Basic Myths and Truths about the salary cap

Aven8 said:
I just wish they would truly go “all in” for once. You’ve tried it your way for years. Try to do it with FA’s this time and just see what happens. If you write the contracts correctly you can always reinvent yourself if it doesn’t work. Not even trying out of fear is just dumb.
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Can't. Our player evaluation is horrible. Last few times we tried big name FAs/trades, they didn't work out due to very poor player evaluation.
 
Bobhaze said:
As we are about to enter the start of the 2025 off-season of free agency, the draft and big discussions about what we can (and can’t do) with Stephen Jones’ whimpering deference to the almighty salary cap….it seems like a good time to look at a set of myths about the cap as well as some truths that seem to be guiding the better organizations vs the Cowboys.

CAP MANAGEMENT MYTHS
  • Big contracts mean you can’t sign FAs. (False despite what anyone named Jones tells us. Look around at the best teams. They are in free agency despite some big contracts)
  • The best cap managers are worried about not “kicking a can down the road” (False - see rams, eagles, buccaneers)
  • Having a “win now” approach can ruin your future. (False - see eagles, rams, bucs; eagles and rams have now been to two SBs with two different QBs, major roster overhauls, and multiple FA signings)
  • Star players who want to win should take a “team friendly” deal like Patrick Mahomes did to save cap space. (False- The so-called “Mahomes took less money” thing is just not true. He just has a longer contract than anyone else and in the long run will make way, way more than any other QB. It’s all about length of contract and structure)
  • The most “responsible” teams at cap management are winning Super Bowls. (False. The rams have twice “mortgaged their future” and have won 8 playoff games, two NFC championships and a SB in the last 7 seasons with two different rosters. We have been “responsible” spenders and have won 2 wild card games in the last 7 seasons)
CAP MANAGEMENT TRUTHS
  • The best cap managers take advantage of the talent they have NOW. Next year or 3 years from now is not this year.
  • The best cap managing GMs rarely talk publicly about their “cap challenges” because as Stephen Jones should have learned by now, lying to your fans about cap space usually backfires. (Apparently unless you have a lifetime contract regardless of results)
  • You cannot win a SB in this era with just the “draft and develop” model. It’s completely outdated.
  • Being too careful and cautious makes you mediocre not better. You don’t have to be wildly aggressive; just identify and target both needs to be met in draft and those to be met in FA/trades.
  • Worry more about winning NOW than 5 years from now. You cannot assume your team will be as good or better next year.
This is obviously an incomplete list. But the bottom line for us fans to remember is this: the teams that have the most playoff success, going to and/or winning Super Bowls use the salary cap AS A TOOL TO WIN, NOT A ROADBLOCK TO WINNING.

The organizations who know this and act accordingly are raising Lombardis not making excuses about cap restrictions.
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The biggest myth is that the CAP doesn't matter. It does matter or there would be no need for CAP management. The fact is, if there was no CAP, owners that want to win would go out and buy up all the good players, like teams in baseball do with their soft CAP. The reason people think the CAP doesn't matter is that most teams have learned how to build in CAP saves for the future. But it still matters.

In the NFL it is a hard and fast CAP. There are no loopholes.

What the CAP requires is for GMs to do a great job of evaluating players. The goal is to accumulate the most talent given the CAP. Every time you overpay a player, it takes away from the talent you have at another position. We all know the Jones' way of doing things makes no sense. They claim to stay out of free agency because it is overpaying players. Yet they pay a guy like Dak, $60 million - and Jerry brags about how this means he is trying hard. If you haven't noticed, look at how important rookies have become in the NFL. In the old days, rookies hardly saw the field. Now it is critical that rookies, even QBs, contribute right away. 1 good draft can turn a team around. This change is the result of the salary CAP. Rookies get paid squat, so good rookies are great value players. Often older vets are the opposite. They make a lot of money, but they no longer play to their peak levels.

In the end it is simply an evaluation of cost vs production. This is where Dallas fails. And I will add one more point. Take CeeDee Lamb. Is he worth $34 million? many would say yes. His production is close to the best in the league so he is worth 2nd most money. But what if two other receivers making $15 million each could produce more than your top 2 receivers which includes CeeCee? A good GM would sign those two receivers, and not pay CeeDee. This is an example, not what I would advocate - although I did suggest this before CeeDee signed.

Those who claim the CAP is never a problem point to all the ways to get under the CAP. Restructures, cuts, June1 cuts, etc. Yes, there are all ways to lower the current year CAP number. Restructures just means you pay later. Cuts means you lose a player. June 1 cuts are even less important because there is no reduction in CAP until after June 1 when the best free agents are all signed somewhere else. These are techniques for saving CAP space, but they were devised with this intent. This is CAP management. Good teams figured out how to plan these things in advance. Good teams look at value and cut loose players who no longer produce at the level they are paid.

The point is, the CAP is real and it requires a good amount of thought and planning or you wind up like Dallas last year - and probably this year.
 
Creeper said:
The biggest myth is that the CAP doesn't matter. It does matter or there would be no need for CAP management. The fact is, if there was no CAP, owners that want to win would go out and buy up all the good players, like teams in baseball do with their soft CAP. The reason people think the CAP doesn't matter is that most teams have learned how to build in CAP saves for the future. But it still matters.

In the NFL it is a hard and fast CAP. There are no loopholes.

What the CAP requires is for GMs to do a great job of evaluating players. The goal is to accumulate the most talent given the CAP. Every time you overpay a player, it takes away from the talent you have at another position. We all know the Jones' way of doing things makes no sense. They claim to stay out of free agency because it is overpaying players. Yet they pay a guy like Dak, $60 million - and Jerry brags about how this means he is trying hard. If you haven't noticed, look at how important rookies have become in the NFL. In the old days, rookies hardly saw the field. Now it is critical that rookies, even QBs, contribute right away. 1 good draft can turn a team around. This change is the result of the salary CAP. Rookies get paid squat, so good rookies are great value players. Often older vets are the opposite. They make a lot of money, but they no longer play to their peak levels.

In the end it is simply an evaluation of cost vs production. This is where Dallas fails. And I will add one more point. Take CeeDee Lamb. Is he worth $34 million? many would say yes. His production is close to the best in the league so he is worth 2nd most money. But what if two other receivers making $15 million each could produce more than your top 2 receivers which includes CeeCee? A good GM would sign those two receivers, and not pay CeeDee. This is an example, not what I would advocate - although I did suggest this before CeeDee signed.

Those who claim the CAP is never a problem point to all the ways to get under the CAP. Restructures, cuts, June1 cuts, etc. Yes, there are all ways to lower the current year CAP number. Restructures just means you pay later. Cuts means you lose a player. June 1 cuts are even less important because there is no reduction in CAP until after June 1 when the best free agents are all signed somewhere else. These are techniques for saving CAP space, but they were devised with this intent. This is CAP management. Good teams figured out how to plan these things in advance. Good teams look at value and cut loose players who no longer produce at the level they are paid.

The point is, the CAP is real and it requires a good amount of thought and planning or you wind up like Dallas last year - and probably this year.
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Very well said.

CD did not produce as a top of the market player in the playoffs. That is the only reason to ever pay a player top of the market money, production when it matters. For some very strange reason, we ignore this. Does not make any sense. I like CD, but he could be easily replaced by the WR types that Jerry ignores, sharp route runners. Jerry thinks WRs have to be these high flying Speedy Gonzalez types, while the route runners are winning super bowls. Cooper Kupp, for example, what did he run, some 4.6 something? But, there he was being instrumental in the super bowl win.
 
kskboys said:
Can't. Our player evaluation is horrible. Last few times we tried big name FAs/trades, they didn't work out due to very poor player evaluation.
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It's the we like our guys mantra. We overvalue the guys on the club. Look at the contracts shelled out to Zeke, Jaylon Smith, Demarcus Lawrence etc. Dispassionately look at those guys - none of them were even the best in the league at their particular position - maybe Zeke's rookie season, and even he was slowing down when they gave him that ridiculous contract extension. Also the teams inability to assess people and then make trades is part of the issue. By holding onto mediocre guys and overpaying them, you have essentially stunted your teams ability to get better at a particular position.
 
"the teams that have the most playoff success, going to and/or winning Super Bowls use the salary cap AS A TOOL TO WIN, NOT A ROADBLOCK TO WINNING.

The organizations who know this and act accordingly are raising Lombardis not making excuses about cap restrictions."


these paragraphs are the cold hard truth and this owner refuses to acknowledge it.....
 
T-RO said:
Words wasted.

I can show years of data demonstrating that those teams spending the most on free agency do *not* generally succeed.

The teams that do succeed?
Have elite coaches and elite quarterbacks, with sound culture.

Dallas has none of that. Spending massive money to prop up a poor team for another win or two...and cripple the future...is the LAST THING this failed franchise needs to do. It will only compound all its problems.
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I agree with your points but I’m not advocating “spending the most in free agency”. Spending money on key targets as opposed to just freewheel spending is different.

Agree 100% about culture, coaching and have a good QB. But even great QBs need some roster help.
 
kskboys said:
Truths:

6. You must absolutely pay the right players.
7. You absolutely must draft wisely in addition to your FA pickups.
8. Can't pay decent players great money.
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sounds like what they say about all free agents lol, they don't use this when it comes to their own players #8
 
Bobhaze said:
I agree with your points but I’m not advocating “spending the most in free agency”. Spending money on key targets as opposed to just freewheel spending is different.

Agree 100% about culture, coaching and have a good QB. But even great QBs need some roster help.
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I think that's where fans get it mixed up at. It's not about us blowing the 100 million that we can create and get ALL the top FA's, it's more about making an effort, finding the ones that actually fit what you're trying to do, not just trying to make fans happy. We can get some decent tier players, and we shouldn't only be trying to find guys that are at the bottom barrel of free agency
 
Johannes44 said:
It's the we like our guys mantra. We overvalue the guys on the club. Look at the contracts shelled out to Zeke, Jaylon Smith, Demarcus Lawrence etc. Dispassionately look at those guys - none of them were even the best in the league at their particular position - maybe Zeke's rookie season, and even he was slowing down when they gave him that ridiculous contract extension. Also the teams inability to assess people and then make trades is part of the issue. By holding onto mediocre guys and overpaying them, you have essentially stunted your teams ability to get better at a particular position.
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Worse. We are unable to evaluate players accurately. Terrible trait for an NFL GM. That is the reason why we do the things you are accurately portraying.
 
Bobhaze said:
Being unable to evaluate players accurately in 31 other NFL organizations would get you fired.
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It would. It's the big elephant in the room. A great many(most) of our travails come specifically from that horrendous problem. And then add in a complete inability to understand how a player fits in with a scheme/players around him. Roy Williams WR comes to mind. Slant running beast. So, we give up major assets. Problem? Romo was not a good slant thrower. We gave up major resources for a player who was the polar opposite of what we needed. I mean, this is just like the stupidest move.

Acquiring Cedric Thornton to play NT. Problem: He was a 3/4 DE, and did not have the build/anchoring ability to play NT.

How in hades does a dummy like me know this from my couch and they don't?
 
Regardless of CAP space, I do no think this is the year to go all in. I think the Cowboys front office is in denial. This team needs a rebuild and it should start now. Whatever CAP space they have this year or can create should be used to absorb as much of their bad contracts as possible. That means take the $90 million CAP hit on Dak this year to takes some of the pressure off the next4 years. Create an exit plan for Dak if his performance in 2025 does not improve over 2024. No one wants to go through a QB search but denial is not a solution to the problem. I would target 2027 for the Cowboys comeback. This would include a massive infusion of talent from the next 3 drafts, and clearing Dak off the books and making an investment in free agent talent in 2027.

This might be a problem for players like CeeDee,, Parsons, Tyler Smith, Bland, etc. but if done correctly, the team can improve over 2024, and then again in 2026.
 
kskboys said:
Worse. We are unable to evaluate players accurately. Terrible trait for an NFL GM. That is the reason why we do the things you are accurately portraying.
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I believe the scouts and staff do a good job on player evaluation.

the problem is the person actually making the decision does not listen to them
 
Even though some great points. How are other teams in comparison to this?
Much of this seems team specific to how the Jones' do things. Which is why I ask, why are other teams not getting to the SB on further in the playoffs as we are not doing?

See @gtb1943 post above. This is the main issue. He wants to do it his way to prove something. Problem is, he will think he was right all along, though it took almost 30 years to prove it.

that is like ... I finally won $1 million in the lottery.
Though, it took 30 years and spent $3 million on tickets.
 
kskboys said:
Can't. Our player evaluation is horrible. Last few times we tried big name FAs/trades, they didn't work out due to very poor player evaluation.
Click to expand...
It’s because we trade for players that haven’t done anything. Gilmore and Cooks were really good trades. Those are the types I prefer. Players that we know can play.
 
Bobhaze said:
As we are about to enter the start of the 2025 off-season of free agency, the draft and big discussions about what we can (and can’t do) with Stephen Jones’ whimpering deference to the almighty salary cap….it seems like a good time to look at a set of myths about the cap as well as some truths that seem to be guiding the better organizations vs the Cowboys.

CAP MANAGEMENT MYTHS
  • Big contracts mean you can’t sign FAs. (False despite what anyone named Jones tells us. Look around at the best teams. They are in free agency despite some big contracts)
  • The best cap managers are worried about not “kicking a can down the road” (False - see rams, eagles, buccaneers)
  • Having a “win now” approach can ruin your future. (False - see eagles, rams, bucs; eagles and rams have now been to two SBs with two different QBs, major roster overhauls, and multiple FA signings)
  • Star players who want to win should take a “team friendly” deal like Patrick Mahomes did to save cap space. (False- The so-called “Mahomes took less money” thing is just not true. He just has a longer contract than anyone else and in the long run will make way, way more than any other QB. It’s all about length of contract and structure)
  • The most “responsible” teams at cap management are winning Super Bowls. (False. The rams have twice “mortgaged their future” and have won 8 playoff games, two NFC championships and a SB in the last 7 seasons with two different rosters. We have been “responsible” spenders and have won 2 wild card games in the last 7 seasons)
CAP MANAGEMENT TRUTHS
  • The best cap managers take advantage of the talent they have NOW. Next year or 3 years from now is not this year.
  • The best cap managing GMs rarely talk publicly about their “cap challenges” because as Stephen Jones should have learned by now, lying to your fans about cap space usually backfires. (Apparently unless you have a lifetime contract regardless of results)
  • You cannot win a SB in this era with just the “draft and develop” model. It’s completely outdated.
  • Being too careful and cautious makes you mediocre not better. You don’t have to be wildly aggressive; just identify and target both needs to be met in draft and those to be met in FA/trades.
  • Worry more about winning NOW than 5 years from now. You cannot assume your team will be as good or better next year.
This is obviously an incomplete list. But the bottom line for us fans to remember is this: the teams that have the most playoff success, going to and/or winning Super Bowls use the salary cap AS A TOOL TO WIN, NOT A ROADBLOCK TO WINNING.

The organizations who know this and act accordingly are raising Lombardis not making excuses about cap restrictions.
Click to expand...
We are never winning the SB with this amatuer GM and his son.
We cant even get to the NFCCG in the past 29 years.
So sad that these 2 are holding the team hostage from making serious post season noise.
 
kskboys said:
It would. It's the big elephant in the room. A great many(most) of our travails come specifically from that horrendous problem. And then add in a complete inability to understand how a player fits in with a scheme/players around him. Roy Williams WR comes to mind. Slant running beast. So, we give up major assets. Problem? Romo was not a good slant thrower. We gave up major resources for a player who was the polar opposite of what we needed. I mean, this is just like the stupidest move.

Acquiring Cedric Thornton to play NT. Problem: He was a 3/4 DE, and did not have the build/anchoring ability to play NT.

How in hades does a dummy like me know this from my couch and they don't?
Click to expand...
Please stop bringing up names that make me want to puke up breakfast. Thanks.

But yeah, things like that are why I often say all they do is collect players. Doesn’t matter what the team needs if they can’t get a player under their terms.
 
john van brocklin said:
We are never winning the SB with this amatuer GM and his son.
We cant even get to the NFCCG in the past 29 years.
So sad that these 2 are holding the team hostage from making serious post season noise.
Click to expand...
At this point I might settle for not being fully embarrassed to be a fan considering the complete buffoonery of the loudmouth face of the franchise, who continually gets in front of any mic that’ll have him and boasts of what a great job he is doing despite decades of failure.

The dumb humor that nearly no one understands doesn’t help.
 
Creeper said:
Regardless of CAP space, I do no think this is the year to go all in. I think the Cowboys front office is in denial. This team needs a rebuild and it should start now. Whatever CAP space they have this year or can create should be used to absorb as much of their bad contracts as possible. That means take the $90 million CAP hit on Dak this year to takes some of the pressure off the next4 years. Create an exit plan for Dak if his performance in 2025 does not improve over 2024. No one wants to go through a QB search but denial is not a solution to the problem. I would target 2027 for the Cowboys comeback. This would include a massive infusion of talent from the next 3 drafts, and clearing Dak off the books and making an investment in free agent talent in 2027.

This might be a problem for players like CeeDee,, Parsons, Tyler Smith, Bland, etc. but if done correctly, the team can improve over 2024, and then again in 2026.
Click to expand...
The biggest problem is this FO doesn’t know how to rebuild. All but one of the major rebuilds/roster overhauls this team has had in the Jerry era were the result of having a strong HC to guide the evaluation. Without that we tend to just become Jerry’s fantasy football hobby and eventually the poor roster build start stacking up.

Jimmy Johnson was one of the best talent evaluators in the NFL…one of the reasons he’s in the HOF. In those early 90s, Jimmy built an incredibly deep and talented roster over 5 years and we benefitted until the team just cratered during the Campo years.

Then Parcells came in for 4 years - another great talent evaluator - and he built another nice talent stockpile with guys like Witten, Ware and Romo, just to name a few. We benefitted off that rebuild for about a decade.

The third rebuild believe it or not was under Jason Garrett who was a better evaluator of talent than he was a coach. He didn’t know how to use timeouts or motivate players to save his life. But Garrett did influence the steer of the team toward guys like Travis Frederick, Zack Martin and having a sound running game to support Romo and later Dak. But the FO never was able to take advantage the talent by knowing and targeting the right kind of supporting cast.

The McCarthy years also saw some influx of talent with Cedee Lamb and Micah Parsons. I don’t think Big Mac was a s good at evaluating talent although he was a good HC. But the FO without major assistance from someone that can guide them is a rudderless ship sailing on the whims of how to best “market” their team.
 
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