The NFL Draft and legal tampering of players are around the corner. All 32 teams are making decisions regarding the salary cap relative to need and money. Enter the Dallas Cowboys who in the last several years have been “garage sale” shopping for free agents. One could argue the last primo free agent this team signed that they did not draft was Deion Sanders in 1995 or Terrell Owens in 2006. I’ll wait while you ponder this for a moment!
Now, there is a desire for the Cowboys to be active in free agency, but here is why they should continue their trend of focusing on the draft and unfortunately their “garage sale mentality.” The optimal time to sign a primo free agent was when Rayne Dak Prescott was on his rookie contract. Now, to create space they have restructured Dak’s contract to create relief and are working on a contract extension. I like Dak, but I’m not in love with the idea of extending his contract. He has become injury prone, and this past season was the worst statistical year of his career. Dak was tied with Davis Mills of the Houston Texans for 15 interceptions. If he has another season like last, does anyone want him around with the type of cap cost he will have long term? Not to mention the positions of need for Dallas in no order CB, WR, OL, DL, and LB are needs on other teams with cap space besides Dallas. Do the Dallas Cowboys ever win a bidding war against other teams and at this point should they? One of those positions the team let go of a player who was better than any replacement on the roster. I’ll painfully give you the name wide receiver Amari Cooper.
Now the team is considering signing Odell and rumors are circulating trading for Deandre Hopkins. Last season Jerry Jones informed the media that age, and “availability” was part of the decision-making regarding talent evaluation. Let’s see, Odell has had major injuries to both knees the last two seasons and D Hop is older than Amari Cooper. If “availability” is a key factor, then why are there discussions to rework Tyron Smith? For that matter, at the end of the season we keep hearing the narrative that Ezekiel Elliot was playing with an injury. Whether this is an excuse or a sign that his productive years are behind him (I believe it’s both) why resign him? Make it make sense Jerry Jones!
As currently constructed today, this team is more than one player away from being a serious Super Bowl contender. The odds makers even give the NY Jets a better chance of winning it all right now than your Dallas Cowboys.
Don’t look now but there are some big names the Cowboys will need to sign over the next two seasons. Trevon Diggs, Micah Parsons, and CeeDee Lamb. If the Cowboys do what they have not done in 20+ years and sign a primo free agent, they will need to be creative in managing the cap. This has not been their strength so what makes anyone believe that will change? Don’t get me wrong, I would love to see the Cowboys go for it, but this team has proven they are not good at managing the cap and finding the right free agents. For now, they should keep building through the draft which they are good at and their “garage sale” free agency approach.
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