FRISCO, Texas -- Over the past two weeks, the Dallas Cowboys have cut their biggest free-agent pickup on defense, seen a starting defensive tackle added in free agency retire and released a free agent they hoped could be a vital part of the pass-rush rotation.
First, cornerback Nolan Carroll, who signed a three-year, $10 million deal in the offseason, was released. Stephen Paea's knee simply gave out, not allowing him to play anymore. On Tuesday, the Cowboys cut defensive end Damontre Moore to make room for kicker Mike Nugent.
It was somewhat surprising, considering that the Cowboys stood by Moore through a two-game suspension to start the season and immediately put him into the pass-rush rotation. But Moore was inactive in last week’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, so the Cowboys felt it was time to move on from a player who did not have a sack in three games played.
It raises questions about the Cowboys’ approach to free agency.
The financial commitments to Carroll, Paea and Moore were not overwhelmingly substantial, though Carroll will make $4 million this season on what would have been a one-year deal anyway. Paea was guaranteed just $500,000 and was making an extra $31,250 for every game that he was on the 46-man roster. Moore was guaranteed just $100,000 on his two-year deal.
The Cowboys have been clear with their free-agent strategy in recent years. Countless times, executive vice president Stephen Jones has said free agency is about paying good players great-player money.
The Cowboys have been somewhat restricted in free agency by a lack of cap room, mostly because of Tony Romo's contract, but there are ways to find the space to sign a player they really want.
The last time the Cowboys shelled out megabucks for a free agents was in 2012, when they gave Brandon Carr a $50 million contract that included $26.5 million in guaranteed money. Carr never missed a game in his run with the Cowboys, but he did accept a pay cut in 2016. Carr, who had seven interceptions during his time with the Cowboys, was a good player who got great player money.
That doesn’t mean the Cowboys should stop shopping at the high end of the market. Their approach to free agency is mostly wise. Bad free-agent deals are a great way to ruin a salary cap. Teams can be saddled with the contract and the player for longer than they want.
But there is a difference between overpaying for good players and hoping that low-risk, high-reward signings work out.
The Cowboys didn’t need to spend the $65 million the New England Patriots gave cornerback Stephone Gilmore or the $33.5 million the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gave DeSean Jackson, including $20 million in guarantees, or the $60 million the Jacksonville Jaguars gave Calais Campbell, even if he leads the NFL in sacks this season, with 10.
The signings of Carroll, Paea and Moore won’t make or break the Cowboys’ salary cap or season, but the Cowboys certainly can find a middle ground in their approach to free agency.