The Dallas Cowboys had a busy first week of free agency, something that isn’t normal for them. Yet despite all the activity, the organization still hasn’t gone past their mythical benchmark for paying a free agent or incoming player from outside the franchise.

No player added from outside the organization has received a deal worth over $6 million a year. That’s the magical number over the last decade. The last external free agent that has gotten more was defensive end Greg Hardy, who was give just over $11 million for his one year of service in 2015. Hardy’s deal could have went up over $13 million with incentives.

Hardy must have scared off the Cowboys in free agency the same way cornerback Brandon Carr did with his lucrative deal in 2012. Since 2015, the Cowboys have shield away from adding any high priced free agents. It’s a ridiculously comical streak for a team whose owner and GM says there isn’t a check he wouldn’t write to win another Super Bowl. Jerry Jones still writes the checks, just as long as it’s not for anything over $6 million.

The Cowboys had, and still have, money to spend this offseason, and while they’ve added 10 outside player thus far, none have been compensated over the $6 million benchmark. Pass rushing specialist Dante Fowler came close, but his one-year deal with is “worth up to $8 million” has a base of $6 million.

Even both first-round picks the Cowboys traded for, CB Kaiir Elam and linebacker Kenneth Murray, aren’t hitting the magic number. Murray comes close at $5.9 million a season, which means the team keeps the streak alive.

That’s eight free agents and two highly drafted players acquired by the Cowboys this offseason, and none of them have gotten a deal worth more than $6 million. The team also elects keeps their contracts short, with just defensive tackle Solomon Thomas (two-years, $8 million) being awarded more than a one-year deal in Dallas.

All of this comes despite the Cowboys restructuring deals of quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, to open up almost $57 million in cap space. Why did the Cowboys free up the money if they weren’t going to use it?

10 offseasons and no player from outside the Cowboys has earned a contract of over $6 million a year when signing in Dallas. That’s an impressive streak that should embarrass the organization; instead, they seem keenly aware of the number and wear it like a badge of honor.

There are two long streaks currently occurring with the Cowboys: they haven’t been to the NFC Championship game in 29 years, and they haven’t spent more than $6 million on an outside player in free agency in 10 years. It’s hard to decide which one is worse.

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Free Agency: Dallas Cowboys continue 10-year streak of utter thrift