By SportsDayDFW.com
Published 02 August 2011 05:49 PM
Related itemsThe Dallas Morning News’ Rick Gosselin joined The Ticket Tuesday afternoon to grade the Cowboy’s free agent signings, Gerald Sensabaugh’s future with the team and discuss why the team is repeating financial mistakes it made in the 90s. Here are some highlights of his appearance:
On how he'd grade the Cowboys offseason moves:
Well, they signed the best left tackle in free agency, but all it did was maintain the status quo. I don’t have a problem with what has come down so far in free agency. The three guys that the Eagles signed will make them a better team this year and next, but I believe they are all 30 [years old]. They’ll never see the end of those contracts and they are big contracts. Given the cap situation for the Cowboys, they had to cut $19 million out. They’ve got $20 million in dead money next year. They are not in a position where they can go out and make that splash. I think signing Asomugha would have made them better on the corner, but then it would have shorted them somewhere else. I don’t have a problem with that. I think I wrote that. This is the time we start bottom fishing. Last weekend it was a seller’s market for the players. Now it is a buyer’s market. There’s not many dollars out there, but there is a lot of good players. The Cowboys can fill any hole in their roster right now at a pretty bargain price with a veteran player who is on the streets and a guy who started last year. And I think Elam would be a good get. Reality has to set in. I think he was hoping of getting Eric Weddle…money. That’s not going to happen. The longer you wait, the more your price goes down. But I think it’s common sense that it’s here and the Cowboys get him. [Rob] Ryan needs to get the back end straightened out of that defense and this guy can come play for the Dallas Cowboys.
On the possibility of signing Elam and Gerald Sensabaugh:
I would get [Dashon] Goldson of San Francisco or Jarrad Page of the New England Patriots. I don’t know. We’ve seen Sensabaugh and he’s a good secondary option. He’s started and played for you. I think he is still expecting a bigger contract than what he is eventually going to sign. Now I wouldn’t have a problem with him, but I may want to go to in a different direction.
Why hasn’t Goldson gone back to San Francisco?
That’s a good question. Money is tight around the league. In most cases, safeties aren’t impact players and there is a lot of good safeties around the league. There’s Dante Whitner, Bernard Pollard, Eugene Wilson, Madieu Williams, Page, Elam and Goldson. There’s lots of them. There are a lot of safeties out there. Those guys kind of got pushed back…I think that you don’t want to go overpay for a safety. I do think Elam brings a certain quality here. He can help teach Ryan’s defense. But these other guys I think are going to have to sign for less.
Is this a quieter, less-spending version of Jerry Jones?
This is a Jerry Jones that has to get his salary cap fixed. I mean, this team has been a financial mess. Like I said, next year they already have $20 million in dead money on the books and the cap doesn’t figure to go over the $120 million it is right now. I wouldn’t expect him to be very active next year either. I think this team has to get younger and has to get it’s cap fixed. And I think you’re going to see a year and a half of rebuilding. I think 2013 is the year you’ll see the Cowboys make their run. Those older guys in Philadelphia will have lost a step. They have to get younger. I think they have to overhaul this offensive line. Next year you could see four guys under the age of 28 on the offensive line. This team has got a salary cap issue and they have to get younger as a result.
Isn’t restructuring contracts pushing debt back a couple of years?
Agreed. If you wanted to restructure [Tony Romo , DeMarcus Ware and Miles Austin’s contacts] to get Asomugha, then [you could pursue him]. If you felt Nnamdi could push you over the top, then go get him and create the money by restructuring. Again, this is how this team got in this mess in the 1990s by restructuring the contracts of old players, pushing money back and it wound up becoming salary cap hits. I’m not a big fan of reconstructing. Maybe if you have Peyton Manning, Tom Brady or Drew Brees. Redo those contracts but if you’re not talking about franchise players on championship caliber teams, I wouldn’t redo them. That only compounds your problem and pushes your salary cap issue back.
Published 02 August 2011 05:49 PM
Related itemsThe Dallas Morning News’ Rick Gosselin joined The Ticket Tuesday afternoon to grade the Cowboy’s free agent signings, Gerald Sensabaugh’s future with the team and discuss why the team is repeating financial mistakes it made in the 90s. Here are some highlights of his appearance:
On how he'd grade the Cowboys offseason moves:
Well, they signed the best left tackle in free agency, but all it did was maintain the status quo. I don’t have a problem with what has come down so far in free agency. The three guys that the Eagles signed will make them a better team this year and next, but I believe they are all 30 [years old]. They’ll never see the end of those contracts and they are big contracts. Given the cap situation for the Cowboys, they had to cut $19 million out. They’ve got $20 million in dead money next year. They are not in a position where they can go out and make that splash. I think signing Asomugha would have made them better on the corner, but then it would have shorted them somewhere else. I don’t have a problem with that. I think I wrote that. This is the time we start bottom fishing. Last weekend it was a seller’s market for the players. Now it is a buyer’s market. There’s not many dollars out there, but there is a lot of good players. The Cowboys can fill any hole in their roster right now at a pretty bargain price with a veteran player who is on the streets and a guy who started last year. And I think Elam would be a good get. Reality has to set in. I think he was hoping of getting Eric Weddle…money. That’s not going to happen. The longer you wait, the more your price goes down. But I think it’s common sense that it’s here and the Cowboys get him. [Rob] Ryan needs to get the back end straightened out of that defense and this guy can come play for the Dallas Cowboys.
On the possibility of signing Elam and Gerald Sensabaugh:
I would get [Dashon] Goldson of San Francisco or Jarrad Page of the New England Patriots. I don’t know. We’ve seen Sensabaugh and he’s a good secondary option. He’s started and played for you. I think he is still expecting a bigger contract than what he is eventually going to sign. Now I wouldn’t have a problem with him, but I may want to go to in a different direction.
Why hasn’t Goldson gone back to San Francisco?
That’s a good question. Money is tight around the league. In most cases, safeties aren’t impact players and there is a lot of good safeties around the league. There’s Dante Whitner, Bernard Pollard, Eugene Wilson, Madieu Williams, Page, Elam and Goldson. There’s lots of them. There are a lot of safeties out there. Those guys kind of got pushed back…I think that you don’t want to go overpay for a safety. I do think Elam brings a certain quality here. He can help teach Ryan’s defense. But these other guys I think are going to have to sign for less.
Is this a quieter, less-spending version of Jerry Jones?
This is a Jerry Jones that has to get his salary cap fixed. I mean, this team has been a financial mess. Like I said, next year they already have $20 million in dead money on the books and the cap doesn’t figure to go over the $120 million it is right now. I wouldn’t expect him to be very active next year either. I think this team has to get younger and has to get it’s cap fixed. And I think you’re going to see a year and a half of rebuilding. I think 2013 is the year you’ll see the Cowboys make their run. Those older guys in Philadelphia will have lost a step. They have to get younger. I think they have to overhaul this offensive line. Next year you could see four guys under the age of 28 on the offensive line. This team has got a salary cap issue and they have to get younger as a result.
Isn’t restructuring contracts pushing debt back a couple of years?
Agreed. If you wanted to restructure [Tony Romo , DeMarcus Ware and Miles Austin’s contacts] to get Asomugha, then [you could pursue him]. If you felt Nnamdi could push you over the top, then go get him and create the money by restructuring. Again, this is how this team got in this mess in the 1990s by restructuring the contracts of old players, pushing money back and it wound up becoming salary cap hits. I’m not a big fan of reconstructing. Maybe if you have Peyton Manning, Tom Brady or Drew Brees. Redo those contracts but if you’re not talking about franchise players on championship caliber teams, I wouldn’t redo them. That only compounds your problem and pushes your salary cap issue back.
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