Are the Dallas Cowboys hypocrites for not signing their own yet?

The Dallas Cowboys claim they refuse to sign other team’s veterans in free agency in order to secure their own. So why haven’t they done so yet?

For several seasons now, the Dallas Cowboys have adopted a conservative philosophy when it comes to free agency. The Cowboys would rather draft well and re-sign their own players than add overpriced veterans from other teams to their roster.

Every time the Cowboys choose not to sign someone like safety Earl Thomas, we are told Dallas simply isn’t interested because they have their own free agents to sign. Especially this offseason, as several big names are looking for big contract extensions.

Key contributors like defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, quarterback Dak Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott, cornerback Byron Jones and wide receiver Amari Cooper are all in the mix for brand new, shiny deals in Dallas. And the Cowboys have known this for months and done next to nothing to address it.

It’s already late March and the first two weeks of free agency are now over. With the draft set for the end of April and OTA’s starting soon after, the Cowboys have yet to work out extensions or new contracts with any of the above names.

The lone move made by the Cowboys so far towards this group was placing a franchise tag on Lawrence at the potential cost of $20.56 million this upcoming season. But that’s widely viewed as a stop-gap measure to allow the team more time to negotiate his deal. And getting a new contract done with Lawrence is a priority as the 26-year old is reportedly delaying shoulder surgery until a new contract in Dallas is done.

The Dallas Cowboys essentially sat on their hands through the first week of free agency. And while key free agents like Earl Thomas went elsewhere, the Cowboys sat back and claimed they prefer to re-sign their own. Yet, they haven’t. And the longer they refuse to do so, the more it hurts the team’s chances of returning to the playoffs in 2019.