Stephen Jones On Free Agency

[Sydla]

Did anybody commenting here read the article?

Yeah I read it. And it's kind of bizarre article because it talks about inaction in FA then drops in that line that this is considered a fairly blah FA class. So if this was a one year situation it would make more sense.

But we know better. This isn't the Cowboys sitting out a weak FA class. This is the Cowboys continued refusal to try to better their good roster with a couple of impact type players.

Stephen's quote is disingenuous right from the start when he utters, "make a living there". No one has suggested the Cowboys make their living there. But as I said above, he apparently takes a foolish view that you either spend big in FA or you don't not realizing there is this huge middle ground where you can add a couple of players that make immediate impacts for your team and supplement the roster you built through the draft.

The best part is that Breer then ends his article with a part about the best signings and two guys the Cowboys could have signed, at positions they have need - DT and S, are listed. Both signed very team friendly contracts too.

So yeah, the article does nothing to really change the narrative here.

 

[cowboyblue22]

as I have said before when u don't know what u are doing u usually don't get involved no team has ever resigned a player to a long term contract that they have franchised twice looks like Lawrence will be playing his last year here Stephen is cheap he is worrying about me and mine as the old saying goes

 

[Creeper]

The Cowboys are ignoring their own history. Their 1990s team was built on the draft AND acquiring players through trades and free agency. They needed a pass rush and they got Haley. They needed a CB and they signed Deion Sanders. I agree that its tought to build a team through free agency, but using it to acquire one or two players to get a team like Dallas over the hump is a good strategy.

 

[Falco78]

Because we had 50-80m in cap space

How dare you take away from Jerrah's profits!

 

[Doomsday101]

Good teams are building through free agency and it's translating to Superbowl appearances and trophies. Wake up Stephen Jones.

We can either remain a fringe playoff team year after year or you can open you're wallet.

We have a disadvantage in coaching and the only thing they give us to build on from the previous season is rookies.

and many more teams who can't draft worth a damn must rely on high priced FA like Jacksonville and I don't see them SB bound. We have witnessed many more teams who have tried to buy a SB only to fall well short than those who were big players in FA who have won it all.

 

[CATCH17]

and many more teams who can't draft worth a damn must rely on high priced FA like Jacksonville and I don't see them SB bound. We have witnessed many more teams who have tried to buy a SB only to fall well short than those who were big players in FA who have won it all.

We have witnessed plenty of teams who only draft fall short as well.

We shouldn't pigeon hole ourselves. Especially when our way brings mediocrity and yo yo seasons consistently.

 

[Doomsday101]

We have witnessed plenty of teams who only draft fall short as well.

We shouldn't pigeon hole ourselves. Especially when our way brings mediocrity and yo yo seasons consistently.

I'm all for getting FA I am not for breaking the bank as if it is the cure all it isn't. I for one would have loved to get Earl Thomas but not at the price tag Balt was willing to pay, to me that made no sense to get a player who is dealing with injuries over the last 3 years and is over 30. To me that is a foolish move and costly one at that. Seeing what NY spent for Tate? again foolish in my opinion. FA market tend to over price many players who are no more than names of past greatness not players who are currently great.

 

[CATCH17]

I'm all for getting FA I am not for breaking the bank as if it is the cure all it isn't. I for one would have loved to get Earl Thomas but not at the price tag Balt was willing to pay, to me that made no sense to get a player who is dealing with injuries over the last 3 years and is over 30. To me that is a foolish move and costly one at that. Seeing what NY spent for Tate? again foolish in my opinion. FA market tend to over price many players who are no more than names of past greatness not players who are currently great.

There is a difference between overpaying for the best safety in football that fits our scheme and young defense perfectly vs overpaying for Golden Tate.

I think we can all agree that some guys are getting way too much money but to turn free agency into nothing but a dumpster dive is extreme and that is where our franchise is.

They should've paid Earl Thomas. Vander Esch and Earl Thomas on the same side of the ball would be like playing with 13 defenders because of how much space both guys can cover.

Now his career is wasted in Baltimore and Dallas will not improve their roster with any significance this offseason.

 

[Doomsday101]

There is a difference between overpaying for the best safety in football that fits our scheme and young defense perfectly vs overpaying for Golden Tate.

I think we can all agree that some guys are getting way too much money but to turn free agency into nothing but a dumpster dive is extreme and that is where our franchise is.

They should've paid Earl Thomas. Vander Esch and Earl Thomas on the same side of the ball would be like playing with 13 defenders because of how much space both guys can cover.

Many of those High priced FA are no more than risky dumper dives where teams pay for a name of a player who in the his primed played great but no longer are in their prime yet on the downhill side of the career where injuries become more of a factor as a player gets up in age. As for Thomas he has been dealing with injuries not just last season and no one knows how he will come back so you spend big money on a question mark of a player? For that kind of money I want a player that is in his prime not on the downhill slide

 

[HungryLion]

Stephen Jones only qualification for his job, is that Jerry decided to not pull out, the night he was conceived.

So to be honest, Stephen has a lot to prove until I trust his thoughts and ideas on how to build an NFL football team.

 

[CATCH17]

Many of those High priced FA are no more than risky dumper dives where teams pay for a name of a player who in the his primed played great but no longer are in their prime yet on the downhill side of the career where injuries become more of a factor as a player gets up in age. As for Thomas he has been dealing with injuries not just last season and no one knows how he will come back so you spend big money on a question mark of a player? For that kind of money I want a player that is in his prime not on the downhill slide

30 years old for a great safety is still prime years.

He'll be great for another 3 or 4 years.

His health is a concern but take a risk. We are fine taking risks on players that who are so fragile they can't even stop smoking but a guy who is a hard nosed football player is too much of a risk? Come on.

 

[CF74]

1-2 big fa signings would be good and yes Tank if signed would be 1. If we don’t sign him then we need somebody else asap and we really need 1 more impactful player on defense...

 

[Silly]

I am not advocating going broke in FA, but one or two "Starting" players would not be bad.

 

[JayFord]

Free agents cost money

 

[Doomsday101]

30 years old for a great safety is still prime years.

He'll be great for another 3 or 4 years.

His health is a concern but take a risk. We are fine taking risks on players that who are so fragile they can't even stop smoking but a guy who is a hard nosed football player is too much of a risk? Come on.

I guess we will see. Lee is often injured and only way Dallas was willing to keep him is by lowering his salary. I'm sure you would cut slack for Dallas had they signed Thomas for a big contract and he ends up missing a lot of time or not playing to his standard of the past. Come on, you would be slamming them like always. I was one who wanted Thomas but even then it I had said it would not be top 5 money, the fact he wanted to come to Dallas to end his career great but it would not be just on his terms and price would matter and that was before his latest injury

 

[Doomsday101]

Free agents cost money

True and we have some major FA that they need to take care of and it will cost big money.

 

[Alexander]

Because we had 50-80m in cap space

Botching the Lawrence extension and having the franchise lop off much of the space ruined any flexibility they may have had.

Those numbers never really existed.

 

[CATCH17]

I guess we will see. Lee is often injured and only way Dallas was willing to keep him is by lowering his salary. I'm sure you would cut slack for Dallas had they signed Thomas for a big contract and he ends up missing a lot of time or not playing to his standard of the past. Come on, you would be slamming them like always. I was one who wanted Thomas but even then it I had said it would not be top 5 money, the fact he wanted to come to Dallas to end his career great but it would not be just on his terms and price would matter and that was before his latest injury

What are we doing here though? Trying to be the safest team?

We've robot'd ourselves up nicely with Garrett. We are a well oiled mediocrity machine.

At some point we have to do something to add to the roster and get this thing over the top.

We have no first round pick and even really good rookies like Michael Gallup can only contribute so much.

If they want to pass on the Golden Tates of the world then so be it but Earl Thomas was a risk that could have us playing championship defense and sets the bar high for our players and fan base.

The Cowboys are not sending a message to our team or fan base that is raising the bar.

 

[Nightman]

Botching the Lawrence extension and having the franchise lop off much of the space ruined any flexibility they may have had.

Those numbers never really existed.

We still have 20m right now and they haven't touched ZMartin or TSmith for another 15m

Like you said they are paying DLaw and ACooper 34m when the cap hit should be 17m combined

20 + 15 + 17 = 52m under the cap...... that is an insane amount of space for a playoff team like DAL

It is a intentional strategy to appear cap poor when they are really cap wealthy

 

[Nightman]

Free agents cost money

DAL makes 800m a year and has 50m in available cap space......^see above