Why are there so many 1 year deals?

[Chasing6]

@doomsday9084 's got it pretty much spot on...i'd go further that Jerry knows he messed up 2024, but now he's given the Dak contract and just as importantly didn't retool (12 months ago) when we had pieces to trade away, he's left in no man's land.
The 1 year contracts are an attempt to catch lightening in a bottle whilst not blocking the plethora of underachieving and injured draft picks of recent years.
Its another post season based on the Hope strategy.

Just wait and see what position he will be in when Micah gets $42M a year.

 

[gimmesix]

So it has nothing to do with being cheap. They are trying to build a team for a 4 or 5 year run.
it is just they need an elite player to take them there. That is where they go wrong.

Yeah, it isn't that they don't need the one-year, prove-it guys. It's just that if that's all you ever get, the chances of improving outside of through the draft are very low.

We can't expect these players to suddenly turn into superstars here. Some may turn into solid contributors who deserve bigger deals, but that is the true ceiling while our front office is betting on finding a gem. That does happen, but it's rare.

 

[CowboyoWales]

LOL.......as usual, Jerry trying to clean up his mess.
* Signing Allen Hurns to replace Dez
* Drafting Zeke 4th overall after refusing to keep DeMarco Murray or find a quality replacement.

Every time he sets us back 3-4 years........coz his refusal to trust quality outside free agents.

Yep, that's it, add the WR by committee and having to trade a 1st for Amari.

 

[KingCorcoran]

If this team was serious about rebuilding it would trade micha and get as much draft capital as possible, trade back from 12 and get more picks and then setup for 6 - 7 picks in the top 100 next year.

Imagine having 2 1sts next year in the top 10, and 2 to 3 picks in each of the 2nd and 3rd rounds...they absolutely could do that if they wanted to

Along with so many teams doing one year deals with free agents, they’re not trading 1st round picks. Maybe a team will swap 1sts in a deal, but no team is going to have their fans sit out day one of the NFL draft. The picks given up in the Tunsil deal involved a now rarely traded 2nd. No team is giving up a 1st for Parsons. Probably not a second.

Top talent on cost controlled rookie deals is what allows a team to pay their star players $30+ million per season. Giving that up for a guy wanting top dollar is tantamount to taking one step forward and two steps back. The Cowboys with Parsons on a rookie deal are a third place team. This dream of moving Parsons to build a future is just that. A dream. Wake up.

 

[Jarntt]

It's the type of player they are signing more than anything. These are backups and rotation guys who don't have a ton of leverage and who we don't necessarily want to commit to and from the players perspective they are probably thinking they may be able to earn more PT with the Cowboys and a bigger deal elsewhere.

 

[Chasing6]

Along with so many teams doing one year deals with free agents, they’re not trading 1st round picks. Maybe a team will swap 1sts in a deal, but no team is going to have their fans sit out day one of the NFL draft. The picks given up in the Tunsil deal involved a now rarely traded 2nd. No team is giving up a 1st for Parsons. Probably not a second.

Top talent on cost controlled rookie deals is what allows a team to pay their star players $30+ million per season. Giving that up for a guy wanting top dollar is tantamount to taking one step forward and two steps back. The Cowboys with Parsons on a rookie deal are a third place team. This dream of moving Parsons to build a future is just that. A dream. Wake up.

Stephen might be ok with letting him walk next year round for a 3rd Comp pick.

 

[Jarntt]

I had really doubted the theory that Jerry and sons are cash poor (in the sense of it being tied up in other ventures) but the more time goes on the more I believe it

The thing a lot of people struggle with is the difference between wealth and cash. There is no doubt they are incredibly wealthy, but there is also no doubt they are reluctant to spend cash on this football team for some reason. I don't know what the reason is, but if they have it then it's even worse because it means they refuse to use it to help the team improve.

 

[SwagSurfer]

Cowboys doing the equivalent of a person with $10 to their name and buying 10 $1 scratch offs hoping they hit on 1.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Comp picks are at end of the round. So a 5th is basically an early 6th.

No, a 5th is a late 5th. A 6th is a late 6th. A 7th is a late 7th.

 

[big dog cowboy]

* Drafting Zeke 4th overall after refusing to keep DeMarco Murray or find a quality replacement.

Murray wanted to much $$$. So draft a rookie deal for 5 years made a ton of sense.

The problem is Jerry drafted the wrong RB. But still, the concept made a lot of sense and was the right decision.

 

[Chasing6]

The thing a lot of people struggle with is the difference between wealth and cash. There is no doubt they are incredibly wealthy, but there is also no doubt they are reluctant to spend cash on this football team for some reason. I don't know what the reason is, but if they have it then it's even worse because it means they refuse to use it to help the team improve.

It is called incompetence. It has nothing to do with them being cheap or not having the money.

Was paying Dak $60M cheap?

Will be paying Micah $42M be cheap?

Everyone is trying ro rationalize an excuse for his incompetence into something more strategic.

Maybe Jerry parted ways with Jimmy because he wanted to save money? No, he is an egotistical buffoon that is still trying to prove 30 years later he can do it his way.

News flash, his way has not worked, is not working now, and is not going to work in the future.

 

[Jarntt]

It is called incompetence. It has nothing to do with them being cheap or not having the money.

Since when are they mutually exclusive? How many good free agents do we kick the tires on each year? We always bow out because of the price tag. Always

 

[Jipper]

Along with so many teams doing one year deals with free agents, they’re not trading 1st round picks. Maybe a team will swap 1sts in a deal, but no team is going to have their fans sit out day one of the NFL draft. The picks given up in the Tunsil deal involved a now rarely traded 2nd. No team is giving up a 1st for Parsons. Probably not a second.

Top talent on cost controlled rookie deals is what allows a team to pay their star players $30+ million per season. Giving that up for a guy wanting top dollar is tantamount to taking one step forward and two steps back. The Cowboys with Parsons on a rookie deal are a third place team. This dream of moving Parsons to build a future is just that. A dream. Wake up.

Jeez lighten uo Francis

 

[Aliencowboy]

Is this a Cowboys thing to just sign players to one year deals now? We did pick up a player or two that got 2 years, but the majority has a one year deal if I'm not mistaken. How exactly do you build a team and build continuity if you're only playing one season together. For some they may not even make it to the season without being cut.

What's the reasoning behind this, how can we build this culture up with one year deals? Please give your thoughts

This has been their strategy going into the draft for a long time.

They look for players to cover their glaring holes that are relatively bargains at those positions.

Those players are typically looking for a one year deal to gain recognition and a chance to improve their status in the league because of flopping for another team or injury.

Both team and player benefit if they perform above expectations.

After the year, players can sign for longer and more lucrative contracts if they perform- at least they have a chance because of the glaring hole.

Dallas can go into the draft feeling they are not forcing a pick in theory (see Mazi and my post that is at best a 3rd rounder) and draft the best talent.

 

[exciter]

Is this a Cowboys thing to just sign players to one year deals now? We did pick up a player or two that got 2 years, but the majority has a one year deal if I'm not mistaken. How exactly do you build a team and build continuity if you're only playing one season together. For some they may not even make it to the season without being cut.

What's the reasoning behind this, how can we build this culture up with one year deals? Please give your thoughts

One year deals are a staple of teams league wide filling perceived gaps within their roster without having to take a large deadcap hit from bonus money if they find someone better in the draft. Or the player has simply reached an age where long term contracts aren’t feasible. They’re a big part of why every team around the league experiences a minimum 1/3rd roster turnover every year.
3/5ths of Washington DL Fowler, Ferrill, Dey along with Wagner played on 1 year deals last season.

 

[Chasing6]

Since when are they mutually exclusive? How many good free agents do we kick the tires on each year? We always bow out because of the price tag. Always

That is them playing games to keep fans entertained and engaged.

Consider yourself sucked.

If we were truly in for Kupp, why did we not just trade for him? Once we lost Kupp, where are the rumors of the next WR we are going after?

 

[Jarntt]

That is them playing games to keep fans entertained and engaged.

Consider yourself sucked.

If we were truly in for Kupp, why did we not just trade for him? Once we lost Kupp, where are the rumors of the next WR we are going after?

What are you talking about? I have said over and over they are both incompetent and refusing to spend money, What am I sucked about. You think They are competent and do spend money?

 

[KJJ]

It’s pretty obvious why we’re signing these players to one year deals. They’re prove it deals. None of them are quality impact players and we don’t want to commit past one year. Some may not even make the team.

 

[TwentyOne]

Well, it's tough bc fans get emotional especially when you see top tier players and not wanting to let them go...honestly the only top player that would not be tradable is a true franchise qb - anyone else can go for the right price.

This concept of team building using rookie contracts has eluded the Cowboys and they always seem to get stuck with bloated contracts that players never live up to.

Hopefully at some point it clicks

Yes, thats the way i see it too.

QB is the only position i would not trade. But the player has to be really special.

For everybody else its a business decission. What draft pick have i invested and how many can i get for him back.
Combined with a cheap 4 year rookie deal to me to trade a player in his 4th year (or even 3rd) is a no brainer.

Just imagine we could trade micah for 2 high 1st round picks. That is double our investement and still had him play for us for a long time.

If you could do that with all of your draft picks you could build a roster basically without any kind of future investements. Of course thats just a perfect scenario. But worth a thought imo.

Another example is Tyron Smith: I was all for trading Tyron 5 years ago. During a time where he had his first signs of back problems. We could have gotten a first for him. We basically had a player for 10 years and you got back the same pick we invested.

If you want to build your team thru the draft, that approach should be one big part of it.

 

[Jipper]

Yes, thats the way i see it too.

QB is the only position i would not trade. But the player has to be really special.

For everybody else its a business decission. What draft pick have i invested and how many can i get for him back.
Combined with a cheap 4 year rookie deal to me to trade a player in his 4th year (or even 3rd) is a no brainer.

Just imagine we could trade micah for 2 high 1st round picks. That is double our investement and still had him play for us for a long time.
I was all for trading Tyron 5 years ago. During a time where he had his first signs of back problems. We could have gotten a first for him. Had a player for 10 years and you get back the same pick you invested.

That to me is one big part of how you build thru the draft.

For sure - wasn't it the Patriots that were good for so long trading players right before they started to diminish?

I think the Cowboys issue is they are just too dang tied to keeping their own drafted players - yes i get it that Jerry is a big loyalty guy but it has gotten them in trouble so many times.

Hopefully they start to see what they have to do or get backed into a position where they have no other choice...and for the record I really like micha but he disappears way too much for someone that wants to set the record for highest non qb pay day...