Defense in 2013?

[LatinMind]

Seeing Dallas' cap problems that are going to come to full effect in 2013 seeing Spencer leave becomes more real.

But, atleast Dallas has seen that they have a good player in Alex Albright. I think this kid might be something to look forward too. He just seems to never stop moving. I think i could live with seeing a lber core of:

WOLB: Alex Albright
WILB: Sean Lee
SILB: Bruce Carter
SOLB: Demarcus Ware

Then Dallas has some backups they know can play too. IDK if Dallas can resign Sims but id like them too. Lemon will be coming back Wilber is there too, and i think Dallas can resign Butler. Seems like Jerry Jones has stacked up a nice core of LBers huh

I hope to dear god that Dallas releases Ratliff, But with Brent out too now they need to go out and find somebody with that cap space they do have. NT arent expensive but IMO they need to get get a big body. Somebody the OL is going to have to double. Coleman, Spears I think are seeing their last yr in Dallas. Both most likely will be released to create cap. That leaves Hatcher, Lissemore, Crawford, Calloway and they have Bass. Im sure they will probably let Lissemore and Crawford Battle it out to start opposite Hatcher. I see them picking up another young DE, could even be early in the draft.

Secondary i dont think they need a starter, Carr, MO, Church and Sense are fine. I could see Sense being bumped out for more cap space if Matt Johnson looks good enough to push him out. Dallas has done a good job bringing in guys like Sterlin, Peprah, Coe, Frampton. Sterlin and Peprah i can see resigning in Dallas. I dont think there will be much change here .

This defense is going to be good and deep in 2013.

 

[casmith07]

Spencer will return. Doug Free and Jay Ratliff may be cap casualties, especially if Dallas goes Jon Jenkins in round 1 in the draft.

 

[junk]

Spencer will return. Doug Free and Jay Ratliff may be cap casualties, especially if Dallas goes Jon Jenkins in round 1 in the draft.

Any particular reason you think they may be interested in Jenkins?

 

[casmith07]

Any particular reason you think they may be interested in Jenkins?

Because Ratliff's numbers/play have been in a steady decline for about 3 years running now and he's already received almost all of his guaranteed money from his contract, making his release this year (or next year) a boon to cap room moving forward, Josh Brent is a question mark, and we've seen how with a weak middle up front we've been unable to really generate a consistent rush or consistently bottle up runs between the tackles.

That, and Jenkins is 355lbs and runs like a defensive end.

I think we look to free agency to address the offensive line with some of the Guards/Tackles coming available, and go DL first round, with OL second round for maybe a center or guard, depending on what we do in the off-season.

I think that Parnell has a shot to start at Right Tackle next year as well, or at least get a legit look at it. He's looked good out there...solid fundamentals in his footwork and hands, two things that Doug Free has been lacking all year.

 

[Bluefin]

Seeing Dallas' cap problems that are going to come to full effect in 2013 seeing Spencer leave becomes more real.

I'm not the least bit concerned about the 2013 salary cap.

Dallas is currently over the estimated cap limit of $121M next year by about $14.75M in my estimation (that includes the $5M cap penalty).

A couple of restructures and releases will allow the team to easily clear whatever space they need to do business, IMO.

The Cowboys will have enough room to use the Franchise tag again on Anthony Spencer ($10.61M) and still make other needed moves.

Spencer will return. Doug Free and Jay Ratliff may be cap casualties, especially if Dallas goes Jon Jenkins in round 1 in the draft.

It looks like a good bit of Jay Ratliff's 2013 base salary is guaranteed.

I don't feel the team will release him unless they have no choice from a locker room standpoint.

And I have no reason to believe Rat's become a team cancer behind closed doors that needs to be removed.

 

[casmith07]

It looks like a good bit of Jay Ratliff's 2013 base salary is guaranteed.

I don't feel the team will release him unless they have no choice from a locker room standpoint.

And I have no reason to believe Rat's become a team cancer behind closed doors that needs to be removed.

It is. I believe Ratliff's base salary is $5.5M for next year with $5M guaranteed, and that's the last $5M of the guaranteed portion of his contract. Unless I'm mistaken, that means that after next year, if released, he would count $0 against the cap for 2014 and beyond.

So I can see him staying for a year, and I can still see the Cowboys drafting Jenkins and playing him in rotation, or moving Ratliff to end, restructuring him, and releasing Marcus Spears. Question then becomes if Ratliff is cool with a restructure.

 

[Teague31]

I'm in the Spencer stays and Free/Rat are gone

 

[Bluefin]

It is. I believe Ratliff's base salary is $5.5M for next year with $5M guaranteed, and that's the last $5M of the guaranteed portion of his contract. Unless I'm mistaken, that means that after next year, if released, he would count $0 against the cap for 2014 and beyond.

The reports I've seen showed Jay Ratliff receiving $18M in guarantees, $10M of which was a signing bonus.

If that is correct, Dallas could walk away next season, but there would be dead money ($6M) on the menu.

Eating it all in 2013 would save $1M on Rat's reported $7M cap number.

Using the June 2nd rule would save his $5M base salary in '13 and $3.5M in '14.

Question then becomes if Ratliff is cool with a restructure.

Most will only do so when the difference is given back to them in another signing bonus.

I don't know if the team will want to push more guaranteed money into the future years of Rat's contract.

I think Dallas can create plenty of cap room to play with leaving his cap number alone.

 

[xwalker]

I'm not the least bit concerned about the 2013 salary cap.

Dallas is currently over the estimated cap limit of $121M next year by about $14.75M in my estimation (that includes the $5M cap penalty).

A couple of restructures and releases will allow the team to easily clear whatever space they need to do business, IMO.

The Cowboys will have enough room to use the Franchise tag again on Anthony Spencer ($10.61M) and still make other needed moves.

It looks like a good bit of Jay Ratliff's 2013 base salary is guaranteed.

I don't feel the team will release him unless they have no choice from a locker room standpoint.

And I have no reason to believe Rat's become a team cancer behind closed doors that needs to be removed.

This.^

 

[sonnyboy]

Ratliff isn't going anywhere because the numbers don't make sense. This is Newman type cap move where all the savings is over the following two years and you do it because the cap number is 2 or 3 times the talent. Jay is not Newman.

I do hope our next NT is listed just under 300lbs to see the collective heads here explode.

 

[xwalker]

The reports I've seen showed Jay Ratliff receiving $18M in guarantees, $10M of which was a signing bonus.

If that is correct, Dallas could walk away next season, but there would be dead money ($6M) on the menu.

Eating it all in 2013 would save $1M on Rat's reported $7M cap number.

Using the June 2nd rule would save his $5M base salary in '13 and $3.5M in '14.

Most will only do so when the difference is given back to them in another signing bonus.

I don't know if the team will want to push more guaranteed money into the future years of Rat's contract.

I think Dallas can create plenty of cap room to play with leaving his cap number alone.

I don't think they can defer guaranteed base salary, just prorated signing bonuses.

 

[xwalker]

The reports were 18M guaranteed with a 10M signing bonus.

Adding up the guaranteed money:

Signing bonus - 10M
2011 base - 1.625M
2012 base - 1.5M
2012 misc bonus - 0.5M
2013 base - 5M

Total = 18.625M

Based on these numbers, either part (4.375M) of this 2013 base is guaranteed or the actual guaranteed money was 18.625 and the reports just rounded it off to 18M.

 

[junk]

Because Ratliff's numbers/play have been in a steady decline for about 3 years running now and he's already received almost all of his guaranteed money from his contract, making his release this year (or next year) a boon to cap room moving forward, Josh Brent is a question mark, and we've seen how with a weak middle up front we've been unable to really generate a consistent rush or consistently bottle up runs between the tackles.

That, and Jenkins is 355lbs and runs like a defensive end.

I think we look to free agency to address the offensive line with some of the Guards/Tackles coming available, and go DL first round, with OL second round for maybe a center or guard, depending on what we do in the off-season.

I think that Parnell has a shot to start at Right Tackle next year as well, or at least get a legit look at it. He's looked good out there...solid fundamentals in his footwork and hands, two things that Doug Free has been lacking all year.

I agree with the need for a NT. I was just wondering if there was some reason you had focused in on Jenkins in a relatively deep draft for nose tackles.

I agree that I don't think the team addresses RT. I don't think they address S either. I suspect they'll roll with Sensabaugh, Church and Johnson.

Spencer is probably re-signed, so DL and OL are probably likely as you said.

 

[Bluefin]

I don't think they can defer guaranteed base salary, just prorated signing bonuses.

I forgot about most of Jay Ratliff's 2013 base salary being guaranteed in my last post when I looked at the cost of releasing him.

2013 isn't likely because of the cap hit involved.

In 2014, it looks like Dallas can release Rat and save $3.5M straight up (with no dead money in 2015) or split the dead money over '14-'15 ($2M per yr), saving $5.5M ('14) and $7M ('15).

The Cowboys can convert Rat's guaranteed 2013 base salary into another signing bonus to create more cap room, but I don't think they will need or want to do that (they will with Brandon Carr).

 

[Deep_Freeze]

I agree with the need for a NT. I was just wondering if there was some reason you had focused in on Jenkins in a relatively deep draft for nose tackles.

I agree that I don't think the team addresses RT. I don't think they address S either. I suspect they'll roll with Sensabaugh, Church and Johnson.

Spencer is probably re-signed, so DL and OL are probably likely as you said.

Well I hope your dead wrong about RT and safety. The last time we drafted a DL high it was Spears, that didn't workout too well. I would like to see DL addressed, but the team has been able to find guys to play the position later in the draft without using alot of resources. Would rather leverage this ability to improve other positions.

 

[gimmesix]

Seeing Dallas' cap problems that are going to come to full effect in 2013 seeing Spencer leave becomes more real.

Salary cap ain't nothing but a thing. Spencer will be re-signed. He probably would have been given a long-term deal going into this season if Dallas knew he was going to play like this.

I think Dallas appreciated what Spencer brought before this year, but he stepped it up a level as a pass rusher this year and proved he deserves a long-term deal.

 

[junk]

Salary cap ain't nothing but a thing. Spencer will be re-signed. He probably would have been given a long-term deal going into this season if Dallas knew he was going to play like this.

I think Dallas appreciated what Spencer brought before this year, but he stepped it up a level as a pass rusher this year and proved he deserves a long-term deal.

Salary cap isn't irrelevant. There are limitations, however, you can usually make space. It just comes at the expense of space in the future.

I don't think Dallas will do much in FA this year.

 

[perrykemp]

Salary cap isn't irrelevant. There are limitations, however, you can usually make space. It just comes at the expense of space in the future.

I don't think Dallas will do much in FA this year.

This.

Starting in 2013, there will be even MORE parity as the salary cap floor kicks in. I believe that teams will be required to spend something like 89% of the cap starting next season.

That is going to make the FA market even MORE expense as cheapskate team like the Bucs are forced to spend the same as the Cowboys, Redkins, Patriots, Packers, etc -- teams that traditionally max the cap.

The ability to play games with the cap and push cap issues into the future will be diminished.

 

[TwentyOne]

Seeing Dallas' cap problems that are going to come to full effect in 2013...

Where exactly do you see cap problems ?
And how do you see them bigger then in the years before ? Or how do i have to interpret "come to full effect" ?

 

[Risen Star]

Relying on Alex Albright as your pass rush compliment to an aging DeMarcus Ware would be insanity.