NFL
By: Greg Rector
That Dallas Cowboys traded Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns for a 2022 draft 5th and 6th round draft pick, while the Browns get Cooper and a 2023 6th round draft pick. The team has also given the right tackle La’el Collins permission to seek a trade. Cooper’s deal seems a bit off but when you put yourself in the spot Cowboys did with him, the return wasn’t going to be as great as most would like. The biggest factor though going forward is it frees up $16 million towards the salary cap. In addition to that, the Cowboys will now have 9 draft picks this year. The talks are ongoing with Demarcus Lawrence regarding his $27 million dollar cap hit for the 2022 season. What does this mean going forward for the Cowboys?
Contract vs Performance
The Cowboys can only blame themselves for the size of the contracts they end up having. We all know they are absolutely stuck with the Ezekiel Elliott contract, as well as the Dak Prescott deal. The first one we as Cowboys fans can all whine about but Elliott cannot be dealt with in terms of his deal until 2023. Jerry and Stephen caved when Elliott went to Cabo, plain and simple, then compounded the bad deal by extending it. With what we’re seeing happen right now though, the players being mentioned have not lived up performance-wise versus the size of their contract. I have long bemoaned the complacency that permeates this roster. When you consider the playoff woes of this franchise seeing players over-rewarded for their play makes it even worse. Despite the love-fest for Cooper and his boasting he could be the NFL’s best wide receiver, he never approached that level. La’el Collins play has been in decline, he has had numerous off-the-field issues, and while the salary cap savings won’t be huge by trading him, getting another draft pick isn’t a bad idea considering the success in recent years of drafting players. As for Demarcus Lawrence, once again at his salary cap number, you would expect the sacks total to match (Somewhat of a pass for missing 9 games due to injury in 2021) the huge salary. I for one am glad to see this happen. Players should get as much money as they can, the Dallas Cowboys should however avoid these mistakes. Sorry, not sorry to all those who love the names on the back of the jersey. Do you want the big contracts? Then win the big games, don’t be complacent, and always push to succeed. That’s why I am not angry at all about these three players either being traded or in trade talks. This is a results-oriented business and 26 seasons the results Cowboys fans have wanted have been lacking. I won’t be upset if the free agents remaining for Dallas all get better deals elsewhere this week either. I’d rather have a hungrier group than the complacent group that’s gotten their money and then proceed to disappoint year after year. I can’t control the market rate for players, nor can the Cowboys to a degree, but they sure can control the type of player who gets to wear the star. Give me the next bunch of “Dawgs,” like the group that was drafted in 2021. Give me a bunch more like Micah “The Lion is Always Hungry,” Parsons. He gives a damn, day in day out. Elliott played with the PCL injury, he cares. That’s been long absent in Dallas and the results on the field prove it.
The New Attitude
No matter what the “fanatics,” in the fanbase believe I like this new direction. For far too long the Jones family has rewarded mediocrity. Do you know when you should be the highest-paid player for your position? When you lead the league in multiple categories when you’ve helped your team reach at least the NFC Championship game, or even better won the Super Bowl. That’s the performance that should be rewarded greatly. Realizing these contracts were mistakes and doing something about it is a positive change in direction. Prior to free agency seven players were chewing up 73% of the salary cap, which simply isn’t sustainable. In the NFL the big contract is a huge risk, too often the Cowboys come out on the losing end of these deals. It happens with every team however with the extra focus the Cowboys receive it gets magnified as we’re well aware. Stephen Jones as the guy who handles the contracts must get tougher in negotiations. If a player’s demands are out of line with their actual performance, then don’t cave in, trade them or let them go sign elsewhere. Let other teams over-pay instead. Ideally in the NFL these days you want a QB in his first five seasons under team control and you can spend as need be for free agents. That window is closed and Dak is making his money, so you need to be smart about the players you decide to give big money to. You need to be flexible and realize that for so many of these players their performance will drop off with age (There are exceptions) for the most part this is the reality, and tying yourself to “your guys,” when those guys haven’t reached the goal of at least being contenders for the NFC Championship, then why saddle yourself with them?
Free Agency
The new league year begins this week. Sorry fans if someone wants Randy Gregory or Leighton Vander Esche, for more money that’s the player’s right to take the larger deal. Plain and simple, y’all will have to live with it. Simply means the Cowboys will need to fill those roster spots. Sign affordable players, and draft well. I am tired of sticking to players who don’t achieve the goal of being in Super Bowls. Sure I like Gregory, I understand what he’s gone through and all the factors, but I want to see the Cowboys playing in the most important games. Hasn’t happened with Gregory or any of the other free agents. Roster turnover is inevitable.
As always you can find me on Twitter @GregCowboys
