whitey_aw
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http://www.dcfanatic.typepad.com//dc...kly/index.html
With DC changing his site up, it's a little different of a format, but the same general idea. Anyways, here's the first article from his new and improved site.
Whiteys Weekly
March 03, 2008
Whitey's Weekly: Holding Steady
A few days into free agency, and Dallas Cowboys fans are starting to get restless. They see all the big name unrestricted free agents flying off the market. Names like Asante Samuel and Bernard Berrian – two players many Cowboy fans had dreams of coming to Dallas – are long gone, signing monster deals elsewhere.
So what are the Cowboys waiting for? Most years they seem to make at least one or two big signings during free agency, but so far this year, they’ve done little.
Well, that’s because the Dallas Cowboys have already had their free agency period.
In keeping their own key free agents – Ken Hamlin, Flozell Adams, and Marion Barber – the Cowboys have done what they needed to do. They made sure the core of a 13-3 team, which had a first round bye in the playoffs, stayed in tact.
If you look at those three players, they would have been the top safety, offensive linemen, and running back on the market. Keeping them was integral for the future success of this team.
The Cowboys have been looking for a free safety ever since the Cowboys all-time leading tackler, Darren Woodson, retired. They finally found one in Ken Hamlin, and keeping him was priority number one in free agency, evident by the fact the team slapped him with the franchise tag – the first time they have used it since Flozell Adams was tagged in 2002.
With Marion Barber, the team may have the successor to Emmitt Smith finally. Sure, he doesn’t even have a 1,000 yard season under his belt yet, and some fans dream of Darren McFadden, but Marion Barber is the heart and soul of this offense. He makes it tick. Gives it that emotional spark that Michael Irvin used to provide back in the 90’s. Keeping him was another must. Next is figuring out how much money to give him on a long-term deal.
And lastly, Flozell Adams. How many fans would feel comfortable with either Doug Free, Pat McQuistan, or, gulp, Leonard Davis protecting Tony Romo’s blind side next year? You simply do not hand out a 67 million dollar contract to a quarterback, and then have an inexperienced left tackle protecting his blind side, especially when you have a guy on your roster that went to four of the last five Pro Bowls.
With these three guys being brought back by the team, the Dallas Cowboys have already had their major free agent signings. Keeping them was much more important than bringing in another high priced free agent that would have to learn another system.
And yes, the Cowboys will no doubt bring in a few players for competition at some spots later in the free agency period. Zach Thomas is exactly a signing like that. But the risk there is minimal. Thomas was only given a one million dollar signing bonus, and if he can come in healthy, that was an absolute steal in free agency. If not, no big deal, as the Cowboys didn’t commit a long-term deal to him. But there is just no need for the team to shell out a double-digit signing bonus to any other free agents this year.
So while other - generally much worse - teams keep spending millions and millions of dollars in free agency, do not panic just because the Dallas Cowboys are keeping the status quo this offseason.
This was a 13-3 football team, who just happens to be one of the youngest teams in the league as well. There is no need to bring in another high-priced free agent, especially when the team still has two first round picks in the upcoming entry draft. There is no glaring need on the team.
Sure they could use a deep threat at receiver, and a new nickel corner is now a must, but look at the type of money that would have cost the Cowboys this year. Bernard Berrian, the best deep threat available at wide receiver, just signed a six year, forty-two million dollar contract. That’s barely less than Terrell Owens was making per season, for a guy who has never had a 1,000 yard season in his career.
And Jacques Reeves, the teams nickel corner last year, received a five year, twenty million dollar deal. Anyone who watched a Cowboys game last year knows that type of money being thrown around is ludicrous. Reeves is a low-end third corner, yet he’s getting paid like a high-end second corner.
So while the Cowboys don’t spend a lot this offseason, just remember it is with good reason. They kept their team in tact, and still have two first round picks to improve the team with. It’s not time to panic just because other teams are throwing around millions of dollars.
Just keep in mind that those teams are doing that to try and get to the level that your Dallas Cowboys are already at.
Whitey_aw@hotmail.com
Posted at 03:38 PM in Whiteys Weekly | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
With DC changing his site up, it's a little different of a format, but the same general idea. Anyways, here's the first article from his new and improved site.
Whiteys Weekly
March 03, 2008
Whitey's Weekly: Holding Steady
A few days into free agency, and Dallas Cowboys fans are starting to get restless. They see all the big name unrestricted free agents flying off the market. Names like Asante Samuel and Bernard Berrian – two players many Cowboy fans had dreams of coming to Dallas – are long gone, signing monster deals elsewhere.
So what are the Cowboys waiting for? Most years they seem to make at least one or two big signings during free agency, but so far this year, they’ve done little.
Well, that’s because the Dallas Cowboys have already had their free agency period.
In keeping their own key free agents – Ken Hamlin, Flozell Adams, and Marion Barber – the Cowboys have done what they needed to do. They made sure the core of a 13-3 team, which had a first round bye in the playoffs, stayed in tact.
If you look at those three players, they would have been the top safety, offensive linemen, and running back on the market. Keeping them was integral for the future success of this team.
The Cowboys have been looking for a free safety ever since the Cowboys all-time leading tackler, Darren Woodson, retired. They finally found one in Ken Hamlin, and keeping him was priority number one in free agency, evident by the fact the team slapped him with the franchise tag – the first time they have used it since Flozell Adams was tagged in 2002.
With Marion Barber, the team may have the successor to Emmitt Smith finally. Sure, he doesn’t even have a 1,000 yard season under his belt yet, and some fans dream of Darren McFadden, but Marion Barber is the heart and soul of this offense. He makes it tick. Gives it that emotional spark that Michael Irvin used to provide back in the 90’s. Keeping him was another must. Next is figuring out how much money to give him on a long-term deal.
And lastly, Flozell Adams. How many fans would feel comfortable with either Doug Free, Pat McQuistan, or, gulp, Leonard Davis protecting Tony Romo’s blind side next year? You simply do not hand out a 67 million dollar contract to a quarterback, and then have an inexperienced left tackle protecting his blind side, especially when you have a guy on your roster that went to four of the last five Pro Bowls.
With these three guys being brought back by the team, the Dallas Cowboys have already had their major free agent signings. Keeping them was much more important than bringing in another high priced free agent that would have to learn another system.
And yes, the Cowboys will no doubt bring in a few players for competition at some spots later in the free agency period. Zach Thomas is exactly a signing like that. But the risk there is minimal. Thomas was only given a one million dollar signing bonus, and if he can come in healthy, that was an absolute steal in free agency. If not, no big deal, as the Cowboys didn’t commit a long-term deal to him. But there is just no need for the team to shell out a double-digit signing bonus to any other free agents this year.
So while other - generally much worse - teams keep spending millions and millions of dollars in free agency, do not panic just because the Dallas Cowboys are keeping the status quo this offseason.
This was a 13-3 football team, who just happens to be one of the youngest teams in the league as well. There is no need to bring in another high-priced free agent, especially when the team still has two first round picks in the upcoming entry draft. There is no glaring need on the team.
Sure they could use a deep threat at receiver, and a new nickel corner is now a must, but look at the type of money that would have cost the Cowboys this year. Bernard Berrian, the best deep threat available at wide receiver, just signed a six year, forty-two million dollar contract. That’s barely less than Terrell Owens was making per season, for a guy who has never had a 1,000 yard season in his career.
And Jacques Reeves, the teams nickel corner last year, received a five year, twenty million dollar deal. Anyone who watched a Cowboys game last year knows that type of money being thrown around is ludicrous. Reeves is a low-end third corner, yet he’s getting paid like a high-end second corner.
So while the Cowboys don’t spend a lot this offseason, just remember it is with good reason. They kept their team in tact, and still have two first round picks to improve the team with. It’s not time to panic just because other teams are throwing around millions of dollars.
Just keep in mind that those teams are doing that to try and get to the level that your Dallas Cowboys are already at.
Whitey_aw@hotmail.com
Posted at 03:38 PM in Whiteys Weekly | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)