Why Cheap Players Rock

[T-RO]

Comeon it is what it is... they are bodies that WE as fans hope will develop into players. You couldn't get a first, second, or third rd pick for any of those guys

2-3 guys on the list of budget players are unproven and may certainly never be big contributors. I never said they were all great. I said right from the opening post, "AS A GROUP"

We are getting more from our low-budget players than anyone in the NFL...and more than most teams are getting from their premium free agents.

The Cowboys will spend all their cap just like all the other teams...and efficiency with these signings permit us to do a lot elsewhere w/our cap.

 

[tm1119]

You'd prefer us to be the Giants, whom signed a bunch of free agents...or one of the many other losing teams that played big in free agency?

Premium free agency is almost always a losing proposition.

News flash: there’s more to free agency than premium high priced players. You don’t have to try to use the extreme to push your point.

 

[Stash]

You'd prefer us to be the Giants, whom signed a bunch of free agents...or one of the many other losing teams that played big in free agency?

Premium free agency is almost always a losing proposition.

I saw the word "decent" used. Where did it say "premium"?

 

[Alexander]

Imagine if we had taken Connor Cook.

Yikes.

Or traded up for Paxton Lynch.

Double yikes.

 

[T-RO]

News flash: there’s more to free agency than premium high priced players. You don’t have to try to use the extreme to push your point.

Fair enough. But the complaints by many fans around here is that we didn't make any signings like the Giants big 3 signing leading into last season.

I'm by no means against playing a bit...on occasion.. in free agency.

The thrust of this thread is to celebrate how well the Cowboys have done in landing good players for little or nothing. When you do that you can if needed go get the occasional FA to fill a hole...w/out captastrophy.

 

[Alexander]

You'd prefer us to be the Giants, whom signed a bunch of free agents...or one of the many other losing teams that played big in free agency?

Premium free agency is almost always a losing proposition.

Free agency is not just about "premium" and it is myopic to only view it as "overpaying".

If used correctly, it can supplement a roster, which is necessary unless you plan on hitting on all seven or so draft picks at a high percentage.

And it does not have to be comprised of top shelf, big contract players signed as free agency kicks off.

 

[Stash]

Fair enough. But the complaints by many fans around here is that we didn't make any signings like the Giants big 3 signing leading into last season.

I think that this is a false assumption. An argument of extremes, thrown out when, in fact, nobody has said such things.

I'm by no means against playing a bit...on occasion.. in free agency.

The thrust of this thread is to celebrate how well the Cowboys have done in landing good players for little or nothing. When you do that you can if needed go get the occasional FA to fill a hole...w/out captastrophy.

It sure looks like a "make up call" type of a deal, made in an effort to wash away the actual mistakes that the team did make in free agency.

Not by not spending "huge money", but by making mistakes in evaluating the players they did choose to sign and those they had and decided not to keep. And the negative impact those decisions have had on this year's team.

 

[Alexander]

Fair enough. But the complaints by many fans around here is that we didn't make any signings like the Giants big 3 signing leading into last season.

Well, we didn't more because we couldn't. That kind of spending haul is rare to begin with.

 

[T-RO]

Well, we didn't more because we couldn't. That kind of spending haul is rare to begin with.

Some fans here like CalPoly were saying we could magically move things around and afford $40mil in free agents (something like that). But of course you are right...we didn't. We couldn't.

 

[jjktkk]

I saw the word "decent" used. Where did it say "premium"?

I actually think they became gun shy after the Carr signing. They've failed at signing free agents the past couple of years. The drafting has been solid, but the FO needs to improve in their free agent signings, in order to make a SB run the next few years.

 

[Alexander]

Some fans here like CalPoly were saying we could magically move things around and afford $40mil in free agents (something like that). But of course you are right...we didn't. We couldn't.

Wait, I take it back.

I forgot that we can do whatever we want in free agency.

 

[Chuck 54]

The Cowboys aren't cheap, nor frugal. They spend as they are forced to spend. Years of big contracts, failed free agency, dead money owed to retired and frequently injured players, forces one to shop in the bargain basement due to the salary cap. If you aren't already in salary cap hell, you can get creative, but the Cowboys went through a spell where they restructured so many contracts in order to "have pretty things" that they were in salary cap hell.

The present philosophy is intended to get out of it and avoid going back there. Tony Romo's contract and restructures were terrible for us; I'm not saying he didn't deserve the money, but his contract, along with his inability to stay healthy, made it tough to win. Once we get out from under all that dead money we have on the books, I think the Cowboys will find a happy middle ground where they will sign a proven star for top money in free agency if the player is proven, young, and meets a need, but I understand what they've been doing recently.

 

[Stash]

I actually think they became gun shy after the Carr signing. They've failed at signing free agents the past couple of years. The drafting has been solid, but the FO needs to improve in their free agent signings, in order to make a SB run the next few years.

Yeah, that one never came close to being worth it. But their own defensive decisions didn't help. They signed Carr and drafted Claiborne -two man corners - and then decided to change schemes and start playing more Zone. Made the circumstances worse.

I agree with you. Drafting is good, free agent scouting needs to improve.

 

[BAT]

Yes filet (players) on the menu (team) but no room or reservations (NFC Championship) at the restaurant (SB). Tired of watching everyone else earn a chair a the table but us. You can keep your head buried in all the statistics you want but the only statistic that counts is a championship run where we're 0-23 there. Keep waiving your pompoms as you may get some attention. Those who have watched the games, get it. For years we haven't sniffed an NFC Championship and have had a lot of good meat spoil in the process. Sad.

Now you've just gone and made me realize how hungry I was. Are you happy now that my stomach is grumbling for a steak??

 

[Alexander]

I agree with you. Drafting is good, free agent scouting needs to improve.

Pro personnel as a whole needs to be improved.

A good start would be firing Garrett's damn brother.

 

[DenCWBY]

Now you've just gone and made me realize how hungry I was. Are you happy now that my stomach is grumbling for a steak??

You and me both!!

 

[jterrell]

I'm an unusual spender. Though I love Starbucks coffee...I prefer to buy it at $19 for a big bag at Costco and skip the $3+ cup drive-thru. Though I enjoy dining out...I rarely do so. Habits like this not only help me save money, but also make it easy to afford nice things. The formula is this: save money everyday = enjoy nice things.

Most NFL teams know this same trick of course, though perhaps no team in recent times has been adept at it as the Cowboys.

Consider the Cowboys inexpensive players:
-4th round QB Dak Prescott (inexpensive for now)
-David Irving
-LG Jonathan Cooper
-Cooper Rush
-Noah Brown
-Blake Jarwin
-Lewis Neal
-Anthony Brown
-Kavon Frazier
-Keith Smith
-Rod Smith
-Xavier Woods

How does a team acquire beneficial cheap talent? Draft well in the later rounds, sign good undrafted free agents, and display a savvy to find diamonds in the rough that other teams fail to appreciate.

The players above not only produce as a group tremendously well for the Cowboys, they provide the team an ability to retain all-pro and other top players on the team. It's a key factor for the Cowboys current success and could help push them to a title--this year or in the coming few seasons.

Ultimately this is how you build a winning roster.
You find better players at better prices than other teams.
You must hit on the draft as much or better than others and you must find UDFA that can help you.

 

[jterrell]

Pro personnel as a whole needs to be improved.

A good start would be firing Garrett's damn brother.

don't buy that.
we've done well there at times before being terrible this year.
part of that was strategy... sign stop gap cheap options.
you only have 22 spots too fill with starters and if you draft well and budget you shouldn't be overpaying free agents.
dallas signed no one of note and we should all be happy about that.

 

[jterrell]

The top 3 are the only ones even worth mentioning. The rest are all jags that every other team has at the same price. Maybe woods has starter potential we’ll see. And depends on which Anthony Brown we are talking about. ‘16 Brown looked like a great pick. ‘17 Brown looks like the 6th rounder we spent on him.

And even Cooper didn’t exactly take genius thinking to put a former top 15 pick in between Fred and Smith to get the talent out of him.

take away the almost accidental Dak pick and the franchise is in shambles...because of being cheap. So yeah, let’s not celebrate what’s really hurting the team

that's completely false.
that narrative was trash 3 weeks ago and it's even more trash now that we sit 5-3 and in a current playoff spot.
anthony brown is starting at CB.
rod smith is our best special teams player and has been a solid rb when given that shot.
xavier woods is a 5th round rookie making peanuts but earning lots of snaps.

and we have a ton of picks again next year.

 

[jterrell]

I don’t give a damn about PFF rankings. Brown flat out hasn’t played like a top 3 CB this year. He’s a backup. Most backups are cheap.

How do you know how many teams did or didn’t try to sign Cooper? You don’t think Dallas being the best possible destination for any LG had anything to do with it?

And you chose to skip over the 1st part of my last point. WITHOUT DAK. If our GM/Owner had his way we would indeed be in shambles with Paxton Lynch at QB. Or Connor Cook

post less gibberish.
the pats drafted brady and get that credit regardless of the fact it was the luckiest draft pick of all time and a complete afterthought.
there's no reason to believe other qbs drafted here wouldn't be better than wherever they ended up.
we built a strong ol and a good supporting cast for a qb.

cooper coming here of ocurse was in part because this ol is great.
but again no one says crap when the pats get to sign a guy for 2mil less because they are on the expressway to the super bowl every year.
getting that alaue is why they keep winning.
the fact people call themselves cowboys fans but cry about getting the same time breaks... that is astounding.

let go of the agenda kids, the adults are playing winning football, again. 18-7 in 2 years is real. real good too.