Keith Brooking's contract details

[AdamJT13]

Keith Brooking signed a five-year contract for $13 million. He did not get a signing bonus, but he could get a $2 million option bonus this season if we decide to pick up his option for 2013. (I do not know the first or last date the option can be exercised). If we don't pay him the option bonus, his base salary for this season increases from $1.4 million to $2.5 million and becomes fully guaranteed. The last two years of the contract are voidable (which might be why it was reported as a three-year contract). He has a $100,000 workout bonus each season and base salaries of $1.4 million, $1.9 million, $2.2 million, $2.5 million and $2.5 million.

Here are his cap numbers (if the option is exercised) --

2009 $1.9 million
2010 $2.4 million
2011 $2.7 million
2012 $3 million
2013 $3 million

If we don't exercise the option, these would be his cap numbers --

2009 $2.6 million
2010 $2.4 million
2011 $2.7 million
2012 $3 million

My guess is that whether we pay the option bonus will be determined by whether we want him for more than this season, so the date it can be exercised probably is (or should be) late enough that we should know by then. If we don't want him back, we could make it a one-year contract for $2.6 million and have no cap hit in the future. Or, we could make it a one-year contract for $3.5 million but take a cap hit that is $700,000 less this season in exchange for $1.6 million in dead money in the future. Or, we could keep him next year and however long as he's worth the contract.

 

[theogt]

Not dirt cheap, but dang close to it. As a % of cap, it's probably less than what we were paying Al Singleton.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Pretty smart contract layout...

 

[unionjack8]

so if we keep him for 2 years whats the hit if we release him then?

 

[AdamJT13]

so if we keep him for 2 years whats the hit if we release him then?

It would depend on whether we pay the option bonus this year. If we don't, there are no prorations, so there wouldn't be any dead money if he's cut anytime after this season.

 

[gimmesix]

It would depend on whether we pay the option bonus this year. If we don't, there are no prorations, so there wouldn't be any dead money if he's cut anytime after this season.

Even if we do pay the option bonus, the hit wouldn't be too bad if he got cut after the season (assuming we don't take the full hit this year). That's a pretty nice setup.

 

[Randy White]

It would depend on whether we pay the option bonus this year. If we don't, there are no prorations, so there wouldn't be any dead money if he's cut anytime after this season.

This is a test for Barbie Carpenter and whomever the Cowboys draft this year at that position. If Barbie and/or the future draft pick show they capable of handling the job, Brookings is a 1 year Cowboy. If they're not, he's here for at least another season.

 

[speedkilz88]

This is a test for Barbie Carpenter and whomever the Cowboys draft this year at that position. If Barbie and/or the future draft pick show they capable of handling the job, Brookings is a 1 year Cowboy. If they're not, he's here for at least another season.

It's Brooking and if Brooking plays well he'll stay in some capacity because the contract is pretty cheap. If Carpenter plays well he'll be a free agent and who knows how that would go.

 

[big dog cowboy]

That is a Dallas Cowboy friendly contract.

 

[Bleu Star]

That is a Dallas Cowboy friendly contract.

LOL @ Snyder

I think I might offer him some of this choice beachfront land in South Florida and just retire off of the earnings.

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Very cap friendly deal for a guy that I feel will be better for us than Thomas at the ILB spot.

 

[AdamJT13]

I just noticed that I neglected to mention that if we don't exercise the option, his base salaries in 2010, 2011 and 2012 increase by $400,000 each. That was already factored into the cap numbers I listed for him if we don't exercise the option.

 

[Beast_from_East]

Very cap friendly contract, Stephen Jones is a freaking master of the cap!!!!

 

[AKATheRake]

Serious flexibility.

 

[CATCH17]

We are already discussing his departure. :bang2:

 

[AbeBeta]

Very cap friendly contract, Stephen Jones is a freaking master of the cap!!!!

No, he's pretty much the same as the other 31 contract guys in the league -- and all of them get serious help from agents in structuring. Seriously folks, this is not brain surgery. Any moderately intelligent person could do this well.

People laugh and think Snyder is an idiot but he's continually got the scratch to sign guys, often to deals that are just as cap friendly as ours -- his only problem is trading away picks which is a completely different issue.

 

[AdamJT13]

No, he's pretty much the same as the other 31 contract guys in the league

More like 29 others. The Bengals and Cardinals don't even try.