In 2025 can we trust Jerry and Stephen with a lot of cap space?

[CCBoy]

That's it, call for a board vote.

 

[jazzcat22]

cap space is irrelevant. They wont spend it anyway.

If they don't spend it then why are they having cap issues every year?
Yes I know what the response will be. But that is not the main issue.

 

[jazzcat22]

I wouldn’t trust them if they told me the sky was blue

Well, the sky is blue. Even on cloudy days. Some just can't see it at times from the clouds.

Maybe the FO needs to clear the clouds from their heads though.

 

[Coogiguy03]

Thats the issue is we really didn't clear the books. Jerry/Stephen handled this offseason in the literal worst way possible, and that is not directed at all towards Lamb or Dak as players. The issue is they really didnt pick a direction to go at all. They could have done a true reset year, or they also have the cap flex to be aggressive and try to get over the hump. They did neither and put us in a terrible spot for 2024 and a not impossible but tougher than you would like position for the next couple years.

This is before any moves but going into 2025 the Cowboys already have the 6th highest cap number in the league. 2026 they are 15th and in 2027 they are 9th. The whole cap reset thing really didn't happen as the next three years they are already in the top half of the league in cap space used. You also have to sign Parsons/Smith/Overshown/Bland and possibly others like Osa, Dowdle, Ferg, Hoffman.

The Cowboys are the only team in the league who can never make moves and still not have money to spend.

that last line says it all

 

[HungryLion]

Where is this cap space coming from? Dak CD and Micah gonna hold 75% of the bag

Not true.

Right now those 3 are slated to be 52% of the cap next year and that’s before restructures and resigning Micah all of which could lower their cap hits significantly. By tens of millions of dollars.

The Cowboys can have lots of cap space next year…… like well over 60 million, if they want to. Don’t let the Jones gaslight you into thinking their hands are tied by the cap and they can’t be active in free agency.

It’s a lie. It’s always been a lie.

That being said. I wouldn’t restructure Dak. I would rip that band aid off so he can be cut asap.

I would restructure lamb and re-sign Micah though.

They could do that. Dump Steele who sucks and still have a ton of cap space.

 

[jazzcat22]

it's being said that they can create close to 100 million do I ever think they'll use it hell no, they just don't want to spend, they want to draft and see if they ONLY are enough to make Superbowl runs

They must spend a minimum amount. Again, fans think they are cheap, but yet here we are talking about how they are up against the cap.


Yes it is how they distribute the money, but that is not what the fans think it is. They can rearrange that allocation.
As @big dog cowboy posted, it doesn't really matter. In March we will all be here posting the same stuff we always posted.
Maybe they will surprise us though.

 

[HungryLion]

I have zero reason the Jones will change their behavior and be aggressive in free agency.

Why would anybody believe otherwise until we actually see it happen?

 

[Vanilla2]

lol.
Business as usual.
Resign our high priced guys.
Extend the others already under contract.
Sign some low level guys.
Hope for the best in the draft.
Dumpster dive to finish roster.
Apply fresh coats of turd polish.
HOW BOUT THEM COWBOYS!

 

[thunderpimp91]

They must spend a minimum amount. Again, fans think they are cheap, but yet here we are talking about how they are up against the cap.


Yes it is how they distribute the money, but that is not what the fans think it is. They can rearrange that allocation.
As @big dog cowboy posted, it doesn't really matter. In March we will all be here posting the same stuff we always posted.
Maybe they will surprise us though.

Cash and cap are two different things though....sort of. The Cowboys from now through 2026 have $704m in cap hits whereas they will only have $570 in payroll over that time.

To compare Philly has $812M in payroll over that same time period. The Cowboys are ahead of Chi, Was, Car, NE, Den, NYG, ARI, RB, LAC, SEA, LAR, and LV. So they have the 13th lowest cash spending in the league despite just paying massive signing bonuses to Lamb and Dak. Most of the teams below Dallas are ranked low due to rookie QB deals. In 2023 the Cowboys were 11th in cash spend. 2022 they were 29th.

From my understanding the minimum spend is in relation to the cap and not in actual dollars, but someone please correct me if this is not true. The Cowboys seem to be very good at keeping that cap number high while keeping payroll low, except for twice a decade. Over the last 10 years I'm only seeing them in the top 10 in money spent twice, but they've been 29th or lower 4 times.

 

[jazzcat22]

Cash and cap are two different things though....sort of. The Cowboys from now through 2026 have $704m in cap hits whereas they will only have $570 in payroll over that time.

To compare Philly has $812M in payroll over that same time period. The Cowboys are ahead of Chi, Was, Car, NE, Den, NYG, ARI, RB, LAC, SEA, LAR, and LV. So they have the 13th lowest cash spending in the league despite just paying massive signing bonuses to Lamb and Dak. Most of the teams below Dallas are ranked low due to rookie QB deals. In 2023 the Cowboys were 11th in cash spend. 2022 they were 29th.

From my understanding the minimum spend is in relation to the cap and not in actual dollars, but someone please correct me if this is not true. The Cowboys seem to be very good at keeping that cap number high while keeping payroll low, except for twice a decade. Over the last 10 years I'm only seeing them in the top 10 in money spent twice, but they've been 29th or lower 4 times.

The cap is still the cap. Whether paid in cash or paid some other way. It is still all in the contracts.
This cash myth is not EXTRA paid to players. As that is circumventing the salary cap.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Kicking more money into 2026/2027/2028 just jams the cap

The cap will be higher in those years so the money takes up a smaller percentage.

 

[thunderpimp91]

The cap is still the cap. Whether paid in cash or paid some other way. It is still all in the contracts.
This cash myth is not EXTRA paid to players. As that is circumventing the salary cap.

Agree that cash will never circumvent the cap, but I do think the cap can be used to circumvent cash paid and the Cowboys have taken advantage of that. The heavy majority of years they are in the bottom half of cash spent, several times in the bottom 5 over the last decade despite carrying high cap numbers. They also routinely have one of the lesser paid head coaches in the league.

The Cowboys have become very cheap over the last 10 years or so.

 

[thunderpimp91]

The cap will be higher in those years so the money takes up a smaller percentage.

Absolutely but the issue is they are already in the top half of the league in cap spent for each of those years, and they still have several major contracts upcoming in at least Parsons/Overshown/Smith/Bland. Ferg could also look for top 5 money at the position and then you have the next tier of upcoming free agents in OSA, Dowdle, Turpin, Golston, etc that you need to make decisions on.

There is a ton of internal spending they still have to do, unless they get serious about actually making a proactive trade to free up some space. If they dont look at moving a bigger asset for draft picks to help balance out the cap I don't see an automatic restructure for Dak in the future, and it becomes a difficult decision.

 

[jazzcat22]

Agree that cash will never circumvent the cap, but I do think the cap can be used to circumvent cash paid and the Cowboys have taken advantage of that. The heavy majority of years they are in the bottom half of cash spent, several times in the bottom 5 over the last decade despite carrying high cap numbers. They also routinely have one of the lesser paid head coaches in the league.

The Cowboys have become very cheap over the last 10 years or so.

Yes, but fans still equate paying cash makes a better team. When in fact, those teams just are better at acquiring players.
I do not think there is any correlation between cash and a better team.

 

[stinkface]

I wouldn't trust the Jones to hire the right people to run a proper Taco stand.

 

[thunderpimp91]

Yes, but fans still equate paying cash makes a better team. When in fact, those teams just are better at acquiring players.
I do not think there is any correlation between cash and a better team.

Id have to think about that one a bit. You make a good point about it may just be a reflection on a teams ability to acquire quality players. For the Cowboys I think it has more to do with their roster building philosophy of being draft dependent, pay superstars & discount guys, let the mid tier guys walk for comp picks, repeat strategy, but for the league overall I think you might be right.

 

[DuncanIso]

Can we trust them to spend on the RIGHT kind of guys, can we trust that there won't be a lot of off season word salad press conferences saying we DON'T have the money, when a site like over the cap tells us otherwise. Can they be trusted to take a peak at the top of the barrel and not the bottom barrel of players in free agency?

With their history i'm unsure, someone please post your thoughts and trust level on these 2 geniuses we have here!!!!

Team only has 24M in cap space for 2025.

Most of it, 22M, is from the 2024 cap rollover.

Broke.

per SpoTrac: https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/overview/_/year/2025/sort/cap_total

 

[DuncanIso]

Steele is gonna get a post June 1 cut. That will help some.

 

[HungryLion]

Team only has 24M in cap space for 2025.

Most of it, 22M, is from the 2024 cap rollover.

Broke.

per SpoTrac: https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/overview/_/year/2025/sort/cap_total

They are not broke.

Restructure Lamb
Extend Micah
Cut Steele.

You add about 45 million in cap space just off those moves. Give or take a bit depending on the details of Lamb’s restructure and Micah’s
Extension.

You’re now at 70 million cap space without even touching Daks contract.

They are not broke. Not even close to it.

 

[DuncanIso]

They are not broke.

Restructure Lamb
Extend Micah
Cut Steele.

You add about 45 million in cap space just off those moves. Give or take a bit depending on the details of Lamb’s restructure and Micah’s
Extension.

You’re now at 70 million cap space without even touching Daks contract.

They are not broke. Not even close to it.

Almost certain June 1 cut: Steele

Possible June 1 cut: Diggs

I dont see Jerry extending CD. that money was already spent.

Parsons will get paid though. But they will need Dak's 2026+ money to pay for it.

Dak might get a June 1 cut in March 2026.

They have to pay Osa.

Lance, Lewis, Seig, Hoffman, Bell, and Turpin need $$$ to stay also.

Its tight.