Kavner: Pinning Down RT Situation Prior To Draft Would Help

Cotton

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Kavner: Pinning Down RT Situation Prior To Draft Would Help
Posted 20 minutes ago

Rowan Kavner
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer


IRVING, Texas – With multiple needs on both sides of the ball, dwindling down the Cowboys’ draft day desires wouldn’t hurt.

Owner/general manager Jerry Jones indicated on March 19 at the NFL Owners Meetings that the draft won’t necessarily dictate what the Cowboys do with Doug Free.

“I think there’s more to it, without trying to talk in riddles,” Jones said. “There’s more to it. That implies a decision after the draft on Free, and we may be doing things there with our offensive line before the draft, relative to Free.”

Making a decision on Free before the draft would give the Cowboys a better idea of the cap number they’ll have later in the year, since he could be designated a post-June 1 cut and save the team $7 million in space at that time.

If the Cowboys know before the draft that they’re going to move on from Free, then they also know drafting a right tackle becomes a high priority.

Conversely, if they move on from Free with the idea of bringing on another free agent tackle before the draft, then they know it’s not crucial to select a tackle early in the draft. And if they know they want Free to stick around and compete without bringing in another free agent, then drafting a right tackle might still remain a priority in the first few rounds.

Jones said at the Owners Meetings that he could still see Free staying at his salary number and competing with Jermey Parnell or serving as the swing tackle, though that doesn’t seem likely.


Free’s 2012 season was one to forget, leading the team with 15 penalties, two of which were declined. The switch to right tackle from the left side was supposed to help him. Instead, a dismal year that resulted in a rotation with Parnell has reportedly led to the Cowboys negotiating with Free, one of the highest paid tackles in the league, to take a pay cut and compete at the spot or hit the open market.

Figuring out a solution at the right tackle spot before the draft would allow the team to put their focus on other spots of need, which include safety, defensive tackle and backup running back.

Whatever the Cowboys and Free ultimately decide, it’d be best if they had a plan before April 25.
 

Genghis Khan

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Exactly right. It's the biggest hole on the team IMO. It's retarded to not have a plan going into the draft.
 

ravidubey

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Hey, but the Parnell/Free rotation resulted in 9 Romo TD's and 1243 yards. The Jermeister says it ain't broke and that's proof.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Hey, but the Parnell/Free rotation resulted in 9 Romo TD's and 1243 yards. The Jermeister says it ain't broke and that's proof.
Free did play much better down the stretch but he can't be trusted. He especially can't be trusted at a cost of 10 mil a year to the cap. Good teams move on from these contracts the second they see they are bad, even if the player has something left in the tank. You can get a player with more in the tank at a quarter of the price.
 

boozeman

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The cap situation is the issue here.

We cannot make competitive offers to either Winston or Clabo. And it does not make sense to dump Free now since his money has to go to June 1st anyways.
 

Cowboysrock55

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The cap situation is the issue here.

We cannot make competitive offers to either Winston or Clabo. And it does not make sense to dump Free now since his money has to go to June 1st anyways.
What do you think is a competitive offer to Winston? or Clabo?

Just curious because I don't think either gets more then 5 mil per year and we can certainly afford that.
 
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boozeman

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What do you think is a competitive offer to Winston? or Clabo?

Just curious because I don't think either gets more then 5 mil per year and we can certainly afford that.
Winston has already stated he wants a multi-year deal, $3-$4 a year.

We can't do that right now. We are not going to take whatever cap space we have and shove it to Winston, who frankly, might not be worth what he's asking.

We are not the only team that has found his demands to be out of reason. Miami and San Diego are even more dire than we are and they are waiting him out.

Now Clabo, I have no idea, but I am sure he won't take peanuts right now...he just got cut.
 

NoDak

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Hey booze, saw your little discussion with Theebs on this topic.

~snicker~
 

Cowboysrock55

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Winston has already stated he wants a multi-year deal, $3-$4 a year.

We can't do that right now. We are not going to take whatever cap space we have and shove it to Winston, who frankly, might not be worth what he's asking.
Sounds like you are really saying we can afford it, Winston just isn't worth what he is asking which is probably true. Although it is funny that 3-4 is overpaying for a RT like Winston when Free is getting paid 10 this year and is a far worse player.

According to Schmidty we have the worst O-line in the NFL. One of the worst O-lines ever possibly. How could other teams be more desperate for an O-lineman?
 

Cotton

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Theebs is a special kind of homer.
He is completely irrational. I know most massive homers are, but he is worse. Our shit does not stink. Period. Ever.
 

boozeman

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Sounds like you are really saying we can afford it, Winston just isn't worth what he is asking which is probably true.
We can't afford it with what Winston is asking for. Is he worth it? Tough to say. I just think he's asking for a lot considering two teams have cut him in successive years and even teams just as desperate as Dallas are not falling all over themselves to cave in to what he wants.

It is sad, because we actually look smart. In reality, it is by accident.

But I can almost guarantee is Jones had the room, he would have been in Dallas week ago.
 

Cowboysrock55

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We can't afford it with what Winston is asking for. Is he worth it? Tough to say. I just think he's asking for a lot considering two teams have cut him in successive years and even teams just as desperate as Dallas are not falling all over themselves to cave in to what he wants.
I'm not as high on Winston as most on here. The free agent market for OT's is basically dead right now. I think most teams are waiting to see how the draft shakes out before spending on a free agent OT. It would be a good move for Dallas to follow as well. That way we can be open to drafting Fluker if he is near the top of our board and if he isn't then we can turn around and sign a guy like Winston after the draft.
 

boozeman

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I'm not as high on Winston as most on here. The free agent market for OT's is basically dead right now. I think most teams are waiting to see how the draft shakes out before spending on a free agent OT. It would be a good move for Dallas to follow as well. That way we can be open to drafting Fluker if he is near the top of our board and if he isn't then we can turn around and sign a guy like Winston after the draft.
The market for most positions is dead because hope springs eternal for the draft.
 

Cotton

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We can't afford it with what Winston is asking for. Is he worth it? Tough to say. I just think he's asking for a lot considering two teams have cut him in successive years and even teams just as desperate as Dallas are not falling all over themselves to cave in to what he wants.

It is sad, because we actually look smart. In reality, it is by accident.

But I can almost guarantee is Jones had the room, he would have been in Dallas week ago.
I think his asking number will come down soon. He asking way too much, and teams can see what we have seen as far as him getting cut back to back so I don't see him getting near the 3-4 he wants.

I'm guessing around 3 years with a back loaded 12 mill contract with about 9 mill guaranteed.
 

Smitty

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We can't afford it with what Winston is asking for. Is he worth it? Tough to say. I just think he's asking for a lot considering two teams have cut him in successive years and even teams just as desperate as Dallas are not falling all over themselves to cave in to what he wants.

It is sad, because we actually look smart. In reality, it is by accident.

But I can almost guarantee is Jones had the room, he would have been in Dallas week ago.
I don't think it's tough to say at all; Winston on a short term deal at 3-4 per is a bargain compared to the 4 year deal that Doug Free got that is now paying him $10 mil.
 

Cotton

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I don't think it's tough to say at all; Winston on a short term deal at 3-4 per is a bargain compared to the 4 year deal that Doug Free got that is now paying him $10 mil.
Comparing it to Free's contract isn't fair. Free sucks really bad, and our dumbass FO should never have signed the contract.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I don't think it's tough to say at all; Winston on a short term deal at 3-4 per is a bargain compared to the 4 year deal that Doug Free got that is now paying him $10 mil.
Prices on OTs have dropped which makes Free's deal look even worse. Free is making Elite OT money now which is just sad.
 

Smitty

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Comparing it to Free's contract isn't fair. Free sucks really bad, and our dumbass FO should never have signed the contract.
Yeah, but I'm saying if Free's deal is high end ($10 mil per), then $3m-$4 mil per is reasonable for a solid starter like Winston.
 
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