Dallas Cowboys: Finding value with the fourth draft pick

The predetermined salary has fans of the Dallas Cowboys referring to the value of the fourth overall pick in the draft. Forget value – it’s overrated!

Before actor Cuba Gooding Jr. played the role of O.J. Simpson, he played an imaginary football player named Jerry McQuire. One of the more memorable scenes involved McQuire on the phone with his agent Tom Cruise yelling “Show me the money!!!” Ok, I’m busted – I haven’t seen the entire movie, but it’s on my Netflix and chill playlist. Either way, my point is that getting shown the money is the goal of players during the NFL free agency period.

That leads me to my term of the day – “Value”. Honestly, I hate this word during this time of year. Value is defined as: (verb) To estimate the monetary worth of (something). In the NFL, value is impossible to determine. You’re paying players for expected future production based on prior performance and the average salary by others at identical positions.

The number one example of this formula not working for the Dallas Cowboys is cornerback Brandon Carr. Carr is great in the locker room and in the community, I’m just pointing out the dangers of “value”. In his first three years with the Kansas City Chiefs, Carr had 4 interceptions. As a free agent, he signed with the Chiefs for one year before coming to the Cowboys. With Dallas, he recorded six interceptions in four years. The major difference is Carr’s salary – the now infamous 5 year, $50 million dollar contract.

Talking about bad value, congrats to cornerback Morris Claiborne who’s returning to the Cowboys for a one year, $3 million dollar “show me” deal. I don’t know what the front office was thinking. He’s shown us everything he will be during his four years here. I don’t believe teams were beating down Claiborne’s door. The Cowboys should’ve offered him $1.25 million with a lot of incentives.

I could point to Claiborne rookie deal as an example of bad value too. The major difference is his salary was predetermined by his draft position. Unfortunately, his four year, $16 million dollar deal was overvalued in hindsight because of his inability to stay on the field. Who could’ve predicted that he’d be injured throughout his NFL career. I mean – ignoring the fact that he was drafted while wearing a cast on his wrist. Claiborne has three career interceptions for the Cowboys which works out to $5.333,333 million per interception.

The predetermined salary has most of Cowboy Nation referring to “value” with the fourth pick in the draft. When it comes to the draft, forget value. It’s overrated! It doesn’t matter if you want running back Ezekiel Elliot or Derrick Henry, wide receiver LaQuan Treadwell, linebacker Joey Bosa or cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey or Vernon Hargreaves III, select that player with the fourth pick.

If the Cowboys trade down to the 9^th pick and the Miami Dolphins select Elliot with the 8^th pick to replace running back Lamar Miller who just signed with the Houston Texans, then our franchise will look like the laughing stock of the league. Why take chances? Have you ever put something back on the shelf thinking, “Oh, I’ll buy it later.” but when you finally convince yourself to purchase it, it’s gone? Yep, that’s the danger of moving down in the draft because you’re trying to save the equivalent of pennies in NFL rookie contract money.

Bottom line – Regardless of who gets selected with the fourth overall pick, the value of their rookie contract will be much better than the one they’ll sign to join the Cowboys four years from now. #GetYourMan #DontTradeDown

#GoCowboys

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Next: Five things the Cowboys got right and wrong in free agency

But now, that there are fewer options available for the Dallas Cowboys to improve the defensive line, the organization may be more likely to give Hardy one last opportunity to regain his Pro Bowl form of three years ago. He will command very little money, something that the Cowboys seem to value in free agents but will the team be willing to dance with the devil once again for the sake of winning?