The Truth About the Cowboys & Free Agency in 2010

[Gzus]

So as long as Jerry is out there making offers everyone would be happy? That is essentially what you are saying. It would show Jerry is at least trying to improve the team.

Read Alexander's posts about the benefits of waiting until 2011 as opposed to the watered down talent pool of 2010. They are right on the money.

Smart offers to improve the team? Yeah I'd be happy. But offers for the sake of making them? No. Atogwe makes sense that's why a lot of us believe it's only a matter of time until the Boys do it. I wouldn't be surprised if he waited till the deadline to get an offer sheet signed, that'll put "matching the offer sheet" and "negotiating their #1 pick contract" against each other. We are more likely to have them not match during that period than anything b/c as Sport78 noted before that's a significant pile up of funds when you put those two contracts next to each other. Never say never until the signing period is over.

 

[speedkilz88]

Let's take a look at the quality on display in the UFA pool. Our own list would include Montrae Holland, Duke Preston, and Shaun Suisham. These are either the UFAs we have or the guys we did not give a tender offer to. In other words, they can sign with anyone. They are JAGs. That is a perfect sample of what is available in Free Agency right now from the other 31 teams as well.

I agree with the main point of the message but another error is that Duke Preston was tendered by the Cowboys.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS

• 
  [*]CB/S Alan Ball (offered one-year tender)
  [*]LB Steve Octavien (offered one-year tender)

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

• 
  [*] G Montrae Holland

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

• 
  [*] WR Miles Austin (first- and third-round tender, $3.168 million)
  [*] S Gerald Sensabaugh (second-round tender, $1.815 million)
  [*] DE Marcus Spears (original draft choice tender, $1.226 million)
  [*] DE Stephen Bowen (second-round tender, $1.759 million)
  [*] DE Jason Hatcher (second-round tender, $1.759 million)
  [*] WR Sam Hurd (second-round tender, $1.759 million)
  [*] S Pat Watkins (original draft choice tender, $1.176 million)
  [*] C Cory Procter (second-round tender, $1.759 million)
  [*] DT Junior Siavii (original draft choice tender, $1.101 million)
  [*] K Shaun Suisham (not tendered)
  [*] OT Pat McQuistan (original draft choice tender, $1.176 million)
  [*] C Duke Preston (original draft choice tender, $1.226 million)
  [*] CB Cletis Gordon (re-signed to one-year contract)

http://www.dallascowboys.com/team/team_freeagency.cfm

 

[Hostile]

Smart offers to improve the team? Yeah I'd be happy. But offers for the sake of making them? No. Atogwe makes sense that's why a lot of us believe it's only a matter of time until the Boys do it. I wouldn't be surprised if he waited till the deadline to get an offer sheet signed, that'll put "matching the offer sheet" and "negotiating their #1 pick contract" against each other. We are more likely to have them not match during that period than anything b/c as Sport78 noted before that's a significant pile up of funds when you put those two contracts next to each other. Never say never until the signing period is over.

That is exactly what on offer for Atogwe would be. They are going to let someone set the market for them.

The Draft money they will pay for Bradford has nothing to do with this.

The bottom line is, this is a shallow talent pool and the only way it will get deeper is after the Draft when teams trim rosters to make room for players they draft or want to move to starters after they feel they have acquired a suitable backup plan.

Again, where is the feeding frenzy in the entire NFL? Where are the offers to our players? Not even to Austin, who clearly has some value. Not even for Spears who plays a position several teams need and comes with a lower tender than Hatcher or Bowen, whom he started ahead of.

Instead of hand wringing that we are doing nothing, why not look at the entire NFL and appreciate the chess match being played?

 

[Hostile]

I agree with the main point of the message but another error is that Duke Preston was tendered by the Cowboys.

EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS

• 
  [*]CB/S Alan Ball (offered one-year tender)
  [*]LB Steve Octavien (offered one-year tender)

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

• 
  [*] G Montrae Holland

RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

• 
  [*] WR Miles Austin (first- and third-round tender, $3.168 million)
  [*] S Gerald Sensabaugh (second-round tender, $1.815 million)
  [*] DE Marcus Spears (original draft choice tender, $1.226 million)
  [*] DE Stephen Bowen (second-round tender, $1.759 million)
  [*] DE Jason Hatcher (second-round tender, $1.759 million)
  [*] WR Sam Hurd (second-round tender, $1.759 million)
  [*] S Pat Watkins (original draft choice tender, $1.176 million)
  [*] C Cory Procter (second-round tender, $1.759 million)
  [*] DT Junior Siavii (original draft choice tender, $1.101 million)
  [*] K Shaun Suisham (not tendered)
  [*] OT Pat McQuistan (original draft choice tender, $1.176 million)
  [*] C Duke Preston (original draft choice tender, $1.226 million)
  [*] CB Cletis Gordon (re-signed to one-year contract)

http://www.dallascowboys.com/team/team_freeagency.cfm

Thank you. I guess I missed that transaction. I will edit the OP.

 

[MONT17]

I think fans see the Otogwe move as easy pickens but maybe what they really fear is Jerry thinking Ken Hamlin can still play... I think Ham can still play too but he is highly motivated by his contract situation!



Im frustrated bc the Super Bowl is in dallas for the first time... I wont watch if there is another NFC team in it besides the boys and when a NFC EAST team wins a writes up the locker room, the homers will be the first to cry about class!!!



DEFEND THE HOUSE!!!

 

[Joe Realist]

If Jerry wants Atogwe, he will wait until he is tendered or an UFA. I think he has learned since the Roy Williams trade, to be patient. He does not want to overpay again.

 

[Alexander]

No actually, because maybe the Rams will choose not to match. The Rams are from St. Louis right? Oh man, they're the team that has the NUMBER ONE OVERALL SELECTION IN THE 2010 NFL DRAFT. You would THINK they would think twice before signing Sam Bradford with $40 million guaranteed and then signing a safety in Otogwe with $15-20 million guaranteed. Child please! Stop acting like this isn't a possibility. Maybe there's a connection why the Cowboys are waiting AFTER the draft to take a serious look at Otogwe, because it will be after the Rams most likely sign Bradford to a lucrative contract.

So wait a minute. The Rams have financial concerns?

Say it isn't so. Every team has that.

We will soon have to back-up a Brinks truck to pay Miles Austin.

But Dallas should be expected to go out and pay some average free agent top dollar in a seller's market right now?

So why would it be excuseable for them, who have a much lower payroll than we do, but inexcuseable for the Cowboys?

 

[Alexander]

If Jerry wants Atogwe, he will wait until he is tendered or an UFA. I think he has learned since the Roy Williams trade, to be patient. He does not want to overpay again.

Or maybe we have absolutely no interest in Atogwe.

I mean, we might just be complete imbeciles for not recognizing his greatness along with Gaither and realize we could just solve all our problems with those two simple signings, but it is a possibility.

 

[Hostile]

If Jerry wants Atogwe, he will wait until he is tendered or an UFA. I think he has learned since the Roy Williams trade, to be patient. He does not want to overpay again.

Exactly. Not at all hard to grasp. You'd think it was quantum phsyics. On top of this there's the little trouble he had with his shoulder that the team should rightly be concerned with. Why do we have to lose our minds every Free Agency period and get up in arms about nothing?

 

[Hostile]

So wait a minute. The Rams have financial concerns?

Say it isn't so. Every team has that.

We will soon have to back-up a Brinks truck to pay Miles Austin.

But Dallas should be expected to go out and pay some average free agent top dollar in a seller's market right now?

So why would it be excuseable for them, who have a much lower payroll than we do, but inexcuseable for the Cowboys?

Jerry can afford to pay everyone. No other owner has this luxury. Therefore Jerry is being a tightwad.

 

[theebs]

To be fair - it's not really a "mentality". It's just one loud ****** with an internet connection.

My giggle machine is running so hard after this it needs an oil change.

 

[Wimbo]

So Hos.... You are saying we still have a shot to land Gaither?















.

 

[skinsscalper]

Nice write-up in the OP, as usual, Hos.

I'm liking the "sensible" Cowboys a lot more than the "other" version.

 

[Joe Realist]

Or maybe we have absolutely no interest in Atogwe.

I mean, we might just be complete imbeciles for not recognizing his greatness along with Gaither and realize we could just solve all our problems with those two simple signings, but it is a possibility.

yes, we may not sign him. In fact, we probably will not.

 

[JPM]

When are we signing Gaither Hos ?

 

[DallasEast]

The first question. I think fantasy football is killing fandom. People care way to much about an individual's stats then they do the team, people seem to be rooting for players rather than the whole team.

I've been saying the same thing for years.

 

[Hostile]

So Hos.... You are saying we still have a shot to land Gaither?



.

When are we signing Gaither Hos ?

Sure we could sign him. I think it has about as much chance of happening as Jerry stepping down as GM today. I honestly don't think we are all that interested because we are 3 deep at OT and have a 4th prospect we think highly of. Plus we have the draft coming up where there are OT prospects we can get far cheaper than we can get Gaither. Affordability does play a role from time to time. I doubt very seriously the Cowboys see Gaither as the apex OT.

 

[catch28]

Sure we could sign him. I think it has about as much chance of happening as Jerry stepping down as GM today. I honestly don't think we are all that interested because we are 3 deep at OT and have a 4th prospect we think highly of. Plus we have the draft coming up where there are OT prospects we can get far cheaper than we can get Gaither. Affordability does play a role from time to time. I doubt very seriously the Cowboys see Gaither as the apex OT.

Isn't it amazing when people sit back and use common sense to come to a conclusion? I agree completely with this statement. I really don't think Jerry feels LT is a position he needs to address in FA. He can do it on draft day.

 

[diehard2294]

I am not upset in the slightest,Dansby is the only one I wanted and the fact is he got alot of money... and yes who did we really loose any ground to?

I am hoping we have a good draft and after that we will look for guys in FA to plug in as backups to help solidify the team.

 

[diehard2294]

Isn't it amazing when people sit back and use common sense to come to a conclusion? I agree completely with this statement. I really don't think Jerry feels LT is a position he needs to address in FA. He can do it on draft day.

he may not even need to do that, we have Free and if FLO returns we dont need LT this year