Cost to keep or cut Doug Free

[craig71]

The way I see it is that Free is only 1/3 of the problem. You still are going to need better pieces at center and right guard as well. Might have to give Parnell a shot at RT while spending resources at the other two spots. So many turkeys with so few shells.


Craig

[xwalker]

Originally Posted by hra8700

A contract designed to cut someone would look like this: 4 years, 32 million, 12 million guaranteed. 10 million dollar signing bonus. Base salaries: 2011: 1 million 2012: 1 million 2013: 10 million 204: 10 million

I doubt that it is worth explaining again; however, his base salaries are:
2011 - 0.7 mil
2012 - 1.2 mil
2013 - 7 mil
2014 - 8 mil

The 1st 2 years of base salary were guaranteed and there was a 2011 signing bonus of 10.3 million and a 2012 restructuring bonus of 4.8 million. The 0.7 + 1.2 + 10.3 + 4.8 equal the 17 million guaranteed.

All of the guaranteed money will have been paid to Free by the end of the 2012 season; HOWEVER, from a Salary Cap perspective only 8.65 mil of the 17 mil has been charged to the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

There is 8.35 mil of the prorated bonus money that will be charged to the 2013 and 2014 seasons with or without Free on the Team.

The 2013 (7 mil) and 2014 (8 mil) base salaries will only be paid and will only be applied to the 2013/2014 Salary Caps if he remains on the team.

Originally Posted by supercowboy8

If free is released, then it will be a 8.35 million cap hit next year or you can make him a june 1st cut and spread that 8.35 over two years.

This is correct!

[supercowboy8]

Originally Posted by SDCowboy85

So if Free and Miles are cut, it will save almost $9m on the cap next season? Going to be an interesting off season.

If Free is cut he will be a 2.825 million cap saving. If he is cut after June 1st he will be a 7 million cap savings but will still hit the team with a 4 million cap hit in 2014.

If Austin is cut he will be a 3.592 cap savings.

Total together will be 6.417 or 10.592 if free is a June 1st cut.

Now you have to worry about a replacement. Free agent OTs are expensive but its hard to find a day one starting RT in the draft last the 1st round.

[jterrell]

Originally Posted by jobberone

I don't know what they are going to do. Cutting him is risky as I don't know if we have an adequate replacement. And I hate to go into another year by adding questions. However, I don't know they can pay him that much money. This is what happens when you don't draft well.

Not sure what this has to do with drafting? Young players ascend and you either pay them or don't. We paid Free (who was a very good draft pick) and he apparently stopped working as hard. There was the lockout in there as well but he looks slower and weaker in every area. Typical "got his money" scenario imho.

Free is a marginal NFL starter at RT. Sadly, there actually are worse starters.

He just isn't worth LT money which is what he was paid. Tampa was going to sign him as an LT.

Were Free making 2.5-3m a year we could build the OL at other positions around him or add a dominant blocking TE to help. But he can't eat as much of the cap as he does to suck.

[Zimmy Lives]

Originally Posted by Dallas4ever

The way that he's played this year I believe the team must/will cut their losses with him. I just don't see it being too difficult to replace his performance. He's getting manhandled on a regular basis. Many of us thought his signing was a good move at the time.

Give him a chance at guard before cutting him.

The Cowboys considered cutting Kevin Gogan (played RT) before they moved him to guard and he turned into a pretty good player.

[jterrell]

Originally Posted by craig71

The way I see it is that Free is only 1/3 of the problem. You still are going to need better pieces at center and right guard as well. Might have to give Parnell a shot at RT while spending resources at the other two spots. So many turkeys with so few shells.


Craig

Between Bern and Costa you should have a starting OC.

Right Guard will need to be addressed but is a far lesser priority than RT which is probably the 1st or 2nd priority depending upon what happens with Spencer.

Would be very, very nice to have Bern as your Interior Swing OL and Parnell as your 3rd OT. I'd brign Cook back as my 8th OL and last active OL weekly. Hopefully he could play some TE on goal line and short yardage. Dallas is about two solid OL away from being sound there. But even then they need to get some breaks with health. They can't have 4 or 5 guys go down by mid-season.

Another good draft and free agency year will go a long way. But they absolutely have to get better injury results than this year.

[wileedog]

Originally Posted by fivetwos

He had help there. I doubt Callahan is going to throw his arms up and proclaim he can't work with Free. .

I think that is exactly what he will do. Callahan didn't scout him or draft him. He wasn't here when Free was signed to a ridiculous extension. He has no culpability unless he actually says "I can fix him." Far easier to say "I never would have taken him or extended him" which is probably true looking at Free flounder out there now.

[jterrell]

Originally Posted by Zimmy Lives

Give him a chance at guard before cutting him.

The Cowboys considered cutting Kevin Gogan (played RT) before they moved him to guard and he turned into a pretty good player.

Gogan didnt make 8 mil per year.

Money is the bigger issue.

[Zimmy Lives]

Originally Posted by jterrell

Gogan didnt make 8 mil per year.

Money is the bigger issue.

Maybe he can earn his chow as a guard?

Why cut him before at least giving him an opportunity to compete somewhere on the line.

[supercowboy8]

Originally Posted by craig71

The way I see it is that Free is only 1/3 of the problem. You still are going to need better pieces at center and right guard as well. Might have to give Parnell a shot at RT while spending resources at the other two spots. So many turkeys with so few shells.


Craig

I would have to look at free agency for the replacement or early in the draft, round 1 or 2 for a starting RT. Loadholt would be top on my list for a free agent but he will cost some money to get. Also OG and center can be looked at in the draft. You can find a day one starting OG in the second round. I would look for a veteran center and also look in tje first three rounds for a center.

If we can get a defensive play maker in the first then trade back and stock pile picks and collect OL and DL

[jterrell]

Originally Posted by supercowboy8

If Free is cut he will be a 2.825 million cap saving. If he is cut after June 1st he will be a 7 million cap savings but will still hit the team with a 4 million cap hit in 2014.

If Austin is cut he will be a 3.592 cap savings.

Total together will be 6.417 or 10.592 if free is a June 1st cut.

Now you have to worry about a replacement. Free agent OTs are expensive but its hard to find a day one starting RT in the draft last the 1st round.

I am 99.99% sure Free will be a June 1st cut.
The cap savings is just insane.
Dallas would probably cut him even if was a solid RT.

With 7 mil in cap savings Dallas can literally sign the best RT available.
We gave Carr 50m and he is costing us 3 on this year's cap.
We signed Free before the nastier, tighter cap and when we thought he was a LT.
Dallas grabbed Tyron Smith because they wanted to add a bellcow but expected at the time Free could be the LT and Smith the RT. Free's freefall meant that couldn't happen long-term.
Free's money has to be totally off the books before we extend Smith.

[jterrell]

Originally Posted by Zimmy Lives

Maybe he can earn his chow as a guard?

Why cut him before at least giving him an opportunity to compete somewhere on the line.

Nobody can truly earn 8m per at OG.
That is the issue.

Even if Free were Larry Allen we can't pay everyone tons of money.
Next year Dallas will have the Romo restructure working to keep the cap down so they can use some cash to "re-set" the roster in line with this new cap reality. That likely means adios to Miles and Free. Jay Ratliff may get a look as could Scandrick (especially if Jenkins looks good in the slot this last month plus).

[MichaelWinicki]

Originally Posted by jterrell

Nobody can truly earn 8m per at OG.
That is the issue.

Even if Free were Larry Allen we can't pay everyone tons of money.
Next year Dallas will have the Romo restructure working to keep the cap down so they can use some cash to "re-set" the roster in line with this new cap reality. That likely means adios to Miles and Free. Jay Ratliff may get a look as could Scandrick (especially if Jenkins looks good in the slot this last month plus).

I agree with JT.

Unless there is a miraculous turn-around Free is gone.

Austin is probably gone too.

I'd go 50/50 on Ratliff and Scandrick.

[hra8700]

Originally Posted by xwalker

I doubt that it is worth explaining again; however, his base salaries are:
2011 - 0.7 mil
2012 - 1.2 mil
2013 - 7 mil
2014 - 8 mil

The 1st 2 years of base salary were guaranteed and there was a 2011 signing bonus of 10.3 million and a 2012 restructuring bonus of 4.8 million. The 0.7 + 1.2 + 10.3 + 4.8 equal the 17 million guaranteed.

All of the guaranteed money will have been paid to Free by the end of the 2012 season; HOWEVER, from a Salary Cap perspective only 8.65 mil of the 17 mil has been charged to the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

There is 8.35 mil of the prorated bonus money that will be charged to the 2013 and 2014 seasons with or without Free on the Team.

The 2013 (7 mil) and 2014 (8 mil) base salaries will only be paid and will only be applied to the 2013/2014 Salary Caps if he remains on the team.

You are not explaining anything I don't already know...

Have you looked at a lot of NFL contracts? Almost EVERY contract is built that way: First 2 years guaranteed, with the vast majority of that guarantee coming as a signing bonus and very little base salary in the first 2 years. What determines if a player is or is not going to be cut is primarily what the amount of base salary is (unless a team has done a terrible job with their cap situation) for those additional years.

Miles Austin's contract. 2011: $17.078 million 2012: $1.15 million, 2013: $6.732 million, 2014: $5.5 million, 2015: $6.888 million, 2016: $11.38 million

Look at the 2016 salary. Clearly, he is going to be cut at the end of 2015. That's how contracts designed for cuts are designed.

[Zimmy Lives]

Originally Posted by MichaelWinicki

I agree with JT.

Unless there is a miraculous turn-around Free is gone.

Austin is probably gone too.

I'd go 50/50 on Ratliff and Scandrick.

I am good with all players mentioned above being gone given their lack of production this season. Next man up!