Ultimately, Stephon Gilmore made the AFC Championship game’s biggest play with a nifty pass deflection on Blake Bortles’ desperation heave in the final seconds.
Gilmore signed a five-year $65 million deal with New England before the season.
Philadelphia used a myriad of free-agent acquisitions to beat Minnesota led by a quarterback the Vikings signed in free agency, 38-7 in the NFC Championship game.
Each of Philadelphia’s touchdowns were scored by players acquired in free agency.
New England will play Philadelphia in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
As you would expect some folks now want the Cowboys to take a different approach to free agency and spend big dollars to acquire game-changers.
Owner Jerry Jones would do it with Stephen Jones’ blessing if he could guarantee success.
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That’s the problem. No guarantees exist in free agency.
All you have to do is take a deeper look at the players the Eagles signed in free agency.
Patrick Robinson, who returned an interception for a touchdown, signed a one-year deal worth $1.1 million.
Torrey Smith signed a three-year $15 million dollar deal that’s really a one-year, $5 million deal based on the contract’s voidable years, and
Running back LeGarrette Blount has a one-year deal worth $1 million.
Alshon Jeffrey signed a one-year deal worth $10 million because no other team would give him a lucrative long-term deal.
He played so well, though, the Eagles signed him to a four-year $52.2 million extension in December.
Then there’s 32-year old Chris Long who signed a two-year deal worth $4.5 million. He hit Keenum as he threw, leading to Robinson’s interception and subsequent touchdown.
Long also recovered a fumble.
If Philadelphia coach Doug Pederson were honest he’d tell that he would’ve been thrilled for any of those players to contribute in the championship game.
For all of them to make key contributions is absurd.
The Cowboys’ free agent class of 2017 produced virtually nothing.
Nolan Carroll played just two games and backup tackle Byron Bell was decent. Nobody else even mattered.
The reality is the Cowboys failed to use free agency to make their 13-3 team better, but they did watch it rob their team of some key players like Brandon Carr and Barry Church.
Carr signed with Baltimore, while Church joined Jacksonville and helped the Jaguars advance to the AFC Championship game.
Right or wrong, Carr ruined free agency for the Cowboys.
The Cowboys signed Carr to a five-year $50 million deal before the 2012 season, and he was solid. But he wasn’t the difference-maker the Cowboys thought they were getting.
They’re scared, especially pragmatic vice president Stephen Jones, of spending that kind of loot without getting a big-time return.
Stephen Jones will tell you the Cowboys are better served spending big money on their own free agents, players like Demarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin and Anthony Hitchens.
While that makes sense intellectually, the Cowboys gave
Tyrone Crawford a five-year, $45 deal and he has been solid - not the difference-maker they thought he was going to be.
Neither has Dez Bryant, who signed a five-year, $70 million deal.
But it hasn’t made the Cowboys scared, perhaps apprehensive is a better word, when it comes to re-signing their own players.
We all know this team isn’t going to get good enough just by using the draft to surpass teams such as Minnesota, Green Bay, New Orleans, Atlanta the Los Angeles Rams and perhaps a couple others.
So they can continue sifting through the bargain bin dabbling for decent players or they can sign a big-time baller.
What they can’t do is be scared to make a move because it comes without a guarantee.
