USAToday Inside Slant: Cowboys
The Cowboys have played it smart in free agency. They are not spending money on marginal free agents like a lot of teams. This is how they planned it — a quiet offseason. Now if situations come up that they like they will make a move.
But expect the status quo to continue, said vice president Stephen Jones.
"We're prepared, if there was the right situations," Jones said. "But we just feel like, right now, the type of talent you're getting for what it costs doesn't really fit in our model."
The Cowboys are limited in what they can do because of a tight salary cap — they have roughly $3.4 million in space available.
As a result, they have missed out on several possible free agents that could have helped them next season.
But Jones said none were worth money they got elsewhere.
Jones indicated receiver Javon Walker might have fit that description, but said the Cowboys weren't prepared to pay the bounty he got from Oakland: six years, $55 million, including $16 million guaranteed money.
In the end, it makes more sense for the Cowboys to put the money back into their own free agents, Jones said.
"We just feel like that's how we want to build going forward," Jones said. "We know we've got to keep guys like Terence Newman and a couple of other good players, like a (DeMarcus) Ware. We certainly want to keep our situation as such that we can keep these great young players together. That's where we would like to spend our resources."
Consider that the Cowboys have already signed a number of players to contract extensions over the past two seasons, including quarterback Tony Romo, tight end Jason Witten, tackle Flozell Adams and center Andre Gurode. They are looking to do the same with running back Marion Barber, defensive end Chris Canty, Newman and Ware.
Jones acknowledges the Cowboys' strategy probably cost them a chance to add a "wow" player in free agency as owner Jerry Jones promised last month.
Jones allowed that the Cowboys could get that player in the draft.
Among the positions the Cowboys are going to focus on with their two first-round picks are running back, receiver and cornerback.
Considering the Cowboys have no proven running backs under contract, they will have to draft a running back.
Julius Jones signed a free-agent contract with Seattle and Barber hasn't signed his restricted free-agent tender.
Barber was given a $2.56 million, one-year tender offer and the team is currently in discussions with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, about a long-term deal. The Cowboys expect Barber to return but they will most likely get a running mate for him in the draft.
NOTES, QUOTES
—S Keith Davis has reunited with former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells in Miami. Davis signed a two-year, $3.5 million deal. He will have a big role on special teams, but he will also get a chance to compete for a starting job at safety.
That was not the case in Dallas and was the biggest reason Davis wanted to change locations.
He becomes the latest former Cowboys player to go with Parcells in Miami, joining general manager Jeff Ireland, head coach Tony Sparano, defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers, defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni and secondary coach Todd Bowles as well as former Dallas players Jason Ferguson, Sean Ryan, Joey Thomas, Trey Darilek, Junior Glymph and Matt Baker.
—CB Nate Jones has taken free-agent visits to Minnesota and Miami, making it possible for him to be the next Cowboys player out the door.
The team is not making an effort to re-sign him so he could join unrestricted free agents like Jacques Reeves, Julius Jones and Keith Davis, who found homes with other teams.
—WR Sam Hurd was rewarded with an extra $215,495 as part of the NFL's performance-based pay program, the most among the Cowboys. DE Chris Canty was next with a check of $181,528, followed by S Pat Watkins at $168,607.
—The Cowboys have invited a number of potential draft picks to visit the team's Valley Ranch training complex heading into the NFL draft, including Tennessee State cornerback Dominique Rodgers Cromartie and Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We've initiated talks with him. Obviously (Chris) Canty is someone we'd like to sign long-term. And then the guys on the radar. DeMarcus (Ware) still has two years but Terence (Newman) is in the last year of his deal now. He's somebody we've got to keep our eye on. We've just got to methodically work though all of this. Obviously we've got our guys, to some degree, protected - the restricted guys. We stand prepared to do what we need to do to keep our core guys." — Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones on talks with restricted free-agent running Marion Barber and the team's policy regarding free agency.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
TEAM NEEDS/OFFSEASON STRATEGY
The Cowboys have no free-agent visits planned nor do they anticipate planning any in the near future.
1. Receiver: Terrell Owens will be 35 next year and Terry Glenn is the same age and missed 15 games last year with a knee injury. The Cowboys expressed interest in free-agent receiver Javon Walker, but he signed with the Raiders. The Cowboys need a young playmaker at receiver for next year and beyond. Vice president Stephen Jones said the Cowboys expect to get better at receiver from within as rookie Isaiah Stanback, a college quarterback, should be better in his second year. But still they need to add a receiver or two in the draft.
2. Cornerback: The Cowboys need a third corner to compete for a Super Bowl championship. Getting by with someone like Jacques Reeves playing behind starters Terence Newman and Anthony Henry just won't cut it anymore. A first-round corner could also replace Henry in the starting lineup. Consider also that the Cowboys could be a player in the Pacman Jones sweepstakes when and if he is ever reinstated by the league and released by the Titans. Jones has been banned by the league for violating the personal conduct policy. He has expressed interest in signing with the Cowboys when he comes back. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has already had internal discussions about how Jones would fit in Dallas.
3. Running back: The Cowboys have no running backs under contracts — although they have offered restricted free agent Marion Barber the highest tender of $2.56 million. Even with Barber the Cowboys need to address the running back position in the draft and or free agency because Julius Jones signed with Seattle. The Cowboys need a speed back to complement the bruising style of Barber. But the draft is loaded with quality backs and the Cowboys could nab one in the first or second round.
But expect the status quo to continue, said vice president Stephen Jones.
"We're prepared, if there was the right situations," Jones said. "But we just feel like, right now, the type of talent you're getting for what it costs doesn't really fit in our model."
The Cowboys are limited in what they can do because of a tight salary cap — they have roughly $3.4 million in space available.
As a result, they have missed out on several possible free agents that could have helped them next season.
But Jones said none were worth money they got elsewhere.
Jones indicated receiver Javon Walker might have fit that description, but said the Cowboys weren't prepared to pay the bounty he got from Oakland: six years, $55 million, including $16 million guaranteed money.
In the end, it makes more sense for the Cowboys to put the money back into their own free agents, Jones said.
"We just feel like that's how we want to build going forward," Jones said. "We know we've got to keep guys like Terence Newman and a couple of other good players, like a (DeMarcus) Ware. We certainly want to keep our situation as such that we can keep these great young players together. That's where we would like to spend our resources."
Consider that the Cowboys have already signed a number of players to contract extensions over the past two seasons, including quarterback Tony Romo, tight end Jason Witten, tackle Flozell Adams and center Andre Gurode. They are looking to do the same with running back Marion Barber, defensive end Chris Canty, Newman and Ware.
Jones acknowledges the Cowboys' strategy probably cost them a chance to add a "wow" player in free agency as owner Jerry Jones promised last month.
Jones allowed that the Cowboys could get that player in the draft.
Among the positions the Cowboys are going to focus on with their two first-round picks are running back, receiver and cornerback.
Considering the Cowboys have no proven running backs under contract, they will have to draft a running back.
Julius Jones signed a free-agent contract with Seattle and Barber hasn't signed his restricted free-agent tender.
Barber was given a $2.56 million, one-year tender offer and the team is currently in discussions with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, about a long-term deal. The Cowboys expect Barber to return but they will most likely get a running mate for him in the draft.
NOTES, QUOTES
—S Keith Davis has reunited with former Cowboys coach Bill Parcells in Miami. Davis signed a two-year, $3.5 million deal. He will have a big role on special teams, but he will also get a chance to compete for a starting job at safety.
That was not the case in Dallas and was the biggest reason Davis wanted to change locations.
He becomes the latest former Cowboys player to go with Parcells in Miami, joining general manager Jeff Ireland, head coach Tony Sparano, defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers, defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni and secondary coach Todd Bowles as well as former Dallas players Jason Ferguson, Sean Ryan, Joey Thomas, Trey Darilek, Junior Glymph and Matt Baker.
—CB Nate Jones has taken free-agent visits to Minnesota and Miami, making it possible for him to be the next Cowboys player out the door.
The team is not making an effort to re-sign him so he could join unrestricted free agents like Jacques Reeves, Julius Jones and Keith Davis, who found homes with other teams.
—WR Sam Hurd was rewarded with an extra $215,495 as part of the NFL's performance-based pay program, the most among the Cowboys. DE Chris Canty was next with a check of $181,528, followed by S Pat Watkins at $168,607.
—The Cowboys have invited a number of potential draft picks to visit the team's Valley Ranch training complex heading into the NFL draft, including Tennessee State cornerback Dominique Rodgers Cromartie and Arizona cornerback Antoine Cason.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We've initiated talks with him. Obviously (Chris) Canty is someone we'd like to sign long-term. And then the guys on the radar. DeMarcus (Ware) still has two years but Terence (Newman) is in the last year of his deal now. He's somebody we've got to keep our eye on. We've just got to methodically work though all of this. Obviously we've got our guys, to some degree, protected - the restricted guys. We stand prepared to do what we need to do to keep our core guys." — Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones on talks with restricted free-agent running Marion Barber and the team's policy regarding free agency.
STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
TEAM NEEDS/OFFSEASON STRATEGY
The Cowboys have no free-agent visits planned nor do they anticipate planning any in the near future.
1. Receiver: Terrell Owens will be 35 next year and Terry Glenn is the same age and missed 15 games last year with a knee injury. The Cowboys expressed interest in free-agent receiver Javon Walker, but he signed with the Raiders. The Cowboys need a young playmaker at receiver for next year and beyond. Vice president Stephen Jones said the Cowboys expect to get better at receiver from within as rookie Isaiah Stanback, a college quarterback, should be better in his second year. But still they need to add a receiver or two in the draft.
2. Cornerback: The Cowboys need a third corner to compete for a Super Bowl championship. Getting by with someone like Jacques Reeves playing behind starters Terence Newman and Anthony Henry just won't cut it anymore. A first-round corner could also replace Henry in the starting lineup. Consider also that the Cowboys could be a player in the Pacman Jones sweepstakes when and if he is ever reinstated by the league and released by the Titans. Jones has been banned by the league for violating the personal conduct policy. He has expressed interest in signing with the Cowboys when he comes back. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has already had internal discussions about how Jones would fit in Dallas.
3. Running back: The Cowboys have no running backs under contracts — although they have offered restricted free agent Marion Barber the highest tender of $2.56 million. Even with Barber the Cowboys need to address the running back position in the draft and or free agency because Julius Jones signed with Seattle. The Cowboys need a speed back to complement the bruising style of Barber. But the draft is loaded with quality backs and the Cowboys could nab one in the first or second round.
posted by The Gryphon at 8:13 PM
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