I know it's frustrating being a Cowboy fan in the offseason when everyone else is going out and making splash signings in free agency while the fans throw up their arms in disgust and what could have been. But for every Deion Sanders and Reggie White signing that pays dividends in the long run, there are ten signings that wind up being busts, put their new team in cap hell or just backfire in the long run. I know that the Rams went all in last year and won it all but that is very rare in today's NFL.
The way the Cowboys approach it is to utilize their very good drafts to stock the team and to wait till training camp or at least the second or third tier of free agents before they take the temperature of the team and grab much more reasonably priced free agents at positions of need. Look at last year when they grabbed Kearse, Hooker, Basham, etc. to short deals that helped lead to a 12-5 record and a playoff appearance.
With the signing of Anthony Barr today, that influx of talent has started for this year. Look for them to sign a receiver and offensive tackle in the next week to help solidify this year's squad. They have the cap space to go shopping for positions of need leading up to the season they don't break the bank on older players getting long-term contracts. As much as I wanted Von Miller, 6 years at 20 million a year at almost 33 years old is a disaster waiting to happen. The top tier free agents demand long-term contracts and that is very risky indeed.
However, the Cowboys do sign big name free agents; their own. They value the players they know best more than players they don't know. More information usually means taking more of a risk. Smart business.
Yeah, I know it's been 27 years without a sniff of the Super Bowl but I think their way of free agency will prove to be the smart way in the long run. As long as they have Will McCray making draft picks, using this strategy to fortify the team is the smart way to go. What say you?
