Looks like the Cowboys have voided his contract making him an unrestricted free agent. Too bad.

Cowboys Void Doug Free's Contract

Seems like the Cowboys will go the younger, more healthy & probably cheaper route and resign Jermey Parnell (started 7 games in place of Free).
If Free is good to go after his surgery, he'll be a starter somewhere next year.

Cutthroat business. He'll have a job pretty quick though. This is from January 24th...

Quote:ESPN Cowboys reporter Todd Archer views impending free-agent RT Doug Free as a "must-keep."
Archer called Free the "leader of the room" and believes he is "better than people think." Cowboys VP Stephen Jones has made it clear the team wants to keep one of Free and impending free-agent RT Jermey Parnell on the roster for 2015. Parnell will likely be the cheaper option, and that could be important for a team looking to re-sign both Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray. Both Free and Parnell were above-average players in 2014.

Chicago? Hes better than Mills. Neither one has much upside, so its what you see is what you get. Free still has some life in him. His career could be described as Solid Pro -Solid career. Right below All Pro status.

(02-16-2015 04:16 PM)NIU05 Wrote:  Chicago? Hes better than Mills. Neither one has much upside, so its what you see is what you get. Free still has some life in him. His career could be described as Solid Pro -Solid career. Right below All Pro status.

There's a big gap between a solid pro and an all pro player. Free hasn't even gone to a pro bowl, let alone sniffed all pro status. He's definitely been a solid player when healthy though.

Cowboys are scum, anyway. Glad Free is free of that organization.

I don't follow the Cowboys, but on the few times you'd hear a comment about Free, it always seemed to be trending negative. That was always surprising to me considering how long he has been in the league and how long he was a starter.

(02-16-2015 05:02 PM)Lord Stanley Wrote:  I don't follow the Cowboys, but on the few times you'd hear a comment about Free, it always seemed to be trending negative. That was always surprising to me considering how long he has been in the league and how long he was a starter.

I think things got a lot better once he switched back to RT. He received some praise during one of the primetime games for being the veteran presence on the young line.

Doug was definitely more of a run blocker than a pass blocker. He redid his contract w/ the cowpokes a couple of yrs ago. A nice little career.....hope he hooks up with anothe team

(02-16-2015 10:08 PM)bigdhuskie Wrote:  Doug was definitely more of a run blocker than a pass blocker. He redid his contract w/ the cowpokes a couple of yrs ago. A nice little career.....hope he hooks up with anothe team

Depending upon how contract negotiations go with Bryan Bulaga, he could always come back home (Manitowoc) and play with the Packers.

He's had a good career and he had a good run with the Cowboys. This is the salary cap NFL though, if there's a cheaper guy at your position who is younger and comparable in skill, very easy decision for a team.

Doug got a bad rap by Cowboys fans because he got a fat contract after his 2012 season. He's an excellent run blocker but a below average NFL pass blocker.

All in all he's a slightly above average NFL player which is a hell of a thing to be. He was the leader of that room which is also saying something given that they have a few pro bowlers.

He's way better than Parnell as well. I think his leadership will be missed next year, but they do have salary cap issues. Hope he gets signed by someone else and tears it up.

Soon enough he will be in the NIU hall of fame.

Note: meant to say slightly above average NFL starter. You don't start that many years with that type of pau by being an average player. Meant starter. I'm a big Free fan

(02-17-2015 07:23 AM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  Soon enough he will be in the NIU hall of fame.

Is there a mandatory waiting period for inductees, meaning does a certain amount of time have to pass before they can be inducted?

(02-16-2015 04:16 PM)NIU05 Wrote:  Chicago? Hes better than Mills. Neither one has much upside, so its what you see is what you get. Free still has some life in him. His career could be described as Solid Pro -Solid career. Right below All Pro status.

I would say he is probably more of a natural Right Tackle. May be worth looking into for the Bears.

(02-17-2015 09:16 AM)RitzHuskie Wrote:  

(02-16-2015 04:16 PM)NIU05 Wrote:  Chicago? Hes better than Mills. Neither one has much upside, so its what you see is what you get. Free still has some life in him. His career could be described as Solid Pro -Solid career. Right below All Pro status.

I would say he is probably more of a natural Right Tackle. May be worth looking into for the Bears.

The Rams need lineman too

(02-17-2015 09:16 AM)RitzHuskie Wrote:  

(02-16-2015 04:16 PM)NIU05 Wrote:  Chicago? Hes better than Mills. Neither one has much upside, so its what you see is what you get. Free still has some life in him. His career could be described as Solid Pro -Solid career. Right below All Pro status.

I would say he is probably more of a natural Right Tackle. May be worth looking into for the Bears.

Absolutely given the oline needs they have and the overall D needs they need to address in the draft; signing vet FA Olineman should be a priority. Cutler has taken alot of punishment and if they have any chance at all of rebooting this franchise they need him healthy for the balance of his huge contract. An injured Cutler with them owing him $18M guaranteed for the next 2 years would be the worst of all possible worlds.

Pro Football Focus rated Free the #2 RT in free agency. That's a good sign for him. No one is entirely comfortable in their OLine.

(02-17-2015 08:42 AM)BarsemaBone2 Wrote:  

(02-17-2015 07:23 AM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  Soon enough he will be in the NIU hall of fame.

Is there a mandatory waiting period for inductees, meaning does a certain amount of time have to pass before they can be inducted?

I believe its 10 years.

Could be wrong.

As for the RT vs LT debate, he's defintely a RT as he struggles with pass protection. He should get a deal of around 4-5 mil a year unless someone has a desperate need at RT and they don't like what's in the draft.

(02-17-2015 04:05 PM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  

(02-17-2015 08:42 AM)BarsemaBone2 Wrote:  

(02-17-2015 07:23 AM)HuskieJWN Wrote:  Soon enough he will be in the NIU hall of fame.

Is there a mandatory waiting period for inductees, meaning does a certain amount of time have to pass before they can be inducted?

I believe its 10 years.

Could be wrong.

As for the RT vs LT debate, he's defintely a RT as he struggles with pass protection. He should get a deal of around 4-5 mil a year unless someone has a desperate need at RT and they don't like what's in the draft.

If it's 10 years, Free would be eligible next year, but I think there are guys from the late 90's and early 2000's who will go in first, such as Hammock, Turner, etc.

And that's gotta be for players only because Novak went in only 6-7 years after he retired.