There is no Salary Cap Hell for Cowboys

[Sandyf]

I just don't get fans upset about the Cap. There is no reason to cut any player we have unless Dallas wants to get rid of them either because they don't believe they are really helping win or they don't fit what they want or the coaching staff wants to move on from them.

Sure we are over the cap by $21 million. IT IS NO BIG DEAL. The Saints on Friday were $76 million over and by Sunday they are $50 million over and will be under the cap by next week. Guess what, they haven't cut a single guy yet. The cap is fluid and rising. The NFL and NFLPA Look Forward to the Future Salary Cap ; 2023 will be $231,200,000 to $248,200,000 ; 2024 will be $249,200,000 to $268,200,000; 2025 will be $272,200,000 to $288,000,000.

If Dallas wants to get rid of Cooper and/or Lawrence or any other player it is not because of the cap. In fact over the last 4 years, Dallas has spent less on players than 26 other clubs and spent $134 million less in marketing and salaries than the small market of Jacksonville. Less spending means more money for the Jones.

Dallas can restructure both Lawrence and Cooper along with Dak and Martin and Smith thus giving them plenty of money to resign Gallup, Wilson, Schultz, Kearse and Gregory along with a few other free agents like say Justin Reid S and/or Will Hernandez LG and/or Josey Jewell LB and/or fill in the blank plus money for the draft picks.

If Dallas wants to jettison Cooper and Lawrence, it won't be because they have to, it will be because they want to but if they do they should at least get a 3rd round choice or more for either. If they don't then the FO of Stephen and Jerry have done an extremely bad job again.

Now I expect Dallas to either cut Jarwin or he agrees to a massive pay cut and in fact wouldn't surprise me if he retires due to the injury he has. Won't be surprised to see Anthony Brown and/or Jordan Lewis traded as their value will never be higher than after last year especially with this so-so draft of players (don't let the hype get you). This draft class would mostly be third day picks in the 2022 draft.

What will Dallas do? I am sure we will see it play out starting this week.

 

[ChronicCowboy]

We were scheduled to be well over the cap next season.

There are two ways of handling this. Restructure contracts to push cap dollars into the future, or cut players whose salaries outweigh their production. I support the second option which appears to be the team’s plan.

 

[tm1119]

I posted this in another thread, but I’ll reiterate

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...016-why-cash-trumps-cap-new-cba-and-more/amp/
“So, take a minute and hazard a guess as to which owners you believe have spent the least on actual payroll the past four seasons. Forget about the cap and funny money and focus on base salaries and signing bonuses and roster bonuses and make a list of who you figure are the six lowest-spending teams in the NFL from 2016-19.

OK, are you ready? Here are the actual bottom spenders, culled from NFLPA salary numbers, over that span (rounded to the nearest thousand).

Cowboys: $634,379,000
Texans: $646,479,000
Bills: $648,442,000
Colts: $654,999,000
Chargers: $658,299,000
Ravens: $678,220,000
Browns: $687,708,000

That is your bottom 20 percent in spending in the league in that time frame. The average NFL team spent $703 million on payroll in that span“

It’s a matter of desire and the Jones’ desires lie in the $ being made, and games won is a distant 2nd.

 

[Tussinman]

Maybe not absolute cap hell since there's ways around it but it's not a good situation.

Have 8 or 9 starters not under contract next year and the most easy way to get the cap situation right is to release 2 more starters.......

It's eventually going to get to the point to where who's going to play safety or linebacker ? Cool you might just barely be under the cap but you don't have any money to sign anybody and you can't draft 10 starters.

Technically not cap Hell because you can still field a decent roster next year but people view it as hell because you won't be able to field as competitive of a roster as last year

 

[gimmesix]

I just don't get fans upset about the Cap. There is no reason to cut any player we have unless Dallas wants to get rid of them either because they don't believe they are really helping win or they don't fit what they want or the coaching staff wants to move on from them.

Sure we are over the cap by $21 million. IT IS NO BIG DEAL. The Saints on Friday were $76 million over and by Sunday they are $50 million over and will be under the cap by next week. Guess what, they haven't cut a single guy yet. The cap is fluid and rising. The NFL and NFLPA Look Forward to the Future Salary Cap ; 2023 will be $231,200,000 to $248,200,000 ; 2024 will be $249,200,000 to $268,200,000; 2025 will be $272,200,000 to $288,000,000.

If Dallas wants to get rid of Cooper and/or Lawrence or any other player it is not because of the cap. In fact over the last 4 years, Dallas has spent less on players than 26 other clubs and spent $134 million less in marketing and salaries than the small market of Jacksonville. Less spending means more money for the Jones.

Dallas can restructure both Lawrence and Cooper along with Dak and Martin and Smith thus giving them plenty of money to resign Gallup, Wilson, Schultz, Kearse and Gregory along with a few other free agents like say Justin Reid S and/or Will Hernandez LG and/or Josey Jewell LB and/or fill in the blank plus money for the draft picks.

If Dallas wants to jettison Cooper and Lawrence, it won't be because they have to, it will be because they want to but if they do they should at least get a 3rd round choice or more for either. If they don't then the FO of Stephen and Jerry have done an extremely bad job again.

Now I expect Dallas to either cut Jarwin or he agrees to a massive pay cut and in fact wouldn't surprise me if he retires due to the injury he has. Won't be surprised to see Anthony Brown and/or Jordan Lewis traded as their value will never be higher than after last year especially with this so-so draft of players (don't let the hype get you). This draft class would mostly be third day picks in the 2022 draft.

What will Dallas do? I am sure we will see it play out starting this week.

You are likely wasting your breath. There are those who believe that we have to cut players because of the cap or we can't add players because of the cap. The amount of money the team has to work with has always been fluid. Well, maybe not always because the Joneses did not know how to manage the cap when it was first introduced and got into cap hell, which doesn't really exist anymore because teams understand how to manipulate the amount available.

When Dallas wants to cut a player like Cooper it's because the Joneses don't feel that he's playing up to his contract and believe the money can be better used elsewhere, such as keeping Gallup instead. Now, they could restructure and keep both, but that was never going to happen because Cooper is being paid like a No. 1 and Gallup will draw at least No. 2 money. With Lamb being our No. 1 or No. 2, it doesn't make fiscal sense to pay all three of them that kind of money. I thought that they would just let Gallup walk.

 

[thunderpimp91]

I posted this in another thread, but I’ll reiterate

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...016-why-cash-trumps-cap-new-cba-and-more/amp/
“So, take a minute and hazard a guess as to which owners you believe have spent the least on actual payroll the past four seasons. Forget about the cap and funny money and focus on base salaries and signing bonuses and roster bonuses and make a list of who you figure are the six lowest-spending teams in the NFL from 2016-19.

OK, are you ready? Here are the actual bottom spenders, culled from NFLPA salary numbers, over that span (rounded to the nearest thousand).

Cowboys: $634,379,000
Texans: $646,479,000
Bills: $648,442,000
Colts: $654,999,000
Chargers: $658,299,000
Ravens: $678,220,000
Browns: $687,708,000

That is your bottom 20 percent in spending in the league in that time frame. The average NFL team spent $703 million on payroll in that span“

It’s a matter of desire and the Jones’ desires lie in the $ being made, and games won is a distant 2nd.

Appreciate you sharing this, interesting information, but I have to disagree on the ideas you are pulling from that data. To me this isnt an issue of the Cowboys wont spend money, its obvious they will. To me this just more so increases the idea that they are terrible at managing the cap. How does a team spend the least amount yet end up in cap hell year after year? The answer is they continue to live year to year by restructuring contracts.

 

[morasp]

I posted this in another thread, but I’ll reiterate

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...016-why-cash-trumps-cap-new-cba-and-more/amp/
“So, take a minute and hazard a guess as to which owners you believe have spent the least on actual payroll the past four seasons. Forget about the cap and funny money and focus on base salaries and signing bonuses and roster bonuses and make a list of who you figure are the six lowest-spending teams in the NFL from 2016-19.

OK, are you ready? Here are the actual bottom spenders, culled from NFLPA salary numbers, over that span (rounded to the nearest thousand).

Cowboys: $634,379,000
Texans: $646,479,000
Bills: $648,442,000
Colts: $654,999,000
Chargers: $658,299,000
Ravens: $678,220,000
Browns: $687,708,000

That is your bottom 20 percent in spending in the league in that time frame. The average NFL team spent $703 million on payroll in that span“

It’s a matter of desire and the Jones’ desires lie in the $ being made, and games won is a distant 2nd.

How cheap can you get? I've posted this before too but they're cheap with coaches, our college football head coach makes 50% more than MM.

 

[Sydla]

No, they have to make painful decisions because of their cap situation. Whether that is cut Cooper or restructure Lawrence or restructure Elliott, most decisions the Cowboys have to make to get back into cap compliance and sign some players comes with penalties.

Sure, they could just restructure a crap ton of guys but that leads to problems in the next season and beyond, even with an increasing cap. Even using your cap number for next year of $231 million, the Cowboys would only have around $12 million in cap space projected next year. But if you restructure guys to be able to keep everyone and sign FAs, you then eat up all that 2023 cap space. And the ball keeps rolling downhill where you then just find yourself with less cap space than most teams year after year.

The Cowboys are cutting Cooper, in part, because they need the cap space and can't justify a $22 million cap hit with their current cap construction. All this chatter about him not being good enough, etc. is just spin that comes from the FO and FO apologists to justify the potential cut. In reality, if the Cowboys had $65 million of cap space right now, Cooper wouldn't even be a cap consideration.

 

[terra]

We were in cap hell once and it scared Jerry so badly he never really wanted to push it since.

Stephen is frankly a cheapskate where he should spend and a spendthrift where he should be cheap.

That is why we basically are always dumpster diving when we should be spending and throwing money out the window because we like our guys.

 

[thunderpimp91]

How cheap can you get? I've posted this before too but they're cheap with coaches, our college football makes 50% more than MM.

Isnt that true of most college coaches though, especially D1 power 5 schools? Honest question as I dont have any data in front of me. I would think that with the recruiting schedule, managing player eligibility, etc college coaching is probably the bigger job and more directly tied to revenue brought in.

 

[terra]

No, they have to make painful decisions because of their cap situation. Whether that is cut Cooper or restructure Lawrence or restructure Elliott, most decisions the Cowboys have to make to get back into cap compliance and sign some players comes with penalties.

Sure, they could just restructure a crap ton of guys but that leads to problems in the next season and beyond, even with an increasing cap. Even using your cap number for next year of $231 million, the Cowboys would only have around $12 million in cap space projected next year. But if you restructure guys to be able to keep everyone and sign FAs, you then eat up all that 2023 cap space. And the ball keeps rolling downhill where you then just find yourself with less cap space than most teams year after year.

The Cowboys are cutting Cooper, in part, because they need the cap space and can't justify a $22 million cap hit with their current cap construction. All this chatter about him not being good enough, etc. is just spin that comes from the FO and FO apologists to justify the potential cut. In reality, if the Cowboys had $65 million of cap space right now, Cooper wouldn't even be a cap consideration.

Same with Lawrence - there would be no scream for making him take a pay cut if it was not because we were tight on the cap.
If I had a choice I would rather keep Cooper and dump Lawrence since he has NEVER lived up to his salary while Cooper at least at times have; and when not it was NOT his fault.

 

[terra]

Isnt that true of most college coaches though, especially D1 power 5 schools? Honest question as I dont have any data in front of me. I would think that with the recruiting schedule, managing player eligibility, etc college coaching is probably the bigger job and more directly tied to revenue brought in.

There is no excuse to ever be cheap with coaches with the Boys; Jerry has plenty of money and there is no cap with coaches. HE certainly was willing to shell out for Garrett before he was even our HC.

 

[DasTex]

Go look at the cap in 2024 for Dallas - they are in no way, shape or form in cap hell. Even if they restructured everyone they can, including Zeke, Tank and Cooper - they would still have plenty of cap space in 2024.

 

[Sydla]

Same with Lawrence - there would be no scream for making him take a pay cut if it was not because we were tight on the cap.
If I had a choice I would rather keep Cooper and dump Lawrence since he has NEVER lived up to his salary while Cooper at least at times have; and when not it was NOT his fault.

The fact they may have gone to Lawrence for a pay cut tells you they want to keep him but the cap constraints may force them to cut him.

 

[Fastpitch Dad]

I posted this in another thread, but I’ll reiterate

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...016-why-cash-trumps-cap-new-cba-and-more/amp/
“So, take a minute and hazard a guess as to which owners you believe have spent the least on actual payroll the past four seasons. Forget about the cap and funny money and focus on base salaries and signing bonuses and roster bonuses and make a list of who you figure are the six lowest-spending teams in the NFL from 2016-19.

OK, are you ready? Here are the actual bottom spenders, culled from NFLPA salary numbers, over that span (rounded to the nearest thousand).

Cowboys: $634,379,000
Texans: $646,479,000
Bills: $648,442,000
Colts: $654,999,000
Chargers: $658,299,000
Ravens: $678,220,000
Browns: $687,708,000

That is your bottom 20 percent in spending in the league in that time frame. The average NFL team spent $703 million on payroll in that span“
It’s a matter of desire and the Jones’ desires lie in the $ being made, and games won is a distant 2nd.

I enjoy when draft season rolls around and you start posting more. Love your draft analysis every year as I've quit watching college ball.

Great post and thanks for sharing. Really sad considering a fan base the rivals any in all sports, with billions falling out of their pockets and still go cheap. To each their own, but I don't understand how fans spend a dime on anything that would benefit these cheapskates.

 

[morasp]

Isnt that true of most college coaches though, especially D1 power 5 schools? Honest question as I dont have any data in front of me. I would think that with the recruiting schedule, managing player eligibility, etc college coaching is probably the bigger job and more directly tied to revenue brought in.

I'm not sure about that but I did do a search on NFL coaches salaries and Arians was the tenth highest paid at $8 million. I also don't have numbers or comparisons but I was watching undisputed and Skip and Shannon said the Cowboys are very tight with coordinator and assistant coaches.

 

[thunderpimp91]

There is no excuse to ever be cheap with coaches with the Boys; Jerry has plenty of money and there is no cap with coaches. HE certainly was willing to shell out for Garrett before he was even our HC.

Agreed but how are the cowboys being cheap? Can’t say if you’re wrong or not I just don’t understand the argument. They pay Moore very well, Quinn just got a nice raise. McCarthy is middle of the pack as far as coaches salary goes which seems accurate. I’m just not sure what data you are using to suggest they are cheap.

 

[tm1119]

Appreciate you sharing this, interesting information, but I have to disagree on the ideas you are pulling from that data. To me this isnt an issue of the Cowboys wont spend money, its obvious they will. To me this just more so increases the idea that they are terrible at managing the cap. How does a team spend the least amount yet end up in cap hell year after year? The answer is they continue to live year to year by restructuring contracts.

Completely disagree. The #’s I posted show you that they are manipulating the cap and restructuring less than anyone else. They are simply doing the minimum to get under the cap from an optical point of view…a lot more could be done. It’s not difficult to push $ into the future without being in “cap hell”, nearly every team does it. But again, there needs to be a willingness to push the chips into the center of the table and go for a championship…but a guy like Jerry who is making more $ than he knows what to do with while not winning playoff games sees absolutely no reason to do that.

The idea of fans of a team incapable of winning playoff games being worried about future cap implications is honestly crazy to me. What are you worried about? If we restructure contracts and push $ into the future we’d go into a 27 year drought of not making a conference championship game? Oh the horror of that idea

 

[atlantacowboy]

Very misleading. stat. Fact is that entering 2022, only 2 teams had less cap room than Dallas. You can't just look at the what the team has spent over 4 years. Every team in the NFL has to spend between 180-198M. That doesn't change.

We aren't "pushing" the cap away from winning a super bowl. The teams problems are far more deep rooted.

 

[thunderpimp91]

Completely disagree. The #’s I posted show you that they are manipulating the cap and restructuring less than anyone else. They are simply doing the minimum to get under the cap from an optical point of view…a lot more could be done. It’s not difficult to push $ into the future without being in “cap hell”, nearly every team does it. But again, there needs to be a willingness to push the chips into the center of the table and go for a championship…but a guy like Jerry who is making more $ than he knows what to do with while not winning playoff games sees absolutely no reason to do that.

The idea of fans of a team incapable of winning playoff games being worried about future cap implications is honestly crazy to me. What are you worried about? If we restructure contracts and push $ into the future we’d go into a 27 year drought of not making a conference championship game? Oh the horror of that idea

And this is where my limited knowledge of the cap comes in to play. I assumed since the numbers given were strictly based on salary restructures wouldn’t be included since those are basically just translated into signing bonus money. Is that incorrect?