Dallas Cowboys should avoid overpaying for big-name free agents

The Dallas Cowboys have some work to do. While Dak Prescott and his deal, or lack thereof, is one thing to have to deal with at some point, they also have to go about filling out their roster in an attempt to improve.

Last season, it seemed that one of those strategies was to bring in proven guys that had gotten it done at some point in their career. Well, as we know by now, that didn’t quite work out the way it was supposed to.

Dontari Poe was let go in the middle of the season, while Everson Griffen was traded back to the NFC North, specifically to the Detroit Lions. While Randy Gregory and Aldon Smith were somewhat big names as well, they were sort of different as Gregory was actually still one of our own, while they were true redemption stories rather than just big names.

At all costs, the Dallas Cowboys should avoid overpaying for big names this season, ironically enough.

When you look at the free-agent landscape, you see names like J.J. Watt, Von Miller, A.J. Bouye, and a very tempting Leonard Williams (really makes me consider asking them to break my own rule, for his multipleness and ability to generate a rush inside). The Dallas Cowboys, as painfully tempting as it seems and maybe at the time, shouldn’t go that route.

That’s what they did last season and it didn’t work. It’s also something that has, sort of, plagued Jerry Jones for many years.

He’s often tried to bring in the big-name guy, though most of the time on offense, and it has rarely worked out the way it was intended. Roy Williams is one example of a blunder that cost the Cowboys several picks including a first-rounder.

Terrell Owens was a bit more successful, putting up really good numbers across his regular-season tenure with Dallas, but never helped the Cowboys get to a Super Bowl and in fact, came up rather small in just a pair of postseason appearances.

Listen, Owen’s time was arguably a success but in today’s NFL, with the money it takes to sign a guy, the salary cap, Dak Prescott’s potential deal (please get that done, by the way), and all that the Cowboys seemingly need at the moment, it just doesn’t make sense to put all your eggs or money in one basket.

I can name at least five positions of need right now, off the top of my head, and four of them are along both fronts. If they want to throw money somewhere, how about it be at the frontside of both of their units.

That would be the place to burn your cash. As stated and again, not on a big-name free agent, who you’ll likely overpay for and under-receive on the return of investment.