Wade filled the roster through FA: that needs to change

is that many of the guys drafted during Wade’s tenure will be free agents after this season, or already are, like Doug Free.

Anthony Spencer, Felix Jones, Martellus Bennett, Tashard Choice, Orlando Scandrick are all free agents after the season (if the new CBA brings back free agency after four years).

Doug Free, with one good season, will want to be paid like a top ten tackle this year. Imagine if every one of the above free agents has a breakout year in 2011. Will the Cowboys give them an extension based on their 2011 play – which they’ll be asking for – or a contract based on the rather less spectacular early years of their contract.

That’s a major issue with the way the Cowboys develop their talent.

you have no choice but to sign FAs. Finding O-linemen in the draft is Dallas’ achilles heal, Jerry could change that this year, but I wouldn’t count on it. They got kinda lucky with Free, but I’m not sure he’d be starting now if Colombo hadn’t got hurt.

This is what happens when you miss on entire drafts so consistently, a single, apparently fluky decent Draft class becomes now indispensable. The team is then forced to retain some marginal talent or acquire FA’s with all their shortcomings instead of upgrading in the draft as good teams do.

As a bonus – you manage to have your only Above average OL at risk for as an UFA and potentially lose 3 DL FA’s in a single off-season? Stephen Jones, I am close to revoking your Franchise Savior designation, you gotta wear some of this along with your delusional Dad.

to say we filled the roster with free agency is kinda wrong
just my opinion
almost every starter on this team is a draft pick or UDFA and I consider UDFA’s part of the draft class
the problem is we havent spent any money in free agency the past 3 years
one could argue we need to make some bigger moves in that department

also i think we invest hardly any high picks on the offense.. besides dez bryant

look at all the first rounders Dallas drafted .. majority of the pick went on defense..so y is it that everyone say dallas needs this or that on D? T me it seem as if dallas needs to get players play there postion.. The safety and CB postion yea it needs helo put guys like spencer, igor,and sensi need to earn there keep

just think who we could of had if we stayed pat..

man it sucks.. everytime JJ goes aganist the script he brings the team down

and by wade you meant jerry?

Here’s to starting a trend of succesful drafts!

“We upgraded our special teams!!”
That really was the argument at the time. Unbelieveable.
Terry was 1st in line, by the way.

The draft failures of this team are becoming epic in nature.

The plan for Cowboys has been to sign FAs for offense and draft defense. I believe that Jerry himself has even made mention of this a couple of times. This problem with this plan though is when you miss on defensive picks ico 2009 draft (all those players were/are a wash save maybe for Butler)………….My thoughts are that now we need to change the trend and get some solid offensive players. And the best place for solid /not great offensive players is on the O-line. In the trenches you need not be an all-pro to be effective. If we can get a group of smart players that are willing to work together they will always win out over an O- line with one or two all pros without any cohesiveness. Free fits this profile…Kosier fits the profile……Colombo (before his melt down the last 17 games) fit this profile…….Gurode can fit the profile……….in this draft I believe that Castonzo fits the profile as does Moffit……..but these as just my thoughts…………

I believe Jason Garette does

I realize that that draft was a basic wash. The good news is we can start from this year and right the wrong. We realize that drafting for all special teams is a bad idea. We should have gone in with the philosophy of drafting players that can contribute to special teams but can eventually start. Lesson learned. I know things where bad, but trust me, would you rather we be in this situation looking for a RT with this draft or looking for a QB in this draft like Cinci might or Arizona, Minnesota, or Buffalo. Ill take the Cowboys small problems over the bigger ones like Cinci who would rather have a QB retire, than set foot in that stadium again. That is when you know you have problems.

The use of FA’s is not the problem. You only need to look at NE that takes a whole team approach. Everyone says they do great in the draft, but they take the BPA in the draft according tp their board (at times with an eye toward need), then they go after the UDFA’s that they feel can help thier team. With that said they are major players in the FA market .From 2005 to 2010 they took 49 free agents with the only down year in 2010 when the took 3 due to the changes from 4 to 6 years in the CBA that gave everyone a limited frre agent market. They have also done a few (3 I think) trades during this time for players the recieved and traded a number for draft picks.
I do not think the use of free agents is the problem, it is not using all tools available to build your team.