Three bubble players who could save the Cowboys considerable money by making the roster

[Fla Cowpoke]

It is not just the money, which could be upwards of 10m, but it is also the extra years of cheap control

Not saving 1.5m because his replacement costs 500k is silly....do that 4 times and it is 6m saved

Cutting guys for cheap players that aren't better is even sillier.

 

[Nightman]

Cutting guys for cheap players that aren't better is even sillier.

But they are better......DAL wants to build thru the draft but it doesn't trust the young guys to play.....by the time it comes to play them, they are FAs that need to get paid....

We overpaid Hanna, Beasley, Heath and Church because we won't play draft picks

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

But they are better......DAL wants to build thru the draft but it doesn't trust the young guys to play.....by the time it comes to play them, they are FAs that need to get paid....

We overpaid Hanna, Beasley, Heath and Church because we won't play draft picks

We have no problem playing good draft picks....and UDFA. Not sure who we had on the roster that is better than Hanna or Church. Escobar MIGHT be a better receiver but can't handle the blocking dutie.Beasley's deal isn't that expensive....in hindsight it might have been better to pay Harris than him, but that would have just changed who we paid. Beasley's catch stats are better..but Harris has the ST skills and return skills. Heath got paid more than I would have given him for sure, but it's still less than the average veteran safety gets and he has improved every year.

 

[skinsscalper]

I can't argue with any of the writer's points from a money-saving, length-of-contract standpoint.

McFadden/Dunbar, Wilcox and Escobar would seem to be the most likely choices to be replaced if Jackson, Frazier and Gathers/Swaim prove to be worth keeping. That's a big if, though.

How many of our late-round picks have proven to be worth keeping the past few years?

Here are the players drafted in the sixth round or later the last few years:

Mark Nzeocha, Laurence Gibson and Geoff Swaim in 2015.

Ben Gardner, Will Smith, Ahmad Dixon, Ken Bishop and Terrance Mitchell in 2014. (I remember some of us having hopes for Gardner and Bishop.)

DeVonte Holloman in 2013.

James Hanna and Caleb McSurdy in 2012.

Dwayne Harris, Shaun Chapas and Bill Nagy in 2011.

Sam Young, Jamar Wall and Sean Lissemore in 2010.

So three out of 17 made any kind of real contributions to the team, which means we'll probably be lucky if one of the three this year prove to be worth keeping.

DeVonte Holloman was the heart breaker for me, from that group. It's too bad that his injury issues were career ending. That guy had some serious speed and was just starting to get to the point that the pro game was coming to him. Would have loved to have seen what he could have eventually been.

 

[LocimusPrime]

Where is all this Darius Jackson love coming from? I was thinking as a 6th rd pick he was going to be a PS player at best. Then I checked his draft profile and it wasn't all that great. So can someone tell me what I'm missing. Is this based on some highlight video?

 

[fortdick]

Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden are bridge players.

McFadden's 2-year deal is basically a 1 year deal with a team option. Same with Morris.

If Darius Jackson shows flash in camp, McFadden will be released. Morris will stay. Next year, Morris will be in his "option year" pending what we do at the position in the 2017 offseason and what happens in next summer's camp.

Elliott is safe -- he's been selected for the long haul.

Competition! If Elliott doesn't produce in pre season, cut him! We have to stick to the process.



Wait . . .

 

[fortdick]

I can't argue with any of the writer's points from a money-saving, length-of-contract standpoint.

McFadden/Dunbar, Wilcox and Escobar would seem to be the most likely choices to be replaced if Jackson, Frazier and Gathers/Swaim prove to be worth keeping. That's a big if, though.

How many of our late-round picks have proven to be worth keeping the past few years?

Here are the players drafted in the sixth round or later the last few years:

Mark Nzeocha, Laurence Gibson and Geoff Swaim in 2015.

Ben Gardner, Will Smith, Ahmad Dixon, Ken Bishop and Terrance Mitchell in 2014. (I remember some of us having hopes for Gardner and Bishop.)

DeVonte Holloman in 2013.

James Hanna and Caleb McSurdy in 2012.

Dwayne Harris, Shaun Chapas and Bill Nagy in 2011.

Sam Young, Jamar Wall and Sean Lissemore in 2010.

So three out of 17 made any kind of real contributions to the team, which means we'll probably be lucky if one of the three this year prove to be worth keeping.

Whatever happened to Gardener? Didn't he rip a bicep? Or did rip a fart in Garrett's car?

 

[casmith07]

Competition! If Elliott doesn't produce in pre season, cut him! We have to stick to the process.



Wait . . .

Don't worry - he could break Emmitt's all-time record and there will be a group of fans calling him a bum and a bust.

 

[jobberone]

What is this article even saying. Cut players and replace with lesser experienced players to save money. Doesn't sound like a sound theory for winning.
Then when / if needed, rely on them, only to make a huge rookie mistake and cost us the season or a chance for the playoffs.
I know they need something to write about and to give us something to post about.

the McFadden hate continues, people ridiculed him at this time last year, but he proved to be worthy of keeping. We drafted Zeke, which is fantastic. Then drafted a RB in the 6th which even by college standards doesn't have a lot of experience. But yet people still want to think DMC is some kind of a bum.

I would bet that if Dallas did not draft Zeke, many of these same people would be saying DMC is a valuable RB until X round RB is ready. I doubt anyone would be saying Jackson will replace DMC as the starter. Though some would say Morris would.

Now is the article, iI say if anyone should be cut to save money would be Church, and save 4.5 million. But that would have happened by now. Frazier pushing Wilcox off the roster is the only other option, but how much do you really save.

As posted above, you cut one player to save, but you still need to pay that new player. Then what experience do you lose. But this is supposed to happen from drafted players too. Frazier for Wilcox is the better scenario, pay Barry, keep the better player for a little more money.

So why is not Witten the odd man out to save cap space? I am not saying get rid of Witten at all, but but wouldn't keeping youth and less paid be along the theme of the article?

Not enough savings to be much of a factor. Wilcox has been a major disappointment and Church has never been more than average to average +. These I see esp Church next year.

I spend my time worrying about the pass rush much more than anywhere else although pass defense gets a share.

 

[fortdick]

Don't worry - he could break Emmitt's all-time record and there will be a group of fans calling him a bum and a bust.

I hope he does! Much as I love Emmitt, I have to admit this kid has me excited about this year.

And you are right, first time he fumbles we will hear how some realist knew he had a history of losing the ball and we wasted the pick!

 

[Verdict]

If you are going to build thru the draft you can't keep tossing aside draft picks in their 1st year

We aren't keeping guys like McFadden, Leary, Church, Wilcox, Gachkar, RMcClain, TMcClain, Escobar, Street, KMoore......we need to keep younger, cheaper guys with 4 year deals...cutting or trading some of these guys could save big bucks which could pay for TFred or be rolled over

I assume that you are agreeing with my post?

 

[Verdict]

Cutting guys for cheap players that aren't better is even sillier.

Well, it makes sense to replace a higher priced player for a cheaper player that you control for a longer period of time, provided that the play of the cheaper player is equal to or better than the higher priced player.

 

[JoeKing]

Another false premise from the get go. Zeke has yet to even play with NFL pads on and folks are just giving him the #1 RB spot over the leagues #4 RB last season. Doesn't that job need to be earned first? No doubt the rookie can and probably will earn the job, but let's put the brakes on until he does it. McFadden, Morris and DJ will all make the team. Dunbar is the odd man out. I know a lot of you hate McFadden for what ever reason, I don't care but he's our SOLID #1 alternative to our overrated rookie, Elliott.

 

[Nightman]

Another false premise from the get go. Zeke has yet to even play with NFL pads on and folks are just giving him the #1 RB spot over the leagues #4 RB last season. Doesn't that job need to be earned first? No doubt the rookie can and probably will earn the job, but let's put the brakes on until he does it. McFadden, Morris and DJ will all make the team. Dunbar is the odd man out. I know a lot of you hate McFadden for what ever reason, I don't care but he's our SOLID #1 alternative to our overrated rookie, Elliott.

The false premise is that McFadden has any value.....he was brought in off the street to back up Randle.....he did an extremely average job for us that any journey man RB could do......Arian Foster, Reggie Bush, Bryce Brown, Pierre Thomas and Joique Bell are all FAs who have done and could do just as good as McFadden....

EE was selected at 4 to be a star.......he is already the best RB on the team, that is how it works....Morris is a solid back up that has gained 1500+ yds before.....EE has a better, younger skill set....just accept it...

 

[JoeKing]

The false premise is that McFadden has any value.....he was brought in off the street to back up Randle.....he did an extremely average job for us that any journey man RB could do......Arian Foster, Reggie Bush, Bryce Brown, Pierre Thomas and Joique Bell are all FAs who have done and could do just as good as McFadden....

EE was selected at 4 to be a star.......he is already the best RB on the team, that is how it works....Morris is a solid back up that has gained 1500+ yds before.....EE has a better, younger skill set....just accept it...

Your slanted opinion has you confused... He wasn't on the street, he was with the Raiders. And he wasn't brought here to backup anyone. He rushed over 1000 yards last season, even more than Morris which is not average by any stretch.

McFadden was selected at 4 and IS a star. EE hasn't ran even 1 yard in NFL pads so you don't know what he is... accept that.

 

[fortdick]

Another false premise from the get go. Zeke has yet to even play with NFL pads on and folks are just giving him the #1 RB spot over the leagues #4 RB last season. Doesn't that job need to be earned first? No doubt the rookie can and probably will earn the job, but let's put the brakes on until he does it. McFadden, Morris and DJ will all make the team. Dunbar is the odd man out. I know a lot of you hate McFadden for what ever reason, I don't care but he's our SOLID #1 alternative to our overrated rookie, Elliott.

This is very true

 

[fortdick]

The false premise is that McFadden has any value.....he was brought in off the street to back up Randle.....he did an extremely average job for us that any journey man RB could do......Arian Foster, Reggie Bush, Bryce Brown, Pierre Thomas and Joique Bell are all FAs who have done and could do just as good as McFadden....

EE was selected at 4 to be a star.......he is already the best RB on the team, that is how it works....Morris is a solid back up that has gained 1500+ yds before.....EE has a better, younger skill set....just accept it...

well, we went through 3 journeymen before he won the job. They didn't get 1100 yards

 

[Nightman]

well, we went through 3 journeymen before he won the job. They didn't get 1100 yards

and he got the bulk of it once the season was over and we were trying to lose...

after 12 games we were 4-8 and DMC had a very lukewarm 679 yards....in the final 4 meaningless games he got 401 yards and earned a nice 300k bonus.....and we went 0-4 which put us in a great spot to draft EE....so thanks for that

in both 2014 and 2015 1080 yards wasn't even in the top10......2015 was a super down year for RBs and finishing 4th was watered down to the point of being a joke

 

[Nightman]

Your slanted opinion has you confused... He wasn't on the street, he was with the Raiders. And he wasn't brought here to backup anyone. He rushed over 1000 yards last season, even more than Morris which is not average by any stretch.

McFadden was selected at 4 and IS a star. EE hasn't ran even 1 yard in NFL pads so you don't know what he is... accept that.

he was on the street.....we were a week into FA and he was unsigned, he wasn't on the Raiders any more......they chose Trent Richardson over him

if we had given Turbin or CMichael the carries DMC got they would have got the same measley 1000 yards and no one would be clamoring to bring them back either...our OL is that good...it just took a while for them to adjust to McFadden's limitations

 

[fortdick]

and he got the bulk of it once the season was over and we were trying to lose...

after 12 games we were 4-8 and DMC had a very lukewarm 679 yards....in the final 4 meaningless games he got 401 yards and earned a nice 300k bonus.....and we went 0-4 which put us in a great spot to draft EE....so thanks for that

in both 2014 and 2015 1080 yards wasn't even in the top10......2015 was a super down year for RBs and finishing 4th was watered down to the point of being a joke

Good grief. Do you really believe this team was trying to lose?