TK Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/8060467.htm Cowboys need not spend like Redskins' Snyder BY TIM COWLISHAW The Dallas Morning News DALLAS - (KRT) - It is flat-out amazing that Jerry Jones - one of the new billionaires on the most recent Forbes` list - has allowed Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to steal all the headlines this winter. Signs Joe Gibbs to coach. Signs Mark Brunell to play quarterback. About to trade for Pro Bowl running back Clinton Portis. The Redskins are coming, the Redskins are . . . Not so fast. It's not only amazing that Jones has let this happen. For Cowboys fans, it's refreshing. The "big splash" approach to free agency blows up much more often than it really boosts a team. Remember the Cowboys' "big splash" after Chan Gailey's 10-6 season in 1998? Dallas landed three big prizes in free agency - wide receiver Raghib Ismail, linebacker Quentin Coryatt and center Mark Stepnoski. Big stuff. Ismail was talented but erratic and injury-prone. Coryatt barely got on the field. Stepnoski was inconsequential as Dallas went 8-8 and began its fade toward repeated 5-11 failures. Most teams have learned that playing a wait-and-see game, grabbing bargains later rather than handing out the big contracts early, is the way to go. The biggest move the Patriots made last off-season was to sign linebacker Rosevelt Colvin from Chicago. Colvin didn't make it out of September before being injured for the year. That provided more playing time at outside linebacker for some guy named Mike Vrabel. Maybe you recognize the name - nearly stole the Super Bowl MVP trophy from Tom Brady. That's not to say that with their big-ticket purchases, the Redskins haven't improved. Gibbs' presence alone restores their credibility. But while Brunell will never see all seven years and $43 million of his deal, he likely will get $20 million for four years. That's too much for a 34-year-old quarterback who doesn't add the elusive threat he had a decade ago. And if the Portis deal goes through, that 25th-ranked defense will have lost cornerback Champ Bailey, linebacker Jessie Armstead and end Bruce Smith right off the bat. Brunell was not the answer in Dallas. It makes more sense for the Cowboys to stick with what they have at quarterback and plug other holes. If the Keyshawn Johnson-for-Joey Galloway trade goes through, that's a nice start. Johnson will never live up to the hype of being the only receiver picked No. 1. He's just not that good. He does possess the size and strength to make third-down receptions, though, and Quincy Carter needs an option there besides tight end Jason Witten. The Cowboys don't have to lead the league in noise made this off-season, but they do need to upgrade their roster, probably more than they did a year ago. Last year, the Cowboys got help from wide receiver Terry Glenn, running back Richie Anderson and tight end Dan Campbell, but the offense still wasn't very good. Punter Toby Gowin was a bust, and tackle Ryan Young lost his job. In the draft, first-round pick Terence Newman showed signs of big-play potential, but for a high pick, he wasn't nearly as ready for prime-time duty as Roy Williams had been the previous year. Guard Al Johnson, the second-round pick, was lost for the season in training camp. What Bill Parcells accomplished last year came about mostly from players who had been here before. Everything gets tougher for Parcells in Year Two. Not to make light of this team's turnaround, but rising from five wins (and clearly the team was capable of more under Dave Campo) to 10 is not nearly as difficult as taking the next step up to a division title and some form of postseason success. You start with Keyshawn and you hope that the draft falls favorably and that Michigan running back Chris Perry lands in your lap late in the first round. You make other small maneuvers to add depth to the offensive line (Patriots' center-guard Damien Woody?) and the secondary (Eagles' Bobby Taylor?). You let wide receiver Terrell Owens, assuming he is granted free agency, become someone else's problem. You let another team overspend to land occasionally brilliant but more often injured pass rusher Jevon Kearse of Tennessee. The Cowboys have to be good this season to gain ground on Philadelphia, which won't lose as much as people think. But it's more important that the Cowboys be patient and prudent and leave the headlines to Snyder. Jerry, you just arrived in the billionaires' club, according to Forbes. Don't do anything silly that will cost you your membership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilgamesh Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 Watch out NFC east...here comes the Carter/Glenn/Hambrick Express! What else could the Cowboys possibly need at this point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fitz Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 It makes more sense for the Cowboys to stick with what they have at quarterback and plug other holes. I know a lot of Cowboy fans that would argue with this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnacpa Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 PLEASE stick with Carter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f1car Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 Originally posted by bnacpa PLEASE stick with Carter Believe you me, if the Dallas fans had Carter cornered at one end of the street and 100 redskins fans cornered at the other end, we'll beat Carter to death first. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dissonance19 Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 I really dont know why ppl have probs with Carter. He got better during the yr and did waaaaaaaaaaaay better than he did the yr before. He progressed. I think Cowboy fans should stop ****ing and being so greedy. Be thankful that you made it to the playoffs this yr. Whatd ya expect superbowl? For Gods sake. give the guy more chances. Surround him with better talent and not Troy Hambrick as his RB. He needs a run game to take pressure of his shoulders. Thats why he throws the INTs. Maybe they just want a scapegoat and cant even be happy with not having a 5-11 yr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyKilmer Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 Hmm what holes are the cowboys plugging? Jeff Garcia is rumored to like to plug ...... freshman humor sorry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrisbob74 Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 It is interesting to see the difference with Gibbs coming here this year and Parcells going to Dallas last year. Parcells brought in virtually no free agents and used last season to assess his roster. In a way, even though they lacked talent in several areas it made Dallas a better team as they had a sense of faith in Parcells and everyone got a chance. This year we are going the total opposite route and bringing in lots of players from all over. Will it take us longer tobuild a team chemistry? Could that bonding time effect the teams performance and overall record? Only time will tell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWB Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 First he says that free agency blows up more than it boosts, then he says the boys should go after Woody and Taylor. What's up with this? This is crisis management. Hold back the Cowboy faithful who are getting hostile over the Skins dominating the airwaves. My advice, Jerry Jones stay the course and build slowly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TankRizzo Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 Originally posted by TK-IV II I The "big splash" approach to free agency blows up much more often than it really boosts a team. Remember the Cowboys' "big splash" after Chan Gailey's 10-6 season in 1998? Dallas landed three big prizes in free agency - wide receiver Raghib Ismail, linebacker Quentin Coryatt and center Mark Stepnoski. Big stuff. THAT is a "big splash"? :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: :rotflmao: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arkowi Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 A "Big Splash" for the Boys is Parcells taking a dump. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKINZ_DOMIN8 Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 The Cowboys have to be good this season to gain ground on Philadelphia, which won't lose as much as people think. But it's more important that the Cowboys be patient and prudent and leave the headlines to Snyder. If anyone seriously believes that the Crapa-delphia Eagles are a legitimate contender to the superbowl after the past 3 years of choking, let me sell you my Enron stock. :eaglesuck This guy Cowlishaw is a homer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedskinsMarchingBand Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 if the eagles get a great reciver they will be a threat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Om Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 The piece lost any credibility it might have had for me right about the time it casually equated moves made by and for Dave Campo, and moves made by and for Joe Gibbs. Pretty silly, even in a partisan piece. Then it also blithely dismissed the Redskins defense -- on February 28 -- for having lost three players, with nary a passing mention of moves the team will make to address that side of the ball as well. The guy may be "right" on some subjective level, but he made his case about as well as my son did when he told me his teacher must have "forgotten" to send home his bad report card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skins11 Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 When this guy came on Around the Horn, I hated him. He was a dumbass on almost everything, not just the Skins. About the skins though, he was saying that the offensive line needed some talent. So basically, he doesn't know very much. I guess it wasn't a surprise that he's based in Dallas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skins11 Posted February 28, 2004 Share Posted February 28, 2004 OH MAN I missed the best part of this article!!! You start with Keyshawn and you hope that the draft falls favorably ... You let wide receiver Terrell Owens, assuming he is granted free agency, become someone else's problem. HAHHAHA!!! Brilliant, get Keyshawn instead of Owens! Oh man that is great logic. Go after a disgruntled locker room cancer with questionable skills in Keyshawn, instead of one of the top receivers in the leage in TO! Even if they had the same skills, TO still wins the argument. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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