Why do we suck so bad in free agency?

[Carson]

It could be as simple as players do not want to sign in dallas. What can you win dallas?

Pretty much true for about 28 teams. Yet they still sign with the Jets, Jags etc

 

[Ranched]

 

[CouchCoach]

Two problems face the Cowboys. The poor evaluation of players on the team and the poor evaluation of available players in FA and the draft unless they're 1st round OL.

The GM is a follow the ball person so the defense will take a back seat to the seat filling story making offense. He considers the last draft a success because of flash and splash with a high profile rookie WR.

The other problem he has is selling himself that he is doing a good job and evaluating himself as he does the players. He is incapable of truly evaluating his team building shortcomings. He does exactly what some do here. The minute they're drafted or signed, they become better because they're Cowboys. He goes one step further, they are better because they are his.

The greatest self sell done here is that they are even good at drafting. They are average, at best, and have lucked into the last two QB1's or who knows what this team would look like.

What other GM have you seen hire an unknown to him coach in a 12 hour interview? That should tell you all you need to know.

The simple answer to why don't they win, why aren't they any better in FA and the draft is that they don't have to win at anything but in ratings and revenue. That is all that matters to him and his shining example of the pitfalls of nepotism.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

FA is a very high priced crap shoot. Personally I have no issue with taking a cautious approach in FA and look more to the draft to find longer term talent. This year will be interesting as cap number is scheduled to be lower and with so many teams over the cap or close to it what will the bidding on FA players look like this year.

I don't either. Even this year.....it sucked in hindsight but I honestly thought signing Haha, Poe, McCoy, Greg the Leg, Everson Griffen.......I thought that was a great offseason with our draft. I was wrong and so was this team.

 

[805BoysInBlue]

The guys you mentioned were low 1 year deal guys, when was the last time we signed a first day multi year contract fa defensive player? Now that I'm thinking about it when was the last time we sign a first day multi year fa anywhere? You can't just do it through the draft alone.

KC defense: Ward, Clark, Hitchens, Wilson, Mathieu and Breeland came in either FA or trade.

3 of those guys are cowboys who this fron office thought weren't good enough to start here. Keywords FRONT OFFICE.

 

[gimmesix]

Drafting is all fine and dandy, we don’t even do that well....

But we are flat out terrible in free agency...get cheap scrubs of whom many don’t even make the team or get cut after a few games

You answered your own question. We go after cheap FAs. The Joneses apparently feel better about missing on scrubs than possibly missing on high-priced players.

Some want to blame our scouting department, but give any person a dollar and tell them to go buy groceries and you're not going to get much to eat.

 

[The Quest for Six]

Drafting is all fine and dandy, we don’t even do that well....

But we are flat out terrible in free agency...get cheap scrubs of whom many don’t even make the team or get cut after a few games

Ten years under Garrett - We like our guys!

 

[G2]

I think we draft ok, minus a couple misses. But if you draft best player available, FA should be used to fill positions of need and this FO has issues defensively.

 

[Hennessy_King]

How can we be good in free agency when the league wants to start free agency period when our owners/gm want to go on vacation at the same time?

It's rigged I tell ya.




/s (but it should be obvious)

this exactly. They have the family vacation every year around when the first week of free agency starts. It's an absolute joke.

 

[Risen Star]

Drafting is all fine and dandy, we don’t even do that well....

But we are flat out terrible in free agency...get cheap scrubs of whom many don’t even make the team or get cut after a few games

Gee, I don't know.

 

[jsb357]

the talent / checkbook ratio is out of wack...

 

[fairviewfarmer]

Drafting is all fine and dandy, we don’t even do that well....

But we are flat out terrible in free agency...get cheap scrubs of whom many don’t even make the team or get cut after a few games

One word: Jerry.

 

[Bullflop]

Tex was a complete cheapskate. Cowboys of that era where one of the lowest paid teams Cowboys players would go to pro bowls and talk with players who were amazed at how little Cowboys players were paid. Since there was no FA and little player movement in those days Tex did not have to worry about losing players.

Nevertheless, he had a knack for what he did, that's for sure! Nowadays, he'd have to tame his act, no doubt! Free agency and the cap really restricted their methods in no small way.

Jerry and Stephen have a seriously flawed way of approaching their negotiations, though. You don't start with praise and making big promises but then, trying to get a team discount!

Tex knew better than to cut his own throat, right from the get-go. A little psychology helps. That's one of the reasons why many teams' GMs are far more successful than the Cowboys.

 

[quickccc]

Lamb, Diggs, Romo, Witten, Tyron, Martin....we have been pretty decent at drafting.
Although Taco over Watt still hurts.

Witten was way back in the Parcells era.
Romo was not drafted at all.

 

[blueblood70]

Drafting is all fine and dandy, we don’t even do that well....

But we are flat out terrible in free agency...get cheap scrubs of whom many don’t even make the team or get cut after a few games

ive seen many 100mil FAS bust as well..

we see it more on our side because we follow every inch of our team, many teams take risks on FA whether day 1 or 4 and they also fail...we seen the giants spend 200mil on defense worked for 1 year and then failed hard..it happens all over the league..i saw a lot our FAS from last year go to other teams and have done squat nothing nil..players like quinn etc..

our mistakes are magnified because we dig everyday looking for player information etc..most of its bad luck not being cheap as cheap FAs get signed by all teams and like i said the big deals on day one also fail,.,.nothings full proof..

 

[Roland]

I don't either. Even this year.....it sucked in hindsight but I honestly thought signing Haha, Poe, McCoy, Greg the Leg, Everson Griffen.......I thought that was a great offseason with our draft. I was wrong and so was this team.

Despite what some claim on here so often, it certainly appeared that this front office was trying to bring in some much needed help. It just didnt work out too well this year

 

[quickccc]

Two problems face the Cowboys. The poor evaluation of players on the team and the poor evaluation of available players in FA and the draft unless they're 1st round OL.

The GM is a follow the ball person so the defense will take a back seat to the seat filling story making offense. He considers the last draft a success because of flash and splash with a high profile rookie WR.

The other problem he has is selling himself that he is doing a good job and evaluating himself as he does the players. He is incapable of truly evaluating his team building shortcomings. He does exactly what some do here. The minute they're drafted or signed, they become better because they're Cowboys. He goes one step further, they are better because they are his.

The greatest self sell done here is that they are even good at drafting. They are average, at best, and have lucked into the last two QB1's or who knows what this team would look like.

What other GM have you seen hire an unknown to him coach in a 12 hour interview? That should tell you all you need to know.

The simple answer to why don't they win, why aren't they any better in FA and the draft is that they don't have to win at anything but in ratings and revenue. That is all that matters to him and his shining example of the pitfalls of nepotism.

this Cowboys team goes more through son Stephen Jones and Wil McClay (although he's not even on Cowboys web site) ..than it is Jerry nowadays. Jerry is becoming more the figure head image
than ever as in past years. But many want to keep all fingers at him only. .....Go figure.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Free agency is for people who are bad at drafting. Cowboys are amazing at drafting.


Dak, Bryon, pre accusal Zeke, Gallup


All ballers

Cowboys are good at drafting, but they definitely are not amazing. Zeke was a huge blunder taking a RB that high and taking Zeke over Ramsey. Taco and Hill stand out recently as huge mistakes.

 

[Rogerthat12]

Drafting is all fine and dandy, we don’t even do that well....

But we are flat out terrible in free agency...get cheap scrubs of whom many don’t even make the team or get cut after a few games

 

[CowboyRoy]

Drafting is all fine and dandy, we don’t even do that well....

But we are flat out terrible in free agency...get cheap scrubs of whom many don’t even make the team or get cut after a few games

Spending big in FA is not the way to build a team. You build through the draft. I am actually happy with how they dont go overboard in FA.