CFZ How Would Jimmy Johnson Handle the Cowboys Salary Cap in the 90's?

plasticman

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The salary cap began in 1994, the Cowboys first season without Jimmy Johnson.

Let's pretend that Jerry Jones was realistic about his role and Jimmy's role in the development of that potential dynasty. Jerry relinquishes his position as GM and rightfully offers the position to Jimmy if he agrees to a ten year contract. Let's say Jimmy agrees and is now the GM of the Dallas Cowboys as the NFL enters a new era, the era of the Salary Cap.

This could be controversial. I think Jimmy would have been bottom line. I believe he would not use loyalty as a criteria. I think his logic would have resembled that of Bill Belicek. Contracts would not have been used to reward past achievement. The contract amounts would have mirrored the perceived contribution of the player to future success at market value..

I think Jimmy's handling of the salary cap would have been strictly business, no emotional element other then some regret for not being able to keep a player or two.

Here are some changes I believe Jimmy would have made from what actually happened.

Jimmy would have never signed Dieon Sanders - No way! Not only would Jimmy consider Deion's impact be unequal to his salary, he would not have willingly given up on so many players he could have kept over the years with that salary amount.

Jimmy would never have traded two #1 picks for Joey Galloway. - Jimmy would have acquired most of the talent he needed in the draft. He cherished his #1 picks He might have signed a veteran free agent or two but only if the value was excellent

Jimmy wouldn't have signed Emmitt Smith to a third contract. before the 1996 season - At the very least it he wouldn't have made the 7th year veteran the highest paid player in the NFL at the time and it certainly wouldn't have been an eight year contract. It's possible he may have franchised him for 1996, a year in which Emmitt slid from 4.7 yards a carry to 3.7 yards a carry. Emmitt's prior five season average for yards from scrimmage was 1949 yards and that decreased by almost 500 yards in 1996 to 1453 yards. I tyhink 1996 would have been his last season with the Cowboys.

Jimmy would have been prepared for Troy's retirement - Jimmy would have drafted another QB well ahead of Troy's retirement after 1999. In fact, I doubt Troy would have still been with the Cowboys after the 1998 season. Most likely, his contract would not have been extended at that time.
 

NorthTexan95

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Same as teams do today: keep your productive difference makers and keep a stead influx of young, cheap talent coming in. I suspect Aikman and Irving would have been here for long haul but he would have replaced Emmitt.

I agree, no Deion, no last contract for Emmitt. But I don't think he would have still been coach with Aikman retired or Galloway traded for. Jimmy was only going to coach the Cowboys for a few more seasons at most.
 

john van brocklin

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The salary cap began in 1994, the Cowboys first season without Jimmy Johnson.

Let's pretend that Jerry Jones was realistic about his role and Jimmy's role in the development of that potential dynasty. Jerry relinquishes his position as GM and rightfully offers the position to Jimmy if he agrees to a ten year contract. Let's say Jimmy agrees and is now the GM of the Dallas Cowboys as the NFL enters a new era, the era of the Salary Cap.

This could be controversial. I think Jimmy would have been bottom line. I believe he would not use loyalty as a criteria. I think his logic would have resembled that of Bill Belicek. Contracts would not have been used to reward past achievement. The contract amounts would have mirrored the perceived contribution of the player to future success at market value..

I think Jimmy's handling of the salary cap would have been strictly business, no emotional element other then some regret for not being able to keep a player or two.

Here are some changes I believe Jimmy would have made from what actually happened.

Jimmy would have never signed Dieon Sanders - No way! Not only would Jimmy consider Deion's impact be unequal to his salary, he would not have willingly given up on so many players he could have kept over the years with that salary amount.

Jimmy would never have traded two #1 picks for Joey Galloway. - Jimmy would have acquired most of the talent he needed in the draft. He cherished his #1 picks He might have signed a veteran free agent or two but only if the value was excellent

Jimmy wouldn't have signed Emmitt Smith to a third contract. before the 1996 season - At the very least it he wouldn't have made the 7th year veteran the highest paid player in the NFL at the time and it certainly wouldn't have been an eight year contract. It's possible he may have franchised him for 1996, a year in which Emmitt slid from 4.7 yards a carry to 3.7 yards a carry. Emmitt's prior five season average for yards from scrimmage was 1949 yards and that decreased by almost 500 yards in 1996 to 1453 yards. I tyhink 1996 would have been his last season with the Cowboys.

Jimmy would have been prepared for Troy's retirement - Jimmy would have drafted another QB well ahead of Troy's retirement after 1999. In fact, I doubt Troy would have still been with the Cowboys after the 1998 season. Most likely, his contract would not have been extended at that time.
Interesting food for thought.
Jimmy was not able to build a winner in Miami with the cap.
Really the Walker trade and shrewd drafting are what made Jimmy successful in Dallas.
That and the man could coach!
 

G2

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I don't know that he would have been as successful, but I feel like he wouldn't have held onto players until they were useless and couldn't get a decent return. I don't think he would have managed his roster with the loyalty and emotion that Jerry does.
Also, Johnson wouldn't have started players unless they were playmakers and doing their job.
 

plasticman

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Interesting food for thought.
Jimmy was not able to build a winner in Miami with the cap.
Really the Walker trade and shrewd drafting are what made Jimmy successful in Dallas.
That and the man could coach!
Jimmy was handicapped in Miami, first having to wait a season for Shula to retire and then unable to replace Marino when he wanted to.
 

75boyz

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I believe he would handle it in a very Belicheck type way letting former stars go a year early rather than re sign them to what he would already know would be declining performance in future years. I think he wo uld be in touch with the player's performance level.

I think Jimmy would make sure his star players are compensated fairly for their play but he would have drafted the type of star player whose belief in winning football games is the most important thing, and NOT having the highest contract at their position.

Think along the lines of Brady taking less than market value while in NE for several years.

Thats the type player Johnson would try and draft.

Yep, even in today's game and this world's me first culture.

Just a matter of finding his brand of alfa dogs who realize that winning sets the table for all the money to be made. If winning trophies is priority ONE of the player's picked by Jimmy, then I think he night could pull it off.

Now do these type player still exist in this me first modern football era?

I guest we'd hafta trust Jimmy to find enough of them to make it work.

And then I woke up.
 
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quickccc

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Interesting food for thought.
Jimmy was not able to build a winner in Miami with the cap.
Really the Walker trade and shrewd drafting are what made Jimmy successful in Dallas.
That and the man could coach!

The problem with Jimmie was how he did not/could not fulfill building a nucleus of talent thru the NFL draft, as what he helped do build in Dallas.

- We really lucked up getting a chance to draft Emmitt,.. Jimmie never came close to doing that at Miami (Sammie Smith, Troy Straford, and John Avery)
Jimmie's crew did not come up with the nest of draft gems we turned out in Dallas, (Williams, Lett, Emmitt, Harper, Allen, Tolbert, Kevin Smith, D. Woodson, Daryl Smith, Norton, etc)
and he was rewarded No.1 overall with Aikman.

- Jimmie 's best draft acclaims during his Dolphins era seemed to be only Zack Thomas, Jason Taylor, Sam Madison and Patrick Surtain; he had all kinds of problems and
disappointments acquiring top offensive talent in Miami.

- Jimmie also had to endure ego battles with declining vet QB Dan Marino, who seemed reluctant to go the Jimmie way of a run-first/pass second as what
was the way in Dallas. Ironic that Jimmie also had a strained relationship with Aikman in the early years going.

- Jimmie would have to acquire his own hand picked capologist (or two?) and work thru their advise as to build around the NFL cap world.
And who knows how that may have turned out.
 

jnday

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Jimmy was handicapped in Miami, first having to wait a season for Shula to retire and then unable to replace Marino when he wanted to.
Too many fans points to Jimmy’s time in Miami as a big failure. Jimmy did a good job there, but it was going to take a little longer to build a great team. It is hilarious to listen to the fans that wants to label him as a loser. He was the best coach in the league at the time.
 

Ranching

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The salary cap began in 1994, the Cowboys first season without Jimmy Johnson.

Let's pretend that Jerry Jones was realistic about his role and Jimmy's role in the development of that potential dynasty. Jerry relinquishes his position as GM and rightfully offers the position to Jimmy if he agrees to a ten year contract. Let's say Jimmy agrees and is now the GM of the Dallas Cowboys as the NFL enters a new era, the era of the Salary Cap.

This could be controversial. I think Jimmy would have been bottom line. I believe he would not use loyalty as a criteria. I think his logic would have resembled that of Bill Belicek. Contracts would not have been used to reward past achievement. The contract amounts would have mirrored the perceived contribution of the player to future success at market value..

I think Jimmy's handling of the salary cap would have been strictly business, no emotional element other then some regret for not being able to keep a player or two.

Here are some changes I believe Jimmy would have made from what actually happened.

Jimmy would have never signed Dieon Sanders - No way! Not only would Jimmy consider Deion's impact be unequal to his salary, he would not have willingly given up on so many players he could have kept over the years with that salary amount.

Jimmy would never have traded two #1 picks for Joey Galloway. - Jimmy would have acquired most of the talent he needed in the draft. He cherished his #1 picks He might have signed a veteran free agent or two but only if the value was excellent

Jimmy wouldn't have signed Emmitt Smith to a third contract. before the 1996 season - At the very least it he wouldn't have made the 7th year veteran the highest paid player in the NFL at the time and it certainly wouldn't have been an eight year contract. It's possible he may have franchised him for 1996, a year in which Emmitt slid from 4.7 yards a carry to 3.7 yards a carry. Emmitt's prior five season average for yards from scrimmage was 1949 yards and that decreased by almost 500 yards in 1996 to 1453 yards. I tyhink 1996 would have been his last season with the Cowboys.

Jimmy would have been prepared for Troy's retirement - Jimmy would have drafted another QB well ahead of Troy's retirement after 1999. In fact, I doubt Troy would have still been with the Cowboys after the 1998 season. Most likely, his contract would not have been extended at that time.
Jimmy quit on us when he no longer had a blank check.....
 

Loso86

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The salary cap began in 1994, the Cowboys first season without Jimmy Johnson.

Let's pretend that Jerry Jones was realistic about his role and Jimmy's role in the development of that potential dynasty. Jerry relinquishes his position as GM and rightfully offers the position to Jimmy if he agrees to a ten year contract. Let's say Jimmy agrees and is now the GM of the Dallas Cowboys as the NFL enters a new era, the era of the Salary Cap.

This could be controversial. I think Jimmy would have been bottom line. I believe he would not use loyalty as a criteria. I think his logic would have resembled that of Bill Belicek. Contracts would not have been used to reward past achievement. The contract amounts would have mirrored the perceived contribution of the player to future success at market value..

I think Jimmy's handling of the salary cap would have been strictly business, no emotional element other then some regret for not being able to keep a player or two.

Here are some changes I believe Jimmy would have made from what actually happened.

Jimmy would have never signed Dieon Sanders - No way! Not only would Jimmy consider Deion's impact be unequal to his salary, he would not have willingly given up on so many players he could have kept over the years with that salary amount.

Jimmy would never have traded two #1 picks for Joey Galloway. - Jimmy would have acquired most of the talent he needed in the draft. He cherished his #1 picks He might have signed a veteran free agent or two but only if the value was excellent

Jimmy wouldn't have signed Emmitt Smith to a third contract. before the 1996 season - At the very least it he wouldn't have made the 7th year veteran the highest paid player in the NFL at the time and it certainly wouldn't have been an eight year contract. It's possible he may have franchised him for 1996, a year in which Emmitt slid from 4.7 yards a carry to 3.7 yards a carry. Emmitt's prior five season average for yards from scrimmage was 1949 yards and that decreased by almost 500 yards in 1996 to 1453 yards. I tyhink 1996 would have been his last season with the Cowboys.

Jimmy would have been prepared for Troy's retirement - Jimmy would have drafted another QB well ahead of Troy's retirement after 1999. In fact, I doubt Troy would have still been with the Cowboys after the 1998 season. Most likely, his contract would not have been extended at that time.
If that's true we may not have as many SBs of that's the game were playing
 
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