Our FA plan?

[Picksix]

Yes and no. Yes it's the correct way for this team and the money they don't have - however, I would have thought that this far into free agency that the remaining players are not the expensive contract type. And I thought Ayers would have been exactly what we should be looking at. Relatively cheap short term contracts for players who have been passed over so far. Don't need to be stars, but solid players with flaws - who come in for a purpose. ROTATION. Look how the Giants have quietly bought in OLmen, filled gaps they will still take in the draft and got Ayers for their Dline rotation. Plus for cheap. Seams smart.
We will need to carpet bomb this draft for DT's and D-Ends as well as other positions we still need - so why not bring in a few cheap rotational players, with flaws who can at least play the positions you need ? Isn't that exactly what we should be doing? And without having to spend alot ?
Also, Spagnola - (who I usualy don't like his company line,) said in one of his columns - that signing Melton was a good start, but not the end game. People/fans/ and FO should not look at that as a "hey, we shored up the 3 tech. we're good. Senario." I agree, it should not be all we do. But it looks like the FO does not. I think we needed to find at least one backup guard if possible, then still draft another. DT and DE are obviously big needs still, regardlless of the Melton signing. WR is a high to mid round need, LBer. Are we going into this year with the Safeties we have ? So, as you can see. Too many holes for one draft to fill, low cost free agents like Ayers seemed to good to be true. I guess they were. The question that we all have to ask ourselves now is, will everyone be OK with a really down year, not even reaching 500. By not filling all our needs this one season, but having a younger, cheaper roster with more money and cap room next year. Short term down turn, for better long term stability and hopefully production on the field ? OK, rant completed !

We get Crawford back. I know it's a big if, but if Bass can stay healthy, then he's a plus. So that's two possible answers. We have 11picks, in a draft that should be deep for DL. I'm not too worried at this point. Now, if we for some reason don't get a couple good DL in the draft, then I'll be worried.

 

[Doomsday101]

We get Crawford back. I know it's a big if, but if Bass can stay healthy, then he's a plus. So that's two possible answers. We have 11picks, in a draft that should be deep for DL. I'm not too worried at this point. Now, if we for some reason don't get a couple good DL in the draft, then I'll be worried.

Outside of some more help on DL I think this defense can be a good one if we can manage to stay somewhat healthy. I don't know too many team who can lose starters like we did and still produce. 3 of the 4 DL players down or played hurt like Ware our LB core injuries. People love to say injuries are not an excuse but massive injuries through out a unit is going to show, you just can't replace that many starters and expect much out of that group.

 

[kiheikiwi]

We get Crawford back. I know it's a big if, but if Bass can stay healthy, then he's a plus. So that's two possible answers. We have 11picks, in a draft that should be deep for DL. I'm not too worried at this point. Now, if we for some reason don't get a couple good DL in the draft, then I'll be worried.

Bass = Johnston, so far. Not counting on him. Crawford - I have high hopes for, but hope they leave him at SDE and stop playing around with him. 6 of 11 picks are 7th rounders - we should not expect too much. But we can hope for a diamond in the rough. Every year it seams I say this is an important draft. But I don't think there has been a more important one than this. After doing well in last years draft, I really do have high hopes for this year - dear god please let it be so !

 

[starfrombirth]

People get caught up in the idea that just because it's free agency we should spend all of our money but seriously who is out there that can legitimately make us better?

 

[gimmesix]

I think that was the plan the whole time. Sign Melton(had a good feeling on him), get some DL depth but don't overpay. Draft Defense heavy and get an OG in the first 4 rounds.

Save the big bucks for Dez and TSmith. Murray can be extended but at the going rate of 3-4m.

It appears to be. I think Spencer is seen as an added bonus. Dallas was willing to let him go to the highest bidder, but with no one bidding, sees an opportunity to possibly keep him on the cheap for a year.

I don't know if a guard is actually in the plans, though. I don't think Dallas would dismiss grabbing one, but I'm not sure there's urgency like with the DL.

 

[Star Guard_31]

I think our FA plan was to simply abstain from it.

We executed it to a T.

 

[dcstands4]

Still wondering what happened to build through the draft,through the draft

 

[big dog cowboy]

I would assume most of us are puzzled by the lack of activity by the Cowboys.

Those who are shouldn't be.

 

[ChooChoo73]

inactivity was not due to becoming smarter. It was mandated by the deals they handed out and whom the handed them out to over the past few years. The plan is to be compliant with the cap. That excess money they have and it aint much will be needed. Their plan all along was too put off the inevitable when they had to make a move with Hatcher and Ware. That plan was and is to suck it up. Jerry's all out of the ability to acquire cap room and players so his hopes which he states in almost all of his interviews are pinned on Marinelli's ability to make chicken soup. I'm ready for them to change philosophies but I fear there will be more nonsense with Romo and Witten's contracts again next year not to mention Carr and Lee's likely as well.

 

[mldardy]

inactivity was not due to becoming smarter. It was mandated by the deals they handed out and whom the handed them out to over the past few years. The plan is to be compliant with the cap. That excess money they have and it aint much will be needed. Their plan all along was too put off the inevitable when they had to make a move with Hatcher and Ware. That plan was and is to suck it up. Jerry's all out of the ability to acquire cap room and players so his hopes which he states in almost all of his interviews are pinned on Marinelli's ability to make chicken soup. I'm ready for them to change philosophies but I fear there will be more nonsense with Romo and Witten's contracts again next year not to mention Carr and Lee's likely as well.

Don't agree with this. Past deals have never stopped Jerry from being active. He usually finds a way to work around. This year he didn't. So I believe we have become smarter.

 

[Nightman]

Don't agree with this. Past deals have never stopped Jerry from being active. He usually finds a way to work around. This year he didn't. So I believe we have become smarter.

Correct, Jerry didn't max out the cap at all this offseason. They are 12m under now counting Austin's money and they could create another 12m re-doing Carr, Witten and Orton.

They are already 28m under the 2015 cap and almost 60m under the projected 2016 cap. Jerry probably feels it's not worth maxing out the cap after last year's defensive performance, but the space is there is they wanted to go that way.

Extending Dez and TSmith is probably the best moves they could make this year, better than overspending on FAs.

 

[mldardy]

Correct, Jerry didn't max out the cap at all this offseason. They are 12m under now counting Austin's money and they could create another 12m re-doing Carr, Witten and Orton.

They are already 28m under the 2015 cap and almost 60m under the projected 2016 cap. Jerry probably feels it's not worth maxing out the cap after last year's defensive performance, but the space is there is they wanted to go that way.

Extending Dez and TSmith is probably the best moves they could make this year, better than overspending on FAs.

How I look at it is Jerry is rebuilding while not falling all the way off. He keeping some of the veterans right now mixed with the younger players and once the veterans fall off and as you said keeping the younger players under contract and letting the older players play out their contracts and let them walk eventually.

 

[AmishCowboy]

People get caught up in the idea that just because it's free agency we should spend all of our money but seriously who is out there that can legitimately make us better?

I thought Ayers would be our starting strong side DE or a nice rotation player at 2 years/$4 million

 

[iceberg]

I would assume most of us are puzzled by the lack of activity by the Cowboys. Dallas does have 6+ million in cap space, leaving room for some bargain signings at the very least. We watch other teams in the division load up, whether they are smart moves or dumb, that is open to debate. I have to think we are just playing the waiting game (ala Seattle) to see what bargains we can get (Ayers, Avant) or sign a post 6/1 cut!! Once the draft is over, I assume we will sign some players to bolster the roster. Keeping the faith...

since i saw the cap #'s, and knew we couldn't get a "sexy" player, no. i'm not surprised at all.

it just seems year after year people "madden" things into reality.

we're going in another direction and we're getting what i'd expect out of the year. we've got a lot of moves to make, a parameter to do it within, and no, we can't always have the light shine on us. that's life. i'm glad to see us make depth moves and stop paying for potential success.

you wanna panic, have fun.

 

[CooterBrown]

Alright, I'm with you fellas.

 

[Idgit]

I think Dallas is saving room to sign Spencer and possibly re-sign Smith and/or Bryant (and apparently, Murray). I don't think we'll see any FA signings outside of that.

I could see us adding a low-priced veteran WR or OG after the draft if we don't pick up players there that we think we can use in games, but otherwise, yeah.

 

[Hoofbite]

People get caught up in the idea that just because it's free agency we should spend all of our money but seriously who is out there that can legitimately make us better?

Right now, a month after the start of free agency? Well of course no one.

 

[Hoofbite]

Don't agree with this. Past deals have never stopped Jerry from being active. He usually finds a way to work around. This year he didn't. So I believe we have become smarter.

It was both. They still shoved money down the road while also finding a way to work around the giant overages to sign melton.

They cut to create space and restructured to create more.

Basically this offseason has been little different than the past ones except that they've lost more than they've gained.

 

[Risen Star]

Those who are shouldn't be.

I'm certainly not. They're in that cap hell thing some fans pretend doesn't exist.

 

[cowboyblue22]

what plan