How Cowboys get down to $104 million - Norm Hitzges

[Disturbed]

ROFL....

Let's cover the basics here.

The re-structures mean we GUARANTEE a massive base salary to Miles Austin for what exactly? IF he is hurt all pre-season again we get the honor of paying him as an elite WR for 2013??

He has enough talent to bring back. But I don't guarantee him another single cent. Ever. Too injury-prone.

Cutting Ratliff, Free and Connor are sound but that means 3 starting spots we open up. I agree Free should not be starting but Ratliff and Connor are probably the best players at their positions currently: 1T and Sam.

Also June 2nd cuts do not up cap cash immediately. I couldn't find any CBA provision for designating someone a June 2nd cut but freeing up cash immediately. PREVIOUSLY this only allowed for 2 players per team. AND you had to carry the cap hit until June 2nd.

The two primo FA thing is a pipe dream. Great for talks how hosts but far form reality. We need lots of bodies. We can't afford to pay for expensive pieces because we'll be back here next year looking at the cap again.

Yes, we signed Carr for 3m. And we'll pay him very well this year for that 2012 cap savings.

There will be cap space. No there won't be lots of it for enough to spend on luxury items.

Fans shop like 15 year old girls.

Can the Cowboys go the other way and flush as much of the cap as possible -- cut players, etc. to set up the future instead of continually borrowing against it?

I don't understand if we are in year 3 of Garrett's rebuilding plan, why we are borrowing so heavily against the future... I thought a rebuilding plan was to set you up for future success, not tie your hands due to creative accounting.

 

[Risen Star]

And how much does this screw us cap-wise down the road?

I'm for it because I think the time to act with this group is now. But I don't want to be 2-14 with no cap space four years from now either.

This.

I won't pretend to be a cap expert but that's my concern as well.

It's a tricky issue. On one hand, you want to get your cap straightened out and not mortgage your future. But you also have an aging franchise QB here. He needs some pieces if he's ever gonna win anything.

 

[jobberone]

I do not want Ratliff on the team. I'll be so pissed after the tragedy to Jerry brown. We can get one big free agent. But we need a big time draft. Starters instantly

I'm still a Rat fan but I'm suspicious of him staying on the field. He needs to be followed closely this offseason monitoring his rehab from surgery amongst the regular things they do. I'm leaning optimisticly if they use him properly and rotate him they can get good production.

 

[Fletch]

I still think Ratliff is staying.

That said, I do think we can make plenty if room if we want. That would not constrain us. The question is how much of future room does the team want to mortagage?

Skins do it every year. Don't wanna make a habit out of it. But we need to upgrade the oline and dline.

 

[jobberone]

He reminds me of Brooking in 2011.

Yeah maybe even a little slower.

 

[Fletch]

This.

I won't pretend to be a cap expert but that's my concern as well.

It's a tricky issue. On one hand, you want to get your cap straightened out and not mortgage your future. But you also have an aging franchise QB here. He needs some pieces if he's ever gonna win anything.

Basically what I wanted to say.

 

[Disturbed]

Another question regarding our salary cap position and possible moves... Can the Cowboys think about trading some of these high priced guys to other teams for future draft picks (like New England has done in the past to stock pile picks in future years)?

Trade -- Ratliff and Connor
Cut/Trade -- Austin, Free, Livings, Bernadeau, Jones

Others???

Does this resolve the cap situation?

 

[Future]

Right now either Hatcher or Crawford start at the SDE. Unless we pay Spencer which ends this thread entirely.

Whether its spencer or a rookie, neither of those guys will be started at DE I wouldn't think.

 

[jterrell]

Another question regarding our salary cap position and possible moves... Can the Cowboys think about trading some of these high priced guys to other teams for future draft picks (like New England has done in the past to stock pile picks in future years)?

Trade -- Ratliff and Connor
Cut/Trade -- Austin, Free, Livings, Bernadeau, Jones

Others???

Does this resolve the cap situation?

Trades are treated like straight cuts in cap math. That's why there are so few.
NE has tended to trade guys int he last year of their deals like Connor AFAIK, and gotten solid return for plus players like Asante Samuel but it really doesn't help the cap much.

Connor really has little value league-wide I'd guess. We could grab a very low pick for him perhaps. Maybe not even that. As teams could probably sign him for less than 3m in 2013.

 

[bounce]

And how much does this screw us cap-wise down the road?

I'm for it because I think the time to act with this group is now. But I don't want to be 2-14 with no cap space four years from now either.

I don't think anyone is really ever screwed with cap space, anymore. You can always re-work deals to free up space. The Commanders were always supposed to be in "cap hell."

 

[supercowboy8]

Does the two include resigning Spencer. I think a good free agency would be Spencer, Byrd or Levitre, no way buffalo let them both walk, and Melton.

Spencer, Melton, and Byrd. Now how much better is this defense.

 

[Risen Star]

I don't think anyone is really ever screwed with cap space, anymore. You can always re-work deals to free up space. The Commanders were always supposed to be in "cap hell."

I can promise you the Commanders wanted to be much more active in free agency than they were last year.

The Cowboys have essentially sat out FA a time or two in the past.

Ya know when the salary cap doesn't matter? When you're a fan of a team that mismanages it so often.

 

[DeaconBlues]

I can promise you the Commanders wanted to be much more active in free agency than they were last year.

The Cowboys have essentially sat out FA a time or two in the past.

Ya know when the salary cap doesn't matter? When you're a fan of a team that mismanages it so often.

Washington had a 18 million cap penalty, and was still one of the most active teams in FA. Mismanagement will always be defined as whether one agrees with the cap moves, or not.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

This team isn't two primo players away from competing for a Superbowl..

If those two were on the offensive line we'd have a pretty good shot at contending in the NFC, IMO.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I don't see Connor as a starting LB. In fact I'm not certain he makes the team. He is too slow IMO. He does have experience. He's subpar in pass coverage and marginal in the run game. I'm not a fan.

I see Lee as the Mike. Carter as the Jake and Sims probably the Will. Carter may be the Will and that throws the other spot open. It could even go Lemon at Mike and Lee at Jake with Carter at Will.

What's could is there's some speed in there now with depth and competition. I like Sims, Lee and Carter in on passing downs.

I can see them on the lookout for a Jake in FA/draft. Right now Lee and Carter are starters. One spot is open. I just don't know where Carter will play.

I don't think the Sam is on the team right now. Just like the FB from the year before last we cannot count on Sims.

 

[Bluefin]

They are at $140 million right now, according to him.

Re-work

Ware, Tony, Carr (trigger-clause), Miles, Witten

June 1st Cuts

Doug Free, Jay Ratliff, Dan Connor

Claims we have room to go after 2 primo free agents if we WANT TO (been saying this all along).

What do you think?

The thing with June cuts, teams can only designate two players and release them early, is that you have to wait until June to use the savings.

Free agency is dead long before June.

And Dallas needs to be under the cap before free agency starts March 12th.

Doug Free might be a June designee, but a straight release works fine for me. Either way, the savings would be more for 2014 than 2013.

Why wait?

I don't believe Jay Ratliff will be cut loose as things stand.

And Dan Connor is in the final year of his contract, so there's no need to designate him as a June release.

 

[Ken]

There is only one person's opinion I care about regarding the Cowboys cap an I have not seen him chime in yet.

****Putting out the bat signal for AdamJT13****

 

[Risen Star]

Washington had a 18 million cap penalty, and was still one of the most active teams in FA. Mismanagement will always be defined as whether one agrees with the cap moves, or not.

When you're not winning for nearly two decades and routinely way over next season's cap in January, there's mismanagement.

The Cowboys are a mediocre team. 20 million over the cap and 6 draft picks.

That's poor management.

 

[Rack]

I don't think anybody has really said that we can't restructure and create room to sign FAs. I think what has been argued is the wisdom behind such a move. The cap is flat for the next few years. If you extend all of these guys, we are going to be in a bad situation in years out. I don't see how that can be a good thing.

Posted from Cowboyszone.com App for Android

 

[gimmesix]

Washington had a 18 million cap penalty, and was still one of the most active teams in FA. Mismanagement will always be defined as whether one agrees with the cap moves, or not.

I used to have concern about the cap, but I credit Snyder (the only credit he'll ever get from me) for making me realize a few years ago that it really doesn't matter. Teams will use it as an excuse when they don't make a move, but as my sig says, room is subjective based on what the team wants to spend.

There are always creative ways to make space and creative ways to keep making space. Where teams get in trouble, I believe, is when players retire or their careers end while still owed guaranteed money, and that just forces teams to be more creative. Other than that, money can be pushed and pulled around.