Potential veteran cuts

[Sydla]

https://overthecap.com/salary-cap/dallas-cowboys/

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/cap/

This just shows raw dollar amounts for the year, I believe. It doesn't show actual timing of cap savings and when they hit.

Designated June 1 cuts only provide cap savings on June 2. You have to carry designted June 1 cuts on your cap until June 2. I've linked the section from the CBA before here.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Why must either go?

Collins doesn't really save you that much cap unless he's a June 1 cut and in that case, it doesn't really help you until June 1.

You also create a big hole at OT. What are your plans if you cut one of our starting OTs? Are you assuming Ball can play? Draft one? Sign on in FA?

Collins is the hole. Smith plays half. Lawrence plays half.

first round pick can replace 1, Steele another.

 

[Sydla]

Collins is the hole. Smith plays half. Lawrence plays half.

first round pick can replace 1, Steele another.

They have the 24th pick, so who knows what OT would be available at that spot.

Cutting one or both your OTs would be silly. Plus you already have OL problems at LG and C. So your plan is to basically replace pretty much the entire OL but Martin?

 

[cowboyed]

Collins is a $10 million save only if they designate him a June 1 cut. Otherwise cutting him only saves less than $2 million. And why would you cut a guy like Collins? Trade him, maybe? but an outright cut is gifting a good player to another team, maybe even a NFC East competitor.

I know people are ready to anoint Steele, but I am not. I want both of those guys in camp and competing for the RT spot, and possibly Collins competing for the LG spot. If after camp Steele is the clear winner, and Collins flops at LG, then I see if I can trade him, but that does not help them in 2022, other than to free up some CAP room which they really need before March.

Zeke's 2022 salary is already guaranteed so there is no point in cutting him. They can get a $12 million CAP save if they trade him after June 1, but no one is going to take his salary. So I agree, restructuring Zeke would be a mistake since it almost ensures he cannot be cut in 2023 either. That doesn't mean Jerry won't do it though. Zeke's 2022 CAP hit is over $18 million which is absurd at this point.

I am against cutting Tyron Smith because he is still the best left tackle the Cowboys have at this point and he is relatively cheap. They can restructure his contract, save some CAP room and still benefit is he is cut or retires in 2023.

In general I am against cutting guys just to create CAP space unless there is a backup plan. They can cut or trade Cooper, or they can structure him as well. But with only CeeDee under contract, I think it might be wise to restructure Cooper and maybe plan on cutting him next year.

One guy you haven't mentioned is Anthony Brown. They can cut Brown or trade him and create $5 million in CAP room. It's not huge but they have Kelvin Joseph to take his place.

The restructure targets are going to be Lawrence, Cooper, Tyron, Zack Martin, Dak, and Collins. Even modest restructures of those deals can net them $45 million in CAP saves. I think we will see them sign a couple of their guys back, then fill the roster with a bunch of 1 year $1 million deals.

Yours truly believes that Tyron Smith needs to go. His rate of injury is increasing, he is getting beat more by opposing defensive lineman at his left tackle position, and his holding penalties continue to increase as well. This upcoming season he would be in his 12th year. He was the No. 9 pick in the draft in 2011.

Another player getting long in the tooth on the offensive line but not quite in the elephant graveyard is Zack Martin. This upcoming season he will be in his 8th year.

 

[CowboyRoy]

They have the 24th pick, so who knows what OT would be available at that spot.

Cutting one or both your OTs would be silly. Plus you already have OL problems at LG and C. So your plan is to basically replace pretty much the entire OL but Martin?

Eventually yah. They need to be replaced with great young talent. All but Martin. Maybe Steele can develop. Maybe Biadasz or farniok can develop. Maybe you scrape one more year out of either Collins or smith.

 

[glimmerman]

Cut Williams. Don’t care if we save money or not. Hoping Ball can play as well as they say..

 

[Portnoy1]

Keep Cooper, and target him. Ceedee is icing but Coop is the actual cake.

Keep Zeke and lessen his carries until he is available to be released without hurting the cap too much.

Dlaw is the biggest question mark. He played well but not great.

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

Cut'm all. Take as much of a cap hit in 22 as we can so Payton has some room to start the rebuild in 23....

LOL

 

[Cowboyny]

Every year teams line up in free agency for the top wrs, the giants paid Golladay 18 million a season (28 million guaranteed) and he's nowhere near the talent as Cooper.

Teams don't inherit cap hits for the players. They only inherit the salaries. On DLaw it would be 19 million in 22 and 21 million in 23 and they could easily give him the money up front and add phony years if they wanted to reduce any cap hits or redo the deal altogether.

It would be the Cowboys who would eat cap hits when moving on from their players.

I understand that, but teams don't like to pick up big contracts along with giving up draft compensation. When we acquired Cooper he was still a year away from being paid.

 

[Cowboyny]

Just my guess......but I think they will ask Coop and DLaw to take pay cut knowing the likely answer. Yes we could have 2 new starting DEs next season IMO.

I can Stephen replacing one with high draft pick and other with bottom-mid tier free agent

I strongly believe Gregory returns and DLaw is going to have to accept a pay cut or he will be gone. I'm on the fence with Cooper, my gut tells me he is playing elsewhere next season after recent developments.

 

[Cowboyny]

Of law is gone that great. Either Collins or smith must go. Cooper is a discussion.

They can keep them all, but it would affect future years.

 

[McKDaddy]

Legit starters who aren't over the hill and aren't overpaid are traded all the time.

Agreed. Every team has needs, pressure on coaches, GM's, etc.. They are all looking to improve & if you have an asset they believe is better than their current options they are willing to talk. It only takes one buyer willing to deal.

I'm always amazed how our players are never "tradeable" in a lot of posters minds.

 

[McKDaddy]

Zack Martin

I would shop him too. He might be your most valuable asset. Not giving him away but for the right deal, yeah I use the return to help with the rebuild.

I'm not afraid to think outside of the box & roll the dice.

 

[TequilaCowboy]

The "narrative " is that Tyron is a top 5 LT. IMHO, he's not. When on occasion he does play, he gets beat sometimes and has stupid holding penalties. Holding happens when the T gets beat. Tyron is no Chaz Green but he still isn't top 10

I agree with you...Smith has really not performed well, he is a shell of himself. Just average to below average now. Playing mostly on reputation when he does play. Not good. But there is no good backup for him at the moment so tough to cut his arse. Maybe Ball can bring something this summer, he would be a life saver.

 

[Teague31]

Collins is either a cut or he’s moving to LG. No way he goes back to RT. If he does it’s just another example of incompetence from this organization

 

[BoyzBlaster]

Whenever you can have cheap talent with similar production, the veteran isn't safe, especially one who has missed 20 games in the last 2 seasons.

His penchant for bribery related to PEDs doesn't help his case either.

 

[Havic]

I don’t think any of those guys are on another team next season but…

Tiis team needs to get better at trading their assets instead of cutting them.

If you could get a decent pick for a guy or two on that list, let’s do it but this team never gets draft capital in return for the veterans they cut.

Its hard to move players when the contracts are outrageous and the performance isnt there. We need to get better at moving on from players and finding their replacements via the draft, RB especially.

 

[GoJacks]

With Lael Collins:

- I don’t understand why Collins would fall into your prediction as a cut-casualty. Why would you cut your best starting RT? … just for the sake of saving money ?
And that’s a guy that can also factor and play both OT and OG.
What does still remain with me with Lael, is why he is currently starting at RT, I'm still not sure if he is a natural RT.

- Steele is a luxury as being a utility backup guy, but he can only factor the best as a fill in RT.
And that’s what Steele is, imo….a fill-in backup RT, ..and one that you have to scheme-fit for best effectiveness at that.

He’s serviceable enuff to let you get by, but as a 16 game starter that’s asked to one up vs better edge rushers on a frequent basis thru entire games, you’d be
overwhelming him and ourselves.
That’s a Jeremy Parnell only status quo.

Steele out played Collins at RT.

 

[phildadon86]

The "narrative " is that Tyron is a top 5 LT. IMHO, he's not. When on occasion he does play, he gets beat sometimes and has stupid holding penalties. Holding happens when the T gets beat. Tyron is no Chaz Green but he still isn't top 10

Lol

 

[Hawkeye0202]

I strongly believe Gregory returns and DLaw is going to have to accept a pay cut or he will be gone. I'm on the fence with Cooper, my gut tells me he is playing elsewhere next season after recent developments.

Agree DLaw.......I'm guessing it'll $15M to keep Gregory. You think Stephen will pay that?