Why the Dallas Cowboys should get the benefit of the doubt with dubious UFL signing
The Dallas Cowboys aren't hiding just how enticed they are with UFL talent after signing a couple of players in linebacker Willie Harvey Jr. and cornerback Gareon Conley while working out multiple edge rushers as well. The signings have met some mixed responses from fans as many are excited about the prospect of a pro player […]
The Dallas Cowboys aren't hiding just how enticed they are with UFL talent after signing a couple of players in linebacker Willie Harvey Jr. and cornerback Gareon Conley while working out multiple edge rushers as well.
The signings have met some mixed responses from fans as many are excited about the prospect of a pro player on an alternate league making the jump to the NFL. Others, meanwhile, are scratching their heads with a simple question: Wouldn't it have been better to sign proven NFL talent in a year in which you're expected to be a legit contender in the NFC?
Wouldn't it have been better to target a Stephon Gilmore return as a starter ahead of 2024 than Conley, who faces an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster in the first place? Why work out two edge rushers from the UFL instead of targeting Carl Lawson, one of the top NFL free agents available?
It's a fair question and one that ties back to their usual approach to free agency: Spend little money to complement a team built primarily through the NFL Draft.
Let's take the corners for example: Gilmore will likely cost somewhere along the 8-10 million dollar range while Conley will almost surely be signing for a minimum salary deal or something close to it. They're obviously different.
But I still believe the Cowboys deserve the benefit of the doubt with Conley's signing specifically. And the reason why is clear: This is somebody the franchise have had their eyes set on since 2017.
Cowboys' past evaluation of Conley should earn them the benefit of the doubt
I'm a big-time critic of how the Cowboys do things in free agency and in the trade market: The front office clearly prefers to go bargain bin shopping in both markets instead of swinging for those players who could take them from playoff participant to contender.
I believe they're much too passive when it comes to their contract extensions and that it's a mistake to not have extended quarterback Dak Prescott and WR CeeDee Lamb earlier on.
And yet, there's no way you can tell me the Cowboys are not good at one thing: Drafting.
They've got a tremendous track record when it comes to picking players out of college. Many times they'll be criticized for reaching on somebody only to find out eventually they were right (see: Tyler Smith). And if you're wondering how does such a passive approach in free agency still allows them to field a winning team that's consistently in the conversation, it's thanks to Will McClay and his knack for finding talent in April.
Well, it turns out, the Cowboys have seriously liked Conley since 2017. David Helman had him mocked to the Cowboys back then and it was no coincidence as the front office was expected to be interested in Conley, according to insider Bobby Belt from 105.3 The Fan.
"Dallas would've been interested in taking him with all the questions surrounding him," Belt revealed on the Love of the Star podcast. "He went ahead of them, he went to the Raiders and Dallas liked him, if he would've been there for them they very well might've taken him over Taco Charlton."
The fact that the Cowboys liked Conley back in 2017 adds plenty of context to this signing, as it's clear the team believes he's got some solid traits to play at the NFL level. That alone is enough for me to grant them the benefit of the doubt.
Now granted, Conley was 22 years old then. Now he's 28 and several years removed from his last NFL action in 2019, when he suffered a season-ending neck injury.
Making the 53-man roster will be an uphill battle for Conley but if the Cowboys' evaluation of him back in 2017 holds up, they might end up getting someone who can actually play.
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