How much "real cap" room do we have?

[Nightman]

You realize that Tyron will still only be 32 by the time his contract is up right? There is no worry about pushing $ past his prime years. And the what if injury thing is there with every single player you give $ to in the NFL, it's just a risk you have to accept.

I'm with you on not pushing $ back for most guys on the team (no more for Romo or Witten), but I can assure you Tyron Smith is the exception to the rule. He's as safe a bet as there is.

He is just 100% against restructuring contracts. We go through this every offseason, no matter the player.

The chicken littles come around talking about all the dangers of restructuring that never actual happen.

Guys like TSmith and TCrawford are automatic restructures and guys like Romo, Dez, Witten, OScan and Lee are just sitting there waiting to be cashed in when space is needed.

JJones likes to pretend that they are cap poor every year to help with negotiations, but in reality DAL can get over 40m+ in cap space with a few moves.

 

[Hoofbite]

You realize that Tyron will still only be 32 by the time his contract is up right? There is no worry about pushing $ past his prime years. And the what if injury thing is there with every single player you give $ to in the NFL, it's just a risk you have to accept.

I'm with you on not pushing $ back for most guys on the team (no more for Romo or Witten), but I can assure you Tyron Smith is the exception to the rule. He's as safe a bet as there is.

Just like Ware was, right?

 

[CyberB0b]

Restructuring Tyron would be stupid.

His contract was specifically built to be restructured multiple times.

 

[Doomsday101]

He is just 100% against restructuring contracts. We go through this every offseason, no matter the player.

The chicken littles come around talking about all the dangers of restructuring that never actual happen.

Guys like TSmith and TCrawford are automatic restructures and guys like Romo, Dez, Witten, OScan and Lee are just sitting there waiting to be cashed in when space is needed.

JJones likes to pretend that they are cap poor every year to help with negotiations, but in reality DAL can get over 40m+ in cap space with a few moves.

I don't think being cap responsible is pretending. yes Dallas could free up 40 mill plus but at some point you pay the price. Looking at some teams like the Cards they are in great cap shape without having to do a lot of restructuring of contracts and have many key players under contract. It is a lot easier to put together and keep together a winning team if you can keep your cap in good shape.

 

[Nightman]

I don't think being cap responsible is pretending. yes Dallas could free up 40 mill plus but at some point you pay the price. Looking at some teams like the Cards they are in great cap shape without having to do a lot of restructuring of contracts and have many key players under contract. It is a lot easier to put together and keep together a winning team if you can keep your cap in good shape.

Let's try putting together a winning team first and then we can start with the austerity measures.

Spend, but spend wisely.

 

[Doomsday101]

Let's try putting together a winning team first and then we can start with the austerity measures.

Spend, but spend wisely.

I'm sure Dallas will spend I also know teams running out and trying to buy championships with high priced FA have not fared that well. I think this team is capable of winning I don't think 12-4 was a fluke and do not think the Cowboys need to go crazy in FA. I do expect them to make a big move in FA but not a lot of moves.

 

[Nightman]

I'm sure Dallas will spend I also know teams running out and trying to buy championships with high priced FA have not fared that well. I think this team is capable of winning I don't think 12-4 was a fluke and do not think the Cowboys need to go crazy in FA. I do expect them to make a big move in FA but not a lot of moves.

Like DEN

 

[Hoofbite]

His contract was specifically built to be restructured multiple times.

What would have to change with his contract to make it so this statement wouldn't apply?

 

[Nightman]

His contract was specifically built to be restructured multiple times.

There is no logical reason for a player to refuse a restructure. It all but guarantees their job for the year.

They get their salary up-front instead of spread out over 17 weeks beginning in Sept.

The interest alone could be a fancy sports car.

 

[CyberB0b]

What would have to change with his contract to make it so this statement wouldn't apply?

Huge signing bonus or more guaranteed money. They've already restructured once to give him more signing bonus. It helps the team and it guarantees him more money. Win Win.

 

[Hoofbite]

Huge signing bonus or more guaranteed money. They've already restructured once to give him more signing bonus. It helps the team and it guarantees him more money. Win Win.

He didn't get anything extra from that restructure. He was already guaranteed that money. He may have gotten paid earlier provided it's treated like a SB, but who knows if it is. Seems like it would and I have assumed that in past but there's a chance that nothing changed for him at all.

As for the giveaway to restructuring, I'm not sure I see the bonus or guaranteed amount being a real telltale sign.. Romo, Ware, and Carr all had high bonus and/or high guaranteed amounts and they restructured the piss out of each of their contracts.

 

[CyberB0b]

He didn't get anything extra from that restructure. He was already guaranteed that money. He may have gotten paid earlier provided it's treated like a SB, but who knows if it is. Seems like it would and I have assumed that in past but there's a chance that nothing changed for him at all.

As for the giveaway to restructuring, I'm not sure I see the bonus or guaranteed amount being a real telltale sign.. Romo, Ware, and Carr all had high bonus and/or high guaranteed amounts and they restructured the piss out of each of their contracts.

His 2016 base salary of 10M will be restructured into bonus if they need the space. They can pretty much do it every year. You could probably get away with doing it 3-4 times, because of the length of his contract, and a young LT is almost guaranteed to play until his early 30's.

You can play with it here: http://overthecap.com/calculator/dallas-cowboys/

 

[jterrell]

You realize that Tyron will still only be 32 by the time his contract is up right? There is no worry about pushing $ past his prime years. And the what if injury thing is there with every single player you give $ to in the NFL, it's just a risk you have to accept.

I'm with you on not pushing $ back for most guys on the team (no more for Romo or Witten), but I can assure you Tyron Smith is the exception to the rule. He's as safe a bet as there is.

The issue with Tyron Smith is what will his next contract cost. You do not wanna put so much down the road that you can't afford to NOT re-sign him so have to pay well above marlet to reduce his cap hit or release him for cap relief.
Tony Romo had us over that barrel and we gave him a fortune because he was so leveraged and also on the last year of his deal.
We guaranteed a massive amount of his deal. He's been worth it when on the field but it was a tough spot.

I'd be fine with T.Smith restructures but not at full available amount. Reducing his base a bit, yes. Reducing it to vet min yearly... NO WAY!

 

[endersdragon]

Just like Ware was, right?

Huge difference between a tackle and end

 

[Hoofbite]

Huge difference between a tackle and end

In what way? Was Ware not a safe bet 7 years ago?

 

[Nightman]

The Ware contract was the best deal the team ever signed. It worked out perfectly for all parties.

 

[Hoofbite]

His 2016 base salary of 10M will be restructured into bonus if they need the space. They can pretty much do it every year. You could probably get away with doing it 3-4 times, because of the length of his contract, and a young LT is almost guaranteed to play until his early 30's.

You can play with it here: http://overthecap.com/calculator/dallas-cowboys/

I understand fully what they could do. What I don't understand is how the structure of his contract means it was "written to be restructured". You said more bonus money or guarantees would imply a contract isn't written to be restructured. I pointed out that players who have had large bonuses and/or guarantees who were restructured.

If you're now saying that the length of his contract is how you can tell the team wrote the contract to be restructured multiple times then I would also disagree. The team usually adds a year when they restructure so there's really no need to have an excessive number of years from the outset. It may avoid the discussion of what the base salary will be for the added year but that's a discussion that would have taken place had the contract been written to be longer from the outset.

Just trying to figure out what (other than perhaps maybe because some reporter said so) is the reason behind saying that Tyron's contract was "written to be restructured". To be honest, I think it was written to never be fiddled with. In fact, had Jerry not felt the team was just 1 player away, I don't think they go after Greg Hardy and the cap space freed up by last years restructure of Tyron would have not been necessary.

 

[Hoofbite]

The Ware contract was the best deal the team ever signed. It worked out perfectly for all parties.

Yeah it did. The decade-low output in sacks and $8.5M in dead money were real boosts to the team in 2014.

 

[Nightman]

Yeah it did. The decade-low output in sacks and $8.5M in dead money were real boosts to the team in 2014.

And his cap hit was 8.5m less in 2011 when the cap was 119m instead of 133m and he had 19.5 sacks

Basic math that seems to trip you up every time

 

[Hoofbite]

And his cap hit was 8.5m less in 2011 when the cap was 119m instead of 133m and he had 19.5 sacks

Basic math that seems to trip you up every time

Let's see. Restructured multiple years so the dead money would be attributable to multiple years. Of course it makes perfect sense to allocate the entirety of the dead money to a single year to try and prove a point.

Just basic math.