CFZ What happened to the “wildcatter” days?

[fairviewfarmer]

Anyone else remember the days when Jerry was the football equivalent of an oil “wildcatter”? A wildcatter is a speculative oil driller who takes great risks to find oil where most would not even consider. Wildcatters take high risks to achieve high rewards. That was the young JJ. Old JJ doesn’t take many risks anymore.

When JJ was a wildcatter, he was the most aggressive GM in the league. It wasn’t always good. Sometimes it was bad. But he was aggressive. Here are some examples.

• Hiring Jimmy Johnson out U of Miami was a great risk
• The Herschel Walker trade
• Signing Deion Sanders as a FA
• Making trades for big play WRs (yes they were bad trades, but he was being aggressive)
• Signing La’el Collins as an UFA (a guy with first round talent but had a criminal inquiry at time of draft)

I know I’m forgetting some moves. Point is. Where did the wildcatter go?

These days, the NFL wildcatters are Les Snead, GM of the rams who has made more aggressive moves than any other GM. Or Jason Licht, GM of the Bucs who aggressively pursued Tom Brady and has made multiple FA signings. Or Brett Veach, GM of the chiefs? Tons of trades and FA moves. Their teams have won the last 3 SBs.

What happened to our wildcatter?

The salary cap happened, and Jerry isn't good at Math and budgets.

 

[JayFord]

Stephen runs the team and who they sign he's been doing it for awhile. And Stephen isn't bringing in players unless they want to work for the low

 

[Motorola]

He drafts second round players, with injuries and such hoping to hit on a Hall of Famer.

BINGO 'jvb'... wildcatter Jones still thinking making NFL team decisions on a hunch - that came out good three dacades ago - versus doing it thorough research -'which should totally u
be under Will McClay IMO.

 

[Blast From The Past]

Anyone else remember the days when Jerry was the football equivalent of an oil “wildcatter”? A wildcatter is a speculative oil driller who takes great risks to find oil where most would not even consider. Wildcatters take high risks to achieve high rewards. That was the young JJ. Old JJ doesn’t take many risks anymore.

When JJ was a wildcatter, he was the most aggressive GM in the league. It wasn’t always good. Sometimes it was bad. But he was aggressive. Here are some examples.

• Hiring Jimmy Johnson out U of Miami was a great risk
• The Herschel Walker trade
• Signing Deion Sanders as a FA
• Making trades for big play WRs (yes they were bad trades, but he was being aggressive)
• Signing La’el Collins as an UFA (a guy with first round talent but had a criminal inquiry at time of draft)

I know I’m forgetting some moves. Point is. Where did the wildcatter go?

These days, the NFL wildcatters are Les Snead, GM of the rams who has made more aggressive moves than any other GM. Or Jason Licht, GM of the Bucs who aggressively pursued Tom Brady and has made multiple FA signings. Or Brett Veach, GM of the chiefs? Tons of trades and FA moves. Their teams have won the last 3 SBs.

What happened to our wildcatter?

Howie Rosen should be on that list. Dude wheels and deals.

 

[MarcusRock]

Jerry only "wildcats" when it comes to money.

Was waiting for the "and women" add-on but maybe you're a daughter of his and are covering up for him.

 

[maryquality]

Was waiting for the "and women" add-on but maybe you're a daughter of his and are covering up for him.

Ha ha!! I wish!!

 

[john van brocklin]

BINGO 'jvb'... wildcatter Jones still thinking making NFL team decisions on a hunch - that came out good three dacades ago - versus doing it thorough research -'which should totally u
be under Will McClay IMO.

Nailed it.
This team would be so better off with a professional GM.
Instead Jerry plays fantasy football with the Cowboys.
Meanwhile us long-suffering fans continue to well, suffer.

 

[Sheepherder]

Nailed it.
This team would be so better off with a professional GM.
Instead Jerry plays fantasy football with the Cowboys.
Meanwhile us long-suffering fans continue to well, suffer.

I thought GMs work all year around in the NFL. Jerry just pops in when the media gets cranked up. He loves that glory---- and money more than he loves himself.

 

[cmoney23]

This most recent version of Jerry and the Cowboys seems to be more "plan based"

They draft their guys. Develop them. Try to keep them. Rinse-Repeat. The only deviation to that plan seems to be out of desperation. That's why, I think, that they will do something desperate once they see if the line works out. We lack some foresight here. But we are sticking to the plan.

 

[DoctorChicken]

I’d like to see more of that wildcatter. The last aggressive move we made was trading for Cooper, and that ended up saving the season. Even then, they only did it once they were forced to realize Beasley is not an NFL #1 receiver.

 

[dckid]

Anyone else remember the days when Jerry was the football equivalent of an oil “wildcatter”? A wildcatter is a speculative oil driller who takes great risks to find oil where most would not even consider. Wildcatters take high risks to achieve high rewards. That was the young JJ. Old JJ doesn’t take many risks anymore.

When JJ was a wildcatter, he was the most aggressive GM in the league. It wasn’t always good. Sometimes it was bad. But he was aggressive. Here are some examples.

• Hiring Jimmy Johnson out U of Miami was a great risk
• The Herschel Walker trade
• Signing Deion Sanders as a FA
• Making trades for big play WRs (yes they were bad trades, but he was being aggressive)
• Signing La’el Collins as an UFA (a guy with first round talent but had a criminal inquiry at time of draft)

I know I’m forgetting some moves. Point is. Where did the wildcatter go?

These days, the NFL wildcatters are Les Snead, GM of the rams who has made more aggressive moves than any other GM. Or Jason Licht, GM of the Bucs who aggressively pursued Tom Brady and has made multiple FA signings. Or Brett Veach, GM of the chiefs? Tons of trades and FA moves. Their teams have won the last 3 SBs.

What happened to our wildcatter?

@Bobhaze,
You are forever the optimist and I applaud you for that but also I think you are missing what has really been happening over the past 25+ years.
Jerry does not have the passion for winning like he did when he came into the league. He is just a man who has reached all his goals:
It's human nature, he has done it all according to his view of the world.

-3 time SB champ. There is not another owner with more rings than him other than Robert Kraft
-HOF member
-Most valuable Franchise in the league far and away, and the gap is getting wider. More revenue, more profit, more name value.
-He can technically say he won a SB his way with Barry, actually that is the first they they both said

Because of all that above, and him realizing after firing Parcells that the secret to his success is to always be in the mix.
8-8,7-9, 9-7, he is 100% satisfied with that outcome on a yearly basis. He just constantly needs the Cowboys to be good enough to be in the playoff picture
If they team is 8-8 going into week 17 and can be flexed to Sunday night against the Eagles with the playoffs on the line Jerry is over the moon.

His worst outcome is to go 3-14, 5-12 as the team will be flexed out, viewership will be down, ESPN , FOXsports, all the talking heads will ignore a bad team. If he is out of the spotlight it is considered a loss.
When Dak was out for the season, he did everything he could to keep on trying to win. The best way to reset is to bottom out and rebuild.
Even Jimmy ripped the Cowboys down to the foundation and scaffolding, 1-15 to a SB win in 4 years, but by year 3 they had won a playoff game and year two they were 7-9 an Aikman injury away from knocking on the playoffs that year. (1990), look it up.

Just think about what we are as a fanbase asking Jerry to do? We want him to hire a GM, have a team and culture building plan. The media and fanbase was all over him when he fired Jimmy, but even the NFL media and league love this useful idiot. That is literally what he is for the NFL.
The NFL is better when the Cowboys are discussed, they don't need to win a SB for them to be hated or loved. Of course both those extremes would be even better if they were competing for a SB. The press/ media no longer mocks Jerry for being the GM, its as though they have adjusted.
And credit to Jerry he and org are better at drafting , I would even say above the league average. The problem is as a whole this team is not managed to win. You need to come into work every day and you goal has to be how can this team make the SB. Unfortunately that SB is probably 10th on his to do list.
If Jerry does hire a GM and big name coach, for example a Shanny or McVay type and they win a SB, Jerry will get zero credit and fans will ask why the heck did he not hire a similar combination 15 years ago. Jerry has too much to lose from his ego perspective.

This team is really at its worst shape historically speaking, we haven't sniffed a Championship game since 1995 and SB appearance the same year. 27 years.
The drought prior was 14 years I think, 1978 to 1992 and even then all my friends going up would say the Cowboys havent been relevant for a long time back with the Niners, Giants, Skins were winning.

I think this needs it own thread.. lol
Would love all your comments.

 

[McKDaddy]

Can you do a poll to see how many posters would prefer "Moneyball" vs "Wildcatter" approach?

IMO either can work but neither change that you need to have a very realistic view of your team and the players you acquire. Isn't the real issue that they rarely seem to have a realistic view of where the roster stands nor player productivity \ value ratio.

 

[McKDaddy]

It seemed to stop after the Carr signing.

They didn't like paying "full retail".

 

[McKDaddy]

What happened to our wildcatter?

I have to wonder if part of it is they aren't convinced any actions will get them over the hump with the current team.

 

[eromeopolk]

Anyone else remember the days when Jerry was the football equivalent of an oil “wildcatter”? A wildcatter is a speculative oil driller who takes great risks to find oil where most would not even consider. Wildcatters take high risks to achieve high rewards. That was the young JJ. Old JJ doesn’t take many risks anymore.

When JJ was a wildcatter, he was the most aggressive GM in the league. It wasn’t always good. Sometimes it was bad. But he was aggressive. Here are some examples.

• Hiring Jimmy Johnson out U of Miami was a great risk
• The Herschel Walker trade
• Signing Deion Sanders as a FA
• Making trades for big play WRs (yes they were bad trades, but he was being aggressive)
• Signing La’el Collins as an UFA (a guy with first round talent but had a criminal inquiry at time of draft)

I know I’m forgetting some moves. Point is. Where did the wildcatter go?

These days, the NFL wildcatters are Les Snead, GM of the rams who has made more aggressive moves than any other GM. Or Jason Licht, GM of the Bucs who aggressively pursued Tom Brady and has made multiple FA signings. Or Brett Veach, GM of the chiefs? Tons of trades and FA moves. Their teams have won the last 3 SBs.

What happened to our wildcatter?

Jimmy Johnson, GM/Head Coach was fired, Bob Ackles,VP of Pro Personnel was Fired, and John Wooten Director of Pro Player Personnel left. That's what happen to the Wild Catter Jerry Jones that traded for Galloway, traded for Roy Williams WR, passed on Randy Moss, let Darrin Smith, Ken Norton, Kevin Gogan, Ron Stone, Randall Godfrey, Jimmy Smith, Canty, Spears, Hatcher, and others walk with many going to Super Bowl teams.

He never built the Cowboys Dynasty as the last 26 years have proven beyond a reasonable doubt and based on the preponderance of evidence.

 

[Pass2Run]

Anyone else remember the days when Jerry was the football equivalent of an oil “wildcatter”? A wildcatter is a speculative oil driller who takes great risks to find oil where most would not even consider. Wildcatters take high risks to achieve high rewards. That was the young JJ. Old JJ doesn’t take many risks anymore.

When JJ was a wildcatter, he was the most aggressive GM in the league. It wasn’t always good. Sometimes it was bad. But he was aggressive. Here are some examples.

• Hiring Jimmy Johnson out U of Miami was a great risk
• The Herschel Walker trade
• Signing Deion Sanders as a FA
• Making trades for big play WRs (yes they were bad trades, but he was being aggressive)
• Signing La’el Collins as an UFA (a guy with first round talent but had a criminal inquiry at time of draft)

I know I’m forgetting some moves. Point is. Where did the wildcatter go?

These days, the NFL wildcatters are Les Snead, GM of the rams who has made more aggressive moves than any other GM. Or Jason Licht, GM of the Bucs who aggressively pursued Tom Brady and has made multiple FA signings. Or Brett Each, GM of the chiefs? Tons of trades and FA moves. Their teams have won the last 3 SBs.

What happened to our wildcatter?

If it all works out with Peters, I think it's still there. He's just more calculated and I for one can appreciate the formula he's using with this particular team. That is, if he gets the Peters deal done. That's the final piece to this puzzle. The fact he waited this long to sign a serviceable tackle might mean he's still sort of a wildcatter. Just in a different way. This was a big risk. I hope he gets it straightened out.

 

[gimmesix]

It seemed to stop after the Carr signing. A whole different philosophy emerged in what types of free agents and their contracts would be acquired.

Do not know the specific reasons why.

They spent big on Carr and he didn't play up to the contract, so they decided outside free agents aren't worth the big money you have to spend on them (some truth to that). They switched to a philosophy that rewards their own and fills in the gap with cheap FAs, whether it's players who have potential but haven't fully reached it or proven players with question marks such as injury.

This philosophy hasn't exactly worked out for them.

 

[Pass2Run]

Can you do a poll to see how many posters would prefer "Moneyball" vs "Wildcatter" approach?

IMO either can work but neither change that you need to have a very realistic view of your team and the players you acquire. Isn't the real issue that they rarely seem to have a realistic view of where the roster stands nor player productivity \ value ratio.

The past couple of years, they seem to be getting better on this.

In my view, in the past, they put too much of the onus on Romo. It shouldn't have been that way. He had a decent line like two years of his career. The rest of the time he was running for his life.

And no consistently good/great defenses.

 

[cowboyed]

Anyone else remember the days when Jerry was the football equivalent of an oil “wildcatter”? A wildcatter is a speculative oil driller who takes great risks to find oil where most would not even consider. Wildcatters take high risks to achieve high rewards. That was the young JJ. Old JJ doesn’t take many risks anymore.

When JJ was a wildcatter, he was the most aggressive GM in the league. It wasn’t always good. Sometimes it was bad. But he was aggressive. Here are some examples.

• Hiring Jimmy Johnson out U of Miami was a great risk
• The Herschel Walker trade
• Signing Deion Sanders as a FA
• Making trades for big play WRs (yes they were bad trades, but he was being aggressive)
• Signing La’el Collins as an UFA (a guy with first round talent but had a criminal inquiry at time of draft)

I know I’m forgetting some moves. Point is. Where did the wildcatter go?

These days, the NFL wildcatters are Les Snead, GM of the rams who has made more aggressive moves than any other GM. Or Jason Licht, GM of the Bucs who aggressively pursued Tom Brady and has made multiple FA signings. Or Brett Veach, GM of the chiefs? Tons of trades and FA moves. Their teams have won the last 3 SBs.

What happened to our wildcatter?

Well all the blowout preventers on Jerry's oil rigs are being recalled.

 

[Bobhaze]

They spent big on Carr and he didn't play up to the contract, so they decided outside free agents aren't worth the big money you have to spend on them (some truth to that). They switched to a philosophy that rewards their own and fills in the gap with cheap FAs, whether it's players who have potential but haven't fully reached it or proven players with question marks such as injury.

This philosophy hasn't exactly worked out for them.

The FA signing thing doesn’t have to be “all or nothing”. In other words they don’t have sign a bunch of big dollar FAs. Being successful with FAs is really about being strategic, and doing your homework on what kind of players could best complement what your draft is providing.

And they could stop insulting us with the “saving cap space” talk. Because the teams contending for SBs the last decade care less about cap space and more about being aggressive now. Sure you have to manage it, but Stephen acts like the cap space gods are his master. Meanwhile people like Les Snead of the rams, Jason Licht of the Bucs, and Brett Veach of the chiefs are all saying , “Hold my beer”.