Defensive Cap Allocation and Bad Contracts?

[js66]

I would guess there is going to be some cap maneuvering, extensions etc possible but if you could start the defensive side of the ball from scratch... would your defense look anything like our defensive payroll/contract situation?

I look at the cap hits involved and I see a lot of questionable value/cap hits. I find the talk about a 5 man front and a new DC interesting and fun to discuss but this defensive roster is a very strange makeup which I think will be hard to make successful.


Our 4th, 5th and 6th highest cap hits are all DT's. Has that ever happened? Those 3 guys accounted for 9 sacks total in 2025 and are currently set to count over $63M in cap space. Many of you are big Quinnen Williams fans, I like the player but not to the level some of you do. I see 3 very highly paid players who combined couldn't get us 10 sacks in 2025. That wasn't an off year either, they combined for 11.5 in 2024. I know the new fad here is... but pressure in your face is more important than pressure off the edge!!! but I have a hard time with us spending almost $65M and none of them have ever had an 8 sack season.... I'm not sure that is the best allocation of cap space. I'd allocate my money on proven consistent pass rush, wherever it's coming from.

I can't imagine paying Kenny Clark $20+ million this year, I also can't imagine Kenny Clark taking a $5-10M paycut without really sticking it to us later in the contract. I doubt he'd take that pay cut at all really. I like the player, I just don't see $10M+ of value there at DT. I don't see us cutting a player who was part of the Micah return and from what I can tell there is no savings on cutting Osa either.

Add to this Daron Bland is not a $17M cornerback. Malik Hooker isn't a $9M safety and Logan Wilson's not a $6.5M LBer. I see no out for the Bland contract, I'm assuming there is a better than decent chance Hooker is cut, leaving two wide open holes at S and I can't imagine Wilson staying.

Is it just me... what are thoughts here on this? Are we really excited about these 3 DT's that much? I hated it when they gave Osa what I thought was a bad deal and then they trippled down by adding two more $20M DT's... I might be on board with 3 twenty five year old Chris Jones's but we don't have 3 twenty five year old Chris Jones's...

Thoughts?

 

[thunderpimp91]

The DT situation should work itself out and not be an overly restrictive cap hit.

• Q is likely to have is deal restructured and probably extended either this offseason or next. His cap hits will eventually be a problem, but that is likely a few years out.
• Osa could also have his contract restructured as well....if he doesnt it probably means he is in danger of being moved after 2026.
• Clark is almost certainly going to agree to a lesser deal or get sent packing. Unless he thinks he can get $20m plus on the open market him and the Cowboys probably get him extended under a smaller number....maybe 3 years at $45m total?

Bland needs to play better but the beauty of signing guys a year early is that you can get out of those contracts quicker as well. If he doesnt rebound this year you can get out of that deal at a reasonable cap hit after 2026. Hooker and Wilson will certainly both be taking less money if they come back to the Cowboys.

 

[ConstantReboot]

I would guess there is going to be some cap maneuvering, extensions etc possible but if you could start the defensive side of the ball from scratch... would your defense look anything like our defensive payroll/contract situation?

I look at the cap hits involved and I see a lot of questionable value/cap hits. I find the talk about a 5 man front and a new DC interesting and fun to discuss but this defensive roster is a very strange makeup which I think will be hard to make successful.


Our 4th, 5th and 6th highest cap hits are all DT's. Has that ever happened? Those 3 guys accounted for 9 sacks total in 2025 and are currently set to count over $63M in cap space. Many of you are big Quinnen Williams fans, I like the player but not to the level some of you do. I see 3 very highly paid players who combined couldn't get us 10 sacks in 2025. That wasn't an off year either, they combined for 11.5 in 2024. I know the new fad here is... but pressure in your face is more important than pressure off the edge!!! but I have a hard time with us spending almost $65M and none of them have ever had an 8 sack season.... I'm not sure that is the best allocation of cap space. I'd allocate my money on proven consistent pass rush, wherever it's coming from.

I can't imagine paying Kenny Clark $20+ million this year, I also can't imagine Kenny Clark taking a $5-10M paycut without really sticking it to us later in the contract. I doubt he'd take that pay cut at all really. I like the player, I just don't see $10M+ of value there at DT. I don't see us cutting a player who was part of the Micah return and from what I can tell there is no savings on cutting Osa either.

Add to this Daron Bland is not a $17M cornerback. Malik Hooker isn't a $9M safety and Logan Wilson's not a $6.5M LBer. I see no out for the Bland contract, I'm assuming there is a better than decent chance Hooker is cut, leaving two wide open holes at S and I can't imagine Wilson staying.

Is it just me... what are thoughts here on this? Are we really excited about these 3 DT's that much? I hated it when they gave Osa what I thought was a bad deal and then they trippled down by adding two more $20M DT's... I might be on board with 3 twenty five year old Chris Jones's but we don't have 3 twenty five year old Chris Jones's...

Thoughts?

All of those are bad deals. Every one of them.

There isn’t a quick fix for all this except cutting Daron Bland, Malik Hooker, and Logan Wilson. I frankly can’t fathom why we signed Osa to that big contract, given the production he’s provided.

It’s like Jerry going bargain hunting, only to be taken for a ride and end up paying ten times the asking price.

 

[Verdict]

I would guess there is going to be some cap maneuvering, extensions etc possible but if you could start the defensive side of the ball from scratch... would your defense look anything like our defensive payroll/contract situation?

I look at the cap hits involved and I see a lot of questionable value/cap hits. I find the talk about a 5 man front and a new DC interesting and fun to discuss but this defensive roster is a very strange makeup which I think will be hard to make successful.


Our 4th, 5th and 6th highest cap hits are all DT's. Has that ever happened? Those 3 guys accounted for 9 sacks total in 2025 and are currently set to count over $63M in cap space. Many of you are big Quinnen Williams fans, I like the player but not to the level some of you do. I see 3 very highly paid players who combined couldn't get us 10 sacks in 2025. That wasn't an off year either, they combined for 11.5 in 2024. I know the new fad here is... but pressure in your face is more important than pressure off the edge!!! but I have a hard time with us spending almost $65M and none of them have ever had an 8 sack season.... I'm not sure that is the best allocation of cap space. I'd allocate my money on proven consistent pass rush, wherever it's coming from.

I can't imagine paying Kenny Clark $20+ million this year, I also can't imagine Kenny Clark taking a $5-10M paycut without really sticking it to us later in the contract. I doubt he'd take that pay cut at all really. I like the player, I just don't see $10M+ of value there at DT. I don't see us cutting a player who was part of the Micah return and from what I can tell there is no savings on cutting Osa either.

Add to this Daron Bland is not a $17M cornerback. Malik Hooker isn't a $9M safety and Logan Wilson's not a $6.5M LBer. I see no out for the Bland contract, I'm assuming there is a better than decent chance Hooker is cut, leaving two wide open holes at S and I can't imagine Wilson staying.

Is it just me... what are thoughts here on this? Are we really excited about these 3 DT's that much? I hated it when they gave Osa what I thought was a bad deal and then they trippled down by adding two more $20M DT's... I might be on board with 3 twenty five year old Chris Jones's but we don't have 3 twenty five year old Chris Jones's...

Thoughts?

I have been giving a lot of thought to this same situation and the more I think about it the more that reality sinks in. I think Kenny Clark is a much better player than OSA is but OSA’s contract makes it unlikely that we move on from him. Kenny Clark is not worth $20m per.

We have too many of these Ferguson contracts. Nice player. Reasonable contract, but why pay an easily replaceable player when you can easily low ball a similar level player to replace him without a drop off in production?

Pickens is harder to replace. Wouldn’t Ferguson’s cap hit been better used to pay Pickens, or Clark, or Hendrickson? Hell, that money could have been used to pay Parsons for that matter. (I agree with the Parsons trade, but I’m just sayin’).

We are overpaying average talent. We are wishful thinking if we think all of these holes are going to be filled with top tier free agents. Some of the holes will have to be filled with late round picks, UDFAs and a little bit of bargain bin shopping. That’s just reality.

I would LOVE to keep Pickens. If the Cowboys choose to do that, then so be it, but you are either going to force Taco type of picks unless you are really lucky that BPA just happens to line up (Downs falling to #12) or you are going to have to move on from a couple of guys you would like to keep.

I think it is highly likely we will see one legit player added to this defense, one starter level player that is solid, but unspectacular, and the rest will be draft picks and bargain bin shopping.

I really hope that I am correct about this defense being better than it played last year, because we are probably be seeing a lot of the same faces as last year.

 

[Brooksey]

I would guess there is going to be some cap maneuvering, extensions etc possible but if you could start the defensive side of the ball from scratch... would your defense look anything like our defensive payroll/contract situation?

I look at the cap hits involved and I see a lot of questionable value/cap hits. I find the talk about a 5 man front and a new DC interesting and fun to discuss but this defensive roster is a very strange makeup which I think will be hard to make successful.


Our 4th, 5th and 6th highest cap hits are all DT's. Has that ever happened? Those 3 guys accounted for 9 sacks total in 2025 and are currently set to count over $63M in cap space. Many of you are big Quinnen Williams fans, I like the player but not to the level some of you do. I see 3 very highly paid players who combined couldn't get us 10 sacks in 2025. That wasn't an off year either, they combined for 11.5 in 2024. I know the new fad here is... but pressure in your face is more important than pressure off the edge!!! but I have a hard time with us spending almost $65M and none of them have ever had an 8 sack season.... I'm not sure that is the best allocation of cap space. I'd allocate my money on proven consistent pass rush, wherever it's coming from.

I can't imagine paying Kenny Clark $20+ million this year, I also can't imagine Kenny Clark taking a $5-10M paycut without really sticking it to us later in the contract. I doubt he'd take that pay cut at all really. I like the player, I just don't see $10M+ of value there at DT. I don't see us cutting a player who was part of the Micah return and from what I can tell there is no savings on cutting Osa either.

Add to this Daron Bland is not a $17M cornerback. Malik Hooker isn't a $9M safety and Logan Wilson's not a $6.5M LBer. I see no out for the Bland contract, I'm assuming there is a better than decent chance Hooker is cut, leaving two wide open holes at S and I can't imagine Wilson staying.

Is it just me... what are thoughts here on this? Are we really excited about these 3 DT's that much? I hated it when they gave Osa what I thought was a bad deal and then they trippled down by adding two more $20M DT's... I might be on board with 3 twenty five year old Chris Jones's but we don't have 3 twenty five year old Chris Jones's...

Thoughts?

They can open up about 30M in cap by converting Prescott, Lamb & K Clark, Clark would be about 5M against the cap when done. 30M in cap allows us to sign G Pickens, Javonte Williams, Clowney, D Fowler, S Williams, D Wilson, Bass or Hoffman, Aubrey, Steward and all of our draft picks.

Cowboys can open up another 70M as needed to play in FA, I doubt they use half that.

 

[Ironicalicon]

Any defense — but especially a porous one — needs a scheme adjusted to its best players and as it is, the DTs are it. It's unusual, yeah, but until there is a better group, you have to work with what you have.

 

[Coogiguy03]

I would guess there is going to be some cap maneuvering, extensions etc possible but if you could start the defensive side of the ball from scratch... would your defense look anything like our defensive payroll/contract situation?

I look at the cap hits involved and I see a lot of questionable value/cap hits. I find the talk about a 5 man front and a new DC interesting and fun to discuss but this defensive roster is a very strange makeup which I think will be hard to make successful.


Our 4th, 5th and 6th highest cap hits are all DT's. Has that ever happened? Those 3 guys accounted for 9 sacks total in 2025 and are currently set to count over $63M in cap space. Many of you are big Quinnen Williams fans, I like the player but not to the level some of you do. I see 3 very highly paid players who combined couldn't get us 10 sacks in 2025. That wasn't an off year either, they combined for 11.5 in 2024. I know the new fad here is... but pressure in your face is more important than pressure off the edge!!! but I have a hard time with us spending almost $65M and none of them have ever had an 8 sack season.... I'm not sure that is the best allocation of cap space. I'd allocate my money on proven consistent pass rush, wherever it's coming from.

I can't imagine paying Kenny Clark $20+ million this year, I also can't imagine Kenny Clark taking a $5-10M paycut without really sticking it to us later in the contract. I doubt he'd take that pay cut at all really. I like the player, I just don't see $10M+ of value there at DT. I don't see us cutting a player who was part of the Micah return and from what I can tell there is no savings on cutting Osa either.

Add to this Daron Bland is not a $17M cornerback. Malik Hooker isn't a $9M safety and Logan Wilson's not a $6.5M LBer. I see no out for the Bland contract, I'm assuming there is a better than decent chance Hooker is cut, leaving two wide open holes at S and I can't imagine Wilson staying.

Is it just me... what are thoughts here on this? Are we really excited about these 3 DT's that much? I hated it when they gave Osa what I thought was a bad deal and then they trippled down by adding two more $20M DT's... I might be on board with 3 twenty five year old Chris Jones's but we don't have 3 twenty five year old Chris Jones's...

Thoughts?

your biggest issue is osa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bad deal for an average player

 

[Coogiguy03]

They can open up about 30M in cap by converting Prescott, Lamb & K Clark, Clark would be about 5M against the cap when done. 30M in cap allows us to sign G Pickens, Javonte Williams, Clowney, D Fowler, S Williams, D Wilson, Bass or Hoffman, Aubrey, Steward and all of our draft picks.

Cowboys can open up another 70M as needed to play in FA, I doubt they use half that.

So basically our D will be the worst again!!??

 

[Coogiguy03]

I have been giving a lot of thought to this same situation and the more I think about it the more that reality sinks in. I think Kenny Clark is a much better player than OSA is but OSA’s contract makes it unlikely that we move on from him. Kenny Clark is not worth $20m per.

We have too many of these Ferguson contracts. Nice player. Reasonable contract, but why pay an easily replaceable player when you can easily low ball a similar level player to replace him without a drop off in production?

Pickens is harder to replace. Wouldn’t Ferguson’s cap hit been better used to pay Pickens, or Clark, or Hendrickson? Hell, that money could have been used to pay Parsons for that matter. (I agree with the Parsons trade, but I’m just sayin’).

We are overpaying average talent. We are wishful thinking if we think all of these holes are going to be filled with top tier free agents. Some of the holes will have to be filled with late round picks, UDFAs and a little bit of bargain bin shopping. That’s just reality.

I would LOVE to keep Pickens. If the Cowboys choose to do that, then so be it, but you are either going to force Taco type of picks unless you are really lucky that BPA just happens to line up (Downs falling to #12) or you are going to have to move on from a couple of guys you would like to keep.

I think it is highly likely we will see one legit player added to this defense, one starter level player that is solid, but unspectacular, and the rest will be draft picks and bargain bin shopping.

I really hope that I am correct about this defense being better than it played last year, because we are probably be seeing a lot of the same faces as last year.

average talent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[js66]

I like Q, but he's almost a $22M cap hit. 2024 and 2025 COMBINED he doesn't have 10 sacks. There was a lot of talk about a 3 tech run stopping pass rusher. A lot of Chris Jones talk, he ain't prime Chris Jones. I view Osa as just a guy for the most part. Clark I like as 300lb run stopping boulder, but WAY overpaid at anything about $10M and he aint taking a $10M haircut.

I realize this ship has sailed... but I'm giving $63M to 3 guys for less than 10 sacks. Our cap usage is killing us, I could have given Micah $40M for 14ish sacks himself. That's $23M more in cap space left, just throwing his name out there hypothetically but Vita Vea makes $17M.... that still gives us $6M for a linebacker. Bobby Wagner and Lavonte David make $9m so you're in the ball park of a top LBer. Quincey Williams made $6M.

 

[john van brocklin]

I would guess there is going to be some cap maneuvering, extensions etc possible but if you could start the defensive side of the ball from scratch... would your defense look anything like our defensive payroll/contract situation?

I look at the cap hits involved and I see a lot of questionable value/cap hits. I find the talk about a 5 man front and a new DC interesting and fun to discuss but this defensive roster is a very strange makeup which I think will be hard to make successful.


Our 4th, 5th and 6th highest cap hits are all DT's. Has that ever happened? Those 3 guys accounted for 9 sacks total in 2025 and are currently set to count over $63M in cap space. Many of you are big Quinnen Williams fans, I like the player but not to the level some of you do. I see 3 very highly paid players who combined couldn't get us 10 sacks in 2025. That wasn't an off year either, they combined for 11.5 in 2024. I know the new fad here is... but pressure in your face is more important than pressure off the edge!!! but I have a hard time with us spending almost $65M and none of them have ever had an 8 sack season.... I'm not sure that is the best allocation of cap space. I'd allocate my money on proven consistent pass rush, wherever it's coming from.

I can't imagine paying Kenny Clark $20+ million this year, I also can't imagine Kenny Clark taking a $5-10M paycut without really sticking it to us later in the contract. I doubt he'd take that pay cut at all really. I like the player, I just don't see $10M+ of value there at DT. I don't see us cutting a player who was part of the Micah return and from what I can tell there is no savings on cutting Osa either.

Add to this Daron Bland is not a $17M cornerback. Malik Hooker isn't a $9M safety and Logan Wilson's not a $6.5M LBer. I see no out for the Bland contract, I'm assuming there is a better than decent chance Hooker is cut, leaving two wide open holes at S and I can't imagine Wilson staying.

Is it just me... what are thoughts here on this? Are we really excited about these 3 DT's that much? I hated it when they gave Osa what I thought was a bad deal and then they trippled down by adding two more $20M DT's... I might be on board with 3 twenty five year old Chris Jones's but we don't have 3 twenty five year old Chris Jones's...

Thoughts?

People wonder why this team has had such a difficult time making serious noise in the playoffs.
You then look at this type of roster construction and you wonder how we have made the playoffs as much as they have.
We don't have a GM with the proper knowledge of football assembling these teams.
It like patchwork, and mismatched players, thrown together.
Do we even know what kind of team we are building?
What's are offensive and defensive philosophy?

 

[js66]

People wonder why this team has had such a difficult time making serious noise in the playoffs.
You then look at this type of roster construction and you wonder how we have made the playoffs as much as they have.
We don't have a GM with the proper knowledge of football assembling these teams.
It like patchwork, and mismatched players, thrown together.
Do we even know what kind of team we are building?
What's are offensive and defensive philosophy?

I agree with this 100%.

In the salary cap era you can't have the best of everything, and if you somehow do, you won't have it for long. How do we want to build our roster. What is the identity of the Dallas Cowboys?

Are we more focused on offense or defense?
Are we a passing offense or a running offense?
Are we a pressure the QB defense or a bend but don't break defense?
Are we a man or zone defense?
Where are we committing our FA dollars?
Where are we committing most of our draft picks?
Have a short term and long term vision for the team.

I realize you want to be diverse/hybrid/adaptable but you have to have an identity. I don't believe you can win being the 16th ranked offense and 16th ranked defense. I don't think you can win having the 16th best QB and 16th best pass rush either.

I don't see how we continue with $60M+ in DT's, combining for 9 sacks a year. That's far too much cap space spent on almost no QB pressure. If you're going to commit so much of the cap to the Dline you have to get pressure from it. If I didn't get pressure from these 3 I'd move on ASAP.

 

[fivetwos]

I would guess there is going to be some cap maneuvering, extensions etc possible but if you could start the defensive side of the ball from scratch... would your defense look anything like our defensive payroll/contract situation?

I look at the cap hits involved and I see a lot of questionable value/cap hits. I find the talk about a 5 man front and a new DC interesting and fun to discuss but this defensive roster is a very strange makeup which I think will be hard to make successful.


Our 4th, 5th and 6th highest cap hits are all DT's. Has that ever happened? Those 3 guys accounted for 9 sacks total in 2025 and are currently set to count over $63M in cap space. Many of you are big Quinnen Williams fans, I like the player but not to the level some of you do. I see 3 very highly paid players who combined couldn't get us 10 sacks in 2025. That wasn't an off year either, they combined for 11.5 in 2024. I know the new fad here is... but pressure in your face is more important than pressure off the edge!!! but I have a hard time with us spending almost $65M and none of them have ever had an 8 sack season.... I'm not sure that is the best allocation of cap space. I'd allocate my money on proven consistent pass rush, wherever it's coming from.

I can't imagine paying Kenny Clark $20+ million this year, I also can't imagine Kenny Clark taking a $5-10M paycut without really sticking it to us later in the contract. I doubt he'd take that pay cut at all really. I like the player, I just don't see $10M+ of value there at DT. I don't see us cutting a player who was part of the Micah return and from what I can tell there is no savings on cutting Osa either.

Add to this Daron Bland is not a $17M cornerback. Malik Hooker isn't a $9M safety and Logan Wilson's not a $6.5M LBer. I see no out for the Bland contract, I'm assuming there is a better than decent chance Hooker is cut, leaving two wide open holes at S and I can't imagine Wilson staying.

Is it just me... what are thoughts here on this? Are we really excited about these 3 DT's that much? I hated it when they gave Osa what I thought was a bad deal and then they trippled down by adding two more $20M DT's... I might be on board with 3 twenty five year old Chris Jones's but we don't have 3 twenty five year old Chris Jones's...

Thoughts?

As I said yesterday, they should have taken an additional pick (figure a third) from GB instead of Clark if they thought there was any shot they’d be in on Williams, and having just signed Osa.

I’ve been moaning about DT for decades, so have many others…so here it is, but even when they get it right theres some sort of a hitch in the situation.

Player for player doesn’t happen much in this league, nor is who runs this team capable, but I’d look to deal either Clark or Osi for a starting player elsewhere, or a day two pick.

Unreal. Just unreal.

 

[js66]

As I said yesterday, they should have taken an additional pick (figure a third) from GB instead of Clark if they thought there was any shot they’d be in on Williams, and having just signed Osa.

I’ve been moaning about DT for decades, so have many others…so here it is, but even when they get it right theres some sort of a hitch in the situation.

Player for player doesn’t happen much in this league, nor is who runs this team capable, but I’d look to deal either Clark or Osi for a starting player elsewhere, or a day two pick.

Unreal. Just unreal.

I was never on the... we need a Pro Bowl/Franchise DT train. If we home grew one fine, but I want sacks and probably more importantly consistent QB pressure. Don't care where it comes from. I wanted a Ted Washington in there at DT. Maybe a Casey Hampton. A guy who didn't always show up on the stat sheet. I'd get a pure run stopper and because he's a pure run stopper pay run stopper prices. A younger Linval Joseph or Johnathan Hankins. Don't spend the bag on a DT unless he's a freak like Chris Jones or John Randle.

Looking at our offense I like the Indianapolis Colts model from years ago. Top flight offense, defensive line was Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis and two run stopping, middle of the pack DT's. Offense built to score points. You make the other team play from behind, they have to pass... and what a coincidence, you have pass rushers. Complimentary football.

Kansas City Chiefs the last few years. Offensive football team, could score points. They sunk money into their offense and drafted a young defense. Coupled that defense with a pass rushing DC and one elite pass rusher.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Crazy times. We’ve been begging for interior help and now we think the money isn’t allocated. The defense sucks. Most of them need to be replaced sony d I’m fine with my interior being expensive

 

[jazzcat22]

your biggest issue is osa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bad deal for an average player

Osa was playing better later in the season. I think he had some minor injury issues he was playing through.
More like a good player n a bad scheme, surrounded by 2nd and 3rd string players for a while from all the injuries.
Even Clerk was fighting through some injuries. And Williams late in the season.

Fans just want to make Osa the next player to gang up on and not like. They always need s few of those.

 

[jazzcat22]

So basically our D will be the worst again!!??

No

 

[jazzcat22]

average talent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A better scheme will make your "average talent opinion" above average.

 

[fivetwos]

I was never on the... we need a Pro Bowl/Franchise DT train. If we home grew one fine, but I want sacks and probably more importantly consistent QB pressure. Don't care where it comes from. I wanted a Ted Washington in there at DT. Maybe a Casey Hampton. A guy who didn't always show up on the stat sheet. I'd get a pure run stopper and because he's a pure run stopper pay run stopper prices. A younger Linval Joseph or Johnathan Hankins. Don't spend the bag on a DT unless he's a freak like Chris Jones or John Randle.

Looking at our offense I like the Indianapolis Colts model from years ago. Top flight offense, defensive line was Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis and two run stopping, middle of the pack DT's. Offense built to score points. You make the other team play from behind, they have to pass... and what a coincidence, you have pass rushers. Complimentary football.

Kansas City Chiefs the last few years. Offensive football team, could score points. They sunk money into their offense and drafted a young defense. Coupled that defense with a pass rushing DC and one elite pass rusher.

Agree with you, but I think Williams is elite. He is easily a top 5 in the league DT. Worth having and paying.

Clark is solid but is getting longer in the tooth. Should have taken a pick instead of a player, but I’m sure Jerry thought last year was a SB roster, or had to convince himself it was so he could sell it to everyone else.

Osa is way overpaid and that becomes more evident when he is the third best DT on the roster.

My hands are in the air at this point after complaining about DT forever, now it’s in excess cap-wise. They can’t even do the right thing the right way. Maddening.

 

[jazzcat22]

I like Q, but he's almost a $22M cap hit. 2024 and 2025 COMBINED he doesn't have 10 sacks. There was a lot of talk about a 3 tech run stopping pass rusher. A lot of Chris Jones talk, he ain't prime Chris Jones. I view Osa as just a guy for the most part. Clark I like as 300lb run stopping boulder, but WAY overpaid at anything about $10M and he aint taking a $10M haircut.

I realize this ship has sailed... but I'm giving $63M to 3 guys for less than 10 sacks. Our cap usage is killing us, I could have given Micah $40M for 14ish sacks himself. That's $23M more in cap space left, just throwing his name out there hypothetically but Vita Vea makes $17M.... that still gives us $6M for a linebacker. Bobby Wagner and Lavonte David make $9m so you're in the ball park of a top LBer. Quincey Williams made $6M.

The poor scheme, and refusal to adapt by Eberflus had more to do with that, over the players and their talent.
They can, and probably will restructure these contracts.