NFL
By: Greg Rector
As of today the Dallas Cowboys have $8.9 million left in salary cap space. Of course the fan base figures the money should be spent on a free agent signing, meanwhile the holder of the purse-strings in Dallas one Stephen Jones, has shown no signs of wanting to be at the cap limit. After all rolling over cap space from two years ago ended up helping the Cowboys reach the agreement with Dak Prescott, while allowing the team to sign several free-agents. The desire of the fans is never-ending to sign anyone and everyone that might help the Cowboys, but far too often it’s a player with a reputation from seasons past. Yesterday a perfect example of this played out when it was learned that 33 year-old DT Geno Atkins, an eleven-year veteran of the Bengals would be coming to Dallas, immediately there posts on social media and elsewhere that he was having a visit with the team. Well that of course sets everyone off in Cowboys Nation. Some are still speculating about a possible signing even after it was learned that Atkins upcoming visit is to see Dr. Dan Cooper the Cowboys team doctor, who actually performed the surgery on Atkins injured rotator cuff as a follow up to see how his recovery has come along. Not a visit with the Cowboys franchise at all. Now if you had paid attention months ago when his surgery happened you would have realized that Dr. Cooper did the surgery. This isn’t unusual in the sports world, for years the best “Tommy John,” surgeon was Dr. Frank Jobe, who also happened to be the team doctor for the Dodgers, Angels. Rams and the Lakers, yet Dr.Jobe and his team performed the surgery on countless pitchers. Don’t recall anyone saying ” The Dodgers or Angels are signing so and so because they are visiting Dr,Jobe.” Yet this is the immediate and silly reaction in Dallas.
WILL THEY:
Will Dallas really sign any of the free agents still out there? The only way I think you see a signing is after training camp begins and there’s an injury situation. That’s right if the injury bug hits while the team is hopefully in Oxnard, CA (Still the plan but the protocols are not finalized) then I could see the Cowboys using a small amount of that cap space dependent on the severity of the injuries of course. The one area where you don’t want any injuries right now is at Safety. Never a focus in the draft for some unknown reason has been the free safety position which has left this as a position that is thin to say the least. Now they did address this somewhat in free agency by signing Damontae Kazee formerly of the Falcons and familiar with Dan Quinn’s defense. Problem is he is coming off of a torn ACL of course and that’s why they could sign him to such a team-friendly “Prove It,” deal. So far he’s appeared just fine at the OTA’s. As we all know that can always change on any given play or during practice. We went through this last year with Gerald McCoy and his quad issues. If something happens to Kazee during training camp or in a pre-season game, the Cowboys options at free safety are not very pretty. Next man up be Jaron Kearse, who has been much more of a special teams player and limited use in sub-packages with both the Vikings and Lions. Certainly don’t want to see Darian Thompson who was beaten out at Strong Safety by the strong play of Donovan Wilson for the starting role as an option, personally Thompson might be the easiest cut to make from the roster as a whole. Here’s where the Cowboys could be forced into a signing. Really that seems to be the only position where I can see adding a free agent would happen.
WON’T THEY:
Plain and simple Stephen Jones will not spend money unless he is absolutely forced into it at this point. While Geno Atkins has had a solid career at age 33 and coming off an injury do the Cowboys want to repeat the McCoy experiment again? I don’t think so. Pretty certain that Will McClay who came from the pro scouting world doesn’t want a repeat of last year when his supposed strength in terms of scouting saw zero benefit to the team who really missed on everyone they signed. Yes plenty of that was due to the previously written about deplorable defensive coaches who had players out of their strengths and positions so often it was a nightmare to witness. He has to hope that Urban, Basham, Nsheke and others produce this year in order for his reputation not take a massive hit.
Stephen wants that salary cap rollover to be as large as possible for 2022. In addition to the announced ceiling for the salary cap of $208 million in 2022 the savings from this year could be used to keep the Cowboys their own free agents, truly the preference over going out and signing guys that result in other teams receiving compensatory picks, something Stephen and Jerry simply haven’t done. Let’s say Kazee has a good season, or that Leighton Vander Esche remains injury-free and produces on the field, that saved money could help keep both in Dallas. Like it or not there are some in the organization led by Stephen Jones who know it’s vital to put together as good a team as possible today, but you bet the farm on one season alone and you could find yourself in league with teams trapped in “Salary Cap Hell,” as it’s known around the league. This is what the fans need to understand yet it always escapes so many in their thinking. Now as y’all know I am not an apologist for the Jones family, but in this rare circumstance I agree with Stephen. The free-spending days before the salary cap old Jerry could just write checks for as much as he liked, but those days are long over. Let’s hope that there is no repeat of last years large injury list, that the free-agents and draft picks work out as planned, and stop all the dreaming of trade scenarios, or signing of guys folks. Give the thumbs a rest on social media as well with things that are not going to happen. Plenty of positive signs after the first two sessions of OTA’s. Stay focused on the positives.
As always you can find me on Twitter @GregCowboys
