Cowboys Salary Cap situation is in a lot better shape than it is made out to be

[Jake]

Below is a list of players with their corresponding cap savings if released (post June 1) in 2023:

1. Demarcus Lawrence ($21 million)
2. Amari Cooper ($20 million)
3. Ezekiel Elliot ($10.9 million)
4. Tyron Smith ($13.6 million)
5. Blake Jarwin ($6.25 million)

I'm less concerned about the cap situation and more interested in where the front office spends it.

Jerry's "new triplets" and "war daddy" haven't delivered a damn thing. They've just all gotten rich.

 

[J12B]

LMAO

If it was only that easy. How do the Cowboys handle the $36 million dead money hit by cutting the players you listed?

We won't be able to afford them anyway.

 

[75boyz]

Problem with restructures is you lock the player into being untradable or uncuttable for more seasons. Which players with monster contracts (beyond Zach Martin) are you comfortable being handcuffed to for 4, 5, 6 more years?

THIS.

THIS should be required Front Office reading.
The simple restructuring answer for the undeserved perpetuates the problem it does not improve it.

The proper risk reward assessment is to make the 1st NFL calendar day, pre or post June cut of the existing contract and move on.

They did it with Jaylon in season.

The short term sacrifice serves the better short to long term future than this credit card with compounded interest approach everyone thinks is the best alternative.

It ain't.

IF the front office has so hamstrung the cap of its roster so as not to even be able to pay a game day 53 then I think everyone knows the answer. If not I'll further spell it out.

DO NOT write inflated contracts in the first place.

It's NOT some supposed market value OR proving to take care of your children mindset which is the Dallas approach.

I guess, as with many topics concerning this team is IF the same decision makers remain in charge...

The same poor contract decisions will be made.

And the same bull**** undeserved restructures will continue.

 

[stinkface]

Interesting. Ram's went all in this year to win the Super Bowl. They will be in cap hell next year most likely, but if they win the Super Bowl this year no one will care in the least. I'm a firm believer that Jerry SHOULD do whatever it takes to win next year if he wants a Super Bowl before he gets planted underground. Future be damned if I'm Jerry. Stephen can worry about the future.

 

[Creeper]

We will know how good or bad their CAP situation is when we see players moving their lockers from Dallas to their new teams.

And I just do not get how people can say when we cut <list of players> we will be in great shape. Great shape except then we don't have those players! DLaw is overpaid, but he is a good player. Watch what happens to the Cowboys defense when Chauncey Golston is playing in the spot the freshly cut DLaw vacated. And just think about it this way. If DLaw was making a more reasonable salary instead of being overpaid, no one would be talking about cutting him. So it's like Jerry paid him and then put himself in the position of having to cut him later! Brilliant general managing.

We need a reality check here. It is not just getting under the CAP or just signing the best players. You have to do both at the same time. The teams who do the best job of acquiring players while remaining under the CAP win. Those that can't get both dimensions right, lose. The Cowboys have a GM who still has not figured it all out yet.

 

[CowboyFrog]

When I read statements like this I imagine it is exactly the kind of things that Jerry says. It is completely ignoring the reality. The reality of the situation is that he is due 19 million in non guaranteed salary next year. Only the most incompetent front office in the world would accept that. His very best season ever would barely be worth that. Same goes for Amari who is due 20 million in non guaranteed salary. I am not interested in the myopic view of cap hit for an individual season and I would hope that the front office would feel the same.

You trade them both and get what you can...probably includes paying some (same as what you lose cutting them)...The only untradeable contract is Zeke (and even that could be worked out. You get draft capitol for 2022 and 2023 and move forward....But we all know this is not comming, they will restructure and "Add some pieces" just like they have for the past 20 years so we can relive this groundhog day again.

 

[rambo2]

Below is a list of players with their corresponding cap savings if released (post June 1) in 2023:

1. Demarcus Lawrence ($21 million)
2. Amari Cooper ($20 million)
3. Ezekiel Elliot ($10.9 million)
4. Tyron Smith ($13.6 million)
5. Blake Jarwin ($6.25 million)

OTC has Dallas with $19.6 million in cap space entering the 2023 season.

With those releases, Dallas would be around $92 million in cap space in 2023.

Point being, Dallas maybe in a tough cap situation for 2022, but they could restructure guys like Dak and Martin and a couple of others in order to retain all of these core players and bring back a couple of key pending free agents like Schultz, Kearse, and Gregory (who would all have low cap hits for 1st year deals).

The front office could easily plan on targeting the above listed players replacements in the 2022 and 2023 drafts and free agency, while just getting by in 2022 and make 1 big signing like Bates or a to Guard to replace Connor Williams. Cap space will be plentiful for a rebuild in 2023. Of course if the front office acts under the belief that this year's roster wasn't enough for a serious Superbowl run, then we'll probably see a rebuild this season and 2022 will be a bridge year.

I think the cap situation is fine actually, considering Dallas can easily get out of those big contracts easily at the conclusion of the 2022 season.

The Cowboys do not have a problem with the salary cap. They will do whatever they need to do. The key is coming up with a roster that is as good as he one they had this year and having coaching that can get them into a good position in the playoffs again.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

Interesting. Ram's went all in this year to win the Super Bowl. They will be in cap hell next year most likely, but if they win the Super Bowl this year no one will care in the least. I'm a firm believer that Jerry SHOULD do whatever it takes to win next year if he wants a Super Bowl before he gets planted underground. Future be damned if I'm Jerry. Stephen can worry about the future.

Rams actually did some pretty witty stuff to avoid cap hell. They're right at the cap after the season, but next year they have 90m$ in cap space, so they can do some back end deals to lower the cap this year and be fine.

They got Odell for a low price on the FA market, and they paid an extra draft pick to Denver so that Denver would pay Von Miller's salary this year. Stafford's contract had a lot of guarantees that were already covered by Detroit, so right now all LAR is paying is his 23m$ base salary which isnt bad at all. They'll probably extend him, save at least 10m$ of that, give them money to give Von a longterm deal. Cooper Kupp is on a team friendly deal a bit longer, and Whitworth is likely retiring soon, saving them another 15m+.

They'll be able to continue their offseason shenanigans for a few more years yet

 

[Brooksey]

Below is a list of players with their corresponding cap savings if released (post June 1) in 2023:

1. Demarcus Lawrence ($21 million)
2. Amari Cooper ($20 million)
3. Ezekiel Elliot ($10.9 million)
4. Tyron Smith ($13.6 million)
5. Blake Jarwin ($6.25 million)

OTC has Dallas with $19.6 million in cap space entering the 2023 season.

With those releases, Dallas would be around $92 million in cap space in 2023.

Point being, Dallas maybe in a tough cap situation for 2022, but they could restructure guys like Dak and Martin and a couple of others in order to retain all of these core players and bring back a couple of key pending free agents like Schultz, Kearse, and Gregory (who would all have low cap hits for 1st year deals).

The front office could easily plan on targeting the above listed players replacements in the 2022 and 2023 drafts and free agency, while just getting by in 2022 and make 1 big signing like Bates or a to Guard to replace Connor Williams. Cap space will be plentiful for a rebuild in 2023. Of course if the front office acts under the belief that this year's roster wasn't enough for a serious Superbowl run, then we'll probably see a rebuild this season and 2022 will be a bridge year.

I think the cap situation is fine actually, considering Dallas can easily get out of those big contracts easily at the conclusion of the 2022 season.

These guys are not going anywhere in 2022...D Law needs to be re-done

 

[CowboyFrog]

Rams actually did some pretty witty stuff to avoid cap hell. They're right at the cap after the season, but next year they have 90m$ in cap space, so they can do some back end deals to lower the cap this year and be fine.

They got Odell for a low price on the FA market, and they paid an extra draft pick to Denver so that Denver would pay Von Miller's salary this year. Stafford's contract had a lot of guarantees that were already covered by Detroit, so right now all LAR is paying is his 23m$ base salary which isnt bad at all. They'll probably extend him, save at least 10m$ of that, give them money to give Von a longterm deal.

The cap may be fine but there drafts are not...again it will not be good if they do not win it because they certainly bough this team with draft picks over the next 3 years. On paper it looks good now all those vets gotta get them there.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

The cap may be fine but there drafts are not...again it will not be good if they do not win it because they certainly bough this team with draft picks over the next 3 years. On paper it looks good now all those vets gotta get them there.

But we also said that in 2018 when they started giving away all their 1's and 2's. Years later they now have a QB, an awesome defense, and arent losing a step.

 

[CowboyFrog]

But we also said that in 2018 when they started giving away all their 1's and 2's. Years later they now have a QB, an awesome defense, and arent losing a step.

I didnt say it didnt work what i said was this will look bad if they cant win, they gave up more for this current team than anything close to 2018. If it works it looks genius of course.

 

[Aerolithe_Lion]

I didnt say it didnt work what i said was this will look bad if they cant win, they gave up more for this current team than anything close to 2018. If it works it looks genius of course.

oh right yeah. If it continues for a few more years, we may see copy cats, but if it falls apart at any point people will dig their heels in the sand on 1st+2nd round picks being the backbone of any good team. Which is a little ironic because more of Belichick's suck.

 

[CowboyFrog]

oh right yeah. If it continues for a few more years, we may see copy cats, but if it falls apart at any point people will dig their heels in the sand on 1st+2nd round picks being the backbone of any good team. Which is a little ironic because more of Belichick's suck.

lol exactly..Which is funny because we all know picks are hit and miss "But that rookie contract though!!!!"..lol

 

[bigE79]

Problem with restructures is you lock the player into being untradable or uncuttable for more seasons. Which players with monster contracts (beyond Zach Martin) are you comfortable being handcuffed to for 4, 5, 6 more years?

Exactly...the last person I would ever restructure is Dak.

 

[MajesticRey]

Interesting. Ram's went all in this year to win the Super Bowl. They will be in cap hell next year most likely, but if they win the Super Bowl this year no one will care in the least. I'm a firm believer that Jerry SHOULD do whatever it takes to win next year if he wants a Super Bowl before he gets planted underground. Future be damned if I'm Jerry. Stephen can worry about the future.

BB’s Patriots dynasty was built on not going “all in”. He didn’t have superstars at every position because realistically that is never going to happen. But they drafted smart and knew where to spend their resources. They never went crazy in Free Agency.

He also had Tom Brady, so obviously that helped.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Below is a list of players with their corresponding cap savings if released (post June 1) in 2023:

1. Demarcus Lawrence ($21 million)
2. Amari Cooper ($20 million)
3. Ezekiel Elliot ($10.9 million)
4. Tyron Smith ($13.6 million)
5. Blake Jarwin ($6.25 million)

OTC has Dallas with $19.6 million in cap space entering the 2023 season.

With those releases, Dallas would be around $92 million in cap space in 2023.

Point being, Dallas maybe in a tough cap situation for 2022, but they could restructure guys like Dak and Martin and a couple of others in order to retain all of these core players and bring back a couple of key pending free agents like Schultz, Kearse, and Gregory (who would all have low cap hits for 1st year deals).

The front office could easily plan on targeting the above listed players replacements in the 2022 and 2023 drafts and free agency, while just getting by in 2022 and make 1 big signing like Bates or a to Guard to replace Connor Williams. Cap space will be plentiful for a rebuild in 2023. Of course if the front office acts under the belief that this year's roster wasn't enough for a serious Superbowl run, then we'll probably see a rebuild this season and 2022 will be a bridge year.

I think the cap situation is fine actually, considering Dallas can easily get out of those big contracts easily at the conclusion of the 2022 season.

Rebuild? Dallas is well on its way to building a contender. They just have to continue to nail the draft and focus on the oline rebuild. As you said guys like zeke and Cooper can come off next year opening up a final FA period to fill out remaining needs.

 

[CWR]

There was only one dude on here that knew the cap inside and out. If Adam told me we were screwed I'd take notice.

 

[lkelly]

Jerry's Blue Label cap situation is in great shape. He has a big pile of them in the corner of his office.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Probably win the division again and make playoffs. That’s about it. I don’t see how they fix the line in one year.