Championship teams are built in April, and Dallas missed out by being too cavalier

[Bob Sacamano]

Claiborne's a dud and Byron Jones isn't exactly wowing me. he seems like another guy who never touches a football in flight.

This dude needs to step up. I don't care how well he can carry a TE down the field. He needs to start making plays.

 

[MrB]

What are the odds this kid is an obnoxious, spoiled rich kid with no concept of reality?

grew up in a rich family that owns the Dallas Cowboys and now he's the starting QB at HP.

Just being the starting QB of any high school team is enough to cause one's head to blow up unless he's got some parents seriously managing a kids ego

Didn't he almost kill himself in a 4 wheeling accident last year?

That kid will be in charge of the Cowboys some day too.

 

[yimyammer]

Didn't he almost kill himself in a 4 wheeling accident last year?

That kid will be in charge of the Cowboys some day too.

Never heard about the accident

I'll probably be 6 feet under by the time he takes over so that's one upside to kicking the bucket

 

[MrB]

Never heard about the accident

I'll probably be 6 feet under by the time he takes over so that's one upside to kicking the bucket

I think it was him. It was either him or the one that plays for Highland Park. One of them rolled his 4 wheeler though.

I know Stephen is the next guy in line to be CEO but in really interested in seeing what Charlotte brings to the table. I still have this bad feeling that Stephen will be as cheap of an owner as Jerry has been willing to spend.

How many generations have the Rooney's owned the Steelers or the Mara's the Giants?

 

[yimyammer]

I still have this bad feeling that Stephen will be as cheap of an owner as Jerry has been willing to spend.

It makes no sense to be "cheap"

No team can really be cheap because there's a salary floor which is like 90% of the cap (IIRC). So I've interpreted, perhaps mistakenly, Stephen's actions as trying to be prudent with the cap and not do dumb contracts like we saw with Marion Barber, Roy Williams, Ratliffs unnecessary extension, etc, etc. I don't think his objection to signing Deion to that huge contract was an issue of wanting to be cheap, I just think he believed it would kill the team cap wise (which I think it ultimately did).

My fear is that Stephen will want and have to be front and center like his dad and take all the oxygen out of the room and undermine the coach and scouts in the process. I personally believe the coach needs to at least appear to be at the top of the food chain and set the tone for the team that is consistent with what we would hope is a constructive, overarching, organizational football philosophy (which Dallas hasn't had except when Jimmy & Parcells were here).

I've heard Stephen mention several times how fun it is to try and build a team which sounds like he's going to be right in the middle of it all just like his dad has been because its "fun". Unfortunately, like his father, he doesn't have the experience to be a great talent evaluator like a GM who has earned his stripes starting in the proverbial mailroom and working his way up the food chain through years of scouting at all levels.

I think the Cowboys (& perhaps all teams) need two GMs. One would be the GM of operations focusing on Cowboys profitability, various business ventures, PR, marketing, etc, etc. The other GM would be a GM of football, whose sole focus and job is to create a consistently excellent product on the field year in and out.

It would be a beautiful thing if we had talented football people totally focused on making the Cowboys the best they can be on the field without any distractions or outside nonsense caused by their employer.

Given the pictures of the draft room where we see the jones clan prominently front and center, it appears to me the only difference when jeri is 6 feet under will be he is no longer be in the room.

 

[ThoughtExperiment]

Old material I know, but I don't see how contracts like the Barber or especially Ratliff ones hurt us that bad. What good players did we have to get rid of because of them? Nobody.

I'm not saying especially the Barber one was smart, because small physical backs usually don't last in this league. Just that it's not like it really handicapped us. There is a place for paying veteran free agents and you don't get any awards for extra cap room.

 

[yimyammer]

Old material I know, but I don't see how contracts like the Barber or especially Ratliff ones hurt us that bad. What good players did we have to get rid of because of them? Nobody.

I'm not saying especially the Barber one was smart, because small physical backs usually don't last in this league. Just that it's not like it really handicapped us. There is a place for paying veteran free agents and you don't get any awards for extra cap room.

My complaint would be over the efficient use of resources. I'd rather spread the risk among several players with upside and hunger for another contract. Once players get paid, the dynamic changes dramatically imo. Additionally, paying these guys kills a roster spot and is a progress stopper when they don't pan out.

The Miles Austin contract was another pisser. Before the ink even dried (hyperbole intended), his performance dropped off the cliff. I'm not blaming the players, I'm blaming a front office that looks at everything through rose colored glasses and took the risk despite Austins history of hamstring issues not to mention the risk they took in paying the big bonus that ultimately cost them millions in additional cap space when Mara and his cronies fined the jones boys.

The Ratliff extension was horrible because they were finally on the good side of a contract where they had leverage and could even trade Ratliff but of course they are too desperate to ever do that, so they relent, extend his contract and he is almost immediately no longer worth a shit and eventually gets kicked off the team.

I think its more prudent to be extremely judicious when giving out these massive long term contracts and when they are given, Id prefer to see the bonus money burned off in the 1st two years of the contract so they dont get married to a player because of his contract. Spend the money but spend it up front and have a pile of cap room come available every year so they can continue to do this because leverage and flexibility are extremely valuable in my opinion.

Problem is they are always kicking the can down the road and in the process, they rarely have leverage or much flexibility despite the never-ending fable that they can do whatever they want in free agency, year in and out.

 

[peplaw06]

The QB is Stephen's kid. Dont know more than that.

Yeah, John Stephen Jones. Looks like he's doing pretty well for a high school QB. But you know Jerry's ready to give him a contract.

The Spaulding thing plus what you can see is going to happen here... Nepotism run amok with the Cowboys.

 

[yimyammer]

Yeah, John Stephen Jones. Looks like he's doing pretty well for a high school QB. But you know Jerry's ready to give him a contract.

The Spaulding thing plus what you can see is going to happen here... Nepotism run amok with the Cowboys.

Spaulding's game is on TV right now.

If you're in Dallas, you can watch it on channel 21

 

[yimyammer]

Here's Spaulding doing his best Tony Romo impression, #9 and all

Spaulding @QB - YouTube

 

[Midswat]

Spaulding should change his jersey to #4

His idol is a gutless loser.

 

[MrB]

Spaulding and John Stephen are not the same person. Spaulding is Charlotte's boy and John Stephen is Stephen's boy. Spaulding's real name is Shy Anderson by the way.

Not sure how many of you guys live in the Dallas area but one of the local radio stations (The Ticket) is always interviewing "Fake Jerry" but I found this interview they did with fake Spalding. It's pretty funny.

Spaulding Jones (@LoganGourley) on with @georgedunham, @junior_miller and @dfwticket. cc: @dwcook - YouTube

 

[yimyammer]

Spaulding and John Stephen are not the same person. Spaulding is Charlotte's boy and John Stephen is Stephen's boy. Spaulding's real name is Shy Anderson by the way.

Not sure how many of you guys live in the Dallas area but one of the local radio stations (The Ticket) is always interviewing "Fake Jerry" but I found this interview they did with fake Spalding. It's pretty funny.

Ah, thx for the clarification. I didn't realize that.

LOVE The fake jeri jones. Fake Wade and jeri were the best

never heard the one you posted, it was hilarious!