News: TLH: Four ways the Dallas Cowboys can save salary cap space

Reality

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Four ways the Dallas Cowboys can save salary cap space

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One of the most difficult things for a franchise is keeping a great team while under the salary cap. How can the Dallas Cowboys save cap space? Having a sa...

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xwalker

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Creating cap space in a given year is not the same as saving cap space.

It does not save cap space to restructure DLaw's contract. It just frees up cap space for this season.

Cutting Crawford does indeed save cap space. It saves 8M.
 

Flamma

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I like that. They say one of the most difficult things for a franchise is keeping a great team while remaining under the cap. Then they go on to talk about the Cowboys.
 

atlantacowboy

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The problem was overpaying for Dlaw/Ewok to start with. Reworking bad decisions just moves the money and makes things worse. Both are untradable drains on the cap.

Ah, you refer to Jerry's specialty as a GM: turning assets into ball and chain.
 

ultron

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The problem was overpaying for Dlaw/Ewok to start with. Reworking bad decisions just moves the money and makes things worse. Both are untradable drains on the cap.
Have you ever actually looked at Zeke's contract? I'd bet a significant amount of money that you haven't - it's actually a brilliant contract on the Cowboys part.
 

gjkoeppen

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Four ways the Dallas Cowboys can save salary cap space



One of the most difficult things for a franchise is keeping a great team while under the salary cap. How can the Dallas Cowboys save cap space? Having a sa...

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What I got out of this was all of his ways except the first one he ends with this should be a last resort. So just how realistic are they? I'm also sure that Stephen has already thought through every idea this guy or anyone else has floated by. Who are the ones that have EVERY single contract in their FULL details in front of them with a spread sheet showing where every penny is going in what year and the effect of removing any one of those contracts and who doesn't? Those that do - the Cowboys, those who don't - everyone else.
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doomsday9084

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Have you ever actually looked at Zeke's contract? I'd bet a significant amount of money that you haven't - it's actually a brilliant contract on the Cowboys part.

I hope they use the same logic on Dak and Cooper's deals. With that said, the bill always comes due. Zeke having a cap number around $15m in 2-3 years is going to be a tough pill to swallow.

https://overthecap.com/player/ezekiel-elliott/4717/
 

buybuydandavis

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Creating cap space in a given year is not the same as saving cap space.

It does not save cap space to restructure DLaw's contract. It just frees up cap space for this season.

Cutting Crawford does indeed save cap space. It saves 8M.

You just saved me from reading an article.

I really hate articles that call kicking cap down the road "saving cap".

Crawford won't be costing 8mil salary this year even if we keep him. He already said he'll take a pay cut.

Given that we have nothing at 3T, I expect him to be on the team. If we play more 3 man fronts, it may work out pretty well for us. Though ... also good chance that he's just done.
 

buybuydandavis

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I hope they use the same logic on Dak and Cooper's deals. With that said, the bill always comes due. Zeke having a cap number around $15m in 2-3 years is going to be a tough pill to swallow.

https://overthecap.com/player/ezekiel-elliott/4717/

If we can trade him before March 20 something when he's due 13mil option bonus, someone else can be paying that 15mil. It would be worth it to dump his contract and get nothing in return.

(Can anyone make sense of a "guaranteed option bonus"?)
 

Cowboysheelsreds053

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Have you ever actually looked at Zeke's contract? I'd bet a significant amount of money that you haven't - it's actually a brilliant contract on the Cowboys part.

Agree, just think if he showed out next year and then wanted a new contract. Can't believe I am saying this, but he ran for almost 1400 yards from scrimmage and whatever he did for receiving yards, plus around 10 TD's and that was a bad year from some, plus is one of the top 3 backs in the league. Not counting how many games we abandon the run Period and only 3 points down or games were he had 70 plus yards at the half and still finish under 80 yards by game end.
 

Stash

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Cutting Crawford and Fleming are no-brainers. It saves the team $12.5 million in awful contracts and it allows you to pay and keep Robert Quinn.
Is there anyone here who wouldn’t take that trade? Anyone?
 

DasSchnitzel

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Cutting Crawford and Fleming are no-brainers. It saves the team $12.5 million in awful contracts and it allows you to pay and keep Robert Quinn.
Is there anyone here who wouldn’t take that trade? Anyone?

I think that if you cut Crawford then that 8M needs to be reinvested in the interior DL. He's not great but he's a reliable plugin all across the DL and that needs to be replaced.

I think that for about 12M you could probably get two DTs that arent as position-flexible but are just as good at DT as Crawford, or one guy that's even better at DT but that's all he does.

For example, Spotrac projects the market value of Jordan Phillips and Danny Shelton at about 10.5M combined. I'd consider it an upgrade to spend a net 2.5M in cap space and in the process swap Crawford for a couple guys like those.
 

Stash

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I think that if you cut Crawford then that 8M needs to be reinvested in the interior DL. He's not great but he's a reliable plugin all across the DL and that needs to be replaced.

I can get a street free agent to handle that job

I think that for about 12M you could probably get two DTs that arent as position-flexible but are just as good at DT as Crawford, or one guy that's even better at DT but that's all he does.

That's what I'm looking for - starters - not 'where do we put him? guys.

For example, Spotrac projects the market value of Jordan Phillips and Danny Shelton at about 10.5M combined. I'd consider it an upgrade to spend a net 2.5M in cap space and in the process swap Crawford for a couple guys like those.

I'd be all in on that too, but losing Quinn would be a huge blow to this team's already suspect pass rush as well. I think they have the cap room to do both actually.
 

DasSchnitzel

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I can get a street free agent to handle that job

That's what I'm looking for - starters - not 'where do we put him? guys.

I'd be all in on that too, but losing Quinn would be a huge blow to this team's already suspect pass rush as well. I think they have the cap room to do both actually.

1) I believe you undervalue Crawford. He's not worth his price tag but he's a much better asset than the types of guys I would consider "street free agents". You can count on him to do his job at an average NFL level at 3 of the 4 DL positions in a 4-3 front. He plays banged up and doesn't complain. By all accounts he is a great teammate. Good rosters have guys like Crawford in the middle third.

2) Yep. Unless of course if it's the good kind of position flex, where the player is capable of attacking from multiple places, like JJ Watt. Just go find us another JJ Watt, @stasheroo ! :)

3) I agree, I dont think Quinn and a DT upgrade are mutually exclusive since 8M in cap savings is built into the DT upgrade.
 
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