We won't be players in FA again in my opinion

[LocimusPrime]

Just saw our draft picks this year 3-4th's and 3-5th's. No way we do anything in FA IMO. Expect more bottom feeding.

That's depressing bro.

 

[Sydla]

So he’s going to command a big contract from another team because he’s just decent?
How so?
If there are other LB’s available who are just as good but are cheaper then why will Hitchens get the big contract you seem to think he will?

I've never said he will definitely get a big contract somewhere. I've said if he's offered that somewhere, I wouldn't want the Cowboys to get into some bidding war and overpay for him. He's not good enough. And we all know, at times, teams do dumb things in free agency.

Personally, I think he's going to find there isn't as big a market for him as some around here seem to think. As the article linked here suggests, there might be one team that might put a premium on him - Indy with Eberflus.

Frankly, I would not be surprised to see him back on a pretty decent contract, which I have said all along, is fine by me.

 

[DHCBF66]

Just saw our draft picks this year 3-4th's and 3-5th's. No way we do anything in FA IMO. Expect more bottom feeding.

We have a few comp picks this coming draft, the difference between this coming draft and previous drafts is that we can trade them picks. I can see a move up or 2 in this coming draft.

 

[LocimusPrime]

Let's sign Poe, that would help our D line greatly

 

[Nightman]

I've never said he will definitely get a big contract somewhere. I've said if he's offered that somewhere, I wouldn't want the Cowboys to get into some bidding war and overpay for him. He's not good enough. And we all know, at times, teams do dumb things in free agency.

Personally, I think he's going to find there isn't as big a market for him as some around here seem to think. As the article linked here suggests, there might be one team that might put a premium on him - Indy with Eberflus.

Frankly, I would not be surprised to see him back on a pretty decent contract, which I have said all along, is fine by me.

I don't think Hitch has any profile outside of DAL......he doesn't have much profile here

He plays around 50% of the snaps and is no ST ace..... he should get a Beasley/TWill type of contract........ 3/12m or 4/16m

 

[IrishAnto]

I've never said he will definitely get a big contract somewhere. I've said if he's offered that somewhere, I wouldn't want the Cowboys to get into some bidding war and overpay for him. He's not good enough. And we all know, at times, teams do dumb things in free agency.

Personally, I think he's going to find there isn't as big a market for him as some around here seem to think. As the article linked here suggests, there might be one team that might put a premium on him - Indy with Eberflus.

Frankly, I would not be surprised to see him back on a pretty decent contract, which I have said all along, is fine by me.

So we pay him a fair salary and keep a good LB and spend the high draft picks on more pressing needs.
We are in agreement.

 

[JustChip]

I guess this is the latest defense of the FO........... they are active in FA, just signing their own FAs.

Its a fairly disingenuous position to take IMO. It's like when someone above said we are active and successful in FA because of some of our rookie UDFA hits.

I completely agree with you on the UDFA point. But, riddle me this, let's say they let Lawrence walk and draft a replacement this year. Then next year they sign a comparable DE to a big contract, that would be considered active in FA. However, if they sign Lawrence this year and don't make the signing of someone else next year, why is that not essentially the same (whether they draft someone or not)? It seems to me, IMHO, that you're basing your position on semantics and not the bottom line results. Doesn't make me right and you wrong, or vice versa. It just makes our views different.

 

[Sydla]

So we pay him a fair salary and keep a good LB and spend the high draft picks on more pressing needs.
We are in agreement.

Where we diverge is you are seemingly willing to pay him more than I would if it gets the point we have competition for him.

I wouldn't even think about paying him upper echelon ILB money.

 

[Sydla]

I completely agree with you on the UDFA point. But, riddle me this, let's say they let Lawrence walk and draft a replacement this year. Then next year they sign a comparable DE to a big contract, that would be considered active in FA. However, if they sign Lawrence this year and don't make the signing of someone else next year, why is that not essentially the same (whether they draft someone or not)? It seems to me, IMHO, that you're basing your position on semantics and not the bottom line results. Doesn't make me right and you wrong, or vice versa. It just makes our views different.

Here's my stance. In signing Lawrence, while a great player, you are basically keeping the status quo. What I mean by real FA is going out and bringing in a vet that actually improve you. So no, I don't excuse the Cowboys if they sign Lawrence but then ham fist it again say at S where they trot Heath and Jones out there again next year and we get the same results.

I think it's simply another attempt at trying to figure out ways to excuse this FO from what has been a pretty poor FA plan over the years.

 

[JustChip]

I'm not suggesting that we should have signed Campbell. I just hate this recent mentality around here that free agency never works, as well as the team's arrogance/incompetence in free agency the last few off-seasons.

Also, re-signing our own free agents is crucial but in essence, it's standing pat. We aren't getting better, we are maintaining. This team needs to get better and free agency is a vital factor in improving.

Philosophies and catchy slogans are for t-shirts. Get better however, whenever the opportunity presents itself.

You will never hear me say it never works. It is a tool that, if used properly and intelligently, is very effective. That's no different than the draft. But one difference is a mistake in a big money FA, be it an internal or external FA, can be a albatross around a teams neck for years.

And signing your own is not standing pat as long as you are adding via the draft. Where this team has failed until recently is adding via the draft which forced them into stupid external FA decisions.

The real problem for many is that signing your own isn't as flashy and newsworthy as signing the hot name. It's the Fantasy Football mentality.

 

[KingintheNorth]

I think it's simply another attempt at trying to figure out ways to excuse this FO from what has been a pretty poor FA plan over the years

I shouldn't be, but I am still surprised by the extent that some in this fan base will go to, to excuse Jones' ineptitude as a "GM"

 

[IrishAnto]

Where we diverge is you are seemingly willing to pay him more than I would if it gets the point we have competition for him.

I wouldn't even think about paying him upper echelon ILB money.

Bully for you then.

 

[Sydla]

Bully for you then.

Klein, the LB from New Orleans, is probably about as high as I would go......... technically he's Top 10 AAV money but he has a pretty low guarantee number of $9MM and structured to have a fairly low cap number in Year 1.

 

[JustChip]

Here's my stance. In signing Lawrence, while a great player, you are basically keeping the status quo. What I mean by real FA is going out and bringing in a vet that actually improve you. So no, I don't excuse the Cowboys if they sign Lawrence but then ham fist it again say at S where they trot Heath and Jones out there again next year and we get the same results.

I think it's simply another attempt at trying to figure out ways to excuse this FO from what has been a pretty poor FA plan over the years.

I would argue that, more than a poor FA plan, the failure was poor drafting. And just to be very clear, I'm all about signing an Earl Thomas if he's available. There may be other safeties available, I readily admit I'm no talent scout or expert. But to simply go out and get a JAG safety just to be active in FA makes no sense. That's really what they've been forced to do because of past salary cap and draft decisions.

 

[Nightman]

You will never hear me say it never works. It is a tool that, if used properly and intelligently, is very effective. That's no different than the draft. But one difference is a mistake in a big money FA, be it an internal or external FA, can be a albatross around a teams neck for years.

And signing your own is not standing pat as long as you are adding via the draft. Where this team has failed until recently is adding via the draft which forced them into stupid external FA decisions.

The real problem for many is that signing your own isn't as flashy and newsworthy as signing the hot name. It's the Fantasy Football mentality.

I agree that signing your own guys is still spending on FAs...... a difference without a distinction

The plus is that you know your own guys and all their habits and abilities...... UFAs from other teams may be OK physically but clash mentally with our coaches

You only get drafted players for 4-5 years so keeping them after their rookie deal is not a given..... picking the right ones to sign and the ones to let go is an art and we have been really good at it lately

 

[Big_D]

Not when they can find gems like Carroll, Moore and Paea!!

 

[Sydla]

I would argue that, more than a poor FA plan, the failure was poor drafting. And just to be very clear, I'm all about signing an Earl Thomas if he's available. There may be other safeties available, I readily admit I'm no talent scout or expert. But to simply go out and get a JAG safety just to be active in FA makes no sense. That's really what they've been forced to do because of past salary cap and draft decisions.

It's both.

I do not subscribe to the theory that the only correct way to build a team is through the draft. I think the best franchises have been able to do both and often succeed because of both - smart drafting, quality activity in FA. I think we fail at both, but moreso in FA.

Who said anything about going out and grabbing a JAG safety? That's our issue........ we are all about JAGs and bargain bin guys.

There will be quality safeties out there in FA. A guy like Eric Reid would help us. He also won't be a big ticket FA.

 

[JustChip]

It's both.

I do not subscribe to the theory that the only correct way to build a team is through the draft. I think the best franchises have been able to do both and often succeed because of both - smart drafting, quality activity in FA. I think we fail at both, but moreso in FA.

Who said anything about going out and grabbing a JAG safety? That's our issue........ we are all about JAGs and bargain bin guys.

There will be quality safeties out there in FA. A guy like Eric Reid would help us. He also won't be a big ticket FA.

I'll defer to you on Eric Reid. But, would you advocate signing Eric Reid at the expense of letting D Law walk? I don't know that it comes to that because I don't have the first clue on what Eric Reid will command; I'm just asking conceptually, do you sign an FA at position at the expense of keeping your own at another? Maybe, maybe not. Basically, they may have to make a value decision, the same as we all make in everyday life.

And, yes, the JAG is what they've been doing and it's not worked. What I'm saying is they simply shouldn't have made those signings, but because of cap limitations, those are the only one's they were in the position to make. In that case, the decisions they made were worse than making no decision.

 

[Sydla]

I'll defer to you on Eric Reid. But, would you advocate signing Eric Reid at the expense of letting D Law walk? I don't know that it comes to that because I don't have the first clue on what Eric Reid will command; I'm just asking conceptually, do you sign an FA at position at the expense of keeping your own at another? Maybe, maybe not. Basically, they may have to make a value decision, the same as we all make in everyday life.

And, yes, the JAG is what they've been doing and it's not worked. What I'm saying is they simply shouldn't have made those signings, but because of cap limitations, those are the only one's they were in the position to make. In that case, the decisions they made were worse than making no decision.

No because you can do both. The Cowboys can sign Lawrence and still bring in a mid-priced free agent or two that helps the team.

 

[JustChip]

No because you can do both. The Cowboys can sign Lawrence and still bring in a mid-priced free agent or two that helps the team.

I'll defer to you whether they can do both. However, can you really know for sure until after it's done? Maybe you can do a "what if" analysis based on past contracts, but what Lawrence and a mid-range FA will command will be set by the current market conditions. All it takes is one team to blow the market for both. It's what's plagued baseball for 30 years.

And just to be very, very clear. I'm not advocating building solely through the draft, nor am I advocating building solely through FA. A team has to be successful in both.