Cowboys have 19.3 million in cap space

[CATCH17]

And they haven’t done a single thing to improve the team. Seriously, all they are going to do is churn the bottom of the roster and keep Rush at backup QB? They deserve to have a bad year. People don’t want to hear it but money now rules every decision they make. Winning is not the prime directive.

JErry's ego is what runs this franchise.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Taking advantage of Daks contract I see.

Yes, you have to do that. Didn't the Seahawks take advantage of Russell Wilson's contract?

 

[Future]

the entire point of re-signing him early is to not pay top 3-5 QB money.
with salaries rising it is generally good to get in front of young, ascending guys now as opposed to later.
22M a year for a starting QB is going to be chump change in the not to distant future.

$22m a year, even if Dak is only a middle-of-the-road QB, is already basically a solid deal. $22m even would be the 11th-highest per year contract in the league. With Goff, Wentz, Winston, Mariota, Wilson, Rivers and Roethlisberger all due after next season, that $22m number could fall to, like, 17th

 

[CATCH17]

Yes, you have to do that. Didn't the Seahawks take advantage of Russell Wilson's contract?

Dallas just wants to sign their guys and never spend on free agency that way they can stay mediocre and relevant instead of going through some bad times like Denver and Seattle are about to go through.

Both of those teams will probably recover and be good again before we make some real playoff noise.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

the entire point of re-signing him early is to not pay top 3-5 QB money.
with salaries rising it is generally good to get in front of young, ascending guys now as opposed to later.
22M a year for a starting QB is going to be chump change in the not to distant future.

Yes, but Dak's got a lot to prove this year. If he does, by all means it's time to get the long term deal done. If he doesn't? Then it's a more difficult decision, do you let him go another year and hope that's the magic year? Or do you wash your hands of him, draft a stud quarterback (if one's available) and hope he's "the one"? Or try to sign away a top free agent quarterback and "win now"? Remember Zeke's contract also runs out at the same time as Dak's, he's got less to prove, but if he can't put up MVP-type numbers running behind an offensive line that may be missing Frederick (& T. Smith possibly for a while), do you also wash your hands of him?

This is a huge year for the Cowboys, for determining the way to go for the future....

 

[MichaelWinicki]

any sensible GM will force the player to earn his contract but not with the Dallas FO. Dak will make Aaron Rodgers money because that's what our FO believes he's worth.

There's merit to your argument.

But there are times pre=paying is not a bad thing.

Philly and NE BOTH sign young talent (if they can) before "push comes to shove".

LA did it with Gurley.

They didn't do with Donald and it cost them the richest contract for a defensive player in league history.

The Raiders didn't do it with Mack and it cost them giving up maybe the best defensive player in the AFC for basically 2 first round draft picks.

If you wait and the player meets expectations then the pain of the contract will be greater than signing that player a year early.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Dallas just wants to sign their guys and never spend on free agency that way they can stay mediocre

I don't think that they are signing their guys to "stay mediocre", they haven't done well but it's due to incompetence, not due to not wanting to be good.

Personally to me signing free agents should be done sparingly, and only if the free agent is like Haley and Dorsett were, the final piece to a championship puzzle.

 

[Teague31]

Nothing says commitment to winning like leaving $20 million on the table

 

[CATCH17]

I don't think that they are signing their guys to "stay mediocre", they haven't done well but it's due to incompetence, not due to not wanting to be good.

Personally to me signing free agents should be done sparingly, and only if the free agent is like Haley and Dorsett were, the final piece to a championship puzzle.

This league you never know when you're a championship team or not.

2014 and 2016 maybe we get past Rodgers and to the Superbowl if we invested more in free agency.

If we get to January and we have to play Rodgers this year then it's going to hurt not having Earl Thomas line up in our secondary.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

This league you never know when you're a championship team or not.

2014 and 2016 maybe we get past Rodgers and to the Superbowl if we invested more in free agency.

If we get to January and we have to play Rodgers this year then it's going to hurt not having Earl Thomas line up in our secondary.

If I thought acquiring and paying Earl Thomas was the "missing piece" to a championship season then I'd be beating the drum to get the guy.

But quite frankly I'm not seeing this team as being a SB contender this season and that being the case, they save what cap they can and roll it into next season.

 

[jterrell]

Yes, but Dak's got a lot to prove this year. If he does, by all means it's time to get the long term deal done. If he doesn't? Then it's a more difficult decision, do you let him go another year and hope that's the magic year? Or do you wash your hands of him, draft a stud quarterback (if one's available) and hope he's "the one"? Or try to sign away a top free agent quarterback and "win now"? Remember Zeke's contract also runs out at the same time as Dak's, he's got less to prove, but if he can't put up MVP-type numbers running behind an offensive line that may be missing Frederick (& T. Smith possibly for a while), do you also wash your hands of him?

This is a huge year for the Cowboys, for determining the way to go for the future....

Dak's current valuation by Spotrac is 25M a year.
Market Value

• 5 yrs, $123,861,125
• Avg. Salary: $24,772,225
• NFL Rank: 6
• QB Rank: 6

Now I'd much rather pay him Russell Wilson money right?
4 years 88M with about half GTD.

As to the prove it stuff... nonsense.
He is 22-11 as a starting QB with a top 10 QBR and Rating the past 2 seasons but zero playoff success.

He's worth 15-18M on very lowest of low sides.
Him proving more is what you don't want or else you gotta pay him 30M a year. And that likely means adios DLaw and Zeke when he hits free agency.
It'd be Dak and a bunch of guys already signed or willing to take undermarket deals.

Dallas has ~20M in cap space so they can actually pay Dak the going rate NOW and not have to backload him into Tony Romo-like roster oblivion.

I'd be offering 4 years 88M and 5 years 100M as opening bids TODAY.
I'd be scared to death is's gonna take 6 year 130M with half GTD to get the deal done.

 

[CATCH17]

If I thought acquiring and paying Earl Thomas was the "missing piece" to a championship season then I'd be beating the drum to get the guy.

But quite frankly I'm not seeing this team as being a SB contender this season and that being the case, they save what cap they can and roll it into next season.

I get that logic but 2014 and 2016 didn't look that way either and with some solid defense we probably at least go to the Superbowl because our offenses were awesome.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

his league you never know when you're a championship team or not

Of course not, the 1991 and 1977 Cowboys didn't either, but if you do like those teams did, have excellent seasons but fall just short, then that final piece might do it. But this was a 9-7, not even in the playoffs team last year, not a team with a Tripletts, a Novacek and others all playing great.

This team is not an ET or A. Donald away from a SB title, this year they need top performances from Dak, Zeke, Awuzie, B. Jones, Lawrence, Lee and several others. Now if they do,then yeah ET might be the "final piece", but I don't think so, if all those guys do have top performances, it can be enough to win it all.

Just my take on things....

 

[Aviano90]

Dak's current valuation by Spotrac is 25M a year.
Market Value

• 5 yrs, $123,861,125
• Avg. Salary: $24,772,225
• NFL Rank: 6
• QB Rank: 6

Now I'd much rather pay him Russell Wilson money right?
4 years 88M with about half GTD.

As to the prove it stuff... nonsense.
He is 22-11 as a starting QB with a top 10 QBR and Rating the past 2 seasons but zero playoff success.

He's worth 15-18M on very lowest of low sides.
Him proving more is what you don't want or else you gotta pay him 30M a year. And that likely means adios DLaw and Zeke when he hits free agency.
It'd be Dak and a bunch of guys already signed or willing to take undermarket deals.

Dallas has ~20M in cap space so they can actually pay Dak the going rate NOW and not have to backload him into Tony Romo-like roster oblivion.

I'd be offering 4 years 88M and 5 years 100M as opening bids TODAY.
I'd be scared to death is's gonna take 6 year 130M with half GTD to get the deal done.

Drafted players on their rookie contract can't renegotiate until after their 3rd year. I believe UDFAs can renegotiate after their 2nd which is why La'el told teams he didn't want to be drafted after he feel so far in the draft. It gave him the ability to renegotiate his contract earlier. Dak has to wait another year.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I get that logic but 2014 and 2016 didn't look that way either and with some solid defense we probably at least go to the Superbowl because our offenses were awesome.

Agreed.

But this is already a much better defense than what was put on the field in either of those years.

Quite honestly I'm more concerned about the offense this season.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

Of course not, the 1991 and 1977 Cowboys didn't either, but if you do like those teams did, have excellent seasons but fall just short, then that final piece might do it. But this was a 9-7, not even in the playoffs team last year, not a team with a Tripletts, a Novacek and others all playing great.

This team is not an ET or A. Donald away from a SB title, this year they need top performances from Dak, Zeke, Awuzie, B. Jones, Lawrence, Lee and several others. Now if they do,then yeah ET might be the "final piece", but I don't think so, if all those guys do have top performances, it can be enough to win it all.

Just my take on things....

I think your take is correct.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

I get that logic but 2014 and 2016 didn't look that way either and with some solid defense we probably at least go to the Superbowl because our offenses were awesome.

Earl is in the last year of his contract, his cost, assuming he plays and plays well this year, will go up.

But quite frankly I am not totally convinced he's as good as advertised, you play on a team with Sherman, et al most any safety will look good. Greg Hardy was a beast in Carolina, we get him and he didn't do squat. Same with Pac Man and his return game, wasn't good in Dallas.

I want to see ET play this year before I shell out big bucks for him, blowing most of the money that you will need for Dak, Zeke, etc. Sure he could be the NFL's MVP this season and the Cowboys wouldn't be able to afford him, but that's the risk you take.

Personally I think Woods, etc. can be very very good, and they're lots younger and cheaper at this point, ET might bring a SB to Dallas but realistically at his age how long would he be around? I don't want the Cowboys to be a "flash in the pan", a la the Jets in the 60's....

 

[jterrell]

Yes, but Dak's got a lot to prove this year. If he does, by all means it's time to get the long term deal done. If he doesn't? Then it's a more difficult decision, do you let him go another year and hope that's the magic year? Or do you wash your hands of him, draft a stud quarterback (if one's available) and hope he's "the one"? Or try to sign away a top free agent quarterback and "win now"? Remember Zeke's contract also runs out at the same time as Dak's, he's got less to prove, but if he can't put up MVP-type numbers running behind an offensive line that may be missing Frederick (& T. Smith possibly for a while), do you also wash your hands of him?

This is a huge year for the Cowboys, for determining the way to go for the future....

As to QB replacement stuff the answer is simple, No.
lol.
The thought you can get a playoff winning QB in the draft is really unrealistic.
We'd have to tank plus have the guy we liked most really HIT.
We have targeted R1 guys like Paxton Lynch in the lower R1.
That success rate is flat awful and often takes 3 years anyway.

Free agency you will never see a true top tier QB.
And you pay a tier or more above their actual level in free agency.
See Kirk Cousins or Alex Smith. Dak went 3-0 versus them last year, the are both 30+ and they raked in 178M in contract this off-season if my quick math is correct. Jimmy G got paid INSANE money. 5 years 137.5M.

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I don't want the Cowboys to be a "flash in the pan", a la the Jets in the 60's....

This.

I'm not interested in being competitive for a season or two and then falling off the map.

I want a team that's playoff caliber year after year after year. Just like Dallas from the late 60's until the mid 80's.

If your playoff caliber year after year you'll get a SB or two along the way.

No more of this "let's win now" nonsense.

 

[Nightman]

Maybe they are thinking to the future so the enough cap space to sign their player that are due contracts ....

The cap will go up by 25m in the next 2-3 years,,,,, that is more than enough to cover Dak

We have 60m+ next year to cover the rest