Miller or Vernon

[NorthwestDallas40]

i understand being cautious with money, but I do not understand not filling our gaping holes at RB, CB, DE with one high-priced free agent. Otherwise, we are going to be drafting for need at these positions in the first three rounds, never a good idea. With no premier CBs out there, we really need to spend on Lamar Miller or Olivier Vernon. We have the cap room for one such signing.

 

[Sydla]

Vernon. Easy decision.

Easier to find serviceable TBs than find an elite pass rusher.

 

[pancakeman]

"Gaping hole at RB"?
I don't see it.

Deep breaths.

 

[John813]

IMO if Miller costs 6 per, and Vernon at 12+ per (he balked at a long term deal around 12 per from Miami), I would take Miller.

Miller to me, is a surer bet at getting our moneys worth. From a ZBS, can run inbetween the tackles, has the speed to stretch it wide and outrun guys and can catch the ball.

 

[StarBoyz83]

Dallas ist getting either. They will sign a couple no name people then draft. This is what we usually do.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

http://i18.***BLOCKED***/albums/b133/BrAinPaiNt/VelmaDrop.gif



http://i18.***BLOCKED***/albums/b133/BrAinPaiNt/barney1.gif

 

[robjay04]

Dallas ist getting either. They will sign a couple no name people then draft. This is what we usually do.

Not saying Dallas is on their level but it is what most of the good franchises do in the NFL. You very rarely see teams like the Patriots, Packers or Steelers ever become big players in free agency. Sure they may sign a player here or there but they don't make huge headline grabbing splashes like the Eagles do every season.

 

[DeaconMoss]

Vernon, DLaw, Gregory would be a nice stable of ends

 

[Sydla]

Not saying Dallas is on their level but it is what most of the good franchises do in the NFL. You very rarely see teams like the Patriots, Packers or Steelers ever become big players in free agency. Sure they may sign a player here or there but they don't make huge headline grabbing splashes like the Eagles do every season.

Again, I don't think anyone is asking for the Cowboys to sit there and sign every big name in free agency. But they've gone to the other extreme............ where they basically don't come within 500 miles of a big ticket guy and just react to the market with their fingers crossed someone falls through the cracks.

When Jerry Jones says backup QB and pass rush are the two biggest needs of the organization and then not even lift a finger to try to fix either in free agency when a guy like Vernon is available, but instead they turn their focus towards retreads like a Chris Long or Adrian Clayborn, I think it's worthwhile to question why?

And for all the laughing people do at the Eagles the last couple of years for trying to make splash after splash in free agency, interestingly enough, they somehow have more cap space than us and this year they seemed to have little trouble turning their bad contracts into a bit of new cap space and even moving up in the draft in the Top 10 moving two mediocre players.

So frankly, I am beginning to think that all this talk of fiscal responsibility is now jumping the shark.

 

[NorthwestDallas40]

Not saying Dallas is on their level but it is what most of the good franchises do in the NFL. You very rarely see teams like the Patriots, Packers or Steelers ever become big players in free agency. Sure they may sign a player here or there but they don't make huge headline grabbing splashes like the Eagles do every season.

That is because their rosters are better than ours

 

[JohnnyHopkins]

I haven't watched much of Vernon (or at least, I haven't paid attention to him when I watched the Dolphins), so I ask this of the forum. Dude had 6.5 and 7.5 sacks the last two years operating along a line with some guys that would command a lot of attention in Wake and Suh. Is 7.5 sacks worth 12+ million or is there something else?

Seriously, I have not paid attention to the dude and am for reelz asking.

 

[NorthwestDallas40]

Vernon, DLaw, Gregory would be a nice stable of ends

This is how the Giants won the Super Bowl a few years back.

 

[robjay04]

Again, I don't think anyone is asking for the Cowboys to sit there and sign every big name in free agency. But they've gone to the other extreme............ where they basically don't come within 500 miles of a big ticket guy and just react to the market with their fingers crossed someone falls through the cracks.

When Jerry Jones says backup QB and pass rush are the two biggest needs of the organization and then not even lift a finger to try to fix either in free agency when a guy like Vernon is available, but instead they turn their focus towards retreads like a Chris Long or Adrian Clayborn, I think it's worthwhile to question why?

And for all the laughing people do at the Eagles the last couple of years for trying to make splash after splash in free agency, interestingly enough, they somehow have more cap space than us and this year they seemed to have little trouble turning their bad contracts into a bit of new cap space and even moving up in the draft in the Top 10 moving two mediocre players.

So frankly, I am beginning to think that all this talk of fiscal responsibility is now jumping the shark.

You don't pay Vernon that money because we have an OL of blue chip players playing on their rookie deals. Those contracts rarely ever work out. The one team that turned a free agency splash into a SB is the Broncos but they were a SB caliber team before that. Nearly ever major free agency acquisition that happened last season is now a regret of the team that did it.

I do hope we sign Miller though, not pay a huge contract to a player that has 14 sacks the last two seasons combined.

 

[robjay04]

That is because their rosters are better than ours

No it's because free agency is where teams overpay for other team's rejects.

 

[Sydla]

You don't pay Vernon that money because we have an OL of blue chip players playing on their rookie deals. Those contracts rarely ever work out. The one team that turned a free agency splash into a SB is the Broncos but they were a SB caliber team before that. Nearly ever major free agency acquisition that happened last season is now a regret of the team that did it.

I do hope we sign Miller though, not pay a huge contract to a player that has 14 sacks the last two seasons combined.

People need to stop using the OL being due money as an excuse. The Cowboys will have money when the time comes. Cap goes up every year, they can start to see financial relief on Romo's deal in a few years if they need to cut or restructure. Smith, Crawford, Smith can all be restructured as well. Cut Carr at June 1 and you save nearly $10MM in cap space. Signing Olivier isn't going to prevent them from resigning their key OL if they want.

 

[CCBoy]

Don't worry, the Giants are eager to pay for the cost of Vernon.

 

[Silver Surfer]

Ah.... neither.

 

[td4mvp2k]

don't matter now looks more like their lookin at the draft to get those needs and that's good if you can get big talent at those picks

 

[fishspill]

Vernon, DLaw, Gregory would be a nice stable of ends

I've more or less written Gregory off at this point. I'm acting like he'll never play another NFL down. We need DEs.

 

[Hoofbite]

Not saying Dallas is on their level but it is what most of the good franchises do in the NFL. You very rarely see teams like the Patriots, Packers or Steelers ever become big players in free agency. Sure they may sign a player here or there but they don't make huge headline grabbing splashes like the Eagles do every season.

The key difference is that the Patriots, Packers, and Steelers (to a lesser extent than Brady and Rodgers) have All-Universe QB's so they can afford to take the next best option at a number of positions. The Eagles do not have such a QB and have not had such a QB. They need to have a much better supporting cast to stand a chance.

These teams also draft pretty damn well so they don't have to rely on free agency. Whether you spend your money on your own players or spend your money on players drafted by another team, you have to have the players to compete. If all teams had the luxury of a great QB and could draft on par with the best drafting teams in the NFL, free agency probably wouldn't exist. For every free agent signing a team makes odds are they've missed on some draft picks. Money spent is money spent. If you hit on the draft or hit in free agency, there's little to no difference (on a per-player spending basis) in the long run. In the short run there's a huge difference but we're talking about teams that have had success over a span of time that would cover 2 and maybe 3 player contracts.