2026 Cowboys Free Agency Thread…

Smitty said:
I like Downs but I’m not sure he’s Ed Reed level.
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He isn't but Ed Reed was insanely special at what he did. The most dangerous deep safety I have ever seen.

I don't know that its fair to compare any safety to Ed Reed. I'm not passing up a pass rusher because he isn't Demarcus Ware. I'm not bypassing a LBer because he isn't Ray Lewis.
 
Cowboysrock55 said:
Still not sure why you dislike Downs so much. One of the best safety prospects over the last decade. He was a top 5 type prospect all season long. Dude is an elite talent but you feel very opposed to him. But like I have said, he kind of helps solve the corner concerns and fits this defense perfectly.
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He's fine, but I don't like him so high
 
Smitty said:
I like Downs but I’m not sure he’s Ed Reed level.
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Maybe not. But Ed Reed wasn’t thought to be Ed Reed level, either.

I’m not comparing the two. Only stating that an elite level safety can be transformative for a defense. And I think he can be elite.
 
NoDak said:
Maybe not. But Ed Reed wasn’t thought to be Ed Reed level, either.

I’m not comparing the two. Only stating that an elite level safety can be transformative for a defense. And I think he can be elite.
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I remember saying I wanted to trade down and take Reed instead of Roy...

But yeah, for example some idiots thought Roy Williams was a better safety prospect than Ed Reed. Clearly people didn't know what he would become. They saw a mediocre tackler and small size.
 
NoDak said:
Maybe not. But Ed Reed wasn’t thought to be Ed Reed level, either.

I’m not comparing the two. Only stating that an elite level safety can be transformative for a defense. And I think he can be elite.
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I think great safeties work if most else is already in place.

I don't want to build around one with almost nothing else in place like the Cowboys tried to do in 2002, but would love to spend premium capital there once I've solved my pass rush/front and CB's like the Ravens did the same year.

The reason you see elite prospects like Styles and Downs dropping out of the top ten picks is position value. They don't make the same impact as similar players at more premium positions.

And as much as you want BPA, you have to address needs too in the first round especially.

So as much as I love Sonny Styles and Caleb Downs, I trade down in a sec if I get a premium offer. In a deep draft, you could turn one great player into two starters and two depth guys. Someone looking for that final piece will be willing to make that trade.
 
Ravi would trade down from Deion Sanders and take Greg Ellis, Dat Nguyen, and Chris Canty with the bounty of draft picks he received.
 
If Styles or Downs are there I'm not trading back for anything less than next year's 1 or a high 2+3 this year.

And I'm taking Styles over Downs, I think it's close enough that you take the position where you have one starter and not much else, compared to the other where you might have 3 guys who can start at two spots.
 
Either is an elite defender, so I'd run to the podium.

Trading down gets you Julius Jones.

No thanks, we need talent.
 
It'd take someone clearly overpaying for me to even consider moving down in that scenario.

We aren't that far off talent wise, especially if we're plugging our biggest hole with Styles.
 
I think I'd lean to Styles also. If he were some run stopping beast only, no. But his being so athletic should mean he can play virtually every down if need be.

I also kind of wonder how much Downs benefited from having so much talent in front of him. Yes, you could say that for Styles also, but I'd think that even more for the average sized and not super athletic safety.
 
Chocolate Lab said:
I also kind of wonder how much Downs benefited from having so much talent in front of him.
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I mean he did it for more than one school. He was a badass at Alabama too as a true freshman. And Downs will play every down on defense and at multiple spots.

Anyway, I could argue both sides of this coin so don't take me too seriously.
 
Chocolate Lab said:
Tomatoes for both of you...

I loved Eric Dickerson but at least he wasn't a hated rival...
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Walter Payton was always my favorite non-Cowboy. One of the earliest games I remember watching beginning to end was the one where he ran for 275 yards.
 
Cowboysrock55 said:
He isn't but Ed Reed was insanely special at what he did. The most dangerous deep safety I have ever seen.

I don't know that its fair to compare any safety to Ed Reed. I'm not passing up a pass rusher because he isn't Demarcus Ware. I'm not bypassing a LBer because he isn't Ray Lewis.
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I mean it's relative. Generally I agree with you but at 12? All things being equal if I have a choice I'd rather a pass rusher than a safety.

If he's Ed Reed that changes the equation. But he's not so... that's kind of the point of the comparison.
 
Simpleton said:
If Styles or Downs are there I'm not trading back for anything less than next year's 1 or a high 2+3 this year.

And I'm taking Styles over Downs, I think it's close enough that you take the position where you have one starter and not much else, compared to the other where you might have 3 guys who can start at two spots.
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Styles is the one guy I even consider outside of Reese or Bailey

I would have to be convinced Downs is the next Derwin James
 
Genghis Khan said:
I mean it's relative. Generally I agree with you but at 12? All things being equal if I have a choice I'd rather a pass rusher than a safety.

If he's Ed Reed that changes the equation. But he's not so... that's kind of the point of the comparison.
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What pass rusher at 12 will be worth it? The top guys like Bain will be gone. And as was said before, nobody expected Ed Reed to be the difference maker he turned out to be.
 
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