CFZ Offense: What free agents should the Cowboys have signed?

[xwalker]

• This is about Offense only. We can have another tread about defense.

• Keep in mind that this was a year when other teams paid:
  • Connors Williams 7M per season.
  • Cedrick Wilson 7.35M per season.
  • Traded a 1st & 2nd for WR Davante Adams & gave him a 140M contract.
  • Traded 5 picks (1, 2, 4, 4, 6) for Tyreek Hill & gave him a 120M contract.

• What should the Cowboys have done if they spent more money:
  • They couldn't give a big contract to a free agent LT to backup Tyron.
    • Signing another journeyman swing Tackle was not going to make things better.
  • They opted to give Tyron 1 more season to see if he could stay reasonably healthy.
    • They used a 1st round pick on a LT and kept Tyron for this final year.
    • It was a reasonable decision.

• Moving on from Amari Cooper was about more than money.
  • Remember the Raiders also got tired of him.
  • Yes, obviously the Raiders got a premium pick from him, but there was a reason they were ready to move on.

• Should they have signed another WR?
  • CeeDee had 79 catches for 1102 yards with a 65.8% catch rate in 2021.
    • Comp: Mike Evans had 74 catches for 1035 yards with a 54.9% catch rate (Yards/Catch +0.1 over CeeDee).
    • Evans had less catches/yards despite playing more snaps.
  • Gallup is a quality #2 WR and arguably #1 type NFL WR.
  • The Bucs signed Julio Jones for 1-year, 6M.
    • That looked good for game 1, however...
      • He played less snaps for 2020 & 2021 combined than CeeDee played in 2021.
      • i.e. Relatively high risk of injury at this point.
    • Also, Julio Jones only signed with the Bucs because of Brady.
      • Jones has made a ton of money already.
  • If just signing a free agent was the answer...
    • The Raiders could have saved themselves a 1st and 2nd round pick.
    • They gave up the picks and gave Davante Adams a big contract.
  • The Dolphins gave up 5 picks (1st, 2nd, 4th, 4th, 6th) for Tyreek Hill.
    • They also gave him a mega-contract.

 

[Robbieac]

They shouldn’t have traded their #1 WR and borderline offensive MVP in Cooper (Dak has always sucked without a true known #1).

They shouldn’t have released a quality starting OT in La’el Collins.

 

[guag]

I didn't realize how much the Dolphins gave up for Hill. Holy crap. What's with people trading mad picks for WRs?

 

[ClappingCarrot]

I didn't realize how much the Dolphins gave up for Hill. Holy crap. What's with people trading mad picks for WRs?

As you're about to find out for the remainder of the Cowboys season, it's one of the most important positions on the field.

 

[charron]

Im ok with the washington signing. Id have done that and kept cooper. But if you are going to get rid of cooper they needed to bring in more veterans and not be running out there with 2 new guys who can barely make a roster and a st player in brown, a 3rd round pick who cant make game day roster all while gallup is hurt.

 

[VaqueroTD]

The only one I don’t agree with is Julio Jones. With such a small contract and all the cap room we had…. If he physically checks out, why not take a chance on a guy not far removed from being the best wide receiver in the NFL.

 

[rambo2]

They shouldn’t have traded their #1 WR and borderline offensive MVP in Cooper (Dak has always sucked without a true known #1).

They shouldn’t have released a quality starting OT in La’el Collins.

Collins is awful.

 

[J_Allen]

Let's be honest, it doesn't matter who we sign. This culture is toxic and we have so many holes that a few signings won't matter. We're better off winning two or three games and getting a real quarterback.

 

[Havic]

It doesnt matter if we had Adams, Cooper, and Hill. Dak looks like he has zero confidence and played terrible. The only thing worse than Dak was KM's play calling.

 

[Bigrandrn]

It doesnt matter if we had Adams, Cooper, and Hill. Dak looks like he has zero confidence and played terrible. The only thing worse than Dak was KM's play calling.

Yup…..Dak is too inconsistent….has stretches where he’s really inaccurate and leads to losses, not just an occasional overthrow, but multiple drives that stall
Because of it. He looked like crap the first 3 quarters last week. Same with the playoff game. Happens way too often. Even though Herbert lost, man I would kill for a QB like him, Dak is nowhere near him or Mahomes, or Allen or Burrow. Hell I’d take cousins.

 

[Risen Star]

Who the hell would argue that Michael Gallup is a #1 WR?

 

[Risen Star]

I didn't realize how much the Dolphins gave up for Hill. Holy crap. What's with people trading mad picks for WRs?

When teams have an abundance of picks, like the Dolphins had at the time, they're much more willing to part with them.

 

[Havic]

Yup…..Dak is too inconsistent….has stretches where he’s really inaccurate and leads to losses, not just an occasional overthrow, but multiple drives that stall
Because of it. He looked like crap the first 3 quarters last week. Same with the playoff game. Happens way too often. Even though Herbert lost, man I would kill for a QB like him, Dak is nowhere near him or Mahomes, or Allen or Burrow. Hell I’d take cousins.

Cousins has surprised me. He is becoming more consistent. We are going to be stuck with Dak for two more years, but KM and MM are probably going to be out after this year.

 

[xwalker]

The only one I don’t agree with is Julio Jones. With such a small contract and all the cap room we had…. If he physically checks out, why not take a chance on a guy not far removed from being the best wide receiver in the NFL.

The commentators in the game talked about how Tom Brady convinced him to sign with the Bucs...

 

[xwalker]

It doesnt matter if we had Adams, Cooper, and Hill. Dak looks like he has zero confidence and played terrible. The only thing worse than Dak was KM's play calling.

• Cowboys Offense
  • 2021: #1 in points scored. #1 in total yards. #2 in passing yards.
  • 2020: (at the point Dak got injured): #2 in points scored. #1 in total yards. #1 in passing yards.
  • 2019: #6 in points scored. #1 in total yards. #2 in passing yards.

 

[Havic]

• Cowboys Offense
  • 2021: #1 in points scored. #1 in total yards. #2 in passing yards.
  • 2020: (at the point Dak got injured): #2 in points scored. #1 in total yards. #1 in passing yards.
  • 2019: #6 in points scored. #1 in total yards. #2 in passing yards.

The problem is he is actually regressing post ankle injury. When we play quality teams he looks garbage and when we play bad teams he is all-pro first team. Lucky for us, the division has been crap for awhile now.

 

[xwalker]

The problem is he is actually regressing post ankle injury. When we play quality teams he looks garbage and when we play bad teams he is all-pro first team. Lucky for us, the division has been crap for awhile now.

The ball hit receivers in the hands multiple times and they didn't end up catching it.

I reviewed the game in extensive detail.

• Many of what appeared to be bad passes were actually the fault of the receiver running the route incorrectly.
  • CeeDee on a crossing route but it up field just as Dak was releasing the ball.
    • If CeeDee would have stayed on the original path, the ball would have been exactly on target.
  • A slant route by CeeDee where Dak had to fit the ball between a LB coming towards CeeDee and a CB trailing him.
    • CeeDee is expected to 'read' the LB and convert the slant to a curl (i.e. Sit down in the open area).
    • It was impossible for Dak to hit him in stride on the slant due to the LB being in the way.
    • If CeeDee properly reads the LB, the pass would have been perfectly on target.

 

[Havic]

The ball hit receivers in the hands multiple times and they didn't end up catching it.

I reviewed the game in extensive detail.

• Many of what appeared to be bad passes were actually the fault of the receiver running the route incorrectly.
  • CeeDee on a crossing route but it up field just as Dak was releasing the ball.
    • If CeeDee would have stayed on the original path, the ball would have been exactly on target.
  • A slant route by CeeDee where Dak had to fit the ball between a LB coming towards CeeDee and a CB trailing him.
    • CeeDee is expected to 'read' the LB and convert the slant to a curl (i.e. Sit down in the open area).
    • It was impossible for Dak to hit him in stride on the slant due to the LB being in the way.
    • If CeeDee properly reads the LB, the pass would have been perfectly on target.

I've said this in other threads but it is not all on Dak, KM is a big problem as well. I will take your word for it on the TB analysis, but your thoughts on Dak's overall performance against quality teams?

 

[john van brocklin]

• This is about Offense only. We can have another tread about defense.

• Keep in mind that this was a year when other teams paid:
  • Connors Williams 7M per season.
  • Cedrick Wilson 7.35M per season.
  • Traded a 1st & 2nd for WR Davante Adams & gave him a 140M contract.
  • Traded 5 picks (1, 2, 4, 4, 6) for Tyreek Hill & gave him a 120M contract.

• What should the Cowboys have done if they spent more money:
  • They couldn't give a big contract to a free agent LT to backup Tyron.
    • Signing another journeyman swing Tackle was not going to make things better.
  • They opted to give Tyron 1 more season to see if he could stay reasonably healthy.
    • They used a 1st round pick on a LT and kept Tyron for this final year.
    • It was a reasonable decision.

• Moving on from Amari Cooper was about more than money.
  • Remember the Raiders also got tired of him.
  • Yes, obviously the Raiders got a premium pick from him, but there was a reason they were ready to move on.

• Should they have signed another WR?
  • CeeDee had 79 catches for 1102 yards with a 65.8% catch rate in 2021.
    • Comp: Mike Evans had 74 catches for 1035 yards with a 54.9% catch rate (Yards/Catch +0.1 over CeeDee).
    • Evans had less catches/yards despite playing more snaps.
  • Gallup is a quality #2 WR and arguably #1 type NFL WR.
  • The Bucs signed Julio Jones for 1-year, 6M.
    • That looked good for game 1, however...
      • He played less snaps for 2020 & 2021 combined than CeeDee played in 2021.
      • i.e. Relatively high risk of injury at this point.
    • Also, Julio Jones only signed with the Bucs because of Brady.
      • Jones has made a ton of money already.
  • If just signing a free agent was the answer...
    • The Raiders could have saved themselves a 1st and 2nd round pick.
    • They gave up the picks and gave Davante Adams a big contract.
  • The Dolphins gave up 5 picks (1st, 2nd, 4th, 4th, 6th) for Tyreek Hill.
    • They also gave him a mega-contract.

X are you telling me there was no decent swing tackle available for a reasonable amount,?
I mean Ball would not have been hard to improve on.
I mean they could have signed Josh Peters earlier so he at least would have been ready at season start.

 

[Pass2Run]

Time will tell that we should have went for Julio Jones, especially if Dennis Houston continues playing ahead of some of the others.

In any case, Julio Jones is a veteran who lets you work your younger guys in slowly.

I don't know. This way, you kind of get some time for them to get their feet wet to see if anyone stands out by the end of the year, so you know what you have. But right now, I would say Julio Jones, since it's about winning, to me. I don't think he's as done as people think.