Dallas City News

It has been a tumultuous offseason for the Dallas Cowboys as we’ve witnessed the team lose several key players while doing almost nothing in free agency to replenish them. We know this is how the team typically operates, but this year feels considerably worse. On top of that, they have All-Pro players who many expected would have already received contract extensions by now, only to find out very little has gone on in terms of negotiations.

What is going on in Big D? Have Jerry and Stephon Jones lost their marbles? Are they on the cusp of blowing up this franchise, or is it possible that some are just blowing things out of proportion? Are things really as bad as people are making it? We profess that it is not as we take a close look at five fallacies that have dominated the webernets this offseason.

FALLACY #1: JERRY JONES IS TOO STUBBORN AND ONLY CARES ABOUT HIS BRAND

Myth: From the complete lack of activity this offseason, it’s clear that Jerry and Stephen Jones are trying to teach people a lesson. They’ve pleaded to those who would listen that if you pay your stars (particularly your quarterback) a lot of money, there won’t be much pie left for others, and gosh almighty, they are right! Hell or high water, this is how the Cowboys must operate now, and “it is what it is.” Either way, they are making money hand over fist, so it doesn’t matter.

Reality: The Joneses do care about winning. They just have a different approach than most. Their decisions don’t stem from this unyielding stubbornness to die on a hill they’ve built by excavating themselves from reality, but rather because this is what they believe is best. The Cowboys do change things around with new coaches and small trades here and there. And they do win football games, so it’s a hard sell to suggest they don’t care about winning.

FALLACY #2: THE COWBOYS HAVE TOO MANY NEEDS

Myth: With the net gains and losses from the offseason, the Cowboys are looking at a depleted roster with way too many holes. It’s impossible to address all these needs with the limited draft capital they have in this year’s draft.

Reality: The Cowboys have needs as they do every year, but they’re not as severe as some make them out to be. This squad has a lot of good players (shown below in blue), possessing at least one quality starter in most of their position groups. Some of the weak spots on the team are currently filled with young players the team has a lot of belief in. Now, are they right in their assessment, we don’t know. What we do know is that the front office doesn’t feel compelled to spend in free agency to cover themselves.

When we look closely at the roster, some glaring holes jump out but they’ll have a new draft class to help with many of these issues. This provides a nice segue into the next fallacy.

FALLACY #3: THE COWBOYS PAINT THEMSELVES INTO A CORNER COME DRAFT TIME

Myth: The lack of activity in free agency leaves too many holes and won’t allow the Cowboys to draft pure. They might as well be telegraphing their draft pick targets to the entire league because there is no surprise in what they’re up to.

Reality: The Cowboys’ player personnel department has evaluated the current draft class for over two years. The work they’ve put in to study these prospects has been extensive. They know what type of players will be available to them in a couple of weeks and that has influenced their free agent decisions, not the other way around. The Cowboys won’t be taking an offensive lineman in round one because they have to, they’ll be taking one because that was the plan all along. The same thing goes with running back. There are enough players in this draft that they like who they feel are obtainable with their current draft resources. From the outside, it may look like some Tyler Smith “reach,” but if Jerry happens to flash the Cowboys draft cheatsheet, we’ll see it wasn’t.

FALLACY #4: THE COWBOYS LET GOOD PLAYERS GET AWAY

Myth: Tyron Smith is an All-Pro talent, Tony Pollard and Tyler Biadasz are Pro Bowlers, and even the veteran Johnathan Hankins provides valuable reps in the trenches. Allowing so many good players to leave in free agency was gross negligence.

Reality: We do this every year. Cowboys’ players who sign with other teams in free agency are missed initially. But even though players like Dalton Schultz, Chidobe Awuzie, or Connor McGovern are solid players the team could use, almost all of these departures aren’t missed. That is because the team has players like Jake Ferguson, Trevon Diggs, or Tyler Smith waiting in the wings.

It may feel like this year’s departures are a bit much to endure, but is it? Have you felt Tyron Smith has been a player the team could rely on over the last several years? Is it possible that Biadasz is not actually a Pro Bowl-caliber player? Pollard went from averaging 5+ yards per carry over his first four years to only four ypc last year in his first year as the team’s workhorse back. Is it possible wear and tear has caused him to lose some juice? And you won’t find a bigger fan of Big Hank than yours truly, but are we really that upset he got away?

Do we like these guys, sure. But are we genuinely upset they’re gone? Hmmm. This is like the sadness you initially feel when your wife sells your old set of golf clubs at your garage sale, but in a few months, you won’t even remember it.

FALLACY #5: THE COWBOYS WAIT TOO LONG EXTENDED THEIR OWN PLAYERS

Myth: This narrative is so popular it’s gone into syndication. When retaining their stars, the Cowboys’ front office drags their feet. They’ll fifth-year option guys, slap franchise tags on players, and occasionally just wait until a player up and decides to hold out before forcing their hand to get a deal done. This procrastinating behavior gives the players all the leverage and ultimately costs the Cowboys more money.

Reality: There is not much difference between paying a player now versus later. On the surface, it appears more expensive because a player’s average annual salary increases over time, but so does the salary cap. To benefit from getting a deal done early, they must get a discounted deal on a player who has yet to show his true potential. The front office has tried to get away with deals like this with players like La’el Collins, Jaylon Smith, and most recently Terence Steele. One might make a case that early is not all that smart.

When dealing with known commodities such as Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, there’s no discount. Their representation won’t allow their clients to be taken advantage of. The Cowboys try to be sneaky by fighting for longer terms which would give them more years with a smaller cap percentage for that player, but agents push back. People say waiting gives the players all the leverage, but a rich organization is already financially preparing for the deal and has nothing to lose. They’ll pony up the cash when they have to. Meanwhile, a player’s patience is challenged as that big signing bonus dangles in front of them knowing each additional snap they play could put their financial security at risk.

The only true way the Cowboys can mess this up is by signing a player who doesn’t perform to the level of their contract, resulting in a sunk cost, dead money hit. These situations are more likely to occur if they got deals done too early or dabbled in free agency, two things the Cowboys aren’t active in. Or, they could mess things up by not re-signing a great player, but contrary to what some believe, this front office is not in the business of letting their stars get away.