Trying isn't good enough

[Verdict]

In 2031 you will still be here preaching the exact same message. Only thing that will be different is 30 years changing to 35 years.

Possibly so. But I would never support a franchise that I believe had no chance of turning itself around. That’s just being a glutton for punishment.

I’m still here because I believe it can be different. Maybe that’s naive.

I’m trying to figure out why you are still here if you have no hope.

 

[TheSport78]

They'll probably do a Stephen Gilmore type trade after the draft and brag about it or two years.

 

[DoomsdayMachine]

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

It's almost like players want to win in the playoffs and you have to overpay them to come.

The attitude seems to be 'pay me more 'cause I ain't winning squat here.

 

[StarBoyz83]

Think most figured Dallas was at least 2 offseasons away from doing anything. Now its looking more like 3-4 if its gonna be offseasons like this one.

 

[Jarntt]

The constant griping with five months left gets old, and I don’t want to hear the same excuse that it’s been this way for 30 years—why should we expect it to stay the same? This is a new year, and from what I’ve seen over the last two years, they’ve been trying harder than usual without lowballing. It’s not just about effort; it feels like a change in philosophy. I think moves like drafting George Pickens after a drought can happen again this year. There’s plenty of time to fill the holes we need, so we don’t need all these repetitive posts saying the same thing in slightly different ways.

 

[blueblood70]

It's almost like players want to win in the playoffs and you have to overpay them to come.

The attitude seems to be 'pay me more 'cause I ain't winning squat here.

That may be how you see it, but I have to disagree. Sure, sometimes it’s about money and sometimes it’s about the playoffs, but usually you can’t have both. Most teams with the money and cap space aren’t the ones in the playoffs. Take the Raiders for example—what makes them a better choice than the Cowboys? It’s not their Super Bowl or playoff hopes; they were awful last year, completely rebuilt their team, then had to do it all over again this year. That’s some “great” Tom Brady help right there.

It was pretty clear the Cowboys lost out on Dean, who seemed to be their top linebacker target, because he didn’t want to be in the NFC East. We’ve covered this—he didn’t want to face the Eagles twice a year. In fact, he tried to get out of the conference entirely. And yes, sometimes players who have good relationships with their old teams don’t want to face them if they can avoid it. He got a contract offer that was about the same, but according to most, when you look at the terms, the Cowboys’ offer was actually better.

In my opinion, the Cowboys are still a better team than the Raiders at this point. There was no reason for him to choose the Raiders other than what we’ve already discussed—it was pretty straightforward. The Cowboys missed out on Max Crosby not because of the playoffs, but because the highest bidder got him.

They tried hard to match the offer, and the Ravens won by overpaying, only to have buyer’s remorse and send him back, like returning an item to Amazon. The player didn’t have a choice in that situation, and the Cowboys made a fair offer. This time, they didn’t just lowball and pretend for the fans. The last two offseasons have been much better; while it hasn’t paid off yet, there’s still plenty of time to build the team. We can complain in August if they haven’t done enough, but right now, Mr. Bob is overdoing it with the negativity. After I pointed that out, he doubled down and made another poll—his second this offseason—on the same topic, even though the draft is next week and there are still five months for the Cowboys to prove us wrong and land players like Brooks, Queen, or someone not even on our radar yet.

I’ll end with this: it’s still a business, and you can’t make reckless moves like overpaying in a bidding war. Think of it like buying a house during a seller’s market—paying $100,000 over asking to secure it, only to see the market drop two years later, leaving you upside down because the house is no longer worth that extra money. The same can happen with players; there’s a point where you need to bow out gracefully and hope to pivot toward a better option.

 

[blueblood70]

You know what I meant when the draft didn't go well with TET they immediately pivoted and got George Pickens so yes it was a multitasking mistake that I didn't see but hey thanks for pointing that out but you know what I meant and they can pivot this year they've been working on getting a linebacker now things are on hold but if they don't get all what they need in the draft I believe they're going to make a trade very similar and get a good player here on defense maybe 2 maybe 3 I think they're going to go dip into that leftover free agent pool that has not changed in three weeks, They will make a trade for linebacker they've been working on it..

Yes thanks for pointing out my mistake like nobody else makes errors here when you're multitasking lot of times I'm on 2 browsers and have four pages open and trying to work Yes we get distracted...

 

[blueblood70]

It's almost like players want to win in the playoffs and you have to overpay them to come.

The attitude seems to be 'pay me more 'cause I ain't winning squat here.

In my opinion, from watching the NFL most of my life, it’s not common to see a team with the most money and resources miss the playoffs, but when they do make it, it can backfire for both sides. Overpaying rarely works out, like with Brian Huffrey a couple of years ago—sure, he made it to a Super Bowl team, but he was a complete bust in free agency. This year, like many before, free agent pass rushers are getting ridiculous contracts. Every year, one position heats up, gets overpaid, and teams end up overbidding, leaving themselves upside down with that player—you better win if you do that.

Last year, the Raiders completely rebuilt their team to win, spending big on free agents, even with Tom Brady—Mr. Super Bowl himself—giving advice. They ended up eating around $100 million in coach and player contracts, forcing them into rebuild mode for the second straight year. That kind of gamble doesn’t always work out for either side.

It usually comes down to one of two things: a player is either motivated to take less money to join a playoff team with a strong Super Bowl shot, or they chase the big paycheck. It’s rare to get both, and even rarer for it to work out. That’s why outbidding opponents for a player is so risky—if you’re not guaranteed a deep playoff run or a Super Bowl, you’ve already lost. And every time one of these overpayments happens in the first ten days of free agency, it hits the salary cap hard.

 

[Jarntt]

You know what I meant when the draft didn't go well with TET they immediately pivoted and got George Pickens so yes it was a multitasking mistake that I didn't see but hey thanks for pointing that out but you know what I meant and they can pivot this year they've been working on getting a linebacker now things are on hold but if they don't get all what they need in the draft I believe they're going to make a trade very similar and get a good player here on defense maybe 2 maybe 3 I think they're going to go dip into that leftover free agent pool that has not changed in three weeks, They will make a trade for linebacker they've been working on it..

Yes thanks for pointing out my mistake like nobody else makes errors here when you're multitasking lot of times I'm on 2 browsers and have four pages open and trying to work Yes we get distracted...

No, I had no idea what the heck you meant. Next time just says oops I messed up instead of being unable to admit your mistake.

 

[Jipper]

Think most figured Dallas was at least 2 offseasons away from doing anything. Now its looking more like 3-4 if its gonna be offseasons like this one.

I disagree- they have made a good ammoujt of progress both in coaching and personnel plus still have the draft - zero reason to think its not a 2 year rebuild.

Plus daks window is gone in 3 to 4 years anyway....2027 is the year

 

[Jarntt]

I disagree- they have made a good ammoujt of progress both in coaching and personnel plus still have the draft - zero reason to think its not a 2 year rebuild.

Plus daks window is gone in 3 to 4 years anyway....2027 is the year

^ This is why we need to fill a couple of holes (even if just less than average to average guys who just raise the floor) plus pick two studs next week at 12 and 20

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

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.

Pretty sure you know well...I'm adamant about this. Not caring about one word. I knwo Jerry needs to 'remain relevent" (in the media - not in the standings/playoffs)....but if they went radio silence until the first game...I'd be just fine. Will have to do it manually I guess.

We gotta be better
Best shape of my life
All in
We're close
There's no room in the cap
We like our guys
"I have never had a problem dealing in areas of ambiguity. I can make a decision and not have it all lined up just right." A doozy!
"We've all got to get on the same page." You're NOT already?
Culture change
"I want to go where I'm the difference. I want to make something out of nothing. I want to be the reason someone is great." Not doing so well there Dak!


You know I could go on and on. So talk it up...again. Talking to the wall here. No more Lucy's Football.

 

[SteveTheCowboy]

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.

Training camp? Preseason? Is when you'll get your answers?

NOT January 2027?

Jerry loves these kinds of fans. Eatin the cheese and lining up for the kick:

 

[kskboys]

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.

Not even close. One has to first have an NFL acumen to even attempt to "try". Our FO does not, so no, not even close to good enough. Our only hope is that Jerry lets Schotty/Parker make the decisions. We'll soon know. And when we start drafting WRs and TEs and injured CBs then we'll know it's the same ol' tish.

Jerry, if you really want us to believe things are now different, prove it.

 

[kskboys]

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

Everything is unequivocally their fault.

Jerry not only took on the role of GM willingly, he insisted on it. If someone doesn't know that it's on the GM, then they really just don't understand much of anything about how business models work.

 

[kskboys]

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.

Yes, as are posts that you can't read due to zero punctuation and bad sentence structure. This one is much better, you turning over a new leaf?

 

[StarBoyz83]

I disagree- they have made a good ammoujt of progress both in coaching and personnel plus still have the draft - zero reason to think its not a 2 year rebuild.

Plus daks window is gone in 3 to 4 years anyway....2027 is the year

I like the coaching changes. I dont expect a good season coming up. Just hoping they do more next offseason so 2027 can be the year Dallas might be contenders. I dont see it happening though tbh.

 

[Chuck 54]

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 one thing to overpay for a star player, but overpaying for a JAG LB like Dean. At least that one, I support. He is not even close to being one of the better LBs in the league. Philly doesn’t let him reach free agency if they believe he isn’t easily replaced….and that’s just his productivity, not to mention his injuries.

That said, I agree someone should have been signed, but I have a feeling we will actually sign a proven veteran later after the draft, possibly even summer.

 

[Jipper]

I like the coaching changes. I dont expect a good season coming up. Just hoping they do more next offseason so 2027 can be the year Dallas might be contenders. I dont see it happening though tbh.

Fair to be skeptical - I would wait until after the draft to formulate opinions - this draft has the most riding on it of any in recent memory.

They need 4 players that can be starters and with only 3 picks in the top 100 now they are going to need to make some moves to make that likely.

Id love to see a trade back at 12 and pick up a late 1st and another top 100 pick or two....there are a few scenarios.

Also I wouldnt be super averse to trading back and trading out of the 1st with one of ghe picks for a 2nd and a 2027 1st.

Feels like they need to make aure they have enough ammo next year too...


Anyway long ramble of saying let's wait a week and then relook

 

[Creeper]

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 do agree with your post, however, without knowing how they tried it is hard to judge them. What di they offer, for which player and what did the other team want in return? I am fine with turning down bad deals if that's what happened. I think teams try to fleece the Cowboys to see if they can because their history making deals has not been great.