Sturm: Kudos to the Cowboys for Learning How to Manage the Cap

speedkilz88 said:

I think better drafting is the reason for this. They haven't needed to restructure as much because they have younger better players through the draft.

Click to expand...

IheartRomo said:

The real key to this tactic is drafting well, correct? This team has constantly let us down over the past 25 years but the one thing we've done consistently excellently over the last decade is nailing the draft (at least as consistently as any other team has).

Click to expand...

stasheroo said:

I think they're well ahead of the pack there. Where they're let down is in the area of coaching.

Click to expand...

ArtClink said:

A great article by Bob Sturm. Below are some highlights.

"There has been a real sea-change in the way the Cowboys have managed their cap over the last decade and I don’t think we talk about it enough. They spent many years thinking they could outsmart the league and the cap by restructuring deal upon deal to push cap charges down the road. The trouble with that tactic is that players have diminishing value on the field because they are humans who sustain damage to their bodies. If you try to game the system and move their money down the road when their abilities have diminished, then you have expensive players who are no longer very good. Even though you are paying more, you are now winning less.

Instead, the modern Cowboys seem to have learned that the best way to retain your best talent rarely involves restructuring deals. Pay the piper when they are great and get the guaranteed money accounted for while they’re worth it. Then, if the player diminishes, the contract is no longer guaranteed on the back half. I believe we will see the Cowboys say goodbye to some familiar names if they are no longer worth their annual number without suffering dead-money ramifications."

Kudos to the front office for this kudos to our drafting abilities the past 3-5 years. Now if Jerry would lift the ban on hiring real coaches (Kris Richard is the exception) instead of friends & former players, we might be a scary team.

Click to expand...

IheartRomo said:

Agreed. In Parcells' terms, all of the groceries have provided us with everything a team could need to set up for a window of contention. The coaching has been a massive failure at translating those groceries into consistent success.

Click to expand...

ArtClink said:

A great article by Bob Sturm. Below are some highlights.

"There has been a real sea-change in the way the Cowboys have managed their cap over the last decade and I don’t think we talk about it enough. They spent many years thinking they could outsmart the league and the cap by restructuring deal upon deal to push cap charges down the road. The trouble with that tactic is that players have diminishing value on the field because they are humans who sustain damage to their bodies. If you try to game the system and move their money down the road when their abilities have diminished, then you have expensive players who are no longer very good. Even though you are paying more, you are now winning less.

Instead, the modern Cowboys seem to have learned that the best way to retain your best talent rarely involves restructuring deals. Pay the piper when they are great and get the guaranteed money accounted for while they’re worth it. Then, if the player diminishes, the contract is no longer guaranteed on the back half. I believe we will see the Cowboys say goodbye to some familiar names if they are no longer worth their annual number without suffering dead-money ramifications."

Kudos to the front office for this kudos to our drafting abilities the past 3-5 years. Now if Jerry would lift the ban on hiring real coaches (Kris Richard is the exception) instead of friends & former players, we might be a scary team.

Click to expand...

speedkilz88 said:

I think better drafting is the reason for this. They haven't needed to restructure as much because they have younger better players through the draft.

Click to expand...

stasheroo said:

I think they're well ahead of the pack there. Where they're let down is in the area of coaching.

Click to expand...

DallasEast said:

I pretty much agree but cannot absolve player deficits completely. There have been some noticeable gaffes by players that have derailed the team since Parcells days.

And this last part is not for you but for others who read the above and automatically apply notable season derailing gaffes on ONE position. Fact is, the last two decades have been littered with regular and postseason mistakes made by players on offense, defense and even special teams. Preventable drive killing mistakes. Preventable opponent scoring opportunities. Crucial field goal miscues. The list goes on and on...

Hopefully, 2019 is the season where both coaches and players have their best year on the field and standing on the sideline. They will go far together if they do.

Click to expand...

Zekeats said:

They know what they are doing. Great drafting has lead to all of these problems which are good problems to have.

Click to expand...

IheartRomo said:

Agreed. In Parcells' terms, all of the groceries have provided us with everything a team could need to set up for a window of contention. The coaching has been a massive failure at translating those groceries into consistent success.

Click to expand...

JoeKing said:

Am I just stating the obvious if I say Belichick would win many SuperBowls with this current batch of players on the Cowboys roster?

Click to expand...

JoeKing said:

Am I just stating the obvious if I say Belichick would win many SuperBowls with this current batch of players on the Cowboys roster?

Click to expand...

ArtClink said:

A great article by Bob Sturm. Below are some highlights.

"There has been a real sea-change in the way the Cowboys have managed their cap over the last decade and I don’t think we talk about it enough. They spent many years thinking they could outsmart the league and the cap by restructuring deal upon deal to push cap charges down the road. The trouble with that tactic is that players have diminishing value on the field because they are humans who sustain damage to their bodies. If you try to game the system and move their money down the road when their abilities have diminished, then you have expensive players who are no longer very good. Even though you are paying more, you are now winning less.

Instead, the modern Cowboys seem to have learned that the best way to retain your best talent rarely involves restructuring deals. Pay the piper when they are great and get the guaranteed money accounted for while they’re worth it. Then, if the player diminishes, the contract is no longer guaranteed on the back half. I believe we will see the Cowboys say goodbye to some familiar names if they are no longer worth their annual number without suffering dead-money ramifications."

Kudos to the front office for this kudos to our drafting abilities the past 3-5 years. Now if Jerry would lift the ban on hiring real coaches (Kris Richard is the exception) instead of friends & former players, we might be a scary team.

Click to expand...

stasheroo said:

I don't see how that absolves the coaches of responsibility or blame. It is their job to have their players as well-prepared as possible. And better prepared and coached teams make fewer mistakes. Player mistakes are often the byproduct of poor preparation and coaching.

Click to expand...