[TXSTYLE]

Originally Posted by 808@702

Jerry Jones is the new Al Davis...

Haha!!! That is a far stretch. Dallas is only behind Seahawks as favorite to represent NFC next season after signing Hardy. Not too shabby.

For years Dallas has over spent and kicked the can of 'restructured cash' down the road, over paying free agents. They stopped a couple years ago. And by NOT resigning Murray, it has become very apparent that they are in a different mode and that Jerry is NOT running the ship. In fact his oldest son Stephen is. They are taking the approach that building a Championship team does not require over paying for "superstars" but by adding "quality under the radar players". Case in point, last seasons rag-tag group of defenders was supposed to have the Dallas Defense ranked dead last coming off an abysmal 2013 season. In fact they were solid in every aspect except pass.
The addition of Greg Hardy (the BEST free agent defender right behind Ndamakong Suh!) on one end with young stud DeMarcus Lawerence on the other will be very formidable next season.

Chris Wesseling, NFL.com: Although Hardy brings excess baggage, he's also a difference-making talent at a position of need in Dallas. From a pure football perspective, Hardy ranked behind only Ndamukong Suh and Darrelle Revis among all players to reach the open market. A team with expectations of playoff contention -- such as Dallas -- is better suited to withstand a potential early-season absence in the event of an NFL suspension.

Hardy's production: When last seen on an NFL field, Hardy was one of the best defensive players in the league, routinely and indiscriminately overpowering tackles, quarterbacks and running backs alike. In his most recent 32 games (15 in 2012, 16 in 2013, one in 2014), Hardy recorded 121 tackles, 27 sacks and four forced fumbles. On the field, he is a true force, a disruptor in every facet of the game.

Hardy was Pro Football Focus' sixth-ranked 4-3 defensive end in 2012 and he ranked second in 2013. In those two seasons, he totaled 141 quarterback pressures and hit the quarterback 36 times. And he was more than just a pass-rush specialist, recording a "run stop" on 8.7 percent of snaps against opposing runs, per PFF's data. That's good enough to place within the top-five run-defending 4-3 ends in most seasons. His only on-field weakness was a penchant for penalties; he was called for 14 in those two seasons.

[Bingobimmer]

I think might enjoy the off-season more than the regular season right now. But, Cowboys are getting smart. Patriots are staying smart. In 3 years Chip Kelly will either be a genius or coaching a major college program. Doesn't matter what the Jets do until they get a quarterback (And Mariota isn't the answer...). With the quarterback climate in the NFL today anyone who pays a running back big money has got their heads in the pre-2000s NFL.

Oh and Colts are my pick for the AFC championship and Browns will have the #1 pick next year.