News: BR: Cowboys' Top Contracts to Consider Cutting Ahead of NFL Free Agency

Cowboys' Top Contracts to Consider Cutting Ahead of NFL Free Agency



The Dallas Cowboys should be one of the most excited teams that the salary cap looks like it will rise from its anticipated floor in 2021.

The cap was expected to be around $175 million around the league during the season but is now expected to be somewhere between $180-$181 million, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported.

That's great news for a franchise that will be walking a financial tightrope this offseason. Particularly vexing is how the Cowboys are going to afford to put together a roster while retaining franchise quarterback Dak Prescott.

According to Over The Cap, the Cowboys walk into the offseason with approximately $18.4 million in cap space. That number alone won't even be enough to sign Prescott whether it's to another year of the franchise tag or to a long-term extension.

That means Dallas' roster is about to get leaner as it prepares to sign a draft class and potentially carve out space to sign some free agents. As the Cowboys begin that process these contracts should be among the first to be considered on the chopping block.

• LB Jaylon Smith
• CB Anthony Brown
• P Chris Jones

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Time to move on from all 3 players. Why? Because the Cowboys walk into the offseason w/approximately $18.4 million in cap space. That number alone won't even be enough to sign the Hater's man-crush, Dak. Whether it's to another year of the franchise tag or to a long-term extension.

Giant photo of 54. LOL yes please.

Definitely cut Chris Jones.

he sucks. Can get a punter at minimum who is better.


Do not cut Anthony Brown. You will not find a replacement any cheaper in free agency.

probably stuck with Jaylon for another season until it makes sense to cut him. But I would be just fine if they do cut him.

DakPresgoat said:

Definitely cut Chris Jones.

he sucks. Can get a punter at minimum who is better.


Do not cut Anthony Brown. You will not find a replacement any cheaper in free agency.

probably stuck with Jaylon for another season until it makes sense to cut him. But I would be just fine if they do cut him.

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I have no issue with Anthony Brown but if you go into the draft and grab a corner.....re-sign Chido to play the slot......I could see cutting Brown. I wouldn't honestly.

DakPresgoat said:

Definitely cut Chris Jones.

he sucks. Can get a punter at minimum who is better.

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I believe that Dallas already has one on the roster actually.

Was not any use to even put Jones on the list. he's already been replaced just not released yet. Keeping him for camp next year might even be considered cruel.

https://encrypted-tbn0.***NOT-ALLOWED***/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQPRTdDonw9jCZnErE8TwzIt6cN7SvKcs_Y2w&usqp=CAU This our punter.

rocyaice said:

I have no issue with Anthony Brown but if you go into the draft and grab a corner.....re-sign Chido to play the slot......I could see cutting Brown. I wouldn't honestly.

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Yeah i agree. I’m not saying brown is irreplaceable. Either way we gotta draft corner relatively high.

but brown is on a small contract and at least a serviceable nickel corner. So I don’t see them just cutting him without knowing a better replacement is locked up first.

BigTimeBlues said:

I believe that Dallas already has one on the roster actually.

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You’re right I just looked at that. Niswander is under contract still. And far cheaper.


Perfect. Makes cutting jones even easier.

I think we're going to see a good amount of restructuring of contracts this off-season. That's where the cap money is going to come from if they need it.

Time to grow a pair and cut some of this excess fat that we keep saying are irreplaceable but wind up doing squat. We need some fresh talent here and believe me they are replaceable. Not like we are on the verge of a dynasty here. Draft, FA and UDFA should be able to solve this issue. And MM should cut some excess as well around that gut.

Cutting Jaylon post June 1 is the right move. By then we will have most likely signed/drafted a replacement. Will Jerry do it however?

Quinn isn’t blind. He will put on the tape and know that he has no instincts for football. The tape don’t lie.

J Smooth says to watch the tape baby. J Smooth is a gamer.

I hope jaylon gets released but not just for his awful play but the culture. They need change on defense. He’s not the type of guy in the locker room you need when he cares more about his brand than winning.

DakPresgoat said:

Yeah i agree. I’m not saying brown is irreplaceable. Either way we gotta draft corner relatively high.

but brown is on a small contract and at least a serviceable nickel corner. So I don’t see them just cutting him without knowing a better replacement is locked up first.

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Personally I'm not even sure why they'd cut him because I Don't see the benefits financially.

From a purely financial standpoint you cut Jones, restructure Jaylon to lower his 2021 cap hit and leave ABrown as is.

From a roster building standpoint you make these same moves.

It would be hilariously bad roster mgmt to even consider releasing ABrown.
You have only 1 CB who has played 250+ snaps under contract other than ABrown.
You need the guy and he can play both slot and outside.
He's not great at other spot but he is versatile and valuable.
At 5.75M that is a cheaper cap hit than Awuzie will cost.

Jaylon played poorly for large swaths of last year. Yet he was still easily your best backer.
He's overpaid and now a lightning rod who isn't a great reader of the room....
But you are almost certainly going to need him in 2021 on the field and his restructure brings his cap hit down significantly to around 4M.
Then you decide if you want to release him in 2022 as a post June 2nd cut or not based upon how he fits this defense and what all the draft provided.

The Cowboys have holes galore and you don't want to create4 any additional unnecessary ones without answers on this roster to fill them.

The cap discussion is pointless. We don;t know what the cap will be settled upon but we do know Dallas will have plenty of options to reach the cap with enough room to tag Dak.

Aven8 said:

Cutting Jaylon post June 1 is the right move. By then we will have most likely signed/drafted a replacement. Will Jerry do it however?

Quinn isn’t blind. He will put on the tape and know that he has no instincts for football. The tape don’t lie.

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No that would be a terrible move lol.
2021 salary fully guarantees on the 5th league day of 2021 (3/21/21) (injury guaranteed now)

rocyaice said:

I have no issue with Anthony Brown but if you go into the draft and grab a corner.....re-sign Chido to play the slot......I could see cutting Brown. I wouldn't honestly.

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Chido will cost more than ABrown and can't play both slot and outside.
He's an outside CB only.
This would be hustling backwards for sure.

They could resign Jourdan Lewis to something like 4M AAV for 3 seasons.
Play him in the slot for now and as a depth CB when he gets replaced by a better CB.

Brown is trash. You could get a 5th round rookie to play his spot.

How is Jones even still on the team?