The big "fear" of Signing Free Agents?

[lukemartin79]

I swear Brandon Carr put a big spell on this front office. This happened almost 10 years ago, and we still haven't taken the chance on a big free agent? What's the fear? We sign our own guys to big contracts and they don't always work out, what's the difference in signing a big name free agent and it doesn't work out? You just have to go out there and give it a chance! We have to stop with being fearful, and be aggressive. The talk of i'll write a big check to win a ring, is just to make fans HAPPY somehow. It's a joke, and we need to practice what we're preaching (What jerry's preaching).

I'm not saying sign every free agent, but that one player might help get us over the hump we've been stuck on! We're the biggest market in the NFL, we bring in money like it's water! Yet when it's time to spend the money, somehow we get scared to spend it, make it make sense! Please give your thoughts

It makes no sense at all that the Cowboys make the kind of money they do, but revert to dumpster diving as far as free agency and signing players for the team. We are the Tampa Bay Rays or Oakland A's of the NFL. The big difference is that those teams really are operating on a shoe-string budget. They have no choice but to run their teams in that manner, the $ is simply not there. Thats not the case with the Cowboys. I don't think its a salary cap issue, I think its a Jerry issue. You are right, Jerry doesn't seem to apply the same tight wad philosophy when it comes to our own players already here, he overpays them with very mixed results constantly - but won't take a chance on an outside FA who could really help this team.

 

[IrishAnto]

The problem i have is Carr was NOT a huge bust. Obviously not the #1 CB they hoped for, but he was a solid dependable player who seemingly never got inured. I'll never understand why Carr was the contract that scared these fools from signing any worthy free agents.

I’m not sure they were thinking Carr was to be the #1, I think that was meant to be Claiborne who they drafted that year but it never happened.
Then they sacked Rob Ryan as DC and went over to the zone defense of Kiffin which wasn’t Carr’s strength.
Then the defense couldn’t get a pick to save its life for the next few years.
So more the fault of the organization than Carr being a bad choice.
So I think they are gun shy because they can’t properly evaluate free agents and don’t want to pay the going rate to get one that would truly make a difference.

 

[tm1119]

Brandon Carr is pretty low on the list of mistakes IMHO.

Was going to say this. He started literally every game of his contract and was a very solid player.

 

[Beaker42]

I feel like we’ve been slightly better recently in FA acquisitions, however, this FO loves the bargain and more often than not, we have learned you get what you pay for.

We never made an attempt a guys like Slay, Reddick, etc. the Eagles did and look where they are. You don’t think DQ would’ve loved to have had those two? The Jones boys are cowards and mental midgets when it comes to FA’s.

 

[calicowboy54]

I swear Brandon Carr put a big spell on this front office. This happened almost 10 years ago, and we still haven't taken the chance on a big free agent? What's the fear? We sign our own guys to big contracts and they don't always work out, what's the difference in signing a big name free agent and it doesn't work out? You just have to go out there and give it a chance! We have to stop with being fearful, and be aggressive. The talk of i'll write a big check to win a ring, is just to make fans HAPPY somehow. It's a joke, and we need to practice what we're preaching (What jerry's preaching).

I'm not saying sign every free agent, but that one player might help get us over the hump we've been stuck on! We're the biggest market in the NFL, we bring in money like it's water! Yet when it's time to spend the money, somehow we get scared to spend it, make it make sense! Please give your thoughts

Honestly Brandon Carr produced. did he have a down year like other do YES but over all he produced, just was not the Darrel Reves or Patrick Peterson level but he was good.

 

[MojaveJT]

Seems like Jerry and Co want to build a dynasty and have homegrown guys that play for them for a long time. Those days are over.

In todays game, you bring in high quality FA’s for one year deals that will play their best for the next contract. Mix that in with good drafts and you have a recipe for success. Rams have done it, the Eagles have and are back to the SB within 5 years.

 

[Creeper]

Kyzir White, Haason Reddick, James Bradberry, D Suh, Anthony Harris, Linval Joseph, Robert Quinn, Minshew, AJ Brown, Darius Slay, Brandon Graham

This is depressing when you see what their FO did.

Look at the contracts the Eagles did,. AJ Brown (trade) has an $8 million CAP hit in 2023 and $12 million in 2024. Hargrave is $11 million in 2023 and an average salary of $13 million.

Hassan Reddick had a $3.4 million cap hit in 2022. He has a $6,9 million CAP hit in 2023. He has a $20.1 million cap hit in 2025 but that is mostly salary and the Eagles have the choice to restructure, extend, or cut him without a huge CAP hit.

The Eagles have always been good at playing the CAP game by giving themselves outs and built in CAP saves. Look at all their Free Agents and somehow they manage to fit them all in along with their own players like Fletcher Cox, Kelce, Sweat, etc.

Two of the top 5 CAP hits on the Cowboys are Dak and Zeke. The Eagles do not have a QB or RB in their top 14 CAP hits. Yes, I know, Hurts is on his rookie deal and they will have to pay him at some point, but they don't have a Zeke either. 6 of their top 10 salaries are offensive and defensive line. Two others are a TE and a LB, Reddick who is a pass rusher wit 16.5 sacks.

Of the Cowboys top 10 CAP hits 4 are on the lines, and one of those is Tyron Smith who sits out with injuries more than he plays. 49% of the Cowboys CAP is 4 players - Dak, Zeke, DLaw and Tyron. If you add Martin, its 57.5% of the CAP on 5 players. The Eagles top 5 cost them 38.2% of their CAP.

Say what you want about the Eagles but their CAP management has been exceptional compared to the Cowboys. The Cowboys have stayed under but they have done it by signing 3rd tier free agents and letting players go while the Eagles have added more quality players to their roster and managed to stay under the CAP.

While the players get the blame for the Cowboys failures, the front office has failed in getting the basics right.

 

[pancakeman]

I swear Brandon Carr put a big spell on this front office. This happened almost 10 years ago, and we still haven't taken the chance on a big free agent? What's the fear? We sign our own guys to big contracts and they don't always work out, what's the difference in signing a big name free agent and it doesn't work out? You just have to go out there and give it a chance! We have to stop with being fearful, and be aggressive. The talk of i'll write a big check to win a ring, is just to make fans HAPPY somehow. It's a joke, and we need to practice what we're preaching (What jerry's preaching).

I'm not saying sign every free agent, but that one player might help get us over the hump we've been stuck on! We're the biggest market in the NFL, we bring in money like it's water! Yet when it's time to spend the money, somehow we get scared to spend it, make it make sense! Please give your thoughts

The Greg Hardy fiasco was more recent than that.

 

[CWR]

I’m not sure they were thinking Carr was to be the #1, I think that was meant to be Claiborne who they drafted that year but it never happened.
Then they sacked Rob Ryan as DC and went over to the zone defense of Kiffin which wasn’t Carr’s strength.
Then the defense couldn’t get a pick to save its life for the next few years.
So more the fault of the organization than Carr being a bad choice.
So I think they are gun shy because they can’t properly evaluate free agents and don’t want to pay the going rate to get one that would truly make a difference.

He's been running Carrs name through the mud for awhile now. Like I said he may not have lived up to the contract but he was not a bust. If you want to talk bust Claiborne fit that bill. He was supposed to be our highest evaluated CB since Sanders, and he sucked.

 

[birdwells1]

Run defense was not the problem in the playoff loss...

Lack of a savvy veteran WR was a problem. Maybe the biggest problem other then Pollard's injury.
- With no run game and only 1 elite skill position player remaining after Pollard's injury, Dak was forcing action instead of letting it come to him.

Noah Brown caught a pass on the first play of the 2nd quarter after that no other wr outside of CeeDee Lamb caught a pass until the last play of the game.

 

[cowboys5xsbs]

It wasn't just Carr Jerry made a ton of garage fa moves and it hamstrung us forever because we lead the league in dead money for multiple years

 

[exciter]

I swear Brandon Carr put a big spell on this front office. This happened almost 10 years ago, and we still haven't taken the chance on a big free agent? What's the fear? We sign our own guys to big contracts and they don't always work out, what's the difference in signing a big name free agent and it doesn't work out? You just have to go out there and give it a chance! We have to stop with being fearful, and be aggressive. The talk of i'll write a big check to win a ring, is just to make fans HAPPY somehow. It's a joke, and we need to practice what we're preaching (What jerry's preaching).

I'm not saying sign every free agent, but that one player might help get us over the hump we've been stuck on! We're the biggest market in the NFL, we bring in money like it's water! Yet when it's time to spend the money, somehow we get scared to spend it, make it make sense! Please give your thoughts

It’s an option if you’re willing to take the chance of mortgaging the future and you’re sure you’re a player or two away. I don’t think and rightfully so they’ve seen this roster being there yet. If you bet wrong you end up like Buffalo with that ridiculous Miller contract biting their *** for the next couple of years!

 

[birdwells1]

Seems like Jerry and Co want to build a dynasty and have homegrown guys that play for them for a long time. Those days are over.

In todays game, you bring in high quality FA’s for one year deals that will play their best for the next contract. Mix that in with good drafts and you have a recipe for success. Rams have done it, the Eagles have and are back to the SB within 5 years.

High quality free agents are not signing 1 year deals, they've tried that and it hasn't worked. They need to sign high quality free agents contracts like other teams do.

 

[birdwells1]

It wasn't just Carr Jerry made a ton of garage fa moves and it hamstrung us forever because we lead the league in dead money for multiple years

When we led the league in dead money we didn't get to the NFCCG, now that we don't.................

 

[birdwells1]

It’s an option if you’re willing to take the chance of mortgaging the future and you’re sure you’re a player or two away. I don’t think and rightfully so they’ve seen this roster being there yet. If you bet wrong you end up like Buffalo with that ridiculous Miller contract biting their *** for the next couple of years!

At some point in time you have to push all the chip to the middle of the table, the front office is more interested in maintaining a competitive team and raking in the dough while other teams are taking risk and it's paying off.

 

[Loso86]

I swear Brandon Carr put a big spell on this front office. This happened almost 10 years ago, and we still haven't taken the chance on a big free agent? What's the fear? We sign our own guys to big contracts and they don't always work out, what's the difference in signing a big name free agent and it doesn't work out? You just have to go out there and give it a chance! We have to stop with being fearful, and be aggressive. The talk of i'll write a big check to win a ring, is just to make fans HAPPY somehow. It's a joke, and we need to practice what we're preaching (What jerry's preaching).

I'm not saying sign every free agent, but that one player might help get us over the hump we've been stuck on! We're the biggest market in the NFL, we bring in money like it's water! Yet when it's time to spend the money, somehow we get scared to spend it, make it make sense! Please give your thoughts

I think they will sign 1 or 2 well known guys and or make a trade for a big name wr.

 

[birdwells1]

This front office has conditioned our fans to look at the salary cap more than winning, they're pretty good at mind control.

 

[Stash]

It’s mainly because their pro personnel department does a poor job while they’re among the better teams in the league at drafting. Add those two things together, along with the worst ‘contract guy’ in the league, and there are your reasons.

Meanwhile we watch two teams who are great at pro personnel and player contracts play in the Super Bowl.

 

[Mr Cowboy]

We never made an attempt a guys like Slay, Reddick, etc. the Eagles did and look where they are. You don’t think DQ would’ve loved to have had those two? The Jones boys are cowards and mental midgets when it comes to FA’s.

Here's the deal; Philly signed all those players that got them to the SB and still have more salary cap than the Cowboys going into the next season. Philly is like $4 million under while we are about $8 million over. All the final 4 teams are under the cap, get big time FAs, while we don't sign anyone but our players and are still over.

 

[exciter]

At some point in time you have to push all the chip to the middle of the table, the front office is more interested in maintaining a competitive team and raking in the dough while other teams are taking risk and it's paying off.

As stated “ if you think you’re a player or two away” doing so prematurely gets you 3 years of 4-12!