crazy. But a premier defender that fits into a pass rush trio with Micah and Tank could only help the secondary.

 

[GimmeTheBall!]

Well, at least the Cowboys think they have their core players. They have their franchise QB, WR, LT and RB. Similar to the triplet days. Those are who I consider core players on the offense. Many would argue that you could build a team around those players. Then, on defense, we have Parsons, and Diggs. Not certain on our pass rushers.

I get it. We don't have perfect players. But nobody does. Not even here at the Farmer's Branch.

Like every other year, this year is different. To me, something seems different about their approach.

I personally think we may be fine at WR. Even if we are good there with the guys we have, I think we'll likely still add some guys via free agency. Just a matter of the right guys at the right price and time.

If you think Sequel, Dak are core players --- and on paper they are --- we might be in deep carcass.

 

[kskboys]

I'm curious as to what period of time it was when they were all in on free agency, and that now is different because of it?

Brandon Carr era. We wouldn't even dump Jenkins for a 2nd even though his replacements were on the roster.

 

[Pass2Run]

Interesting point of view. However, you are a bit wrong.

Dallas had the money to go get Von Miller. They were in the running. But, like usual, they will settle for some bargain basement player who will post just enough stats top get an offer somewhere else instead of getting a premier player.

All the things you have said may be true to a degree. But Dallas had the opportunity to get Julius Peppers at a time where he went to his second team and posted the most sacks for four years.

I am not advocating going crazy. But a premier defender that fits into a pass rush trio with Micah and Tank could only help the secondary.

I would agree on Peppers. That was then.

To fork over $120 million for a 33-year-old player doesn't seem like a wise move, especially if we want to keep our guys in the future. That's kind of what I'm getting at.

Sure, we could have had a super star player. But then that takes up space that could be used for other positions. Plus, we brought on more guys to replace Gregory, and we have Dan Quinn to coach them. I like Von Miller's skillset. But that's a lot of money for a 33-year-old who got 9.5 sacks last year.

 

[Pass2Run]

Brandon Carr era. We wouldn't even dump Jenkins for a 2nd even though his replacements were on the roster.

Not quite sure I said "all-in." I think the term was "make or break."

But Thank You. I'm getting old like the rest of us. lol

We're solid enough at most positions to not have to make or break the bank by signing one uber-expensive free agent.

That's kind of what I mean. I'm giving some credit to Dan Quinn for having a base of solid players that we assembled through the draft.

Now, it's about finding positions to upgrade those spots at the right price.

 

[Pass2Run]

No you are right ** about Wagner.
People see 5 years 50, and they think that he will actually make that.
That is just APY, it has nothing to do with what a player costs the tream or the guaranteed money he will see.
This is the NFL, not the NBA.
Wagner will not see 50 mil (unless he is playing well enough to justify it).
Wagner's deal was just 1 mil in signing bonus, and just 10 mil guaranteed.
His cap number this year is just 2.5 mil. Could we have afforded this? Of course.
The Rams can release him next year and save 7.5 mil of his 12 mil salary (and absorb just a 4.5 mil cap hit for him).
If they were to release him next year, he would have cost just 7 mil for his year with them, spread out over 2 years.
Of course if his play justifies it, they can keep him, and could even restructure his deal to reduce his cap hit next year.
I agree he would have been invaluable, as a leader and mentor to Micah, and as a run stuffing MLB we need to address our run defense. We need a run stuffing MLB (maybe Barr can be that now that we signed him).
Wagner was a perfect candidate for us. His play, his leadership and having him would free up Micah to be used as the swiss army knife he is best utilized as, wreaking havok all over the field.
It was a missed opportunity by an ultra conservative front office that doesn't fully understand the cap and how it can be manipulated.
Wagner would have been a great addition.
Last year teams ran on us at will at key monments and we could not stop them. What have we done to address that core weakness?
Same DTs and LBs we had last year. Hope Barr can help but I'm not sold that he has anything left.

Interesting point.

I wasn't aware of the cap number you mentioned. So I'm apparently off on my assessment of Wagner.

I'm still happy with Barr. I like the other guys we have on our roster, but he's a proven player.

The way I see it, the most important FA signings to come will be the offensive line or perhaps DT, and maybe WR if our guys don't pan out.

 

[fredp22]

you keep talking patience...we need to b e patient....evaluate and be patient

its been 26+ years. any plan that takes that long is a failure
are we any better than 26 years ago?
heck how are we better than 3 years ago?

your trying to make excuses for an owner that has no plan. He more concerned with making money and having 100 control than winning.

 

[Pass2Run]

It doesn't make them wrong....It is their opinions, just like yours.. We all have them.

And my opinion is they have no clue how to operate the FA market, because you need talent and experience in evaluation. Even with their scouts, they still have the final say. Plus if you go dumpster diving and looking under rocks, what do you think you are gonna find? Patience? Three decades ain't enough? Again, they have no clue. As BobHaze put it here recently, they are not proactive, but reactive. Big difference.

I should have included "Opinion" in the title.