Trying isn't good enough

[Bobhaze]

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.

Lot of truth in this. Excellent post sir.

 

[nhcowboyfan]

There is always a built-in excuse with this front office whenever they fail to procure a player that they insist that they "really" tried to get. The LB Dean is a perfect example. The argument for the consistent front office failures is that they tried - they offered the same contract amount as the Raiders - but he preferred to play for them.
The offer from the Raiders happened during that window prior to the official start of free agency. In other words, the agreement between Dean and the Raiders was not official. At any time during this window, Jerry or Stephen could have called up his agent and said we will give you a few million dollars more per year, but they didn't. In fact, they were likely relieved that Dean passed up the Cowboys, so they could forego having to pay more than they actually preferred to pay; and at the same time, give them the coverage that they are "actively" trying to improve the team. They are, but only when it's the right price - their price.

 

[jazzcat22]

Too many holes. Not enough picks.

Which is why they need to trade down, not up.

 

[maryquality]

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.

Very well said, sir.

 

[jazzcat22]

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.

Agree.
But the thing is, will thy play the starters in any PS games. Even for a few series.

Yes we will see the rookies and added players for a bit. But how about the vet players, to see how they all play together in vanilla based plays.

 

[shabazz]

Which is why they need to trade down, not up.

And they very well may do that.

Just the fact that they traded away Parsons shows they have a basic understanding of the roster deficits.

To trade up would be counterintuitive to that philosophy.

 

[jazzcat22]

They play with scared money

But Jerry says he is a gambler.

 

[maryquality]

But Jerry says he is a gambler.

Well, to be fair, he USED TO BE, back in the early days. I think that ship has sailed in recent times.

 

[Jarntt]

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.

We might as well start the thread for this time the next 5 years that we tried to sign "X" in free agency but the price was "too high". It's the same thing every year. Guess what, the price ISN'T too high, that's the price!!!!

 

[Jarntt]

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 talk the talk, they don't walk the walk...that's why we haven't been serious contenders for 3 decades running...

 

[Redsfan_83]

Somebody wants to put no blame on Jerry et al, and claim it's not their fault things haven't gone quite their way so far. We made honest trade offers, but it's a quiet time of year, and nobody is making moves. I've read that our damn draft board isn't even set, so what on earth are they trying to do? Whose fault is it that the last 30 years have been nothing but an abstract failure? The trades we've made over the last 2 years have accounted for what exactly? Back-to-back 7-9 seasons, a disgruntled to be WR and an ever again QB, we still haven't addressed the OL for and have tasekd a T who doesn't like the game of football I guess that is okay if you are a pom pom, but I need just a bit more effort

 

[dupree89]

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.

correct Bob
Im gonna start calling you "Right on Robert".

 

[blueblood70]

Agree.
But the thing is, will thy play the starters in any PS games. Even for a few series.

Yes we will see the rookies and added players for a bit. But how about the vet players, to see how they all play together in vanilla based plays.

Maybe you missed the point,

we’ll get to see all the players during training camp practice, the full roster, and some adjustments by the end of preseason as cuts and additions are made.

We need to wait and see what the potential roster looks like for game one before complaining.

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.

 

[Streifenkarl]

The off season is over when the first regular season game starts. So I won't jump to any conclusions just yet.

But with their track record I'm not exactly very hopeful that anything meaningful will happen.

And to be honest, hiring a new DC is not exactly anything to write home about after the results from last season. That's the absolut minimum they could have done.

 

[gtb1943]

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 not their fault,

once again making excuses for year 31 of failure

 

[gtb1943]

Maybe you missed the point,

we’ll get to see all the players during training camp practice, the full roster, and some adjustments by the end of preseason as cuts and additions are made.

We need to wait and see what the potential roster looks like for game one before complaining.

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.

constant drivel of kool Aide drinkers is much worse

 

[blueblood70]

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

Everything is unequivocally their fault.

You should have stopped before posting—that’s where you went wrong. It’s not their fault these players chose a different team or offer, even though the offer was more than fair and in some ways better than what, say, the Raiders offered Dean or Max Crosby. They made three escalating offers each time. It’s also not their fault the Ravens won and then defaulted, and now the Raiders don’t seem interested in trading. You can’t overpay or overcompensate teams just to appease the fan base.

When I say it’s not their fault in this situation with those players, like when they went after Brooks and Queen and tried to make offers for others, it’s because it’s not on them that other teams said no. They’re making calls and putting out valid offers, not lowballing or just pretending for the fans. This is different. If you don’t get it, stop replying, because you lost the moment you decided to respond and say I should have stopped—you should have stopped earlier.


You have to realize this is about making the team better, and they’re putting in the effort, even if it’s fallen short so far. I say “so far” because there are still five months left—this is just the beginning, and there’s more time ahead than has passed since the new league year started. So hold off on the constant complaining until it’s closer to game one. They’ve been working to improve the team, and they shouldn’t worry about making Dawn, Bob, or Mary feel better by overpaying or overcompensating. They’ve been making solid offers, not the usual low-budget, low-volume deals from the past, and that’s why I believe this time is different.

That's why I said let's wait because the last two off seasons and at the trade deadline they've been operating differently with trades the trade offers regardless if they didn't land your name player yet it is so far from season game one starting and you should give them some time and you're going to come back with oh but it's been 30 years why should I give them time and I'm going to tell you how ridiculous that is it's a different year and the effort and philosophy looks like it's shifted and let's see if they land some of these players it'll be a different story if we're heading into game one with the same amount of holes and concerns but we are not they're even close to there yet..

 

[Redsfan_83]

Maybe you missed the point,

we’ll get to see all the players during training camp practice, the full roster, and some adjustments by the end of preseason as cuts and additions are made.

We need to wait and see what the potential roster looks like for game one before complaining.

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.

Which holes can be filled in plenty of time? GP remains unsigned as Jerry plays out another contract. What do you mean by moves like drafting Pickents? You know as well as I that Jerry will be active.......during the UDFA frenzy, and claim he found his diamond in the rough. His moves will be to fill the PS, you just don't want to see it

 

[dupree89]

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.

blueblood to be fair, ive seen you several times tell people that if they didn't like what you have to say, just skip over them. This works both ways.

 

[rags747]

I’m 100% confident that everyone on this board OVERPAYS for everything on a daily basis, Yeah Right!