Too dramatic of a change in philosophy?

[Alexander]

Here's your big name free agent, folks.

"Would you get embarrassed if you were standing in this team facility? Seriously.”

 

[The Quest for Six]

The cowboys need better drafting, especially on day two and three of the draft... too many misses and not enough hits, succesfull teams build through the draft and add the finishing pieces via one or two free agents.

 

[ThrowuptheXDez88]

We've been bargain shoppers for years and years.. Deion-T.O.-Leonard Davis-& (Carr b/c the CB market stunk) only big name FA's we've signed.. The problem is Jerry falls in love with his own players and they go to crap after they sign the deals, so we are never in the position to go and get help in FA. It made sense especially this year given the age of Vernon & Miller to go get 1 of those guys.. Both only 25 years of age going into the 2016-17 season

 

[Nightman]

What is so dramatic about it? Dallas has signed maybe a couple big ticket dollar sign free agents in the past decade, Carr and Leonard Davis.

Besides that the philosophy has been to hand out bad contracts to players like Miles Austin and Jay Ratliff, this is just the side effect.

It is a reputation that ranks up there with Jones loves Arkansas players. And that he "will do anything to win".

I can always recite the Love Field credit card story again if you are still unsure.

Exactly.

DAL has never been a big spender in FA.

They overpay their own guys much more often.

 

[mattjames2010]

This ******* place is insufferable. Bunch of morons.

 

[Stash]

The Cowboys - aka Jerry Jones - once signed big names for huge money no matter the long-term implications.

Now, the Cowboys - collectively - sign nobody of note to anything of consequence no matter how great the need.

Surely, there's a happy medium in there somewhere.

Here's hoping to be surprised.

I think that this is a fine topic worthy of discussion.

 

[Rogerthat12]

No happy medium...Stephen not a fan of FA. Only interested in bridge players or absolute necessity.
Come back late next week to see who's left and we're looking at.

 

[Alexander]

The cowboys need better drafting, especially on day two and three of the draft

Absolutely not. Read it right here on this board that this team drafts better than the Patriots.

 

[Stash]

This ******* place is insufferable. Bunch of morons.

There's the door.

 

[ConceptCoop]

How is it working for us? One good year?

Because we had to make up for the years we wasted money.

 

[Silver N Blue]

So JJ IS STILL standing in the war room telling the staff patience patience....in five minutes he shouts! Let's go get em guys...poor fella

 

[Aven8]

If anything our own division rival just proved you can get out of big contract fast! And make good deals out of them moving up 5 spots in the 1st and the 1st pick of the 4th!

But that's not our style. We would rather trade picks for players, never use them, and then cut them right after the cutoff date so we lose the pick! Genius!

 

[Sydla]

When did rookie mean can't pass protect?

Miller just got a 4 year contract, $24 million with $14 guaranteed. We simply don't want to give that kind of contract to an RB. Better get used to it.

That's a pretty fair contract for a TB. $14MM guaranteed for a guy as young as Miller isn't much. Houston can probably get out of it with little pain down the road.

And I swear, if we can't pay $14MM to Miller but then take Elliott at 4 and guarantee him $25MM, I think I might lose my marbles.

 

[Sydla]

It's an RB position, Miller is NOT a MUST signing. There is a draft coming up, there are some really good prospects. Pretending this was Peterson hitting the market is ridiculous.

You do realize that you can't fill every hole in this draft right?

 

[movaughn88]

Look at the teams making noise today. Rams. Jaguars. Bucs. Texans. Oakland. Dolphins.

Have you heard much from these teams? Patriots. Steelers. Seahawks. Packers.

I am NOT saying we are in that bottom group, we are most likely somewhere in between them (Texans purrrhaps better).

But I'd rather operate like the below than the above.

 

[conner01]

Maybe they looking past this year and seeing what it's gonna cost just to keep the oline

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

When did rookie mean can't pass protect?

Miller just got a 4 year contract, $24 million with $14 guaranteed. We simply don't want to give that kind of contract to an RB. Better get used to it.

IF we don't want to give that to a RB, there is no reason to even consider Elliott because his rookie deal will be very close to that. Last year's #4 got 4 years almost 24m.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

So much for those who said we can be contenders with Free Agency and the Draft.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I don't think, in general, the Super Bowl is won in FA. I think it's won in the draft and the coaching staff's ability to develop that talent. If you're going to get a FA, it has to be at key positions that you typically can't fill in right away with production in the draft (i.e. QB, pass rusher, shutdown corner). Or it has to be this great missing piece, like a center that can sure up an otherwise talented O-Line and now make the guards better. Or the right safety like the Steelers did years ago with Ryan Clark (he set up Polamalu and let him be the athletic terrorizer in the defensive backfield).

I'm not sure there's much out there. I would have liked to have given Laurinaitis a look, but I'm guessing they want a thumper at the MIKE to protect Lee. That sounds great if McClain actually shows up, but there's just as good of a shot he won't show up or only show up in certain games. And if he gets hit with another positive test, I believe that's a 10-game suspension (I could be wrong).

I would like to give Weddle a look, but he's 31 years old and wants to play for the Patriots.

And I really don't see the problem with McFadden at the starting position. Compare him in the games he started versus the rest of the league and he was a top-5 back in terms of production.

I don't think this is a great FA market. Most of the FA's have 1 glaring issue with them and are wanting to be paid like they have no glaring issues. Even Miller, who I like, has never been extremely productive. Neither was DMC, but the contract for DMC is far better than what the team would pay for Miller.





YR

 

[Cowboys22]

I'd like to see them fill the most glaring 1-2 weaknesses with proven vets in their prime when they have cap dollars to spend. Fill the rest with mid range guys and the draft. If the cap is tight, I'm fine with just mid range guys but they seem to have gone to a strategy where even perfect fits are of no interest but head case reclamation projects are scooped up in quick order.