Dallas Cowboys 2012: Free-Agency Haul Shows Commitment to Getting Things Right

After three days of the 2012 NFL free-agency frenzy, the Dallas Cowboys have come away with an impressive haul. While most of the offseason conversation has centered around Carl Nicks, Brandon Carr and Cortland Finnegan as the primary targets, the Cowboys have been able to stretch their cap dollars to a variety of areas despite being fleeced by the NFL.  Instead of drowning in a sea of panic, the Cowboys went to work on fixing the roster and making things right.

The growing sentiment among Cowboys nation was that Jerry Jones needed to sign a few of those sought-after players to validate the offseason strategy. With Carl Nicks and Cortland Finnegan landing huge contracts, the Cowboys impressively wrapped up talks with Brandon Carr and secured his services. It would have been a devastating blow to the Cowboys faithful if Carr had slipped through their fingers after losing out on Nnamdi Asomugha last year.

After landing Carr, the Cowboys shifted their attention to backup quarterback and closed in on Kyle Orton. But that was just the beginning as the Cowboys went on to sign solid value players like FB Lawrence Vickers, OG Mackenzy Bernadeau, ILB Dan Connor, SS Brodney Pool and OG Nate Livings.

Heading into free agency, it was hard to imagine the Cowboys being able to maneuver in the manner in which they did, but what they have accomplished so far shows their commitment to getting things right and a well thought-out plan.

By methodically executing their plan with precision, the Cowboys were able to avoid some common mistakes teams usually make in free agency. By not buying into the fact that this team was just a few players away from contending for a Super Bowl, Jerry Jones only made the initial splash with Brandon Carr but made sure there was enough left to fill additional needs. The Cowboys could have signed Carr and Nicks and simply been done but they had a bigger, clearer picture in mind.  

Another pitfall the Cowboys avoided was signing any older players (over 30) to long-term, lucrative deals. The Nate Livings deal was the only questionable one in this category, but with only $6.2 million of guaranteed money on a player who just turned 30 today, I'd still consider that good value for someone who has started every game the last two seasons and happens to be one of the biggest needs on the team. It would have been easy for the Cowboys to connect with older, past-their-prime players with big names to the fan base, but how would that give the roster any sustainability ?

Although bringing back Laurent Robinson would have potentially been the icing on the cake, I was impressed that the Cowboys avoided being impulse buyers and joining any bidding wars for his services. His contract was simply too much to justify bringing him back at such a high price. As a result, the wide receiver position still could be a potential target area as free agency continues for the Cowboys.    

In many ways the Cowboys accomplished a significant amount of success with their early free-agent haul.  It has given new energy and hope to the fans, a much-needed talent upgrade to the roster and a new direction heading into the draft. But more importantly, the Cowboys have shown a renewed commitment to getting things right. Is this the influence of Jason Garrett ?  A shift in philosophy and Jerry's willingness to let Stephen be more front and center ?  Or is the organization motivated by failures of the past?

Call it what you want, but this organization displayed a well-formulated plan that they were able to execute. The Cowboys showed patience, focus and the ability to make smart decisions that maximized the salary cap, and they avoided stupid mistakes. But the most important variable the Cowboys showed during their free-agency run is the commitment to doing things right. Now to me, that's a plan.