Cap-love: Or, How I Stopped Worrying and Found a Sliver of Hope

[Jarntt]

You’ve actually kind of figured it out but you just can’t believe it.

Signing bonuses and void years are the key to an aggressive all-in cap strategy

Signing bonuses can be spread across *all* the years of a contract, even the “fake” void years tacked on at the end.

Not necessarily all, spread over a maximum of 5 years, although seldom would that matter as most contracts don’t exceed 5 years

 

[Jarntt]

I think people mistake the Cowboys not being active in free agency with being cheap. They are not the same.

The Cowboys have simply over valued their own free agents. Dak is seriously overpaid. We overpaid guys like Sean Lee, Witten, Dez, and many others on the downside of their careers.

The Cowboys spend a lot of money, they just allocate that spending poorly. The Cowboys are also FAR too loyal to their own players.

Their cheapness absolutely comes into play with outside free agents as can be seen in us often being in the mix and ALWAYS outbid for top free agents and also seen when resigning our own as we put off the signing until the last possible moment because we are afraid or unwilling or unable financially to commit, which ironically ends up costing us more when we ultimately sign the same player years later.

A bizarre comparison is that We are like fantasy owners that fall so In love with our own players that once they put the star on we value them above players from other teams even when those other players are clearly better and worth more from a salary perspective. We just don’t know how to play or are unwilling to play in free agency and that has been our downfall for a long time now. Yet, everyone but our own management is seemingly able to see this obvious flaw. This IMO takes us back to not wanting to pay the cash bonuses required or not able to liquidate our assets to do so (there is a huge difference between wealth and cash; the Jones Boyz wealth is NOT in question of course). Regardless of the reason cheapness is a big part of it. Cheapness in cash or cheapness in cap space is up to each individual to decide. Just my two cents.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

Then the nfl needs to make some new cap rules to prevent some of this.
Otherwise it defeats the purpose of the cap.
I wonder how far in the future they can go?? and with how much $$ lol

You can move it up to 4 years into the future. So you can take a bonus like a signing bonus and divide it into a 20% cap hit each year (20% this year and 20% each of the next 4 years)

I don’t think the NFL will change because in general everyone likes this mechanic, even if they don’t always use it

 

[darthseinfeld]

So where do the Cowboys fit? Neither, really and that’s the problem

They do it some, but dont go all in all in on the strategy. The void years strategy is an all in strategy. As long as they can draft well, the Cowboys strategy is good for 11-6/ 12-5 football. Basically the McCarthy Years.

They have shown signs recently of changing this. They traded the same amount of top 90 capital in a 4 month span as they did the previous 20 years. Then there is the would have been Crosby trade. Thompson is a key cultural player here, because if he works out, we may see more active approaches in FA

 

[Flamma]

The Dolphins were wrong about Tua, the Rams were right about Stafford. Switch those two and who knows how the story plays out. The Dolphins really wanted Brady too, for that short-term window.

This is a bit different. Stafford was a known talent. They weren't right about him, they couldn't go wrong. I think Tua was for a lack of a better choice. They had to go with him.

 

[Flamma]

If Stafford doesn't win a SB, especially with that awful PI no call vs the Saints that allowed the Rams to go to the SB, is Les still a genius?

Stafford wasn't the Rams quarterback that year.

 

[darthseinfeld]

This is a bit different. Stafford was a known talent. They weren't right about him, they couldn't go wrong. I think Tua was for a lack of a better choice. They had to go with him.

Tua did have a couple strong years. 2022 and 2023 he looked like a guy that could be a Pro Bowler. Problem is alot of that had to do with having Hill and Waddle

 

[Verdict]

Their cheapness absolutely comes into play with outside free agents as can be seen in us often being in the mix and ALWAYS outbid for top free agents and also seen when resigning our own as we put off the signing until the last possible moment because we are afraid or unwilling or unable financially to commit, which ironically ends up costing us more when we ultimately sign the same player years later.

A bizarre comparison is that We are like fantasy owners that fall so In love with our own players that once they put the star on we value them above players from other teams even when those other players are clearly better and worth more from a salary perspective. We just don’t know how to play or are unwilling to play in free agency and that has been our downfall for a long time now. Yet, everyone but our own management is seemingly able to see this obvious flaw. This IMO takes us back to not wanting to pay the cash bonuses required or not able to liquidate our assets to do so (there is a huge difference between wealth and cash; the Jones Boyz wealth is NOT in question of course). Regardless of the reason cheapness is a big part of it. Cheapness in cash or cheapness in cap space is up to each individual to decide. Just my two cents.

I’m all for bashing the Cowboys for poor decisions, but I like to keep things real. When the Cowboys OVERPAY THEIR OWN it is IDIOTIC for sure, but it is the opposite of CHEAP. lol.

The Cowboys spend plenty of money. The Cowboys really just do a poor job of smartly allocating those cap dollars.

 

[alicetooljam]

Not cheap. Scared.

Jerry doesn’t like to play unless he has a full house and the other guy is drawing dead (to follow my metaphor from the post jsut above)

I believe this is Stephen...Jerry is a lot of things, scared isnt one of them.

 

[Flamma]

Tua did have a couple strong years. 2022 and 2023 he looked like a guy that could be a Pro Bowler. Problem is alot of that had to do with having Hill and Waddle

Of course. But how often do we see teams sign QBs that are even more questionable? Stafford was a no brainer. But Tua? It's like you said. It's more for a lack of a better choice. Daniel Jones is a good example. Kyler Murrey. If you don't sign them, who else do you have? These QBs showed some talent, and there was no one else to challenge them.

 

[darthseinfeld]

Of course. But how often do we see teams sign QBs that are even more questionable? Stafford was a no brainer. But Tua? It's like you said. It's more for a lack of a better choice. Daniel Jones is a good example. Kyler Murrey. If you don't sign them, who else do you have? These QBs showed some talent, and there was no one else to challenge them.

I call that Andy Dalton Syndrome. Its why, to me, when we are getting a new QB its probably better to out right miss. Getting Andy Daltons and Ryan Tanihills puts you in a position where you wind up leaning on a guy you shouldnt just because you have them

 

[Kwyn]

You’ve actually kind of figured it out but you just can’t believe it.

Signing bonuses and void years are the key to an aggressive all-in cap strategy

Signing bonuses can be spread across *all* the years of a contract, even the “fake” void years tacked on at the end.

Here’s an example

4 Years, $120M (With 1 Void Year)

• Total Contract: $120m
• Day one check from owner: $60m
• Bonus spread: $12m per year over 5 years ($60m/5)

Year 1

• Cash: $61m ($60m bonus + $1m base)
• Cap Hit: $13 Million ($1m base + $12m bonus).

Year 2

• Cash: $1m (Base)
• Cap Hit: $13m ($1m base + $12m bonus)

Year 3

• Cash: $1m (Base)
• Cap Hit: $13m ($1m base + $12m bonus)

Year 4 ( the reckoning)

• Cash: $57m (cash balance)
• Cap Hit: $69m ($57m base + $12m bonus)
• This is where teams restructure a player they want to keep. They just kick the can down the road)

Year 5 (Enter the Void)

• Cash: $0 (He is a free agent)
• Cap Hit (Dead Money): $12m (final bonus payment)

This isn't theory.

This is exactly how every modern champion forces their Super Bowl window open.

It’s a high stakes cheat code for the rich and the bold, letting owners who aren't afraid shove their chips to the middle of the table and 'buy the pot' from the poor owners stuck playing on a short stack.

Jerry has had a mountain of chips for thirty years, but he usually folded when the pot got fat. Finally, for the first time in a generation, he might actually be playing like the biggest stack at the table.

Here’s our most recent example.

Note the void year



@DandyDon52