Locking up Tyrone Crawford

[guag]

How do you all feel about getting Crawford signed sooner than later? Do you think he would go for a more team-friendly deal before the season (or even during it) as opposed to after this season?

If they haven't already done so, I think the FO should consider offering him an extention early. I know some fans and media folks are projecting him to be a monster this season after having a good showing in 2014. I know Romo likes him based on his prediction about Crawford last offseason. But do the coaches and staff want him here long term? I would think so, since Crawford plays a key position in this defense, and there isn't too much proven depth behind him (Whaley, Coleman, anyone else?).

Now he may not go for it and instead opt to take his chances on a bigger contract in free agency next off season, but if there's any chance we can extend him now, I'd absolutely go for it. With 3 sacks last season, even though he had a nice impact, maybe that sack number puts him a little more under the radar... possibly gives us a chance to get good value from an extension now, as opposed to next season if he happens to rack up 6+ sacks.

What do you guys/gals think?

 

[big dog cowboy]

How do you all feel about getting Crawford signed sooner than later? Do you think he would go for a more team-friendly deal before the season (or even during it) as opposed to after this season?

Sooner.

Yes.

Crawford deserves an extension. That said, I'd try to get many deals done as possible to show Dez we are still open for business.

 

[sureletsrace]

Sign him to a 3 year contract. It's a win win. If he blows up, he still can get a big payday. If he doesn't, the Cowboys aren't tied to a big contract.

 

[Nightman]

These guys aren't dumb.

If they make it this close to FA they usually take it.

But since he hasn't made any real money yet, he may jump at a below market deal with a healthy signing bonus.

 

[Idgit]

We've got a lot of loose ends at the moment in terms of big long-term contracts. I'd think and extension for Crawford would be merited, if we had a clearer picture of what the landscape is going to look like. But there are big moving parts out there with Dez and Hardy and even Carr, not to mention other young players like Frederick who also ought to be in consideration at some point. Unless the Crawford camp wants to make it easy on us, I don't imagine we'll be in a place to do anything early until we've got some of the groundwork deals laid.

 

[Thatkidbob]

These guys aren't dumb.

If they make it this close to FA they usually take it.

But since he hasn't made any real money yet, he may jump at a below market deal with a healthy signing bonus.

My point of view exactly.

Just not sure if the added secirity/payday associated with a long term deal will be enough to offset the expectation that he'll have a career year and an even bigger payday after a year on our revamped line.

 

[Romo2Ogletree]

Quick! Lock up the guy and his 3 sacks!

Yeah, he's good, maybe slightly above average. But you guys always seem to overrate players, Beasley anyone?

 

[Bullflop]

I'll leave the contract negotiations to Stephen. I trust him infinitely more than myself in that capacity.

 

[chris1995]

How do you all feel about getting Crawford signed sooner than later? Do you think he would go for a more team-friendly deal before the season (or even during it) as opposed to after this season?

If they haven't already done so, I think the FO should consider offering him an extention early. I know some fans and media folks are projecting him to be a monster this season after having a good showing in 2014. I know Romo likes him based on his prediction about Crawford last offseason. But do the coaches and staff want him here long term? I would think so, since Crawford plays a key position in this defense, and there isn't too much proven depth behind him (Whaley, Coleman, anyone else?).

Now he may not go for it and instead opt to take his chances on a bigger contract in free agency next off season, but if there's any chance we can extend him now, I'd absolutely go for it. With 3 sacks last season, even though he had a nice impact, maybe that sack number puts him a little more under the radar... possibly gives us a chance to get good value from an extension now, as opposed to next season if he happens to rack up 6+ sacks.

What do you guys/gals think?

Get a reasonable deal done if possible, just don't give the ranch away in the process.

 

[Risen Star]

I'll leave the contract negotiations to Stephen. I trust him infinitely more than myself in that capacity.

He's been flawless over the years.

 

[AsthmaField]

I think they go ahead and sign him to a reasonable deal sometime this season. Something that will pay him pretty good but not like a star player.

IMO, I think the team feels like he can be a good 3-tech, with the possibility of becoming a very good one. He has a Marinelli type motor, is a good locker room guy, and loves to play the game... so Crawford does have the make-up that Garrett and Marinelli want. The question then becomes: Does he have the physical talent to excel as the 3 for Marinelli? I think the team feels like he does, so if he shows them through training camp that he is continuing to improve from last year, I think they try to ink him before he blows up.

 

[chris1995]

I think they go ahead and sign him to a reasonable deal sometime this season. Something that will pay him pretty good but not like a star player.

IMO, I think the team feels like he can be a good 3-tech, with the possibility of becoming a very good one. He has a Marinelli type motor, is a good locker room guy, and loves to play the game... so Crawford does have the make-up that Garrett and Marinelli want. The question then becomes: Does he have the physical talent to excel as the 3 for Marinelli? I think the team feels like he does, so if he shows them through training camp that he is continuing to improve from last year, I think they try to ink him before he blows up.

What kind of deal do you think he should get ?

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

He's been flawless over the years.

Bout as good as someone sniping about it on a keyboard.

 

[AsthmaField]

What kind of deal do you think he should get ?

Man, I never do well in guessing the actual terms of a contract... they are just too many variables. I believe the numbers would be somewhere around the high-middle for DT's. Dallas, by giving him a contract before he has actually had a break out year, will expect a lesser contract than if he had the big year already. Otherwise there really is no reason to go ahead and do the contract early.

 

[guag]

These guys aren't dumb.

If they make it this close to FA they usually take it.

But since he hasn't made any real money yet, he may jump at a below market deal with a healthy signing bonus.

Exactly, I'm not saying lowball the guy, because obviously that would turn him off. He's not naive. But I think we could still offer him a slightly below market value deal without lowballing him. And since he's a young guy who hasn't seen much money yet (relatively speaking, as far as NFL contracts go), he might go for it.

 

[guag]

Quick! Lock up the guy and his 3 sacks!

Yeah, he's good, maybe slightly above average. But you guys always seem to overrate players, Beasley anyone?

It's about what he's projected to do in the next few years, not necessarily what his numbers were last season.

Some might say that with 3 sacks in his 3rd season, he's nothing special.

Some might say that was only the tip of the iceberg and his ceiling is a lot higher than that, especially given that he missed a season with an injury (achilles, was it?).

Everyone's going to have different opinions on what his ceiling is... I just wonder what the FO thinks.

BTW, I know I've seen this mentioned before, but have you considered asking an admin to change your user name? lol.

 

[AsthmaField]

Exactly, I'm not saying lowball the guy, because obviously that would turn him off. He's not naive. But I think we could still offer him a slightly below market value deal without lowballing him.

Yeah, the players understand that the team is taking a chance on him fulfilling his potential and so they won't give him a contract that he would get on the open market after he's already had a dominant season. However, the players also understand that they are getting the security of a pretty good, long-term contract before they've actually earned it with a big year.

If Dallas tempts Crawford with enough money, he will think hard about it. He already blew his achillies once and if he does it again sometimes this season, he would be very glad that he went ahead and signed the contract.

A reasonable deal now mitigates the risk for both sides.

Still, there are plenty of players that bet on themselves and want to take the chance that they stay healthy and have a big season in their contract year.

At this point, it is all speculation on our part anyway. I do think that Crawford likes playing in Dallas under Marinelli, and he does have the achillies in the back of his mind, so he very well could go ahead and sign sometime early this season. If Dallas thinks Crawford is going to be really good (I think they do)... then the chances are pretty good for it to happen, IMO.

 

[xwalker]

How do you all feel about getting Crawford signed sooner than later? Do you think he would go for a more team-friendly deal before the season (or even during it) as opposed to after this season?

If they haven't already done so, I think the FO should consider offering him an extention early. I know some fans and media folks are projecting him to be a monster this season after having a good showing in 2014. I know Romo likes him based on his prediction about Crawford last offseason. But do the coaches and staff want him here long term? I would think so, since Crawford plays a key position in this defense, and there isn't too much proven depth behind him (Whaley, Coleman, anyone else?).

Now he may not go for it and instead opt to take his chances on a bigger contract in free agency next off season, but if there's any chance we can extend him now, I'd absolutely go for it. With 3 sacks last season, even though he had a nice impact, maybe that sack number puts him a little more under the radar... possibly gives us a chance to get good value from an extension now, as opposed to next season if he happens to rack up 6+ sacks.

What do you guys/gals think?

If a new contract is going to increase his 2015 cap hit, then they will likely wait until something is done with either the contract of Carr or Dez. Right now they probably want to keep some cap space available in case they want to add a veteran by trade or a player like Chris Johnson that likely is not signed because he wants a decent contract.

 

[Risen Star]

Bout as good as someone sniping about it on a keyboard.

Not quite. I saw those bad contracts coming a mile away and said so.

 

[Idgit]

Quick! Lock up the guy and his 3 sacks!

Yeah, he's good, maybe slightly above average. But you guys always seem to overrate players, Beasley anyone?

I love that 'Romo2Ogletree' is giving advice on not overrating Cowboys players.

Crawford's a perfect example of the kind of young player at an impact position who's performed at a level you try to extend if you can get it done. He's overdelivered what should have been the expectation for him each season he's been on the roster, and it's obvious not just from his play, but from how the team handles him and the opportunities he's earned. You have to be eitehr asleep or have an agenda to not recognize this.

I'm not saying we ought to break the bank on him, but there's no rating of Crawford's play under his rookie deal that does not merit an extension if you can get one. He's either cleared that second contract hurdle, or he hasn't, and he's cleared it by a country mile.