Cowboys and free agency

[dbair1967]

Yeah yeah, I know there's probably as much chance of us being active in free agency as there is of me winning the Powerball next week, but I thought I'd waste some time and create this thread anyway.

This link is a list of the top-101 free agents at NFL.com: Free Agency Report | NFL.com

Off this list, there's a few that caught my eye of guys that might make some sense to go after considering our needs and maybe connections and/or interest by our coaches/scouts.

LB Anthony Hitchens: They reportedly want to keep him, but he will likely get a much better deal on open market.

WR Sammy Watkins and Donte Moncrief: Both coached by our new WR coach Sanjay Lal, both had their best yrs in the league under him and both have praised him publicly. Couple that with the potential that both Dez and Beasley will be gone and it would make sense to go after one, if not both.

DT's Dontari Poe and Bennie Logan: Our scouts liked both these guys when they came out. Poe had a couple of dominant seasons before managing only a 1yr deal last yr. Logan is pretty much a run stopper only, but could be a bargain 1T DT.

SS/FS Kenny Vaccaro: They really liked him the yr he came out in the draft, and we tried to trade for him last yr. With Byron Jones moving to CB, safety is obvious need.

OG's Justin Pugh and Jack Mewhort: Our scouts liked both guys coming out too. Both have been somewhat injury prone but when on the field at G, both have been decent starters. We obviously are very familiar with Pugh. Push can also play T in a pinch although his best position is clearly OG.

TE Tyler Eifert: Major injury question mark with the back stuff, but our people (and Clapper) supposedly loved this guy coming out of Notre Dame. Might come cheap on 1 or 2 yr deal with chance to prove he can stay healthy and eventually replace Witten. No question he is a great player when healthy.

RB DeMarco Murray: He wont get paid like a starter again and the ties to us are obviously there. With so many good RB's in the draft I wouldn't sign Murray, but I can see why the Cowboys would. Good locker-room guy, knows the offense and can catch the football/block. Better player than Darren McFadden

 

[icup]

I like Nigel Bradham or Zach Brown for lb. Bradham prob will be too expensive since he’s an eagle.

I like your dt’s But I wish they would put up the money for Wilkerson and see what happens


I kinda like Burnett and Reid as other safeties to add to the list. Earl Thomas is the dream scenario.


Wr I like Paul Richardson.


Do not spend on rb...find that dude on day 3 or udfa. Although I do agree zeke needs a mentor so I wouldn’t be upset at getting murray back but I fear Dallas will prob just resign lance dunbar



Scary thing is there are no tackles worth a damn. Solder is going to get $10-13 million. That’s fucking crazy. Gotta draft 1 I guess

 

[bbgun]

I kinda like Burnett and Reid as other safeties to add to the list. Earl Thomas is the dream scenario.

Jerry's not gonna sign an outspoken guy who shits on cops and the National Anthem.

 

[icup]

jerrys not gonna sign any of em so whats your point

 

[dbair1967]

Jerry's not gonna sign an outspoken guy who shits on cops and the National Anthem.

Yep, agree.

He's ended up being overrated anyway. Had a great rookie yr but has not been the same player since.

I don't want a turd like him here anyway.

 

[Scot]

This can be the annual look who the Cowboys didn’t sign in FA thread

I like it. One single place to see the rest of the league improve while we don’t do shit

 

[English Cowboy]

So how much cap room do we have as it stands? I'm guessing not a lot, and we'll again be left scraping the barrel for the Andrew Gachkars and Nolan Carrolls of this world.

 

[bbgun]

Romo's gone, Dak and Dez make next to nothing, the cap's going up, and yet we're broke.

 

[English Cowboy]

A quick internet search has revealed we have just over $3m in cap space. That is pathetic. More contract restructures are coming I presume.

 

[dbair1967]

Romo's gone, Dak and Dez make next to nothing, the cap's going up, and yet we're broke.

Romo still counts on our cap this yr (8 or 9 mils dead money, but he is 100% off for 2019)

Dez has the 3rd highest cap charge on the team (16 mils or so)

 

[bbgun]

Witten and Crawford are stealing at this point.

 

[dbair1967]

A quick internet search has revealed we have just over $3m in cap space. That is pathetic. More contract restructures are coming I presume.

They'll release a few guys like Scandrick (5.3mils cap), Crawford is a restructure/paycut candidate (9.1), Beasley may be traded or released (4.25mils), Hanna will likely be cut (3.5mils), Witten counts almost 7 mils, they might reduce that down

 

[dbair1967]

We resigned that DT Brian Price. Might have made the team a yr ago but had knee injury.

2yr deal I think, it's probably for league minimum.

 

[dbair1967]

Tyron Smith has the highest cap charge and they could reduce his number quite a bit by tinkering with his deal. (Counts 17.5, base salary is 10)

Obviously Lawrence under the franchise tag is counting a lot, if he did get a long term deal that would greatly reduce his number (right now just over 17 mils)

Zach Martin's new deal will almost assuredly save several million in cap space. Right now he is in final yr of his rookie deal and is counting 9.3 mils.

Travis Frederick has a base salary of 10 million like T Smith, and they could reduce his number by playing with that.

They can definitely get cap space to make some moves, the question is will they actually pursue anyone of note.

 

[bbgun]

They're gonna have a dilemma with Dak and Zeke. How many teams pay a QB and RB elite money? Pitt will this year with Roeth and Bell, but that's the exception. I don't care for Dak and I don't think he'll evolve into a franchise QB of the future, but Jerry will pay him anyway because finding a real QB is hard work and requires actual smarts. Better to do nothing and stick with the 4th round "steal."

 

[dbair1967]

They're gonna have a dilemma with Dak and Zeke. How many teams pay a QB and RB elite money? Pitt will this year with Roeth and Bell, but that's the exception. I don't care for Dak and I don't think he'll evolve into a franchise QB of the future, but Jerry will pay him anyway because finding a real QB is hard work and requires actual smarts. Better to do nothing and stick with the 4th round "steal."

Hopefully Prescott makes it easy for everyone and has another year like 2016. If he plays like he did the 2nd half of last yr I don't see how they could justify redoing his deal early (they could sign him to a long term deal after this season, otherwise we have the 4th yr for him under his rookie deal)

I kinda doubt Zeke will get a 2nd contract to be honest unless he is just blowing it up at a HoF pace over the next 2-3 seasons (we have his rights for 3 more years). We could also do what Pitt did and maybe franchise Zeke once to squeeze another year, so we could control him for 4 more seasons without making a long term huge dollar commitment.

 

[dbair1967]

March 12-14
Clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with, the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2017 player contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 14. However, a contract cannot be executed with a new club until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 14.

March 14
Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must exercise options for 2018 on all players who have option clauses in their 2017 contracts.

March 14
Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must submit qualifying offers to their Restricted Free Agents with expiring contracts to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation.

March 14
Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must submit a minimum salary tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2017 contracts who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agency credit.

March 14
Top 51 begins. All clubs must be under the 2018 salary cap prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time.

March 14
All 2017 player contracts will expire at 4:00 p.m., New York time.

March 14
The 2018 league year and free agency period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.

The first day of the 2018 league year will end at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 14. Clubs will receive a personnel notice that will include all transactions submitted to the league office during the period between 4:00 p.m., New York time, and 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 14.

March 14
The first day of the 2018 league year will end at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 14. Clubs will receive a personnel notice that will include all transactions submitted to the league office during the period between 4:00 p.m., New York time, and 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 14.

March 14
Trading period for 2018 begins at 4:00 p.m., New York time, after expiration of all 2017 contracts.

 

[Dodger12]

 

[Scot]

March 12-14
Clubs are permitted to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with, the certified agents of players who will become Unrestricted Free Agents upon the expiration of their 2017 player contracts at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 14. However, a contract cannot be executed with a new club until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on March 14.

March 14
Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must exercise options for 2018 on all players who have option clauses in their 2017 contracts.

March 14
Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must submit qualifying offers to their Restricted Free Agents with expiring contracts to retain a Right of First Refusal/Compensation.

March 14
Prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time, clubs must submit a minimum salary tender to retain exclusive negotiating rights to their players with expiring 2017 contracts who have fewer than three accrued seasons of free agency credit.

March 14
Top 51 begins. All clubs must be under the 2018 salary cap prior to 4:00 p.m., New York time.

March 14
All 2017 player contracts will expire at 4:00 p.m., New York time.

March 14
The 2018 league year and free agency period begin at 4:00 p.m., New York time.

The first day of the 2018 league year will end at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 14. Clubs will receive a personnel notice that will include all transactions submitted to the league office during the period between 4:00 p.m., New York time, and 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 14.

March 14
The first day of the 2018 league year will end at 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 14. Clubs will receive a personnel notice that will include all transactions submitted to the league office during the period between 4:00 p.m., New York time, and 11:59:59 p.m., New York time, on March 14.

March 14
Trading period for 2018 begins at 4:00 p.m., New York time, after expiration of all 2017 contracts.

So what you are trying to say is we have two more days until the excitement of FA begins and the depression of being a Cowboy fan who gets to watch all the other 31 teams begin to improve themselves while we sit back and scratch the bottom of the turd pile for our next Nolan Carrol is just 48 hours away

Got it

 

[dbair1967]

So what you are trying to say is we have two more days until the excitement of FA begins and the depression of being a Cowboy fan who gets to watch all the other 31 teams begin to improve themselves while we sit back and scratch the bottom of the turd pile for our next Nolan Carrol is just 48 hours away

Got it

I don't understand the lack of faith in the former executive of the year/Hall of Famer