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Cowboys Mailbag
Would it make more sense, financial and otherwise, to try to re-sign Marcus
Spears than to draft a DE in the first round?
DANIEL LOGAN - VALLEJO, CA: Would it make more sense, financial and
otherwise, to try to re-sign Marcus Spears than to draft a defensive end in
the first round?
Nick: I actually thought about that myself last week and we discussed it on
the Lunch Break. I think that would be a better idea than drafting someone
like Cameron Jordan or J.J. Watt. I feel like Spears does a fine job in the
dirty-work position that a 3-4 defensive end is. That would free up another
spot to draft an offensive tackle. That doesn't mean avoid the DE position
in the draft, but maybe in the later rounds.
Josh: Maybe. Depends what the Cowboys think Spears will command on the open
market. Especially if there is a rookie wage scale in effect this year,
there's a good chance the No. 9 pick could make less than Spears, because
remember, the differential in first-round pay would be diverted to veterans.
If the Cowboys could re-sign both Spears and Stephen Bowen, and maybe draft
some more defensive line help later, I think they would be in fine shape.
But that might be expensive.
MAX OAKLEY - BURLINGTON, KY: Do you think the Cowboys could have or should
have gotten more than seventh-rounders in the Patrick Crayton and Pat
McQuistan trades?
Nick: If you look around the league at the value, that's probably about
right. Santonio Holmes warranted a fifth-round pick. So to get a seventh for
Crayton and McQuistan seems reasonable. You have to remember, teams know
when a player is not in the plans anymore. So you're not going to get
top-dollar on anyone that will probably be released as soon as you realize
you can't get anyone to trade for him. That's the business right there.
Josh: I think they probably got all that was offered. Remember, both of
those trades came down right before the deadline to cut guys, and the
Cowboys were ready to axe both and get nothing in return. If you were
another team, what would you really have been willing to spend for the
services of Pat McQuistan?
DAVID WELLMAN - BURNET, TX: Why did the Cowboys not release Roy Williams
last year, when they could have cut his salary without penalty because of
the uncapped year?
Nick: Because the Cowboys still figured he could help this team. He was
coming off a seven-touchdown season in 2009. The team gave up a first-round
pick for the guy and wanted to get something out of the investment. If you
had cut Roy, you open the season with Miles Austin, an unproven rookie in
Dez Bryant and then maybe Patrick Crayton. The Cowboys thought Roy was a
better option. I don't fault them for that at all.
Rob: The Cowboys weren't going to release a guy who was owed $9.5 million
whether he was on the team or not. And it's still possible that those
league-wide salary dumps in the uncapped year could result in cap hits under
a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. No one really knows for sure.
DAN GODFREY - CAMARILLO, CA: Would you have any problem with it if the
Cowboys took two offensive linemen in the top 40, a tackle and a
guard/center?
Nick: No, I've actually done that in the last few of our Friday series "
2-Cent Drafts." There's five linemen that start and you might be changing
three of them. Why not take two of them? If you can get a tackle in the
first round and then get a guy like Danny Watkins in the second round, that
would significantly improve your offensive line immediately.
Rob: Nope. Both are big needs, and it's conceivable if the value is there at
No. 9 and No. 40 - or wherever they wind up picking.
ASA ARREY - ALBUQUERQUE, NM: Would it really be wise to throw a hefty
paycheck at Doug Free considering he's had one successful, but not
eye-popping season? Does he have grounds to demand top dollar?
Rob: What's top dollar? I'm not sure he'll get a six-year, $60 million
extension like D'Brickashaw Ferguson. But remember, Free has basically been
a starter for one and a half seasons, filling in for Colombo on the right
side in 2009 before moving to left tackle. He was an above-average left
tackle last season, and the versatility to play either side would make him a
valuable commodity on the open market. If the Cowboys don't pay him
something solid - just a shot in the dark, maybe upwards of $30-40 million -
someone probably will.
Josh: Yeah, he does, actually. And the Cowboys have grounds to pay it.
Because what is their recourse? Even if they drafted a first-round tackle,
the right side would still be a problem. He was their best offensive lineman
last season, and you shouldn't forget his half season of play in 2009.
Besides, I don't know what qualifies as eye-popping, even for a left tackle.
Did you consider Flozell to be eye-popping in all his Pro Bowl seasons? Fact
is he'll be one of the best free agent tackles available, and these days
that guy is worth $40 million, give or take.
MICHAEL JOHNSON - JACKSON, MS: What do you think of the signs that point to
not splitting up training camp between San Antonio and Oxnard, Calif. this
year? Things don't seem to go well when they go to Oxnard. Is it time to
give up on that?
Rob: This is an unusual offseason that could shorten training camp. Given
that uncertainty, it would make sense to plan on an in-state camp. Who
knows, maybe there won't be enough time to even hold a full camp in San
Antonio. As for normal offseasons, I don't think there's a correlation to
Oxnard and the team's lack of success - they did go to the playoffs in 2006.
But I did think there was too much travel last year. If you're going to
train away from home, find one location and let the players settle in,
hunker down for a few weeks, then head home.
Josh: I don't know that going to Oxnard is the problem. But definitely last
year's traveling circus was a bad idea. I think it was difficult for the
players to focus with all the travel, the trains, the Hall of Fame Game. But
last summer, the team was pretty clear it wanted to split camp up again in
2011. Maybe they'll try it again in the future, or eventually alternate it
between San Antonio and Oxnard each year or something like that. But I think
the biggest reason this is happening is the labor uncertainty.
Cowboys Mailbag
Would it make more sense, financial and otherwise, to try to re-sign Marcus
Spears than to draft a DE in the first round?
DANIEL LOGAN - VALLEJO, CA: Would it make more sense, financial and
otherwise, to try to re-sign Marcus Spears than to draft a defensive end in
the first round?
Nick: I actually thought about that myself last week and we discussed it on
the Lunch Break. I think that would be a better idea than drafting someone
like Cameron Jordan or J.J. Watt. I feel like Spears does a fine job in the
dirty-work position that a 3-4 defensive end is. That would free up another
spot to draft an offensive tackle. That doesn't mean avoid the DE position
in the draft, but maybe in the later rounds.
Josh: Maybe. Depends what the Cowboys think Spears will command on the open
market. Especially if there is a rookie wage scale in effect this year,
there's a good chance the No. 9 pick could make less than Spears, because
remember, the differential in first-round pay would be diverted to veterans.
If the Cowboys could re-sign both Spears and Stephen Bowen, and maybe draft
some more defensive line help later, I think they would be in fine shape.
But that might be expensive.
MAX OAKLEY - BURLINGTON, KY: Do you think the Cowboys could have or should
have gotten more than seventh-rounders in the Patrick Crayton and Pat
McQuistan trades?
Nick: If you look around the league at the value, that's probably about
right. Santonio Holmes warranted a fifth-round pick. So to get a seventh for
Crayton and McQuistan seems reasonable. You have to remember, teams know
when a player is not in the plans anymore. So you're not going to get
top-dollar on anyone that will probably be released as soon as you realize
you can't get anyone to trade for him. That's the business right there.
Josh: I think they probably got all that was offered. Remember, both of
those trades came down right before the deadline to cut guys, and the
Cowboys were ready to axe both and get nothing in return. If you were
another team, what would you really have been willing to spend for the
services of Pat McQuistan?
DAVID WELLMAN - BURNET, TX: Why did the Cowboys not release Roy Williams
last year, when they could have cut his salary without penalty because of
the uncapped year?
Nick: Because the Cowboys still figured he could help this team. He was
coming off a seven-touchdown season in 2009. The team gave up a first-round
pick for the guy and wanted to get something out of the investment. If you
had cut Roy, you open the season with Miles Austin, an unproven rookie in
Dez Bryant and then maybe Patrick Crayton. The Cowboys thought Roy was a
better option. I don't fault them for that at all.
Rob: The Cowboys weren't going to release a guy who was owed $9.5 million
whether he was on the team or not. And it's still possible that those
league-wide salary dumps in the uncapped year could result in cap hits under
a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. No one really knows for sure.
DAN GODFREY - CAMARILLO, CA: Would you have any problem with it if the
Cowboys took two offensive linemen in the top 40, a tackle and a
guard/center?
Nick: No, I've actually done that in the last few of our Friday series "
2-Cent Drafts." There's five linemen that start and you might be changing
three of them. Why not take two of them? If you can get a tackle in the
first round and then get a guy like Danny Watkins in the second round, that
would significantly improve your offensive line immediately.
Rob: Nope. Both are big needs, and it's conceivable if the value is there at
No. 9 and No. 40 - or wherever they wind up picking.
ASA ARREY - ALBUQUERQUE, NM: Would it really be wise to throw a hefty
paycheck at Doug Free considering he's had one successful, but not
eye-popping season? Does he have grounds to demand top dollar?
Rob: What's top dollar? I'm not sure he'll get a six-year, $60 million
extension like D'Brickashaw Ferguson. But remember, Free has basically been
a starter for one and a half seasons, filling in for Colombo on the right
side in 2009 before moving to left tackle. He was an above-average left
tackle last season, and the versatility to play either side would make him a
valuable commodity on the open market. If the Cowboys don't pay him
something solid - just a shot in the dark, maybe upwards of $30-40 million -
someone probably will.
Josh: Yeah, he does, actually. And the Cowboys have grounds to pay it.
Because what is their recourse? Even if they drafted a first-round tackle,
the right side would still be a problem. He was their best offensive lineman
last season, and you shouldn't forget his half season of play in 2009.
Besides, I don't know what qualifies as eye-popping, even for a left tackle.
Did you consider Flozell to be eye-popping in all his Pro Bowl seasons? Fact
is he'll be one of the best free agent tackles available, and these days
that guy is worth $40 million, give or take.
MICHAEL JOHNSON - JACKSON, MS: What do you think of the signs that point to
not splitting up training camp between San Antonio and Oxnard, Calif. this
year? Things don't seem to go well when they go to Oxnard. Is it time to
give up on that?
Rob: This is an unusual offseason that could shorten training camp. Given
that uncertainty, it would make sense to plan on an in-state camp. Who
knows, maybe there won't be enough time to even hold a full camp in San
Antonio. As for normal offseasons, I don't think there's a correlation to
Oxnard and the team's lack of success - they did go to the playoffs in 2006.
But I did think there was too much travel last year. If you're going to
train away from home, find one location and let the players settle in,
hunker down for a few weeks, then head home.
Josh: I don't know that going to Oxnard is the problem. But definitely last
year's traveling circus was a bad idea. I think it was difficult for the
players to focus with all the travel, the trains, the Hall of Fame Game. But
last summer, the team was pretty clear it wanted to split camp up again in
2011. Maybe they'll try it again in the future, or eventually alternate it
between San Antonio and Oxnard each year or something like that. But I think
the biggest reason this is happening is the labor uncertainty.