SPORTSDAY

Posted by Carl L @ 6:20 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

If you can resign him to a 3 year deal, then hell yeah, resign him!

Posted by Scott in SA @ 6:31 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

O-Line, Secondary, and WR are our most glaring needs. Resign him. If necessary, at the expense of some others (Crayton, Julius). But leave room to bring some youth to the WR position and depth to CB and O-line.

Posted by Le @ 6:33 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

We definitely need to resign him after the season is over. Tim brings up good points, Flo steps up his game when the team needs him to.

Posted by Robert @ 6:44 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

Once again Jerrah is falling in love with the team and not thinking about what he is doing.

Slap Flo with the Franchsie Tag, sign him for a year or two and try to trade him.

Posted by raff hollister @ 6:47 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

Up until the last two games, I had assumed all year, with the new pups in the stable, that Flozell would be a goner,

But now, off his performance against Cole and Umenyiora, you gotta resign him if the money doesnt go out of sight.

Sure would have been nice though, if we knew more about what we have with McQuisten and Free. Fine line here on which is best way to go and Flozell's asking price will probably be the tie breaker.

Posted by Keith @ 6:57 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

I think he'd be a better option there (LT for another 2-3 years) than the alternatives. It's not like you're going to be able to replace him with the best OT in football.

Posted by DougO @ 7:10 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

The Cowboys need to give him a short term deal. he has his flaws, but they can't afford to lose momentum by downgrading at that position, one of the most important on the team. They may have to franchise him.

Posted by Paulov @ 7:10 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

I full agreement with Robert, slap Flo with the franchise tag(thus allowing Doug Free Another year to develop)and deal him or allow him to leave. I think at best Flo's got 2 good years left.

Posted by Chris @ 7:16 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

Right now, he is playing better than I can ever remember. Money will not be the issue, we have plenty of cap room. The question is the length of the deal. Lets hope he is not expecting more than a 3-year deal. I would not mind a $10 million dollar signing bonus, but a 5-year deal would be crazy.

Posted by L.J., Fla. @ 7:16 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

It would be a good signing for, say 1-2 years. However, his agent will probably push for a three year, high dollar contract. Guess we will find out how much Flo wants to be a Boy, because he and Jerry control the final decision.

Posted by davej @ 7:42 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

This really all depends on how good the backup tackles are and at this point, the fans have no idea although the coaches probably do.

If only Flo had gotten hurt instead of Bigg Davis in practice, we could see how the backups played.

Posted by Steve @ 7:44 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

He's only played like a franchise left tackle in contract years. The franchise tag is the right way to go.

Posted by MikeW. @ 7:51 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

LT is the second most important position on the offense after QB. If you have a good one you don't let them go. I can put up with false starts as long as he keeps the speed guys off of Romo.

Also don't get freaked out by the length of contract. Most of them are written in such a way that they never see the end of them.

Posted by evilinc @ 7:58 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

Flozell's problem has always been motivation. He's always had the talent to excel, but throughout his career has rarely done more than be okay. There are exceptions, and they've tended to coincide with contract years. Is he playing very well this year? Sure, but he know's he's trying to get paid. Give him his money and his motivation goes away. Further, he's 33, with a history of injury issues. Pay him at one's own risk.

The reality is it's a factor of options. If McQuistan or Free have the ability, then don't pump money into Flozell. If not, do a deal that gives you an out if he busts once he gets paid.

Posted by David Valencia @ 8:02 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

I believe the problem is Flo's hearing. During the draft, it was reported that Flo had 50% hearing in his right ear. Me thinks its the reason he has so many false starts in his career.

Wouldn't that indicate he is better suited as RT?

Posted by ken @ 9:15 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

let him go. He had a good career but it's time for McQuistan of Free to get their chance. It doesn't make economic sense to pay him another big deal at age 33

Posted by Tony Romo @ 9:17 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

Pay him

Posted by Not So Crazy Ray @ 9:38 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

Unless it's an outlandish contract, pay him. With the core team we have now, we have a 3 or 4 year window in which we'll be a legitimate contender every year. That might be longer if we play our cards right. But, protecting Romo's blindside is obviously key and, despite his shortcomings, Flo is a multiple Pro Bowler at a critical position. As for his age, I really don't think it's such a big concern. Offensive linemen can play well into their 30s, and Flo is a fairly freakish athlete.

Posted by Saint Jimmy @ 10:06 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

I would rather dance with the devil I know than the devil I don't. And while I'm very hopefull about Doug Free becoming a great LT I certainly wouldn't want to roll the dice on him just yet when the prize on the line is a Lombardi Trophy.

Posted by gary m @ 10:22 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

release...seriously, why keep two other guys that can play that position in mcquisten(sp) and free?

Posted by Not So Crazy Ray @ 10:32 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

Gary M, we don't know if McQuistan and Free can play, since they've never seen meaningful action. Flo, on the other hand, has played in 3 Pro Bowls and will probably make his 4th this season. Protecting your franchise QB's blindside is not something you want to roll the dice on.

Posted by TSmith @ 10:34 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

You don't let him go unless you know the guy behind him is ready to play now. I think the franchise tag would be the way to go if he won't take a two year deal.

Posted by Chris/Denton @ 10:49 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

I wondered why JJT didn't respond to my "Will Flozell take a lower contract to stay with the Cowboys or do they pay him his money anyway" e-mail question. He decided to write a story about it. I'd like to see them sign him to a 3 year deal.

Posted by Gary @ 11:15 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

I say sign him and hope that Doug Free beats Kosier out at the LG spot. That gets Free on the field and adapting to the pro game. He held his own in preseason vs Dwight Freeney..no small challenge, preseason or not. Free is the eventual replacement for Flozell.
Flo's deal will likely be 5 years, but essentially a 3yr deal because the contracts tend to be backloaded but the 5 year length of contract will allow them to give him more bonus but lower the cap hit.

Posted by Scott @ 11:21 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

Unless the amount gets out of hand, pay him. Tim's right. This team can win titles with Romo at QB and having a good left tackle protecting him is essential. Dallas can live with some false starts more than it can TR getting blindsided.

Posted by Victor @ 11:58 PM Wed, Nov 14, 2007

From all that I've read, Flo is 1 of the undisputed leaders of this team & having a heck of a year.

Reward him with 2 with 1 option. His positives outweight any negatives.

Posted by Not So Crazy Ray @ 12:11 AM Thu, Nov 15, 2007

And, slapping Flo with the franchise tag should only be a last resort. Jerry has rarely (come to think of it, has he ever?) used the franchise tag. Players hate it. And, Jerry has a well-deserved reputation of taking care of his good players. He should take care of the guy who keeps the league's best pass rushers off of Romo's back.

Posted by brian @ 1:18 AM Thu, Nov 15, 2007

I have been saying all year we need to keep him. He is a very solid LT and there are not many of those. Also, he has never had any injury problems other than the ACL in 2005 that I can recall.

As someone mentioned earlier, we have a 2-5 year window with this nucleus where we can really contend for the Super Bowl each year.

We DO NOT need to take the philadelphia eagles approach to this one and expect one of our "redshirt players" such as McQuistan to step in.

If he is looking for some stupid contract then I suppose we have to let him walk but I have heard he wants to stay here as long as the money is fair.

Posted by davej @ 1:20 AM Thu, Nov 15, 2007

If Jerry wants to sign Flo now, then why draft those 2 tackles in the 3rd and 4th round this year plus Paul McQuistan last year?

How about a DB or a WR instead?

THIS IS WHERE JERRY THE gm REALLY DRIVES ME NUTS!!!!

Posted by mattyinnj @ 7:37 AM Thu, Nov 15, 2007

Davej: You draft those guys (note you said 3/4th rounders; these guys werent ELITE prospects to begin with) to bring them along slowly at their own pace. They have a ton of potential but is it worth sacrificing the whole o-line to save some cash? Flo has been a mainstay with this team for 10 years and despite his flaws he is one of the better 1/3 LT's in the league. If you have the cash, and if Flo is willing to accept a reasonable offer with the chance to win a ring, I say go for it. At this point I doubt many teams will be paying him franchise LT money and there really aren't many teams positioned to be contenders for 3-5 years like us.

Posted by Bob @ 10:20 AM Thu, Nov 15, 2007

Do the contract now and use available cap space available this year to front load it. He might accept 2 years to get his $ now.

Posted by Patrick @ 12:15 PM Thu, Nov 15, 2007

The deadline has passed to count money on this year's cap, Bob.

Anyway, I would say let him go. This team has got to find a way to stay young and motivated. However, I'll leave it up to the coaches and scouts to decide. Jerry needs to listen to them and do what they suggest, not try to be a hero on his own.

Posted by Anthony @ 1:55 PM Thu, Nov 15, 2007

Pat Mc. and Doug Free are two athletic guys and are capable of playing LT. Last years draft was all about finding cheap tackles to develop behind Flo and Colombo. I think either way we go on this one the Cowboys will be fine. It would be a gamble to let Flo go but thats why you evaluate talent and pay your scouting director.