DMN: More Cowboys will agree to restructure contracts in the coming hours

[perrykemp]

Andrew Brandt, a fairly respected media guy (ex football guy) was asked about the strategy of renegotiating deals, pushing money into the future, etc and he said something pretty telling re: the approach the Cowboys FO is currently taking -- note he wasn't specifically talking about the Cowboys when he said this:

If teams are only worried about the short term, it is always possible for teams to spend what they wish and push out ramifications. That philosophy usually leads to long-term issues of releasing players and “dead money” cluttering their Cap. I have always been a believer in a “pay as you go” strategy, not building up large charges for the future that will affect the product down the road.​

 

[CowboyGil]

There will be other contracts that can be restructured, or restructured again in 2014 or 2015. It may be a squeeze where we can't go out and pick up many other teams FAs, but it's already being planned for with our own guys. If we want to keep them, we'll figure out a way.

Don't you know by now nobody wants to hear that "optomistic point of view" crap?? It's obvious Jerry couldn't pour water out of a boot if the instructions were on the bottom!!

 

[zeke87]

With Jerry's experience in kicking the can down the road, he would be perfect for Congress. But, would he have time to continue to run the Cowboys in the ground if he were elected?

 

[AbeBeta]

Andrew Brandt, a fairly respected media guy (ex football guy) was asked about the strategy of renegotiating deals, pushing money into the future, etc and he said something pretty telling re: the approach the Cowboys FO is currently taking -- note he wasn't specifically talking about the Cowboys when he said this:

If teams are only worried about the short term, it is always possible for teams to spend what they wish and push out ramifications. That philosophy usually leads to long-term issues of releasing players and “dead money” cluttering their Cap. I have always been a believer in a “pay as you go” strategy, not building up large charges for the future that will affect the product down the road.​

What he is missing here is that once Romo and maybe Spencer get done, we'll have room under this year's cap to "pay as you go" with a large chunk of those big deals. Paying for a very large contract on an as you go basis while pushing multiple smaller deals forward is a good balanced approach as it diversifies the risk inherent in under performance or injury

 

[DFWJC]

1st and foremost this is about keeping Spencer as his tag pushed us back over the cap. Then its about room to sign draft picks. THEN its about free agency, if there is any room leftover.

And yes, you are spot on about kicking the can down the road. Where the org needs success to make this approach work is in the draft. You can absorb big dead money IF they are replaced with players making similar contributions for much less money - in other words, rookies playing under their first contract.

One good possibility is replacing Spencer for 2014. Buys us another year to draft or groom (Crawford) a replacement. Letting him go in 2014 currently stands to save us 10+ M in immediate cap room. Despite use of the tag I think the FO has some clear parameters they're willing to do (or not) in keeping Spencer under a multi-year deal.

Yeah, my "kicking the can down the road comment" was not saying we have no hope becasue we keeping spending on credit and can never overcome it.

Good drafts can make up for a lot of sins.
The Cowboys need to string together a few good drafts and we need to hope a few marginal (or zero) contriubtors from last year's class show up this year.

As odd as it may sound to some here, I'm more optimistic about this coming year that I was the last 2 years.

A few, not too far-fetched things could happen to help:

• A decent draft that helps 1-2 lineup holes,
• another 1-2 holes at least slightly helped via FA, more oline continuity,
• better team health (Lee, Carter, Murray,etc)
• Dez continuing his second half of 2012 form,
• a simplified defensive scheme,
• and maybe some "bonus" contibutions from guys like Matt Johnson, Coale, and others.

Some or even all of that can happen.

 

[Wood]

There will be other contracts that can be restructured, or restructured again in 2014 or 2015. It may be a squeeze where we can't go out and pick up many other teams FAs, but it's already being planned for with our own guys. If we want to keep them, we'll figure out a way.

status quo will eat you alive in this league.