The Draft > Free Agency

[Diehardblues]

Same as what you are offering. I made a statement and it is not liked, so you disagree, so be it.
But when the other guy brings out the moron card. That makes it personal.

Do you think Taco was a bust?
And is Watt a greater talent than Taco?

 

[CATCH17]

Every spring during the big free agency period beginning in March, many of our fans will begin the annual scream for the FO to sign some big name unrestricted free agents. These are usually big name players with some accomplishments and big price tags. Some are in their prime. Some have their best days in the rear view mirror. Most give sticker shock and require longer commitments.

The best NFL front offices have a a good plan going into the offseason along with who to look at and who to avoid. Our FO IMO has done a pretty good job the last few years not throwing too much cash or commitment to the big name flashes in free agency.

Count me as one of the fans who is usually happier when we don’t spend a bunch cash in free agency. In fact, I’m a big believer in the philosophy of having lots of draft picks with a few key FAs who are not in the highest price range because they typically also want longer deals.

You can sign a few good free agents that can immediately help. But they are usually not the big names and usually are short term rentals.

Bottom line- the draft is where the heart of your team is built. There are a lot of talented young men on college campuses tonight who will be the future of the Dallas Cowboys more than a 28-30 year old vet looking for the biggest payday of their lives.

Yes....I know. We need a few FAs. Just don’t break the bank and expect them to save us. Our future rests primarily on the broad shoulders of Will McClay’s draft analysis. The Draft > FA.

It's hard to get over the hump by just strictly adding players through the draft.

When the only difference between the new year and previous year is some dumpster dives in Free Agency and Rookies then how much better can you expect to get?

 

[cern]

Getting better > Not getting better

Last year's draft netted Tony Pollard.

Last year's free agency netted Randall Cobb.

We have to be better at both, especially free agency.

Also, fans here have to stop acting as if it's an either/or situation. You don't have to sit out the draft because you were aggressive in free agency. For great Front Offices, the answer is both free agency and the draft.

Draft & FA

last year's free agency also netted Robert quinn, arguably our best d-lineman. and not too long ago, sua filo and looney. the raiders got Antonio brown, much to their chagrin. the bears got Khalil mack two seasons ago and are no better to show for it. the rams about to go on a fireside sale. the toughest thing about free agency is that hindsight does you no good.

 

[cern]

the biggest stumbling blocks to success have been lousy coaching and our gm. the coaching has been finally changed and the gm is clearly not interfering as much as in past years. everything now has Stephen's stamp on it. this bodes well for the cowboys.

 

[Stash]

No it is not.

It certainly is.

The Taco pick was bad, but yet another Watt comparison. He would not have been good here. For one the defense was not his style, and two, our coaches would have wasted him as well.

Just admit the obvious and stop with the attempted excuses already.

 

[Stash]

last year's free agency also netted Robert quinn, arguably our best d-lineman. and not too long ago, sua filo and looney. the raiders got Antonio brown, much to their chagrin. the bears got Khalil mack two seasons ago and are no better to show for it. the rams about to go on a fireside sale. the toughest thing about free agency is that hindsight does you no good.

Quinn was a trade. As we're most all of the others you mentioned

 

[jazzcat22]

It certainly is.



Just admit the obvious and stop with the attempted excuses already.

What attempted excuses. I stated his talent would have been wasted here, and Taco was a bad pick, what did you not understand?

 

[jazzcat22]

Do you think Taco was a bust?
And is Watt a greater talent than Taco?

Did I not state that already?
As I said Watt would have been wasted here under Rod.
what is not to understand about that?

 

[Stash]

What attempted excuses. I stated his talent would have been wasted here, and Taco was a bad pick, what did you not understand?

The excuse part. Where you tried to state that it's not a problem and "not killing us". Followed up with the equally poor excuse about "fit". If you want to blame Marinelli, do that, you're on the right path. But a great player is a great player. And a mistake is a mistake.

 

[Diehardblues]

Did I not state that already?
As I said Watt would have been wasted here under Rod.
what is not to understand about that?

That’s a speculative assertion.

Do you think Watt is a greater talent than Taco?

If we can’t make basic agreements of facts then it’s difficult to proceed.

 

[jazzcat22]

That’s a speculative assertion.

Do you think Watt is a greater talent than Taco?

If we can’t make basic agreements of facts then it’s difficult to proceed.

It is obvious he he better. Do you think I was stating otherwise?

 

[KingintheNorth]

last year's free agency also netted Robert quinn

Trade.

 

[Verdict]

In all fairness, the team went after Quinn, and Cobb and both were significant contributors. So their evaluation was spot on on those two players. They traded for Tavon Austin which was a fairly proactive move whether you liked the move or not.

Not being active in free agency netted them the come pick that they used to select Dak. I’m just saying let’s not look at this only from a negative point of view.

Yes, I also understand Cobb and Quinn were not free agents but I think it does matter that they have aggressively filled holes.

We have missed out on opportunities. And I would rather see them shop cheaply for talented players than dumpster fire players. So one or two decent FAs is probably better than 5 for the same money that can’t play.

Sometimes we have probably hurt ourselves by trying to maximize comp picks.

 

[Diehardblues]

It is obvious he he better. Do you think I was stating otherwise?

I wasn’t sure.

Ok. Now once we establish that then we can say Taco was a mistake. Watt had more talent and possibly a better pick than Taco based on talent regardless how we can speculate how he’d work out here.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Of course the draft is important but you do have to fill in at FA AND you can't wait to fill your spot or spots the week before training camp starts either.

 

[Stash]

Of course the draft is important but you do have to fill in at FA AND you can't wait to fill your spot or spots the week before training camp starts either.

And when you have huge misses in the draft - as this team has lately - you need to make up for those misses in free agency, or via trades as we have. But now, those patches that we traded for are free agents, and we need to use free agency once again to fill them.

 

[quickccc]

And basically this comment is more towards pure FA market, ... not the Cooper or Quinn trades.

When we actually do the FA bid , it’s always seem to be the Money-ball method approach.
The bargain bingers, filler-types, just decent to JAGs like guys like Nolan Carroll, Antuan Woods, Cedric Thorton, Allen Hurd, Alfred Morris, Benson Mayowa, etc..

Never an Earl Thomas type FA splash – a perennial pro bowler who is still playing at a high level even at his age.

I don't mind the search for practice squads to find a David Irving, Jeremy Parnell, regardless how those turned out. But that's not the leading approach to FA splash.
You go to splash for guys that are more proven commodity.

I could understand a gamble on a Greg Hardy because that’s a low risk, high reward move, that's a guy that has a productive resume, does not cost us a draft pick or trade compensations,
but where’s the persistent push in FA to make that mid- ground splash ?
That's what the Super bowl contenders tend to do to get at least that one or two "splash " defenders to significantly help get that much more closer and more competitive
to that Super bowl drive.

Knowledgeable fans will know one man alone doesn't give you a title, but that Stephen Gilmore type signing as Pats successfully did in FA, makes you that much harder to beat, that much
competitive in your chances to win a title.
Frankly I understand and agree with Stephen's philosophy (policy?) to NOT give average players huge long term contracts such as Barry Church, Damien Wilson, Ron Leary, Anthony Hitchen, etc.
But makes no sense to low ball offer and turn away a perennial pro bowler in FA, that doesn't cost you a high draft pick in FA, that you clearly were willing to do when you were trying to trade
for his services at draft time.

More so I just don't feel that comfortable or confident that Stephen will give us that competitive addition and edge in the upcoming FA market. It's a trend with him, and the Earl Thomas failure
cemented it. I tend to wonder if he has his mind made up that this all NFL draft, bargain shop backup depth vet FA Market and the very rare Cooper/Quinn trades are the way to go and operate.

 

[Whyjerry]

Our drafting has been better on offense than defense. Did we bring in anyone who has a better eye for defense?

Nolan is suspect in my eyes. I think Edwards is decent. Tomsula is very solid. Collectively I think this new group will be fine. Rod and Company became embarrassing.

 

[75boyz]

Yep

Which has derailed whatever coaching and current talent we’ve had.

I would have been much more optimistic with our coaching change if we had fired Jethro and Son as well.

Our coaching change may help us on Game Day but our foundation is still flawed.

Yep I agree. My age old, future is bleak opinion as well.

My reasoning is based on the opinion that the top 3 positions in the organizational food chain are poor at their jobs.
Owner/GM
Head Coach
QB

I still do. Don't like the owner/GMs overall job performance, current coach's success is attributed to 2 back to back first ballot HOF Qbs and the current QB is a game manager with inconsistent NFL passing skills.

All told. Not what I'd call a recipe for short or long term future success.

Like you said. Foundationally flawed. Spot on. The Deck Chairs on the Titanic have been rearranged once AGAIN.

Good Free agency acquisitions nor drafting will change the cracked foundation.

 

[CouchCoach]

Has this FO been good at either? All of this improved draft talk escapes me because I don't see it.

They've not been good in FA because of the same reason they've not been good in the draft, they're not good talent evaluators and in FA, not good at investment vs return.

Forget the 1st round, except for Yosemite, they've been picking players that fit where they take them.

In the draft, immediate contribution is not pressing. They took Gregory, Smith and Hill in the 2nd and they did nothing for the team in their rookie seasons and the jury is out on Hill.

What does it say about a GM so cavalier with the draft that he's frivolous with 2nd round picks? He's that "we like our guys" GM.

I don't know what the hell McClay does but the only reason any fell in love with him was because what was before him was week old fish.

This is a team that has gotten lucky with the QB back to back or this could be a disaster. They're OK in the draft, not in the top 10, and they're close to the bottom in FA. They're the same people that paid a CB2 CB1 money and tried to make him a 1. They're the same people that went into 2018 without a WR1.

The father and son are just alike, talent morons and neither has learned to do their job in 20 years. You only have hope in the son hoping he's not the father. Hell, he may be worse, he's never earned anything in his life.

My hope is this coaching staff can do more than what the others have done but the biggest joke of the year was this team is as talented any, it is not, it is not close.