Cowboys’ cap “management”

[Verdict]

I applaud the Cowboys for trying to keep Dak’s total cap hit from crippling the team. On the other hand, they stupidly handle other cap numbers. Here are a few for your reviewing chagrin:

1. Tyrone Crawford. I don’t blame the team for signing him to his current contract. They expected him to perform well and the indications were there. On the other hand anyone with any sense at all knew Crawford was not worth his cap hit this past year, yet the team kept him. You could have saved $9m plus by moving on from him. Why this was not done makes very little cap sense.

2. Sean Lee. Fabulous player in his prime. Just a guy now. They could have had a journeyman player playing at the minimum salary for the same level of production.

3. Jason Witten. Yeah he’s gone. So is the money we paid him to suck. Just think where those cap dollars could be going now. We could be paying Dak, or acquiring a stud defender to help this defense with those rolled over cap dollars.

I could go on and on with this list. I don’t fault the Cowboys for using good judgment and “missing” on contracts. I fault them for paying people that everyone knows can’t play anymore top dollar.

 

[ClappingCarrot]

Jason Witten played on a 5M dollar deal and I think Lee is taking paycuts on almost a yearly basis.

Crawford was a bad deal in hindsight but at the time, indications were he could play multiple positions well on the DL. Should have been cut years ago.

 

[JoeKing]

Management of the Cowboys is obviously lacking.

 

[charron]

All 3 are no longer on the books so it's a moot point now. Lee and Crawford should have been let go when Poe was sent packing but these clowns keep players way too long even with nothing to play for.

 

[Jake]

The Joneses' desire to keep the band together - even though the band hasn't come close to winning anything - is puzzling. They're tying up a huge chunk of cap space in Jaylon, Zeke, Coop, Tank, and (eventually) Dak, despite having evidence that group has been little more than a .500 team given what's been surrounding them.

Booger & Son couldn't build around those guys when they were cheap. How in the world are they going to do it when they're expensive? (Spoiler: they're not)

 

[Loso86]

I applaud the Cowboys for trying to keep Dak’s total cap hit from crippling the team. On the other hand, they stupidly handle other cap numbers. Here are a few for your reviewing chagrin:

1. Tyrone Crawford. I don’t blame the team for signing him to his current contract. They expected him to perform well and the indications were there. On the other hand anyone with any sense at all knew Crawford was not worth his cap hit this past year, yet the team kept him. You could have saved $9m plus by moving on from him. Why this was not done makes very little cap sense.

2. Sean Lee. Fabulous player in his prime. Just a guy now. They could have had a journeyman player playing at the minimum salary for the same level of production.

3. Jason Witten. Yeah he’s gone. So is the money we paid him to suck. Just think where those cap dollars could be going now. We could be paying Dak, or acquiring a stud defender to help this defense with those rolled over cap dollars.

I could go on and on with this list. I don’t fault the Cowboys for using good judgment and “missing” on contracts. I fault them for paying people that everyone knows can’t play anymore top dollar.

Seriously... forget about the other 49 contracts huh...every team..EVERY team has those type of players on then. Let's just applaud because if you can remember 10 years or so ago when they handed out big money to ALOT of players.

 

[Bobhaze]

The Joneses' desire to keep the band together - even though the band hasn't come close to winning anything - is puzzling. They're tying up a huge chunk of cap space in Jaylon, Zeke, Coop, Tank, and (eventually) Dak, despite having evidence that group has been little more than a .500 team given what's been surrounding them.

Booger & Son couldn't build around those guys when they were cheap. How in the world are they going to do it when they're expensive? (Spoiler: they're not)

This is a very underrated reason why we haven’t been playoff relevant for a quarter century. Our FO signs guys like Tyrone Crawford, Jaylon Smith, Zeke, and many others from the past with the attitude, “We have to have them”, yet none of those guys have really accomplished anything of note in the playoffs.

When Jerry signs one of these guys it’s as if “we’re keeping the championship core together”...Lol! Meanwhile this team has missed the playoffs 3 of the last 4 years.

 

[CouchCoach]

The Joneses' desire to keep the band together - even though the band hasn't come close to winning anything - is puzzling. They're tying up a huge chunk of cap space in Jaylon, Zeke, Coop, Tank, and (eventually) Dak, despite having evidence that group has been little more than a .500 team given what's been surrounding them.

Booger & Son couldn't build around those guys when they were cheap. How in the world are they going to do it when they're expensive? (Spoiler: they're not)

Keeping the band together is an excellent analogy. Lennon was smart enough to move Best and Sutcliffe out and McCartney and Starr in.

The Cowboys are the "Band With The Runs".

 

[big dog cowboy]

Lee and Crawford should have been let go when Poe was sent packing

No team is going to cut veteran long time players who played their entire career with them in the middle of the season.

Not to mention it would send a terrible message to the locker room.

 

[charron]

No team is going to cut veteran long time players who played their entire career with them in the middle of the season.

Not to mention it would send a terrible message to the locker room.

Their message to the locker room is not performing to your best ability is ok.

 

[Captain-Crash]

we should cut everybody but dak, we can get a high school team to play with him since he's the goat.

 

[fivetwos]

Jason Witten played on a 5M dollar deal and I think Lee is taking paycuts on almost a yearly basis.

Crawford was a bad deal in hindsight but at the time, indications were he could play multiple positions well on the DL. Should have been cut years ago.

True but now Jerry has a lifelong pal.

Can't underestimate what that means to a franchise.

One of the many advantages of this chain of command that Jerry always brags about having.

 

[Aviano90]

We need to win the excel spreadsheet championship.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Their message to the locker room is not performing to your best ability is ok.

Completely missed the point.

 

[fivetwos]

No team is going to cut veteran long time players who played their entire career with them in the middle of the season.

Not to mention it would send a terrible message to the locker room.

Not to mention their salaries were guaranteed after week one per league rules.

Nothing saved at all by cutting them then.

 

[Risen Star]

You don't blame the Cowboys for missing on contracts?

Do you blame a doctor for a misdiagnosis?

I don't care how logical you think a signing is at the time, results matter and a front office should be held accountable for those results.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

We have replaced those bad contracts with new bad contracts like Zeke and Jaylon. The salary game is not black and white...contracts seem good at one point and bad a year later. Unless each has Pro Bowl years they should be cut next year for cap savings. Dak's contract is likely to be one that goes through both stages as well. It all comes down to winning a Super Bowl. If they do, it is money well spent. If not, it's money wasted.

 

[buybuydandavis]

This is a very underrated reason why we haven’t been playoff relevant for a quarter century. Our FO signs guys like Tyrone Crawford, Jaylon Smith, Zeke, and many others from the past with the attitude, “We have to have them”, yet none of those guys have really accomplished anything of note in the playoffs.

When Jerry signs one of these guys it’s as if “we’re keeping the championship core together”...Lol! Meanwhile this team has missed the playoffs 3 of the last 4 years.

Jerry has always signed contracts like he's one year away from a SB. "Gotta keep the band together."

I didn't want to sign a lot of guys, Against Zeke and DLaw. I admit I was for Jaylon, but unlike Jerry, I had no access to medical reports.

But the Crawford robbery the last two seasons has been the worst. Just giving money away.

A few bright notes for this year:
1) Getting Dak, Tyron, Collins, Martin, and Jarwin back.
2) The cap budgets we spent on McCoy, Poe, Dix, Griffen, Lee, Worley, Crawford is available for free agents.
3) Early draft haul and 3 mid round comp picks.
4) Very few needs on offense means all the money and picks can go to rebuild the defense.

 

[Uncle_Hank]

It's almost like an 80 year old man can't work six different full time jobs and be good at them. Then again, he wasn't good at this one when he was 50 either.

 

[Typhus]

It's almost like an 80 year old man can't work six different full time jobs and be good at them. Then again, he wasn't good at this one when he was 50 either.

Uncle Hank, if you have been doing that just call me, Im sure i can find a job for you, a job that you will be happier doing.