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Eatman: Make Sure Free Isn't Free When Free Agency Hits
Nick Eatman
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas - They say the best things in life are free. That doesn't apply to NFL left tackles, or really any top-notch player in this league.
However, the best offensive lineman the Cowboys have is Free, and he could be free - to sign with other teams - if something isn't done here this offseason.
Of course, we're talking about Doug Free, who made quite the leap in 2010. This time last year he was just filling in at right tackle and not even considered a starter. Then the Cowboys decided to cut Flozell Adams, mainly because of their confidence in Free.
As it turns out, Free was even better than anyone could've predicted. He was clearly the team's most consistent offensive linemen. And as we head into this offseason (however long it might be), Doug Free is now the team's best offensive linemen, and it just so happens he's the youngest and plays the most important position on the line.
Since there is always a catch, here it is: Free will be a free agent this year.
Because of the ambiguity of this offseason, it's still unclear just what kind of free agent he will be. If there is no work-stoppage in March, then Free will likely be unrestricted, able to sign with any team.
There is the possibility Free would be a restricted free agent, assuming there is some kind of lockout and whenever it ends, there will be a free agent signing period. Depending on how things are structured in the new CBA and the league, Free's contract could allow him to become a restricted free agent.
Restricted, unrestricted, or even if the Cowboys sign him to a long-term contract before this month is over, Doug Free needs to be here. The Cowboys know that and therefore, they will make sure he stays put.
There seems to be that guy every year with this team. There's always one looming contract that has fans a little worried because he's not signed.
In 2007, it was Tony Romo. He signed in the bye week.
In the summer of 2008, the Cowboys made several signing splashes. Three years later, it's tough to categorize any of them as successful. The Cowboys dished out some cash to sign Adams, Terrell Owens, Ken Hamlin and then Terence Newman and Marion Barber were signed to beat the clock on a deadline that would allow them to structure them around the NFL's pesky rules. Other than Newman, which can also be debated, none of those guys were able to live up to the contract.
In 2009, it was DeMarcus Ware, who signed in the middle of the season.
And then after that season, the big debate centered on Miles Austin, who was coming off a Pro Bowl effort after just 12 starts. We all thought Jerry Jones might wait until the middle of the 2010 regular season to get a deal done with Austin. That's what happened with Romo after he was thrust onto the scene the year before.
Instead, Jerry inked Austin to a long-term contract just before the season opener in Washington. While Austin didn't duplicate his success from the previous year, the injury to Romo might have played a huge part in that. Considering he had 20 catches in the first two games with Romo, I think you can argue that it did.
Anyway, Austin landed a second straight Pro Bowl appearance and seems to be living up to the lofty standards of the contract.
Without a doubt, this year's top priority has to be Doug Free.
It's not that signing any of these players is a simple black-and-white process. It always takes creativity to get a deal done for both sides. But in this year's case, with so much uncertainty, it will take a great deal of patience, and as always, foresight.
With Free, the Cowboys have seen enough of this guy in four seasons. They've watched him develop from a fourth-round pick, to a backup lineman, to the swing tackle for both positions, then he filled in for Marc Colombo on the right side in 2009, and started every game at left tackle in 2010.
He's gotten better each season and since he just turned 27, Free still has most of his career ahead of him. At least that's what the Cowboys are counting on.
While he's shown the needed qualities of someone who can progress, be versatile to play more than one position and then play at a high level at a very important spot on the field, he still only has 24 starts under his belt.
Is that enough to warrant a long-term deal? That's the question the Cowboys must answer.
It doesn't seem to be enough to warrant the Cowboys placing the franchise tag on him, just to protect his rights here during the unusual circumstances of the league. The franchise tag for offensive linemen this year will be around $10.3 million for one season.
OK, sorry, but while I do believe Free is going to be a really good left tackle and possibly a great one, I don't think he's earned the right to get a one-year deal worth $10 million. Seems like there might be a better middle ground than giving a guy $550,000 one year and then $10 million the next.
Yes, Free was good and maybe it's because we weren't quite sure how he would hold up all season long at left tackle. I'll be the first to admit I had my reservations about cutting Adams for Free. That's been documented and while I probably didn't give Free enough credit, I was thinking it would be pretty risky to let Adams go and assume the position would be just fine.
In reality, both arguments were probably accurate.
Of course, he had his moments of struggle - as to be expected with any first-year starter who faces the likes of Julius Peppers, Mario Williams, Brian Orakpo, Dwight Freeney, Clay Matthews Jr., Trent Cole, Jared Allen … and I'm sure there are more. That's a pretty healthy dose of pass-rushers.
But for the most part, Free manned his post. I wouldn't say he held his own because that sounds like he just battled even. This guy was better than that. He didn't exactly win the matchup against Freeney in Indianapolis, but he won more than he lost.
Now you can argue that Free was better on the left side than Adams, simply because of the penalties. But it might just go with the territory. Adams led the Cowboys in penalties in each of his last three seasons, including getting flagged for 13 in 2009. Free was the Cowboys' leader last year with 11. And I checked over in Pittsburgh this past season and Adams had eight penalties - fourth most on the team - while playing right tackle. Pittsburgh's most penalized player was Jonathan Scott with 11. And oh yeah, he plays left tackle.
It's the nature of the beast. The left tackle has to hold sometimes, to make sure his quarterback gets up after the play. I'm sure Cowboys fans all over wished someone would've held Michael Boley before he slammed Tony Romo to the turf.
So all this might sound like rambling, but that's sort of what you have to do when you're evaluating a player.
You take his good, the not-so-good, the great, the not-so-great and factor it into his age, experience and compare it to the rest of the league. Maybe it's not worth $10 million per season, but Free is certainly worth keeping. And with left tackles always being a premium, the Cowboys have to factor in the possibility that some team out there might think Free is worth that much.
If they can get a deal done with Free before the March 3 deadline, it would be ideal, but it's unlikely. There are just too many factors involved - it's probable the Cowboys will lay low and see how the dust settles.
But once it does, locking up Free should be atop the priority list.
Eatman: Make Sure Free Isn't Free When Free Agency Hits
Nick Eatman
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
IRVING, Texas - They say the best things in life are free. That doesn't apply to NFL left tackles, or really any top-notch player in this league.
However, the best offensive lineman the Cowboys have is Free, and he could be free - to sign with other teams - if something isn't done here this offseason.
Of course, we're talking about Doug Free, who made quite the leap in 2010. This time last year he was just filling in at right tackle and not even considered a starter. Then the Cowboys decided to cut Flozell Adams, mainly because of their confidence in Free.
As it turns out, Free was even better than anyone could've predicted. He was clearly the team's most consistent offensive linemen. And as we head into this offseason (however long it might be), Doug Free is now the team's best offensive linemen, and it just so happens he's the youngest and plays the most important position on the line.
Since there is always a catch, here it is: Free will be a free agent this year.
Because of the ambiguity of this offseason, it's still unclear just what kind of free agent he will be. If there is no work-stoppage in March, then Free will likely be unrestricted, able to sign with any team.
There is the possibility Free would be a restricted free agent, assuming there is some kind of lockout and whenever it ends, there will be a free agent signing period. Depending on how things are structured in the new CBA and the league, Free's contract could allow him to become a restricted free agent.
Restricted, unrestricted, or even if the Cowboys sign him to a long-term contract before this month is over, Doug Free needs to be here. The Cowboys know that and therefore, they will make sure he stays put.
There seems to be that guy every year with this team. There's always one looming contract that has fans a little worried because he's not signed.
In 2007, it was Tony Romo. He signed in the bye week.
In the summer of 2008, the Cowboys made several signing splashes. Three years later, it's tough to categorize any of them as successful. The Cowboys dished out some cash to sign Adams, Terrell Owens, Ken Hamlin and then Terence Newman and Marion Barber were signed to beat the clock on a deadline that would allow them to structure them around the NFL's pesky rules. Other than Newman, which can also be debated, none of those guys were able to live up to the contract.
In 2009, it was DeMarcus Ware, who signed in the middle of the season.
And then after that season, the big debate centered on Miles Austin, who was coming off a Pro Bowl effort after just 12 starts. We all thought Jerry Jones might wait until the middle of the 2010 regular season to get a deal done with Austin. That's what happened with Romo after he was thrust onto the scene the year before.
Instead, Jerry inked Austin to a long-term contract just before the season opener in Washington. While Austin didn't duplicate his success from the previous year, the injury to Romo might have played a huge part in that. Considering he had 20 catches in the first two games with Romo, I think you can argue that it did.
Anyway, Austin landed a second straight Pro Bowl appearance and seems to be living up to the lofty standards of the contract.
Without a doubt, this year's top priority has to be Doug Free.
It's not that signing any of these players is a simple black-and-white process. It always takes creativity to get a deal done for both sides. But in this year's case, with so much uncertainty, it will take a great deal of patience, and as always, foresight.
With Free, the Cowboys have seen enough of this guy in four seasons. They've watched him develop from a fourth-round pick, to a backup lineman, to the swing tackle for both positions, then he filled in for Marc Colombo on the right side in 2009, and started every game at left tackle in 2010.
He's gotten better each season and since he just turned 27, Free still has most of his career ahead of him. At least that's what the Cowboys are counting on.
While he's shown the needed qualities of someone who can progress, be versatile to play more than one position and then play at a high level at a very important spot on the field, he still only has 24 starts under his belt.
Is that enough to warrant a long-term deal? That's the question the Cowboys must answer.
It doesn't seem to be enough to warrant the Cowboys placing the franchise tag on him, just to protect his rights here during the unusual circumstances of the league. The franchise tag for offensive linemen this year will be around $10.3 million for one season.
OK, sorry, but while I do believe Free is going to be a really good left tackle and possibly a great one, I don't think he's earned the right to get a one-year deal worth $10 million. Seems like there might be a better middle ground than giving a guy $550,000 one year and then $10 million the next.
Yes, Free was good and maybe it's because we weren't quite sure how he would hold up all season long at left tackle. I'll be the first to admit I had my reservations about cutting Adams for Free. That's been documented and while I probably didn't give Free enough credit, I was thinking it would be pretty risky to let Adams go and assume the position would be just fine.
In reality, both arguments were probably accurate.
Of course, he had his moments of struggle - as to be expected with any first-year starter who faces the likes of Julius Peppers, Mario Williams, Brian Orakpo, Dwight Freeney, Clay Matthews Jr., Trent Cole, Jared Allen … and I'm sure there are more. That's a pretty healthy dose of pass-rushers.
But for the most part, Free manned his post. I wouldn't say he held his own because that sounds like he just battled even. This guy was better than that. He didn't exactly win the matchup against Freeney in Indianapolis, but he won more than he lost.
Now you can argue that Free was better on the left side than Adams, simply because of the penalties. But it might just go with the territory. Adams led the Cowboys in penalties in each of his last three seasons, including getting flagged for 13 in 2009. Free was the Cowboys' leader last year with 11. And I checked over in Pittsburgh this past season and Adams had eight penalties - fourth most on the team - while playing right tackle. Pittsburgh's most penalized player was Jonathan Scott with 11. And oh yeah, he plays left tackle.
It's the nature of the beast. The left tackle has to hold sometimes, to make sure his quarterback gets up after the play. I'm sure Cowboys fans all over wished someone would've held Michael Boley before he slammed Tony Romo to the turf.
So all this might sound like rambling, but that's sort of what you have to do when you're evaluating a player.
You take his good, the not-so-good, the great, the not-so-great and factor it into his age, experience and compare it to the rest of the league. Maybe it's not worth $10 million per season, but Free is certainly worth keeping. And with left tackles always being a premium, the Cowboys have to factor in the possibility that some team out there might think Free is worth that much.
If they can get a deal done with Free before the March 3 deadline, it would be ideal, but it's unlikely. There are just too many factors involved - it's probable the Cowboys will lay low and see how the dust settles.
But once it does, locking up Free should be atop the priority list.
