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The Dallas Cowboys have made themselves crystal clear when it comes to free agency over the last few seasons. They’re cheap bargain hunters, and that’s the way they like it.
You could argue that this philosophy needs to change (I literally did on Sunday), especially when you consider just how horrific last year’s free agency class was.
It is Week 8, and all three of the Cowboys’ primary FA signings — Nolan Carroll, Stephen Paea & Damontre’ Moore — are no longer w/ the team.
— David Helman (@HelmanDC) October 24, 2017
Stephen Paea, Nolan Carroll, and Damontre Moore. That’s what we were supposed to be excited about a year ago, and as you can see, none of them even lasted the season.
It is worth noting that the Cowboys did re-sign a few of their own players a year ago, namely wide receiver Terrance Williams, but even then that’s not exactly something worthy of a gold star a season later.
Seriously though, think about that. The team’s biggest three names brought in from different places via free agency didn’t even last for one whole season with the team.
Stephen Paea retired on them because of injury, and that’s a bit of a unique situation. Darren McFadden also retired before the season ended and he was somebody they re-signed. That’s literally two players they signed in 2017 to play in 2017 that retired before it ended.
Damontre Moore had a checkered past, and the Cowboys knew that, but they proceeded anyway. While him not working out wasn’t exactly a surprise to them, it was a calculated risk they knowingly took that they didn’t hit on.
Nolan Carroll was a name that sparked vitriol from the very beginning, the Taco Charlton of free agent signings if you will. Once upon a time I backed Carroll (I maintain the context was difficult to convey and that it got massively overblown but I accept my L), and when I did I was literally the only person in a room. I thought the earth abandoned me.
All of this considered, is it actually possible for the Cowboys to do worse in 2018? I’m not being sarcastic, I’m actually asking. There are a bunch of creative people in the BTB-o-sphere, and even then it seems difficult to conjure up a more disastrous crop a year later.
Prove me wrong, BTB. Come up with a class of free agents the Cowboys could sign this offseason (three players as in this case) that would be worse than last year. I dare you.