Cowboys' 10 Biggest Cap-Saving Contracts For 2022

[CowboyoWales]

They can restructure DLaw and Cooper and still cut them next year for a CAP save. Cutting players just to get CAP saves without regard for the quality of the team that will take the field next year is not making progress.

I have no problem cutting either or both players as long as they are prepared to sign a new DE and WR, or take more losses in 2022. I have no idea why people think we can just start cutting the better players on the team and not notice next year.

Some of us would accept the one year downward impact on the 2022 season as it would ,in effect, (with Zeke in 2023) reset the CAP. It's an alternative to kicking the can each year, putting out a decent enough team but never being Championship quality. Yea we can restructure again, but that's only a viable option if you think we can contest for a Championship in 2022, myself I dont think we're good enough, therefore, take the hit and come back stronger in 2023.

There's also an opinion that spreading the money spent on 'elite' contracts through the roster actually improves areas and units rather than individuals which maybe a decent plan especially when those elite players are playing well but not to an irreplaceable standard.

 

[Ken]

They can restructure DLaw and Cooper and still cut them next year for a CAP save. Cutting players just to get CAP saves without regard for the quality of the team that will take the field next year is not making progress.

I have no problem cutting either or both players as long as they are prepared to sign a new DE and WR, or take more losses in 2022. I have no idea why people think we can just start cutting the better players on the team and not notice next year.

Yes, they will "save" money next year because he is scheduled to count 29 million against the cap for next year. If we prorate a restructure, 2/3 of the money were prorate will be tacked onto the 11 million we would be charged if he is cut next year without any restructuring. So if we convert 10 million this year, he will count 18 or so million against our cap next year when cut.

But we would "save" 11 million. Not smart imo.

 

[BleedinBlue]

Show me where he cost us 40 million so far?

I'll wait.

He received a 66 mil signing bonus + other , has been paid 75 mill so far. Just because it's spread out on the cap doesn't mean he hasn't received the money. Already has dead cap for 2026 with no base salary.

EDIT: Posters use 40 mill because that is the yearly average.

 

[Ken]

He received a 66 mil signing bonus + other , has been paid 75 mill so far. Just because it's spread out on the cap doesn't mean he hasn't received the money. Already has dead cap for 2026 with no base salary.

EDIT: Posters use 40 mill because that is the yearly average.

I know, I just wanted yo point out that he likely will not cost us that for years....and we just extend him out and it is even longer.

 

[Flamma]

Trying to remember, doesn't the player also have to pay back a certain amount of the bonus they got paid too?

I would have sworn that was part of the process.

Anyway, when Dallas asks players to take pay cuts and they refuse, they are usually cut.

You hit on the second reason. You have to be able to cut a player before asking him for a pay cut.

I don't know about the signing bonus. My guess is that it's just a shaving of the base salary. I could be wrong.

 

[BleedinBlue]

I know, I just wanted yo point out that he likely will not cost us that for years....and we just extend him out and it is even longer.

He has a 4 year deal , if he isn't re signed he will be on the books 2 years after he's gone. The Cowboys can make that decision based on performance on whether to extend him or not when the time comes but he already has dead for years that would then include base if he resigns.

 

[BleedinBlue]

You hit on the second reason. You have to be able to cut a player before asking him for a pay cut.

I don't know about the signing bonus. My guess is that it's just a shaving of the base salary. I could be wrong.

I think your'e right , signing bonus already paid , already on the cap. Would be handled in the new contract.

 

[Flamma]

I think your'e right , signing bonus already paid , already on the cap. Would be handled in the new contract.

Players sometimes have to give back signing bonus money if they do something detrimental to the team, league, Michael Vick stuff.

With any pay cut the sky is the limit. We have no idea what was proposed, or how they would structure it. But when I look at DLaw's contract, there isn't a lot of room for savings with a pay cut. It would amount to the least of the three, restructure, release, pay cut.

 

[Ken]

You hit on the second reason. You have to be able to cut a player before asking him for a pay cut.

I don't know about the signing bonus. My guess is that it's just a shaving of the base salary. I could be wrong.

Ya, i may be thinking of Basketball....i think they have to pay money back to get a contract redone...or i am just delusional, which is highly possible. lol

 

[Flamma]

Ya, i may be thinking of Basketball....i think they have to pay money back to get a contract redone...or i am just delusional, which is highly possible. lol

Basketball and their cap are different. I only have time for the NFL. In the NFL, I think they get a bonus for a restructure.

 

[plasticman]

Do other teams restructure contracts? I really haven't paid attention but i don't remember seeing a whole lot of that.

Isn't it just another way of sacrificing the future for the present?

We know that when you trade away all your top draft picks then you are sacrificing the ability to acquire talent in the future.

However, doesn't it seem as though, when you constantly restructure, you can't keep a lot of the talent you already have? What I mean is that they have to pay more later when that player may not even be worthy of the restructured contract....or even still with the team.

 

[VaqueroTD]

For those who are looking at players such as Ezekiel Elliott, remember that cutting him would actually save no money towards the cap. In fact, doing so would cost the Cowboys an additional $11 million on the cap with more than $30 million in dead money. Cowboys’ 10 Biggest Cap-Saving Contracts For 2022 (dallascowboys.com)

Don't consider that smart what so ever. Take an 11 mill hit and have no saving on the cap?

Of all the positions to give the least cut friendly big contract… nevermind, I have to remember who runs the ship.

 

[buybuydandavis]

Here's a list of 10 players who would save the most money off the books if released or traded before June 1.

• Amari Cooper – $16 million
• DeMarcus Lawrence – $8 million
• Tyron Smith – $5.4 million
• Anthony Brown – $5 million
• Blake Jarwin – $ 3.8 million
• Zack Martin – $3.14 million
• Connor McGovern – $2.54 million
• Greg Zuerlein – $2.4 million
• Jourdan Lewis – $2.3 million
• Tarell Basham – $1.7 million

Basham ain't going anywhere. He is extremely good value, and we blew our developmental depth at DE last year. Armstrong is gone. Probably one or both of Gregory and Lawrence.

Schultz is gone, so Jarwin isn't going anywhere. He's our only experienced TE.

And "money of the books" should be looking at *salary* for this year. All else is accounting. Cooper 20mil, DLaw 19mil.

Brown and Lewis maybe get cut at the end of camp. They're both veteran bridge players at this point. No more guaranteed money. Joseph will start. I expect we keep one and let the other go.

McGovern ain't going anywhere. Borderline starter who has an effective role as an offline blocker, at minimum. Very likely he starts at LG.

Really, it's Cooper, Lawrence, Zuerlein and Brown. We've been paying a lot for a bad kicker in Z. No rush to release anyone. Dak will be restructured to give us cap room.

 

[Ken]

Basketball and their cap are different. I only have time for the NFL. In the NFL, I think they get a bonus for a restructure.

well i know they convert base to bonus for restructuring but for a pay cut...maybe they just have to forfeit base...i guess i could look it up lol

 

[john van brocklin]

One of the podcasts was saying they could restructure Coop, Law, Martin, Smith and Dak. In doing so they'd save 47 million.

I think its more a matter of value at this point and the Jones model for keeping a sustainable level of competitiveness.

Yeah we hate the fact it's led us to mediocrity, nonetheless that is what we are dealing with, not absolute cap demise. The numbers can be manipulated several different ways. I believe we will keep who they truly believe is of value.

Most of us would like to go all in and if/when it fails rebuild. The results of half measures are well documented now.

Go big or stay at home!!

 

[glimmerman]

Who's left to to restructure after Dak and Zack? I think this is the point of the thread and Stephen's acceptance that we've got to the point where we just cant continue kicking those overpaid contracts.

Someone posted the players we could redo. It may not be players you would want to but it can be done. We will kick the cam down the road.

 

[Creeper]

Yes, they will "save" money next year because he is scheduled to count 29 million against the cap for next year. If we prorate a restructure, 2/3 of the money were prorate will be tacked onto the 11 million we would be charged if he is cut next year without any restructuring. So if we convert 10 million this year, he will count 18 or so million against our cap next year when cut.

But we would "save" 11 million. Not smart imo.

It is not smart but it was not smart to get into this situation in the first place. But it appears it is not going to stop anytime soon because they did the same thing with Dak that they did with Lawrence, Zeke and Cooper.