Injuries compounded by too much money invested in individual players

[xwalker]

Seattle signed 2 free agents DEs this past off-season.

They paid Avril 6M this season and he has 7.5 sacks as a backup.

They paid Bennett 3M this season and he has 6.5 sacks as a backup.

Ware has 6 sacks this season and is scheduled to make 12.25M next season.

Both players are younger than Ware. The probability that either one gets injured is lower as compared to Ware due to their age. The probability that both get injured is drastically lower.

IMO, next season it would be better to have 2 mid-level free agents, instead of a combination of Ware at 12.25M and some street free agent at minimum wage.

In the 4-3, DLinemen usually get rotated frequently anyway.

 

[cowboys1981]

Agree. We need players that can pressure QB's on a consistent basis. We need it from more than one player. We need speed on DE's and anchors on the DT spot that can push lineman back.

 

[Direwolf63]

Ware makes much more than his productivity, that is true. But the bigger problem was the Spencer deal. Had they let him walk, the Cowboys may of had a chance at either Avril or Bennett and saved a few dollars in teh process.

 

[Idgit]

Agree in principle. In reality, there was no way we were letting Demarcus Ware walk, and there was no chance of signing him long term without the significant commitment. Even given how fast the wheels appear to have fallen off, I have a hard time deciding how best to second-guess the Ware contract. Generally speaking, I think it's probably best to build a team drafting as well as you possibly can, extending your own key players to second contracts, and then filling in the cracks with the right value free agents. Err on the side of youth, play your young players, and only extend cornerstone players like your QB to deals that take them past 31 years old or so. It's a tough transition to get to that spot, though, when you have players you're heavily dependent on breaking your bank. I don't know how you look at a player like Demarcus was two years ago and do anything but extend him in the most reasonable way you can negotiate.

 

[Stash]

Seattle signed 2 free agents DEs this past off-season.

They paid Avril 6M this season and he has 7.5 sacks as a backup.

They paid Bennett 3M this season and he has 6.5 sacks as a backup.

Ware has 6 sacks this season and is scheduled to make 12.25M next season.

Both players are younger than Ware. The probability that either one gets injured is lower as compared to Ware due to their age. The probability that both get injured is drastically lower.

IMO, next season it would be better to have 2 mid-level free agents, instead of a combination of Ware at 12.25M and some street free agent at minimum wage.

In the 4-3, DLinemen usually get rotated frequently anyway.

Here's a cruel irony.

We could have had both this year, but instead decided to franchise Spencer at over $10 million.

 

[xwalker]

Agree in principle. In reality, there was no way we were letting Demarcus Ware walk, and there was no chance of signing him long term without the significant commitment. Even given how fast the wheels appear to have fallen off, I have a hard time deciding how best to second-guess the Ware contract. Generally speaking, I think it's probably best to build a team drafting as well as you possibly can, extending your own key players to second contracts, and then filling in the cracks with the right value free agents. Err on the side of youth, play your young players, and only extend cornerstone players like your QB to deals that take them past 31 years old or so. It's a tough transition to get to that spot, though, when you have players you're heavily dependent on breaking your bank. I don't know how you look at a player like Demarcus was two years ago and do anything but extend him in the most reasonable way you can negotiate.

I don't have a problem with Ware's original contract. It's what they do in 2014 that I'm concerned about.

I'm convinced that 1 simple change in their thought process would solve most of the Cowboys problems. They need to make the big decisions based on the next season, not the current one.

This spring they need to build for the 2015 season not the 2014 season. That will prevent franchise tags, big money paid to older players and reaches in the draft. Obviously, you still have to make small decisions based on the immediate season like low cost special teams players, etc.., but the draft and big money expenditures should focus on the future.

The majority of the players on the 1992/1993 super bowl team were in the league less than 5 years. In the modern NFL that equates to players on their initial rookie contracts. Haley was the only guy that would have been a big money player under the modern rules.

 

[neosapien23]

I definitely agree that now is the time to cut Ware. Miles should have been cut this year instead of restructured. What about Witten? The guy is a team leader and a consummate professional. Should the team let him go and go younger with Escobar/Hannah?

 

[Zordon]

I definitely agree that now is the time to cut Ware. Miles should have been cut this year instead of restructured. What about Witten? The guy is a team leader and a consummate professional. Should the team let him go and go younger with Escobar/Hannah?

yes...i'd move on from all of them.

 

[Picksix]

Here's a cruel irony.

We could have had both this year, but instead decided to franchise Spencer at over $10 million.

I wanted to keep Spencer, but I was never in favor of franchising him. Had a feeling that was going to bite us.

 

[CyberB0b]

Those 2 signings are what make the Spencer franchise tag look bad, without even mentioning that he never saw the field. Other guys like Osi and Freeny were available, as well.

 

[Direwolf63]

I think the team should discuss a pay cut with Ware before any discussions regarding cutting him takes place. Move toward a more incentive based deal. If he flat out refuses, then the cutting Ware discussion could take place.

Similar to what they did with Free last year. But keep in mind, we're talking about a Hall of Famer here, so Jerry has to take that into account as well.

 

[xwalker]

I definitely agree that now is the time to cut Ware. Miles should have been cut this year instead of restructured. What about Witten? The guy is a team leader and a consummate professional. Should the team let him go and go younger with Escobar/Hannah?

Witten's 2014 salary is 5M which is reasonable for a guy that still plays almost 100% of the offense snaps.

 

[TwoCentPlain]

Things didn't work out as planned. I think we all get that. Yeah, in hindsight we should have cut Ware and not franchised Spencer. Hopefully, the core players can turn it on and get into the playoffs. I would like to see this core of players get to play in a playoff game this year before the whole thing starts to get dismantled next year and for good the following year.

 

[arglebargle]

This reads like some hard truth.