"Home Growth", "Hit-Rate", "Young Guns" and other Fun Roster Facts

[T-RO]

Thought I'd share some interesting things I'm learning from database analysis.

I track four teams, so my comparisons only include them, but it gives one a good idea.

First let's look at "home-grown" players...which excludes players acquired via trade or free agency:

• Cowboys, 43
• Lions, 37
• Chargers, 34
• Dolphins, 29

This is the total of players on the roster acquired with draft picks or UDFA. Yes the Cowboys really do like their own!

Next up: Hit Rate.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Considering how inactive the Cowboys are outside their own team in FA, I'm not surprised they likely lead the league in home-grown players.

 

[doomsday9084]

Considering how inactive the Cowboys are outside their own team in FA, I'm not surprised they likely lead the league in home-grown players.

I would like to see the number of players active in the NFL by team that drafted them. I generally get the impression that other teams like Dallas' draft picks too.

 

[T-RO]

Brief note:

In all these stats I'm including active roster players + injured reserve players for each of the four teams.

 

[Coogiguy03]

 

[T-RO]

Here's how the four teams compare in draft hit rate. Here I'm simply showing how many draft picks are still on the roster over the past four drafts.

Draft Pick Hit Rate
Lions, 26/29, 90%
Chargers, 25/33, 76%
Dolphins, 16/22, 73%
Cowboys 24/36, 66%

Before making judgments, remember a couple of things:

-The Lions had extra #1 picks from the Goff trade and have been picking at the top of each round. The Cowboys had lower draft slotting than these other three.

-The Cowboys have had a lot of extra comp picks, which have lower natural hit rates.

 

[T-RO]

Two very different team-building strategies over last 4 seasons:

-Dolphins only 22 draft picks
-Cowboys 36 picks.

Dolphins have been big spenders with trades and FA.

 

[T-RO]

Here's how the Cowboys have fared in past 4 drafts:
2021... 4/11
2022... 7/9
2023... 6/8
2024... 7/8

The 2021 draft featured Micah and a few other nice pick-ups, but they had a lot of misses that year.

 

[DallasInDC]

Considering how inactive the Cowboys are outside their own team in FA, I'm not surprised they likely lead the league in home-grown players.

They really don't have a choice, so they.

 

[Rockport]

I’m glad the season is only 6 days away.

 

[gimmesix]

Here's how the Cowboys have fared in past 4 drafts:
2021... 4/11
2022... 7/9
2023... 6/8
2024... 7/9
The 2021 draft featured Micah and a few other nice pick-ups, but they had a lot of misses that year.

The team also tends to keep most draft picks around for several years before giving up on them. I believe all 11 picks made the roster in 2021 and were still on the roster in 2022. The next year, it was down to six (with Ball and Wright starting out on injured reserve).

 

[T-RO]

Young Guns...

Here we compare the number of players in their first three seasons:
Cowboys: 33
Lions: 30
Chargers: 24
Dolphins: 22

Sun shines on the future for the Cowboys. They do a really nice job avoiding a hard rebuild. I really like the '2024 rookie class.

 

[VaqueroTD]

Thought I'd share some interesting things I'm learning from database analysis.

I track four teams, so my comparisons only include them, but it gives one a good idea.

First let's look at "home-grown" players...which excludes players acquired via trade or free agency:

• Cowboys, 43
• Lions, 37
• Chargers, 34
• Dolphins, 29

This is the total of players on the roster acquired with draft picks or UDFA. Yes the Cowboys really do like their own!

Next up: Hit Rate.

The only thing that I feel skews that number is the Cowboys seem much more likely than other teams to give a bust prolonged life if he’s cheaper than the veteran option. I would like to go back to the Jimmy Days when no one’s job was safe, and players were often cut just to send a message.

 

[T-RO]

The only thing that I feel skews that number is the Cowboys seem much more likely than other teams to give a bust prolonged life if he’s cheaper than the veteran option. I would like to go back to the Jimmy Days when no one’s job was safe, and players were often cut just to send a message.

Interesting. I can't dispute that entirely but I don't think the Cowboys are anything unique in that.

Draft picks these days are getting a lot of money, and a big chunk of is guaranteed. Take the example of the Chargers Quentin Johnson. He kinda looks like a first round bust...suppose he has a second poor season. The dead cap hit to release him next offseason would be $4.5 mil. Teams just can't afford to that.

Back in Jimmy Days I don't think rookies got any guaranteed money or a pittance.