Dallas Cowboys rolling the dice again as free agency opens

The legal tampering period has begun, which means free agency is essentially underway. agreements announced today are considered done deals and nothing this side of DeAndre Jordan will change that. Like most years, no one should expect the Dallas Cowboys to make any immediate waves.

The Dallas Cowboys take a gambler’s approach to the annual event. Instead of targeting players and filling needs, Dallas prefers to roll the dice and see how things shake out.

Sometimes they come up big, finding useful players at bargain prices. Other times they crap out completely, signing inconsequential players to inconsequential sums of money. As long as they avoid spending big, they seem content with the results.

The Dallas Cowboys could fill needs if they were willing to spend but they’d rather gamble so they can save money.

By now the Dallas Cowboys priorities are clear: They want to win. But only if they can do so on their own terms. Their own terms include, but are not limited to, maximizing profits.

Instead of targeting players and filling needs, Dallas prefers to roll the dice and see how things shake out.

To put it another way: winning is not the most important thing and spending money in order to maximize their chances of winning has been repeatedly shot down by Stephen and Jerry Jones. But that, specifically, is a conversation for a different day…

Today, it’s about the gamble, because there are scenarios in which the Dallas Cowboys can win with this budget-minded approach of theirs.

Last season they played hardball with Jayron Kearse. They let Dan Quinn’s favorite free agent test the market and got lucky. Kearse signed with Dallas later in the week, after seeing the market for him wasn’t quite as hot as he’d hoped.

They seem to be doing the same thing with Donovan Wilson and Leighton Vander Esch this year. Both players are testing waters now. One or both could sign elsewhere at any moment. One or both could come back to Dallas for less than they were initially requesting. It’s a gamble.

Some times they come up big, finding useful players at bargain prices. Other times they crap out completely signing inconsequential players to inconsequential sums of money.

Same story with outside free agents. It would be nice if the Cowboys personnel department targeted specific players whose talents they thought they could maximize. Specific players, who have specific skills, that fill a need.  Instead, the personnel department is asked to be opportunists. For the sake of a bargain, they’re asked to work with who slips through the cracks.

Bargains will be found. They’re found every year. But will those bargains be useful? That’s the gamble.

Beggars can’t be choosers and the Dallas Cowboys, my friends, are beggars.

They don’t have to be. They choose to be. The salary cap is not deterring them (it never does), they simply use it as an excuse to save money.

Again, this could all work out for them. Just like Stephen and Jerry, we don’t know who will slip through the cracks of these first 48-hours. It’s a gamble if winning is the focus, but if keeping costs down is the top priority, it’s a guaranteed win for the front office.

If the team gets better and fans are happy, then all the better. As long as costs are kept low, that other stuff is just gravy on top.

Don’t pay attention to top names falling off the board. They were likely never a consideration. Just hope the team signs someone who they actually like and not someone who was just a sweet deal.