Will you now trust "the process"?

robjay04 · Dec 31, 2016

2012 marks the last season we were players in free agency. We signed Brandon Carr and a host of other players in hopes of making a run. In the draft, we rolled the dice again by trading a premier draft pick to pick a flashy player (Claiborne) that was ranked at the top of our board. We were rewarded with an 8-8 season.

Since then, it seems our entire offseason outlook has changed. No longer do we chase after free agents or trade away valuable draft picks to move up in the draft. We have even slowly gotten away from the annual restructuring of big contracts and have accepted the fact that sometimes over priced veterans need to go. The team now sets a price on free agents and shows patience. They absolutely refuse to overpay for anyone. This strategy also shows in the way they draft, they have shown a real commitment to drafting the BPA and not reaching for needs. We could've easily made a splash and drafted a Carson Wentz this past offseason and paid half as much as the Eagles but we showed patience and our patience was rewarded with 4 potential long term impact players.

Yet every season, we have some fans and media belittling "the process" and stressing that the team must spend big money or trade draft picks to fill their needs. When free agency does come and you notice that, once again, we are not chasing after the high priced pass rushers but signing role players and looking towards the draft, will it still bother you? Has Will McClay, the Joneses and Garrett shown enough by building this roster to buy a little patience from you?

I have grown disgruntled at times during the offseason but I have always known that free agency is usually not the place you go to give your team significant upgrades. I have respected the fact that we are trying to mimic teams like the Packers, Steelers and Patriots instead of teams like the Bucs, Eagles and Dolphins. It seems like Jerry has bought in to a more "boring" offseason approach and I believe we should all get used to it.

I know we have a lot of football to play but we have two weeks until anything meaningful happens for our franchise so I figured we can reflect a little bit on how most of us had doubt about the team's approach and how we feel now.

BourbonBalz · Dec 31, 2016

You should only spend on a big time free agent if you think they're the missing piece of a Super Bowl team, like the Packers did with Reggie White or we did with Deion. Teams are rarely in that position. You build a team through the draft with a few lower priced free agents sprinkled in every now and then. Washington, Philly, and a few others do the opposite and it never works.

erod · Dec 31, 2016

I'm OK spending big money on a free agent. I'm OK not doing it, too.

Depends on the player and the need.

DallasEast · Dec 31, 2016

robjay04 said:
Has Will McClay, the Joneses and Garrett shown enough by building this roster to buy a little patience from you?

You asking certain individuals, who never had any patience to begin with, to instantly reverse gears and adopt that trait now?

Good luck with that.

cowboyblue22 · Dec 31, 2016

if they win a championship then yes if they don't then no if they are one and done in the playoffs then its no different than its been the last twenty years ;more of the same old same old

jwooten15 · Dec 31, 2016

I trust the process until they start losing again lol

With stumbling on Dak and having him for cheap, I think that affords them the opportunity to at least entertain the thought of getting a marquee free agent. Especially if we are already this close to a super bowl.

unionjack8 · Dec 31, 2016

the process will only be deemed to work , and rightly so, if we have continued success, otherwise, it may well be classed as a one off or catching lightning in a bottle.

xwalker · Dec 31, 2016

robjay04 said:
2012 marks the last season we were players in free agency. We signed Brandon Carr and a host of other players in hopes of making a run. In the draft, we rolled the dice again by trading a premier draft pick to pick a flashy player (Claiborne) that was ranked at the top of our board. We were rewarded with an 8-8 season.

Since then, it seems our entire offseason outlook has changed. No longer do we chase after free agents or trade away valuable draft picks to move up in the draft. We have even slowly gotten away from the annual restructuring of big contracts and have accepted the fact that sometimes over priced veterans need to go. The team now sets a price on free agents and shows patience. They absolutely refuse to overpay for anyone. This strategy also shows in the way they draft, they have shown a real commitment to drafting the BPA and not reaching for needs. We could've easily made a splash and drafted a Carson Wentz this past offseason and paid half as much as the Eagles but we showed patience and our patience was rewarded with 4 potential long term impact players.

Yet every season, we have some fans and media belittling "the process" and stressing that the team must spend big money or trade draft picks to fill their needs. When free agency does come and you notice that, once again, we are not chasing after the high priced pass rushers but signing role players and looking towards the draft, will it still bother you? Has Will McClay, the Joneses and Garrett shown enough by building this roster to buy a little patience from you?

I have grown disgruntled at times during the offseason but I have always known that free agency is usually not the place you go to give your team significant upgrades. I have respected the fact that we are trying to mimic teams like the Packers, Steelers and Patriots instead of teams like the Bucs, Eagles and Dolphins. It seems like Jerry has bought in to a more "boring" offseason approach and I believe we should all get used to it.

I know we have a lot of football to play but we have two weeks until anything meaningful happens for our franchise so I figured we can reflect a little bit on how most of us had doubt about the team's approach and how we feel now.

Good post.

It is still OK to sign expensive free agents or trade up, but it has to be a process, not a roll of the dice.

They paid big money to Carr because they were determined to get a CB and he happened to be a free agent. I feel like Jerry demanded that a CB be signed.

They traded up for Claiborne because the Rams called Jerry directly and told him they did not need max trade value because they already had extra picks. The scouting dept. had no plans to trade up but Jerry reverted to wildcatter mode.

The Broncos were successful signing free agents a few years ago. The Giants appear to have been successful with their big name free agents this year.

The process is highlighted by the year they prevented Jerry from drafting Manziel.

Shuff · Dec 31, 2016

The process was that the Cowboys got damn lucky in drafting Dak. I am still not a big believer in Garrett, but love the way the young guys are coming along.

willia451 · Dec 31, 2016

I would be more inclined to support "The Process" if the Cowboys would stop wasting their 2nd round pick year after year.

But that's all Jerry. He believes the second round is where you swing for the fences on value. But its where players like Escobar, Gregory, and Smith have come from.

The success the Cowboys now enjoy has happened more in spite of Jerry Jones and his damn fool picks rather than because of him.

rynochop · Dec 31, 2016

Agreed on only signing name FAs if it's the last piece...no old has been so like Dwight Freeney so many were clamoring for, dude has 3 sacks the last of which was almost 3 months ago

xwalker · Dec 31, 2016

erod said:
I'm OK spending big money on a free agent. I'm OK not doing it, too.

Depends on the player and the need.

It should be based primarily on the players available, not on need.

robjay04 · Dec 31, 2016

xwalker said:
Good post.

It is still OK to sign expensive free agents or trade up, but it has to be a process, not a roll of the dice.

They paid big money to Carr because they were determined to get a CB and he happened to be a free agent. I feel like Jerry demanded that a CB be signed.

They traded up for Claiborne because the Rams called Jerry directly and told him they did not need max trade value because they already had extra picks. The scouting dept. had no plans to trade up but Jerry reverted to wildcatter mode.

The Broncos were successful signing free agents a few years ago. The Giants appear to have been successful with their big name free agents this year.

The process is highlighted by the year they prevented Jerry from drafting Manziel.

2013 was a big deal as well. Trading back for a center is the anti Jerry move. I wasn't on this forum at the time but I bet I would've seen tons of doubters.

Proof · Dec 31, 2016

unionjack8 said:
the process will only be deemed to work , and rightly so, if we have continued success, otherwise, it may well be classed as a one off or catching lightning in a bottle.

Pretty much. This is really selective interpretation. We're literally a season removed from signing a high priced free agent pass rusher in Hardy lol. We're also reaping the benefits of a lost season and high draft slot, only hand "the process" had in that was getting cute in the rb department and also not having a competent back up qb.

robjay04 · Dec 31, 2016

Proof said:
Pretty much. This is really selective interpretation. We're literally a season removed from signing a high priced free agent pass rusher in Hardy lol. We're also reaping the benefits of a lost season and high draft slot, only hand "the process" had in that was getting cute in the rb department and also not having a competent back up qb.

Hardy wasn't a high priced free agent.

Yeah he got paid a lot but he wasn't a real gamble. Long term contracts with high guarantees are gambles, not one year rentals.

Manwiththeplan · Dec 31, 2016

Lol no, if we don't win the super bowl people will still put Garrett on the hot seat. If we win, then Garrett still will get no credit

unionjack8 · Dec 31, 2016

robjay04 said:
Hardy wasn't a high priced free agent.

Yeah he got paid a lot but he wasn't a real gamble. Long term contracts with high guarantees are gambles, not one year rentals.

paying money to free agents is completely irrelevant in the process, or at least it should be.

the process should be about winning, winning consistently and if that means paying top $ to a fa to be a big part of that then the process shouldn't deter it

unionjack8 · Dec 31, 2016

Manwiththeplan said:
Lol no, if we don't win the super bowl people will still put Garrett on the hot seat. If we win, then Garrett still will get no credit

you don't get many chances to win a SB. This is one of our years. You have to take those opportunities

Dave_in-NC · Dec 31, 2016

Only if the Process works for more than one season.

Dave_in-NC · Dec 31, 2016

unionjack8 said:
you don't get many chances to win a SB. This is one of our years. You have to take those opportunities

Tell that to the Pats.

Will you now trust "the process"?

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