CFZ Why are the Cowboys so reluctant to make trades the last decade?

[viman96]

Simple. Stephen Jones. He took over for Jerry and wanted to avoid being in cap hell. IMO he was also greatly influenced how the Patriots operated at the time and has not evolved.

 

[Diehardblues]

This is the life of a part time GM and VP who wear owners hats as well. It’s always been a conflict of interest.

They simply don’t make the time to research . It’s too much effort . And they like their guys until it collapses.

They’ll make desperation trades like they did for Cooper, Galloway and Roy Williams. And give up too much cause of situation.

 

[CowboyRoy]

I believe it very much has to do with your second statement. Seems like every time he tries to make a trade for a big name he gets fleeced. The player either plays like dog#$@& for Dallas or gets a major injury.

In order to make trades you have to do a lot of research. You have be creative in finding teams that might want your player, need your player, and have something that you also want. And you have to constantly probe and be in contact with teams around the league having open dialogues.

Jones as a GM simiply doenst have time for that.

 

[speedkilz88]

Might have been worth kicking the tires

He was a bust at RT for the Bills. They moved him to OG and still decided to move on from the former 2nd round pick.

 

[john van brocklin]

I find it interesting that the Cowboys are one of the least likely teams in the NFL to make trades. And when they do, it usually involves either a first round pick or a 6-7th round pick- almost never involves a player for player trade.

In the last decade, the Cowboys have made 22 trades, which is near the bottom of NFL teams making trades. I find that interesting. In the last decade, New England has made a whopping 67 trades, KC 40, and Balt 34. Making trades in and of itself doesn’t guarantee anything, but it does make me wonder why our FO is so reluctant to do them when for example we could really use a swing T.

Some other interesting aspect of our trade habits the last decade:

• Of the 22 trades we’ve made, 8 involved DL.
• Only 3 of those 22 trades involved a player for player swap.
• Of those 22 trades, 13 involved defensive players.
• The most common trade capital used has been 6th and 7th round picks.

Why are the Cowboys so reluctant to make a trade? With an obvious need at OL depth, and with some current depth at DL, wouldn’t it make sense to get some help via trade?

Thoughts?

I think they don't have confidence in their ability to evaluate players from other teams.
Could be one reason why they are so cautious in free agency ?

 

[john van brocklin]

I find it interesting that the Cowboys are one of the least likely teams in the NFL to make trades. And when they do, it usually involves either a first round pick or a 6-7th round pick- almost never involves a player for player trade.

In the last decade, the Cowboys have made 22 trades, which is near the bottom of NFL teams making trades. I find that interesting. In the last decade, New England has made a whopping 67 trades, KC 40, and Balt 34. Making trades in and of itself doesn’t guarantee anything, but it does make me wonder why our FO is so reluctant to do them when for example we could really use a swing T.

Some other interesting aspect of our trade habits the last decade:

• Of the 22 trades we’ve made, 8 involved DL.
• Only 3 of those 22 trades involved a player for player swap.
• Of those 22 trades, 13 involved defensive players.
• The most common trade capital used has been 6th and 7th round picks.

Why are the Cowboys so reluctant to make a trade? With an obvious need at OL depth, and with some current depth at DL, wouldn’t it make sense to get some help via trade?

Thoughts?

They are not " our guys " ?

 

[Blackrain]

So true. I spent some time watching what Les Snead, the GM of the rams has done the last 4 years. Two NFC championships, 2 SBs with two different QBs, one Lombardi, a ton of trades and FA moves, and a lot less draft capital than the Cowboys have. And they are poised to compete again this year.

Meanwhile Les Snead also has zero radio shows during the season but does do a very informative podcast in the off-season. Young GMs like Snead who’s 51, KC’s 45 year old Brett Veach, and Tampa Bay’s 50 year old GM Jason Licht , have 5 conference championships and 3 Lombardis in the last 4 years. And we have an 80 yr old narcissist and his 58 year old buffoon #1 son with weekly radio shows and a 27 year drought of playoff accomplishments.

It's a very sad frustrating situation bullet we are fans of a fabled team that we grew up watching that made us proud because it was pain-sakingly built by people whose best attributes were being the architects of building and running a team.

Now we sit in total frustration watching the galactically inept team building principles of Texas's version of the Beverly hillbillies.

As capable as Jerry is of marketing and making money he is just that incapable of building a super bowl contender but is way too proud to know his limitation and admit it.

He just won't tap out and give a younger more qualified man a chance to give his fans what they yearn for as the franchise being worth the most in the NFL means absolutely nothing to us fans it's not even close to being a consolation prize to the fact we have suffered 27 years of failure along with watching the eagles win a super bowl in that length of time before us.

When that didn't trigger Jerry to make a change I knew nothing would.

I look at it this way you and I have been Cowboy fans since the '60s The last thing we would ever let happen would be let the eagles win a super bowl before we did.

Jerry wasn't a Cowboys fan until he bought them he wasn't a fan of the Cowboys from the time he was a kid like we were but he was a fan of money and still is and that's why we will continue to be run in this inept way

 

[Bobhaze]

Player for player swaps seem to be a very low percentage of trades the past decade. Do you have those numbers?

It's definitely lower than in the early nineties.

I don’t have the exact numbers but it could be compiled. Here’s a link to what I used for most of my info in the OP:
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/transactions/dallas-cowboys/trade/

You are certainly right that the number of player for player trades have dropped dramatically. I think it’s because of the cap and how complicated things get with player contracts these days in relationship to each team’s cap.

 

[Flamma]

I find it interesting that the Cowboys are one of the least likely teams in the NFL to make trades. And when they do, it usually involves either a first round pick or a 6-7th round pick- almost never involves a player for player trade.

In the last decade, the Cowboys have made 22 trades, which is near the bottom of NFL teams making trades. I find that interesting. In the last decade, New England has made a whopping 67 trades, KC 40, and Balt 34. Making trades in and of itself doesn’t guarantee anything, but it does make me wonder why our FO is so reluctant to do them when for example we could really use a swing T.

Some other interesting aspect of our trade habits the last decade:

• Of the 22 trades we’ve made, 8 involved DL.
• Only 3 of those 22 trades involved a player for player swap.
• Of those 22 trades, 13 involved defensive players.
• The most common trade capital used has been 6th and 7th round picks.

Why are the Cowboys so reluctant to make a trade? With an obvious need at OL depth, and with some current depth at DL, wouldn’t it make sense to get some help via trade?

Thoughts?

I think it is a result of their new SOP. After moving up in the draft for Morris Claiborne, and picking up Carr in FA, they went to a completely new approach. Which is, don't do any of it. That isn't to say they will never do it, as we saw them trade for Cooper. But it's rare now. The treat trading as an extension to free agency. With the Cooper trade being the exception. I'd also fall off my chair if they ever moved up in the first 2 rounds for a player in the draft.

 

[kskboys]

I find it interesting that the Cowboys are one of the least likely teams in the NFL to make trades. And when they do, it usually involves either a first round pick or a 6-7th round pick- almost never involves a player for player trade.

In the last decade, the Cowboys have made 22 trades, which is near the bottom of NFL teams making trades. I find that interesting. In the last decade, New England has made a whopping 67 trades, KC 40, and Balt 34. Making trades in and of itself doesn’t guarantee anything, but it does make me wonder why our FO is so reluctant to do them when for example we could really use a swing T.

Some other interesting aspect of our trade habits the last decade:

• Of the 22 trades we’ve made, 8 involved DL.
• Only 3 of those 22 trades involved a player for player swap.
• Of those 22 trades, 13 involved defensive players.
• The most common trade capital used has been 6th and 7th round picks.

Why are the Cowboys so reluctant to make a trade? With an obvious need at OL depth, and with some current depth at DL, wouldn’t it make sense to get some help via trade?

Thoughts?

Because Jerry is so incredibly bad at player evaluation. Taints everything about this team.

 

[sunalsorises]

How many of those trades has Dallas “won”? I’d be interested to see if their “win” percentage is on par with other teams who trade more often.

I also think Dallas drafts well despite their propensity to take second round gambles so giving up picks is a bit more costly.

It could really come down to the same reason they don’t chase names in free agency.

 

[Bobhaze]

How many of those trades has Dallas “won”? I’d be interested to see if their “win” percentage is on par with other teams who trade more often.

I also think Dallas drafts well despite their propensity to take second round gambles so giving up picks is a bit more costly.

It could really come down to the same reason they don’t chase names in free agency.

Well you can judge for yourself. Here’s a link to every trade the Cowboys have made in the last 10 or more years:
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/transactions/dallas-cowboys/trade/

 

[atlantacowboy]

I find it interesting that the Cowboys are one of the least likely teams in the NFL to make trades. And when they do, it usually involves either a first round pick or a 6-7th round pick- almost never involves a player for player trade.

In the last decade, the Cowboys have made 22 trades, which is near the bottom of NFL teams making trades. I find that interesting. In the last decade, New England has made a whopping 67 trades, KC 40, and Balt 34. Making trades in and of itself doesn’t guarantee anything, but it does make me wonder why our FO is so reluctant to do them when for example we could really use a swing T.

Some other interesting aspect of our trade habits the last decade:

• Of the 22 trades we’ve made, 8 involved DL.
• Only 3 of those 22 trades involved a player for player swap.
• Of those 22 trades, 13 involved defensive players.
• The most common trade capital used has been 6th and 7th round picks.

Why are the Cowboys so reluctant to make a trade? With an obvious need at OL depth, and with some current depth at DL, wouldn’t it make sense to get some help via trade?

Thoughts?

It takes an expertise and "feel" for the league to pull off wheeling and dealing in free agency. We don't have that expertise in Dallas. Its just easier to draft and re-sign our own guys.

 

[Cowboyluck]

They get their *** handed to them every time they make a trade.

 

[sunalsorises]

Well you can judge for yourself. Here’s a link to every trade the Cowboys have made in the last 10 or more years:
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/transactions/dallas-cowboys/trade/

After a quick look I’d say Brice Butler and Rolando McClain were net gains. Robert Quinn maybe. Amari Cooper close but he did cost a one.

Christine Michael was a bomb. They cut him and he went back to Seattle.

The QBs are tough to determine. They were acquired based on a bit of desperation. Cassel was bad, though.

it’s worth a deeper dive later.

 

[xwalker]

I don’t have the exact numbers but it could be compiled. Here’s a link to what I used for most of my info in the OP:
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/transactions/dallas-cowboys/trade/

You are certainly right that the number of player for player trades have dropped dramatically. I think it’s because of the cap and how complicated things get with player contracts these days in relationship to each team’s cap.

Specific to the Cowboys, I think Stephen Jones would make a trade if he believed they were really "1 player away". However, he saw too many failures of the "1 player away" approach by Jerry from 1996 up through the Brandon Carr free agent contract.

Stephen Jones started taking over as the "Acting GM" in 2014. He was the reason Will McClay was promoted to the top talent eval job that year.

Stephen completely took over once Garrett was gone. SJ hired McCarthy and McCarthy reports to him, whereas Garrett reported to Jerry.

Basically everything goes though SJ before it gets to Jerry.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Because for the most part they suck at it...

 

[ClappingCarrot]

I don't feel like there's a lot of player for player trades in the NFL anymore. You see it a lot in the NBA, MLB, and NHL.

What was the last Cowboys player for player trade? Switzer for Jihad Ward (who I don't think even made the team)?

 

[kskboys]

Because for the most part they suck at it...

Yes. They suck at it because they refuse to do the work required of front office personnel, so they do not understand player evaluations at the NFL level.

 

[birdwells1]

Those players are other GM’s players.

This is the jist of it.....the Joneses crave acknowledgment over all things and to have a mostly all drafted team win a super bowl is more important than winning a super bowl with other teams players. Jerry and Stephen dream of the day that they can win the SB and stick it to all the naysayers and truly be able to say "we did it our way babyyyyyyyyy".