Trying isn't good enough

[Bobhaze]

Before this very important off-season began, our owner/GM stated once again publicly that they were willing to “break the bank” to add talent to this roster. Halfway through the 2026 off-season that has not happened.

And both JJ and SJ continue to tell the fan base they “tried” to acquire a top edge rusher and FA LB but the prices were “too high”. (Side note: NFL truth - The best talent out there is not coming here for less money. You have to overpay. Sorry sad truth)

So…as fans…are we now supposed to give our FO “credit” just for trying to sign or trade for a big impact player? But the price was too high? We didn’t get it done, but “we tried”? Seems to me in professional sports credit is earned when you do it, not when you simply try.

That’s especially true IMO with a front office that does a ton of talking but rarely back it up. And the only way we heard they tried so hard is they tell us all the time…without getting it done.

I think it’s fair for Cowboys fans to say at this point, “Don’t tell us what you’re planning or hoping to do. Show us what you've done.” Otherwise stop talking. Talk when it’s done.

This FO should not get the benefit of the doubt with the track record they have given us for decades.

 

[Kwyn]

Good post Bob, as usual.

As has been discussed, they could likely have freed up another $20m by actually offering the number one free agent in the market an actual contract instead of tagging him,

And certainly could have probably had another $10m plus by restructuring Quennin. But you know why they didn’t? Because they would have needed to actually give him more years.

Imagine extending your best defensive player that you gave up a first and a second to acquire.

Bottom line is that the two biggest and most important signals that they were truly all in, were too much for their penny pinching hearts

 

[MonsterD]

The draft is looming, can they fix their shortcomings there? Nope they already have one foot in the excrement.

 

[Whyjerry]

Too many holes. Not enough picks.

 

[maryquality]

Yep, I agree. Apparently Jerry and son want to get a "Participation Trophy" like the little 4 year olds who play T-Ball!!! LOL

 

[Bobhaze]

Yep, I agree. Apparently Jerry and son want to get a "Participation Trophy" like the little 4 year olds who play T-Ball!!! LOL

And they give it to themselves every year.

 

[blueblood70]

Before this very important off-season began, our owner/GM stated once again publicly that they were willing to “break the bank” to add talent to this roster. Halfway through the 2026 off-season that has not happened.

And both JJ and SJ continue to tell the fan base they “tried” to acquire a top edge rusher and FA LB but the prices were “too high”. (Side note: NFL truth - The best talent out there is not coming here for less money. You have to overpay. Sorry sad truth)

So…as fans…are we now supposed to give our FO “credit” just for trying to sign or trade for a big impact player? But the price was too high? We didn’t get it done, but “we tried”? Seems to me in professional sports credit is earned when you do it, not when you simply try.

That’s especially true IMO with a front office that does a ton of talking but rarely back it up. And the only way we heard they tried so hard is they tell us all the time…without getting it done.

I think it’s fair for Cowboys fans to say at this point, “Don’t tell us what you’re planning or hoping to do. Show us what you've done.” Otherwise stop talking. Talk when it’s done.

This FO should not get the benefit of the doubt with the track record they have given us for decades.

It’s not just that they tried—it wasn’t a token effort to appease fans. They were aggressive, and they lost. But with five months before game one and the draft coming up, things will pick up. Most teams have been in a holding pattern on free agents, prepping for the draft. For now, it’s good enough—what else can they do? It’s not their fault Dean didn’t want to face the Eagles twice a year, so he took what seemed like a slightly lesser deal with the Raiders despite probably getting a better offer from them, according to rumors. They missed out on Max Crosby because the Ravens won and then returned him. If the Ravens hadn’t overpaid, the Cowboys would have Crosby right now, and I doubt they’d have sent him back, even though they claim they might have.

It’s not their fault,

they’ve made valid offers for Brooks and even tried to pry away a linebacker from Pittsburgh in Queen, though I don’t know much about him.

They’ve made plenty of calls, and while it’s true they haven’t landed anything yet, it’s not fair to judge them as just trying to appease fans by saying they tried and failed. Their offers have been solid, but other teams either want more or are asking too much. You can’t overpay just to satisfy the fan base—that’s not how you run a business. This isn’t about spin; they went out aggressively with fair offers, but so far nothing has come through.

I remember when this fan base kept telling Jerry to pick up the phone, be aggressive, make the calls, send the emails, and try to make deals,don’t just like our guys or settle for budget players.

They’ve been doing this for two offseasons now. It’s like spending all day at the lake trying to hook that one big bass—no luck yet, but at any moment they might reel in four big ones, gear up for the season, and still have the same repetitive posts from the same crowd acting like the front office isn't making real attempts.

Meanwhile, the rest of the league hasn’t made many moves in the past three weeks, with plenty of free agents and trade options still available. I’m just trying to figure out the point of these posts when nothing in the NFL is really happening right now because teams are busy prepping their draft boards. Over the last three weeks, which teams have actually made significant changes, signed notable free agents, or pulled off big trades? From what I’ve seen, it’s been pretty quiet.

Yes, Bob, and to everyone who keeps saying most fan bases are fine with the effort—no, we’re not. We see the effort, but that just means they’ll keep trying this offseason, like they did last offseason and during the season when they traded for Corning Williams. They’ve been putting in more work, which means they could fill these holes at any moment. If they don’t, then let’s talk about it the week leading into game one, and then it’s a new story. Right now, it’s not, it’s the same repetitive post we’ve been seeing for a month or more.

You’re just not giving it enough time, IMHO.3

Let me guess you're going to tell me that you shouldn't be patient, and they deserve any credit because of what's happened the last 30 years that is also the most redundant narrative around here to respond that way that it's their fault how you feel and how redundant you're being..umm ok

 

[chicago JK]

I really don't care if they break the bank for a big name FA signing. It would be nice to do it sometime though.

I just wish they were aggressive filling holes. Even if they targeted medium free agents. Here we are another year with massive holes and hoping for the draft to fix all the holes. We know how the story ends.

Sure there are FA still out there, but man I just wish this organization looked at their holes an tried to fill them prior to the draft. It is the same thing every year. Some fans continue to buy what they are selling too. Less than their used to trick though.

 

[blueblood70]

Yep, I agree. Apparently Jerry and son want to get a "Participation Trophy" like the little 4 year olds who play T-Ball!!! LOL

That’s wrong. In years past, they might have tried to appease fans by talking about what they attempted that didn’t work, but they weren’t making valid offers. Back then, they were actually pursuing and offering more than fair contracts, but now it’s different. You keep saying it’s the same, as if you don’t know the details of all the moves they’ve tried and failed to make. They’re not asking for a participation trophy like in the past, when they made offers they knew wouldn’t work, being cheap and budget-minded without putting themselves out there. That’s not the same as the last two offseasons, the trades they made last year, or what they’ve been trying and failing to do this offseason. There are still five months before game one, and yet you think they’re done — but they’re not.

You and Bob can complain about the front office all you want, acting like they’ve been making the same silly lowball offers and not doing enough, but it’s not quite the same. They’ve put in a lot of effort so far, and that tells me they’re willing to keep at it. Once the draft is in full swing and right after, they’ll likely continue with their approach and might even land some of the players they’ve been targeting. The whole league has been in a holding pattern for the past three weeks—I've been watching the NFL too, checking the transaction wires, and nothing significant has happened. That means all those free agents and players they’ve made offers to, along with the draft ahead, are still in play. They’ll probably circle back to many of the same names they’ve been chasing and try to lock some of them in.

Right now, most of the league is in a holding pattern, waiting until after the draft. Teams are often more willing to make deals during and right after the draft, sometimes accepting less for a better shot at landing their targets. For now, like much of the league, they’ve put everything on pause until the draft arrives. Hopefully, we’ll see some moves during or shortly after the draft, similar to when they went after George Pickens last year—making the same effort and, with luck, better results this time.

It’s kind of like spotting a car parked in someone’s yard that’s not for sale. You make genuine offers, even bumping them slightly over value, but they still say no. Over time, you wear them down, return with a fair offer for both sides, and finally convince them to sell. That’s essentially the approach being taken right now.

 

[blueblood70]

I really don't care if they break the bank for a big name FA signing. It would be nice to do it sometime though.

I just wish they were aggressive filling holes. Even if they targeted medium free agents. Here we are another year with massive holes and hoping for the draft to fix all the holes. We know how the story ends.

Sure there are FA still out there, but man I just wish this organization looked at their holes an tried to fill them prior to the draft. It is the same thing every year. Some fans continue to buy what they are selling too. Less than their used to trick though.

They still have more time ahead than behind, and while the rest of the league has been in a holding pattern waiting for the draft, there have been no major moves in the past three weeks.

The lists you mentioned are still intact with the same names, and as the draft approaches, those same players they’ve been eyeing all offseason will be pursued again during and after the draft.

I truly think the effort they’ve put in over the last two offseasons, especially making trades at the deadline, shows a shift in their philosophy. They’ve made fair, right-on-value offers—not lowball ones—whether in trade value or free-agent money. It’s just that the other teams haven’t agreed to them yet.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Before this very important off-season began, our owner/GM stated once again publicly that they were willing to “break the bank” to add talent to this roster. Halfway through the 2026 off-season that has not happened.

And both JJ and SJ continue to tell the fan base they “tried” to acquire a top edge rusher and FA LB but the prices were “too high”. (Side note: NFL truth - The best talent out there is not coming here for less money. You have to overpay. Sorry sad truth)

So…as fans…are we now supposed to give our FO “credit” just for trying to sign or trade for a big impact player? But the price was too high? We didn’t get it done, but “we tried”? Seems to me in professional sports credit is earned when you do it, not when you simply try.

That’s especially true IMO with a front office that does a ton of talking but rarely back it up. And the only way we heard they tried so hard is they tell us all the time…without getting it done.

I think it’s fair for Cowboys fans to say at this point, “Don’t tell us what you’re planning or hoping to do. Show us what you've done.” Otherwise stop talking. Talk when it’s done.

This FO should not get the benefit of the doubt with the track record they have given us for decades.

once you realize that Jerry and Stephen's top priority is not winning, but spinning year to year, then it will all make sense and fall into place. its all one big marketing campaign. for whatever reason that has become the game for Jerry. they are the highest money making, profitable franchise in NFL and as Jerry said, from his mouth. he likes the drama, he likes to stir things up. why? because he also said, he likes good news and bad news about cowboys, because it keeps them in the news. it keeps people talking about it. he kept Parsons in the news all last summer. the summer before it was Dak. this year its pickens.

did they really do anything different this off season? they spent less in FA. I predicted mid last season, that Jerry would make one splash defensive signing. enter stage left Thompson. you noticed, he stayed away from top end, top dollar FAs. he signed a bunch of players on one year deals (just like last year). half of it will kind of work out. half won't. and onto the year after (2027) and another set of spins.

we were 6th worst all time defense. worst in the league last year. there is nowhere to go but up...so slight improvement. fans will eat it up. jerry will sell it and I guarantee he will say, "he knew it was a multi year process and not all of it was going to get fixed in one off season, given where they started". that's ready to go by mid season. guaranteed (mark this post).

Jerry is now so predictable. he doesn't pander to the die hard fans. they stay engaged. he panders to the fringe fans, he panders to entertainment. not football. he doesn't even care about his legacy. he gave up on that long ago. sad part is Stephen has been trained and mentored by him. so once Jerry is gone (we all do), Stephen may even be worse.

so realize, that the FO priority is not championships. once you do. it will all make sense. all the talking falls in place. see it from that lense and you will go aha, I get it. and you start to predict the behaviour.

 

[fivetwos]

Before this very important off-season began, our owner/GM stated once again publicly that they were willing to “break the bank” to add talent to this roster. Halfway through the 2026 off-season that has not happened.

And both JJ and SJ continue to tell the fan base they “tried” to acquire a top edge rusher and FA LB but the prices were “too high”. (Side note: NFL truth - The best talent out there is not coming here for less money. You have to overpay. Sorry sad truth)

So…as fans…are we now supposed to give our FO “credit” just for trying to sign or trade for a big impact player? But the price was too high? We didn’t get it done, but “we tried”? Seems to me in professional sports credit is earned when you do it, not when you simply try.

That’s especially true IMO with a front office that does a ton of talking but rarely back it up. And the only way we heard they tried so hard is they tell us all the time…without getting it done.

I think it’s fair for Cowboys fans to say at this point, “Don’t tell us what you’re planning or hoping to do. Show us what you've done.” Otherwise stop talking. Talk when it’s done.

This FO should not get the benefit of the doubt with the track record they have given us for decades.

I know some won’t agree, but I don’t think Jerry rules the way it’s generally thought. I truly believe the kid has full say over player acquisition, cap dollar allocation, etc…essentially builds and runs the team. Jerry is a figurehead who holds the final say, but he trusts the kid.

The way this team is run poses several problems, all of which have been debated endlessly around here, but very, very high on the list IMO is how personnel master Stephen Jones puts his value on a player and expects them to sign for that figure even though other teams are offering more.

The fact that they didn’t add a LB over a few extra million is criminal. Hoping that every draft is a grand slam (especially this one after the Parsons situation) will get you beat more often than not.

 

[blueblood70]

Let’s hold off on all the complaints as if the offseason is already over. There’s still more time ahead than has passed so far, with five months until game one.

Let’s revisit this two weeks before the season starts, when training camp and preseason games give us a clearer picture of whether enough players were brought in to fill the gaps.

That’s when we can actually have the facts to discuss if the job wasn’t done well. Right now, it’s been the same points repeated for six weeks, even though negotiations, the draft, and free agency moves are still in progress.

Let’s talk about it when it’s real—because at the moment, the redundancy is just old and tiresome.

 

[fivetwos]

once you realize that Jerry and Stephen's top priority is not winning, but spinning year to year, then it will all make sense and fall into place. its all one big marketing campaign. for whatever reason that has become the game for Jerry. they are the highest money making, profitable franchise in NFL and as Jerry said, from his mouth. he likes the drama, he likes to stir things up. why? because he also said, he likes good news and bad news about cowboys, because it keeps them in the news. it keeps people talking about it. he kept Parsons in the news all last summer. the summer before it was Dak. this year its pickens.

did they really do anything different this off season? they spent less in FA. I predicted mid last season, that Jerry would make one splash defensive signing. enter stage left Thompson. you noticed, he stayed away from top end, top dollar FAs. he signed a bunch of players on one year deals (just like last year). half of it will kind of work out. half won't. and onto the year after (2027) and another set of spins.

we were 6th worst all time defense. worst in the league last year. there is nowhere to go but up...so slight improvement. fans will eat it up. jerry will sell it and I guarantee he will say, "he knew it was a multi year process and not all of it was going to get fixed in one off season, given where they started". that's ready to go by mid season. guaranteed (mark this post).

Jerry is now so predictable. he doesn't pander to the die hard fans. they stay engaged. he panders to the fringe fans, he panders to entertainment. not football. he doesn't even care about his legacy. he gave up on that long ago. sad part is Stephen has been trained and mentored by him. so once Jerry is gone (we all do), Stephen may even be worse.

so realize, that the FO priority is not championships. once you do. it will all make sense. all the talking falls in place. see it from that lense and you will go aha, I get it. and you start to predict the behaviour.

The beginning of this post says it all. Jerry has that desire to do what Jimmy did, but I don’t get the impression that winning at all costs is on the agenda of Stephen Jones.

He can’t shut his mouth, and it’s clear that business over football is the priority in his mind. He would never admit it if asked, because even he isn’t that stupid or arrogant, but that man has zero burning desire to win. It’s all business. Winning would be great, but we aren’t taking the necessary type of risks, even though that’s how Jerry got here in the first place.

Overpaying for a player, whose value is fully determined by the very unqualified him, wouldnt be wise in a business sense.

Some of you will tell me I’m wrong, but as the value of the team continues to rise as the on the field futility continues, what other conclusion can one draw?

 

[Flamma]

Before this very important off-season began, our owner/GM stated once again publicly that they were willing to “break the bank” to add talent to this roster. Halfway through the 2026 off-season that has not happened.

And both JJ and SJ continue to tell the fan base they “tried” to acquire a top edge rusher and FA LB but the prices were “too high”. (Side note: NFL truth - The best talent out there is not coming here for less money. You have to overpay. Sorry sad truth)

So…as fans…are we now supposed to give our FO “credit” just for trying to sign or trade for a big impact player? But the price was too high? We didn’t get it done, but “we tried”? Seems to me in professional sports credit is earned when you do it, not when you simply try.

That’s especially true IMO with a front office that does a ton of talking but rarely back it up. And the only way we heard they tried so hard is they tell us all the time…without getting it done.

I think it’s fair for Cowboys fans to say at this point, “Don’t tell us what you’re planning or hoping to do. Show us what you've done.” Otherwise stop talking. Talk when it’s done.

This FO should not get the benefit of the doubt with the track record they have given us for decades.

They're never going to break the bank when they're not willing to do anything outside of trading. Breaking the bank means you're going to make trades for one, but overpay for a few free agents for a couple of years. Think of it as a small window. Hendrickson and Dean should have been here right away. Overpay for both. Remember, the only thing that matters is their cap hits for the next two years. You can fit a lot of good players under the cap for a short time before it all blows up. Bus as you know, the Cowboys never operate that way.

When they said break the bank, I thought maybe they were going in a different direction. Yeah, they were more proactive this offseason. But they fell far short of breaking the bank.

 

[KingCorcoran]

Let’s hold off on all the complaints as if the offseason is already over. There’s still more time ahead than has passed so far, with five months until game one.

Let’s revisit this two weeks before the season starts, when training camp and preseason games give us a clearer picture of whether enough players were brought in to fill the gaps.

That’s when we can actually have the facts to discuss if the job wasn’t done well. Right now, it’s been the same points repeated for six weeks, even though negotiations, the draft, and free agency moves are still in progress.

Let’s talk about it when it’s real—because at the moment, the redundancy is just old and tiresome.

“It’s not their fault.”

 

[KingCorcoran]

They're never going to break the bank when they're not willing to do anything outside of trading. Breaking the bank means you're going to make trades for one, but overpay for a few free agents for a couple of years. Think of it as a small window. Hendrickson and Dean should have been here right away. Overpay for both. Remember, the only thing that matters is their cap hits for the next two years. You can fit a lot of good players under the cap for a short time before it all blows up. Bus as you know, the Cowboys never operate that way.

When they said break the bank, I thought maybe they were going in a different direction. Yeah, they were more proactive this offseason. But they fell far short of breaking the bank.

“It’s not their fault.”

 

[Kwyn]

Bob Sturm hit on this in an article we discussed during free agency

He laid out how the Jones’s are afraid to engage in competition for free agents and as soon as another team is involved in the bidding they bow out

When you’re only willing to bid on players no one else wants, you end up with lesser quality players

It’s why they love the draft. In their minds, they win every time because once they decide, it’s done and they don’t have to negotiate with the player or compete in the market against other teams.

They play with scared money

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Before this very important off-season began, our owner/GM stated once again publicly that they were willing to “break the bank” to add talent to this roster. Halfway through the 2026 off-season that has not happened.

And both JJ and SJ continue to tell the fan base they “tried” to acquire a top edge rusher and FA LB but the prices were “too high”. (Side note: NFL truth - The best talent out there is not coming here for less money. You have to overpay. Sorry sad truth)

So…as fans…are we now supposed to give our FO “credit” just for trying to sign or trade for a big impact player? But the price was too high? We didn’t get it done, but “we tried”? Seems to me in professional sports credit is earned when you do it, not when you simply try.

That’s especially true IMO with a front office that does a ton of talking but rarely back it up. And the only way we heard they tried so hard is they tell us all the time…without getting it done.

I think it’s fair for Cowboys fans to say at this point, “Don’t tell us what you’re planning or hoping to do. Show us what you've done.” Otherwise stop talking. Talk when it’s done.

This FO should not get the benefit of the doubt with the track record they have given us for decades.

This, great post Bob, enough of bumping of the gums.

 

[DandyDon1722]

It’s not just that they tried—it wasn’t a token effort to appease fans. They were aggressive, and they lost. But with five months before game one and the draft coming up, things will pick up. Most teams have been in a holding pattern on free agents, prepping for the draft. For now, it’s good enough—what else can they do? It’s not their fault Dean didn’t want to face the Eagles twice a year, so he took what seemed like a slightly lesser deal with the Raiders despite probably getting a better offer from them, according to rumors. They missed out on Max Crosby because the Ravens won and then returned him. If the Ravens hadn’t overpaid, the Cowboys would have Crosby right now, and I doubt they’d have sent him back, even though they claim they might have.

It’s not their fault,

they’ve made valid offers for Brooks and even tried to pry away a linebacker from Pittsburgh in Queen, though I don’t know much about him.

They’ve made plenty of calls, and while it’s true they haven’t landed anything yet, it’s not fair to judge them as just trying to appease fans by saying they tried and failed. Their offers have been solid, but other teams either want more or are asking too much. You can’t overpay just to satisfy the fan base—that’s not how you run a business. This isn’t about spin; they went out aggressively with fair offers, but so far nothing has come through.

I remember when this fan base kept telling Jerry to pick up the phone, be aggressive, make the calls, send the emails, and try to make deals,don’t just like our guys or settle for budget players.

They’ve been doing this for two offseasons now. It’s like spending all day at the lake trying to hook that one big bass—no luck yet, but at any moment they might reel in four big ones, gear up for the season, and still have the same repetitive posts from the same crowd acting like the front office isn't making real attempts.

Meanwhile, the rest of the league hasn’t made many moves in the past three weeks, with plenty of free agents and trade options still available. I’m just trying to figure out the point of these posts when nothing in the NFL is really happening right now because teams are busy prepping their draft boards. Over the last three weeks, which teams have actually made significant changes, signed notable free agents, or pulled off big trades? From what I’ve seen, it’s been pretty quiet.

Yes, Bob, and to everyone who keeps saying most fan bases are fine with the effort—no, we’re not. We see the effort, but that just means they’ll keep trying this offseason, like they did last offseason and during the season when they traded for Corning Williams. They’ve been putting in more work, which means they could fill these holes at any moment. If they don’t, then let’s talk about it the week leading into game one, and then it’s a new story. Right now, it’s not, it’s the same repetitive post we’ve been seeing for a month or more.

You’re just not giving it enough time, IMHO.3

Let me guess you're going to tell me that you shouldn't be patient, and they deserve any credit because of what's happened the last 30 years that is also the most redundant narrative around here to respond that way that it's their fault how you feel and how redundant you're being..umm ok

As soon as I saw “It’s not their fault” I had to stop.

Everything is unequivocally their fault.