The Cowboys have prioritized two spots on the roster in offseason, per Jerry

[robjay04]

These are just excuses and nothing more
We didn't spend on defense last year because we had a "beast" in Lawrence and bodies lol. Any one of the 3 the Giants signed would start here and bake a difference

Then we go and draft tapper in the latter half of the draft expecting a miracle as usual

This year we again have bodies when we don't need bodies, we need difference makers at DT, DE, MLB and safety to be a good defense. We will be lucky to find one of those in the draft

Like I said, rinse and repeat like we have for the last decade

The point is that there are no true difference makers at DE.

 

[visionary]

The point is that there are no true difference makers at DE.

Vernon was last year
Perry is this year

Sign perry and Hankins and we upgrade our defense tremendously

 

[robjay04]

Vernon was last year
Perry is this year

Sign perry and Hankins and we upgrade our defense tremendously

Do you really throw a ton of money on a player that had one season over 4 sacks? And that season was his contract season?

I don't know his whole situation but that seems like a very risky signing considering the price you will pay.

 

[negativecreep]

These are just excuses and nothing more
We didn't spend on defense last year because we had a "beast" in Lawrence and bodies lol. Any one of the 3 the Giants signed would start here and bake a difference

Sorry to say this but pure ********.

 

[cowboyblue22]

with the limited cap money they have I don't think free agency will amount to much

 

[Alexander]

I believe we just have too many bodies to invest too much. We have room for maybe 3 bodies, at least two of those should be rookies, I predict Ware will be the other one.

I hate it but free agency doesn't offer a lot of solutions this year substantially better than what we have already. Without looking, you're not going to find a lot of bodies under 30 that have exceeded Lawrence or Mayowa's best sack total and if they are out there, they will be massively overpaid.

That is part of the problem.

You can't just sit back and count bodies.

Good teams are always looking to get better. Even if they are pretty good to begin with.

Talent acquisition is a process improvement. It is also cost analysis. It is a lot of things.

It is a mistake to sit there and accept mediocre or average results thinking you can always compensate. Settling is a bad thing.

I hate to use the Patriots as a shining example because it seems worn out but it is true.

Take Jamie Collins. Belichick moved him because he wasn't exactly what he wanted.

That is having a standard and moving on from players you feel don't fit.

He went out and got Kyle Van Noy and coached him up. Clearly Collins is more talented. But from a mental and performance perspective, he did the mind work and decided he had a chip to move.

In Dallas, a player like Jamie Collins becomes a second contract player, and maybe a Cowboy for life.

We don't move on when the time is right.

You can't float out a trade when you basically are transparent and have shown the entire league that contracts drive roster spots.

We preach competition, but that only goes so far.

Once we feel good about a player, even an "okay" player, they suddenly become valuable.

That means you have a talent evaluation issue. You have a problem when you turn the lens on the team and have to make tough choices.

The fact we are apparently conflicted by the problem with signing our own free agents tells me a lot.

If we even had a little more cap room, I bet we sign players like Church, Wilcox, Claiborne and even Carr back because we get more comfortable with our own and honestly fear having to start over.

If you doubt me, Stephen Jones has confirmed the fear of change in quotes before.

 

[waldoputty]

with the limited cap money they have I don't think free agency will amount to much

we have the $ to sign Perry and Hankins if we want to.

 

[negativecreep]

with the limited cap money they have I don't think free agency will amount to much

I agree with this, can make room, I just don't see us doing it. We will end up with a few role players in FA and hopefully do our best to hold on to our own and draft well.

 

[robjay04]

That is part of the problem.

You can't just sit back and count bodies.

Good teams are always looking to get better. Even if they are pretty good to begin with.

Talent acquisition is a process improvement. It is also cost analysis. It is a lot of things.

It is a mistake to sit there and accept mediocre or average results thinking you can always compensate. Settling is a bad thing.

I hate to use the Patriots as a shining example because it seems worn out but it is true.

Take Jamie Collins. Belichick moved him because he wasn't exactly what he wanted.

That is having a standard and moving on from players you feel don't fit.

He went out and got Kyle Van Noy and coached him up. Clearly Collins is more talented. But from a mental and performance perspective, he did the mind work and decided he had a chip to move.

In Dallas, a player like Jamie Collins becomes a second contract player, and maybe a Cowboy for life.

We don't move on when the time is right.

You can't float out a trade when you basically are transparent and have shown the entire league that contracts drive roster spots.

We preach competition, but that only goes so far.

Once we feel good about a player, even an "okay" player, they suddenly become valuable.

That means you have a talent evaluation issue. You have a problem when you turn the lens on the team and have to make tough choices.

The fact we are apparently conflicted by the problem with signing our own free agents tells me a lot.

If we even had a little more cap room, I bet we sign players like Church, Wilcox, Claiborne and even Carr back because we get more comfortable with our own and honestly fear having to start over.

If you doubt me, Stephen Jones has confirmed the fear of change in quotes before.

Absolutely you look to get better. Literally any player on our defense is replaceable but you have to ask yourself what is out there that will be a significant upgrade?

If Bill Bellichick was our GM tomorrow...does he go out and sign a bunch of highly priced free agents that are only marginally better than what we have? No, he has never went that route in his career. He may sign a free agent here and there but he would build the team through the draft. This is what the cowboys intend to do. This is the right route, bring in bodies to create competition but we are not going to blow everything up when we have a few pass rushers that can be part of a healthy rotation under contract.

 

[Alexander]

we have the $ to sign Perry and Hankins if we want to.

Please stop it with this.

We are not going to exercise our ability to do that.

That does not fit with what they want to do.

They want a clear and free cap within two years.

Funny you started a thread about what we would do with all that cap space in future years, but suggest we do something now to influence that.

 

[big dog cowboy]

I don't see how they "maintain". They'll be adding draft picks plus out of the injured trio of Lawrence, Tapper & J. Smith there ought to give more production than what they gave in '16.

In addition you have two young players in Irving and Collins who offer maybe bigger things in 2017.

B. Jones and Mayowa could offer improvement also.

Out of all the players on defense I can only think of one, Sean Lee, who may be headed towards a decline due to age.

No... I don't see the defense "standing pat".

 

[waldoputty]

Please stop it with this.

We are not going to exercise our ability to do that.

That does not fit with what they want to do.

They want a clear and free cap within two years.

Funny you started a thread about what we would do with all that cap space in future years, but suggest we do something now to influence that.

the point of the thread was there is so much money in 2 years that any idiot would know the current policy is irrational and non-optimizing.

 

[Alexander]

Absolutely you look to get better. Literally any player on our defense is replaceable but you have to ask yourself what is out there that will be a significant upgrade?

If Bill Bellichick was our GM tomorrow...does he go out and sign a bunch of highly priced free agents that are only marginally better than what we have? No, he has never went that route in his career. He may sign a free agent here and there but he would build the team through the draft. This is what the cowboys intend to do. This is the right route, bring in bodies to create competition but we are not going to blow everything up when we have a few pass rushers that can be part of a healthy rotation under contract.

Actually, if you think Belichick has built what he has purely through the draft, you have not paid very much attention.

He has had a lot of miscues.

They nail it in pro personnel. And that does not mean in free agency. That means scouting the rest of the league and finding talent he wants to cherry pick
that fit what he wants.

I don't think we even know what we want enough to do that. Much less trust McClay or especially Judd Garrett to find that on everyone else's roster.

 

[Alexander]

the point of the thread was there is so much money in 2 years that any idiot would know the current policy is irrational and non-optimizing.

And you know what, the other teams will have even more money.

We will just be able to compete.

 

[rwalters31]

If you have an hour and 10 minutes to burn listen to the whole thing. If you don't, listen to the 37:48 - 45:17 mark. Jerry's asked about free agency and he responds that there are two spots on the roster "where we got wounded if we don't at least have that position back". Jerry speak I believe for either we have to resign our own there or we need to find another of the same quality or better.

One of the reporters later says he must be talking about two spots on defense. Jerry's reply indicates that's not true. He doesn't say it's not true but it's pretty clear it's not true.

So these spots are our priority heading into FA. I believe those two positions have to be WR and CB. I do not believe he's talking about DE because the Cowboys are actually adding players there from last year with Lawrence and Tapper.

What say you? What the heck is he talking about?

On a side note, in this interview your owner actually says "I know why we had the success we had last year. Our overachieving defense." then goes on to say "I believe we're gonna improve defensively but I certainly think we can maintain where we are."

Breathe that one in.

Must be blowing smoke, so that other teams will not try to derail the Cowboys draft. Even Jerry Jones can see that the defense is the only thing keep the Cowboys from the Supper Bowl. If this trippe is for real then JJ is ready for the old folks home. I will not live to see the next Cowboys Supper Bowl.

 

[waldoputty]

And you know what, the other teams will have even more money.

We will just be able to compete.

that is correct.
but we offer a chance at a superbowl that only a couple other teams offer.
hopefully the Pats dont go on a spending spree with their 60M of cap space.
if they want to make history by blowing their wad before brady retires, it would be bad.
the other teams, steelers and packers, may not partake in spending either.
hopefully, they remain faithful to the old school of cap management.

even if we dont like perry, we should at least help to jack his price up.

i actually see some hope with jerry's stated goal of 2 positions - probably CB and WR.
if those 2 positions are secured with at least TWill and Carr (hopefully more like pryor and prince or similar), we could trade up in the draft like Jerry said in the interview.
Jerry really does say too much - and i suspect that is actually their plan.

 

[MRV52]

Clearly Jerry is talking about deep snapper and punter

I think you are on to something. With Chris Jones moving to LB, we need to replace him on special teams.

 

[cowboyblue22]

and with all this cheap policy and build through the draft what have we won in the playoff the part of the season that matters the most all the cowboys are right now is window dressing they were 13 and 3 and couldn't even win a home playoff game against a team with a one man show

 

[waldoputty]

I think you are on to something. With Chris Jones moving to LB, we need to replace him on special teams.

jones looked pretty good on that tackle

 

[RS12]