Let's cut Dez

[jterrell]

It seems to be a suggestion/plan that keeps gaining steam with some around here. I don't get it but let's explore it.

For starters, let's look at the cap implications. If you cut him in the 2018 league year, you take an $8MM dead cap hit but save $8.5MM. If you make him a June 1 designee, that's $4MM in dead money and $12.5MM in cap savings. More than likely, they would want the cap savings immediately because they will have holes to fill in FA.

Now let's look at roster implications.

Bryant is gone. Who is your #1 WR? The answer seems to be "Oh, just draft your new #1". This logic is folly on a few levels. For one, few WRs come in and immediately plant their flag as a legit #1 WR. Second, this isn't a strong draft in terms of WRs to begin with. There is no Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, AJ Green, Dez Bryant type in this draft.

Oh, maybe we can just sign a FA WR. OK...... here are the Top 3 WRs in free agency - Pryor, Wallace and Watkins. Any of those three strike you as legit #1s? Maybe Pryor with his upside but he's going to cost you and eat up whatever cap savings you had with cutting Bryant. And are you really better off with Pryor over Bryant? This might work IF you could get Pryor on a one year deal like Washington has. Little risk in that if he doesn't improve you have no long term implications but I am not sure he makes you better than if you had Bryant.

So I am fascinated by this cut Dez talk. I truly would love to see the plan some of you have come up with that involves cutting Dez and yet still improving the WR corps.

Wish you'd edit the title to something like Problem with cutting Dez...

But I agree 100% with your post.
It's easy to think of the very basic thought of something and execute it.
It's very different to follow a decision to it's logical conclusion.
Well done here on that.

Dez is costly but he's costly whether here or gone. In fact, cheapest cap hit may well be an extension or restructure.

But more importantly what do you lose?
Well Dez is your #1 WR and by a large margin.
TWill is a solid after the catch guy but his hands are a known issue and he's never stepped up with Dez out to prove he can beat CB1 consistently.
Well Brice Butler? Again he's a part-time player here who flashes big plays then disappears. He basically gives you 2 catches a game.
Dez is one of the premiere TD threats in football.
Even now with middling chemistry with the QB and some drops he's still BY FAR your best TD threat outside of Zeke.
In fact it may be Zeke, Dez, Dak, Witten.
Witten may retire, Zeke is one off-field issue of any kind away from a long suspension and teams are keeping Dak in the pocket.
So you really just can;t cut Dez.

What can you do?

Ask him to to extend at less money.

Dez is signed for 2018 and 2019 at 12.5 mil in base but he has a provision that lowers his base 500K for missing work outs and Dez has been missing enough of those workouts to cut ads and other stuff in NYC/Cali that he gives up the 500k.
So let's use 12m and split the difference.

If you add 3 years at 8, 9, 10M each flip the switch to convert 2018 to min...
Dez would cost you 7M or so in 2018 and less than the dead cap cost to just cut him.
Since you aren't guaranteeing him anymore money (except 2018 base) you aren't even adding REAL money to the deal.

And you of course still go draft a guy in round 1-3. Because that guy needs 1-3 years to become a true number 1.
All the while you have Dez around to score TDs and beat up smaller CBs if he is left on them.

 

[The Natural]

Well we do have a #1 receiver and it is Dez; however; the Cowboys offense does not feature him as a number 1. Plus, the offensive WR routes are basic for Dez. He very rarely run slants or other exotic routes. Dez routes with the Cowboys are very basic. If he goes to another team with a pass friendly offense, I suspect he will be considered a #1.

The funny thing about this is people are bringing up names like Jarvis Landry and one trick pony Sammy Watkins like these coaches would use them any differently.

 

[jterrell]

My plan is to treat Dez like the lifer he is...... but it requires his cooperation

He has 2- 12.5m team options left on his deal but 0m is guaranteed....... I would extend him to lower his pay and cap hit but increase his guaranteed monies to 25m

We would add 3 yr/25m to his deal to make it 5/50 in total with 25m gtd with a 15m signing bonus
This would lower his cap hit for 2018 from 16.5m to 10m with a 3m base salary

His cap hits would be 10m, 11m, 11m, 12m, 14m....... really a 3 yr extension(2018-20) for 30m

He would not be our WR1 and he wouldn't be paid like one...... he could move routes inside and become a possession receiver, taking many of the Witten routes and adding speed and YAC to those routes

Doing it a bit different than you but same idea.
Reduce his cap hits by extending him.
Ask him to lower future salary demands as he ages and he has a far better chance of actually earning that money.

 

[jwooten15]

My plan is to treat Dez like the lifer he is...... but it requires his cooperation

He has 2- 12.5m team options left on his deal but 0m is guaranteed....... I would extend him to lower his pay and cap hit but increase his guaranteed monies to 25m

We would add 3 yr/25m to his deal to make it 5/50 in total with 25m gtd with a 15m signing bonus
This would lower his cap hit for 2018 from 16.5m to 10m with a 3m base salary

His cap hits would be 10m, 11m, 11m, 12m, 14m....... really a 3 yr extension(2018-20) for 30m

He would not be our WR1 and he wouldn't be paid like one...... he could move routes inside and become a possession receiver, taking many of the Witten routes and adding speed and YAC to those routes

I think that's a really good idea, all the way around. And I bet Dez would agree to that, especially with the added guaranteed $

 

[Stash]

My plan is to treat Dez like the lifer he is...... but it requires his cooperation

He has 2- 12.5m team options left on his deal but 0m is guaranteed....... I would extend him to lower his pay and cap hit but increase his guaranteed monies to 25m

We would add 3 yr/25m to his deal to make it 5/50 in total with 25m gtd with a 15m signing bonus
This would lower his cap hit for 2018 from 16.5m to 10m with a 3m base salary

His cap hits would be 10m, 11m, 11m, 12m, 14m....... really a 3 yr extension(2018-20) for 30m

He would not be our WR1 and he wouldn't be paid like one...... he could move routes inside and become a possession receiver, taking many of the Witten routes and adding speed and YAC to those routes

I like this idea, but what would the dead cap number be if you cut him in 2020?

 

[Bullflop]

We can say "let's cut Dez" to our heart's content or not but Jerry has already indicated he's not open to the idea. Could he change his mind? While it seems unlikely at this juncture, who knows if he'd change his thinking if Dez finishes the year with less than good results? Personally, I doubt he'll be cut or traded, although getting a WR very early in the draft might tempt Jerry, Stephen and the offensive staff to reconsider standing pat.

 

[LittleD]

Sold!


But I fully expect these clowns to do just enough to save their own skin while accomplishing nothing more than a worse draft pick.

If they win out, I'll be the first guy to apologize for it.

Right

I like this idea, but what would the dead cap number be if you cut him in 2020?

probably pretty bad but, if you hire Witten as HC and Romo as OC, I'm down.

 

[Stash]

Right


probably pretty bad but, if you hire Witten as HC and Romo as OC, I'm down.

Romo has a better gig than any coaching job he could ask for. He will never leave that for the grind of coaching. Coaches hope to eventually get to where he is, not the other way around.

And that's why once they get there they never come back.

 

[Nightman]

Top 3 WRs in free agency - Pryor, Wallace and Watkins. Any of those three strike you as legit #1s? Maybe

None of these guys are the answer........ we need to draft the best WR we can

A receiving corps of ....... Draft1(Ridley), Dez, Twill, Beasley, Switzer, NBrown is more than enough

 

[theebs]

The local radio stations will not stop talking about how bad the wr are and how beasley needs to be benched and dez released.

Cowboys break keeps saying the same thing, get rid of Dez.

I dont get it, Yes he is being paid for previous accomplishments but that does not mean he has to be released.

the more accurate the qb gets and the more time he has the better all the wr will get.

Butler will be gone at the end of the year and they can draft someone to join the other 4 next year all this release stuff sounds crazy to me.

 

[Nightman]

I like this idea, but what would the dead cap number be if you cut him in 2020?

It would only be 6m.....2m less than right now but 3 cap increases later

 

[Stash]

It would only be 6m.....2m less than right now but 3 cap increases later

Then I'm sold! I like your plan a lot. I think it's a great compromise for both parties.

 

[Risen Star]

This is a weak WR draft. There is no Jones or Green type in this draft unless you get lucky. It isn't about being a #1 right away. It's about the fact that there isn't any WR in this draft that people point to that can definitely be a dominant WR. If this were a loaded WR draft, sure.

IMO, Ridley is that guy. A true #1 in the NFL. An upgrade over Dez Bryant.

 

[Nightman]

I think that's a really good idea, all the way around. And I bet Dez would agree to that, especially with the added guaranteed $

The guarantee is the only way to get his cooperation

He goes from 0 to 25m for 3 years and the extension helps him hide the paycut for his ego

 

[Sydla]

IMO, Ridley is that guy. A true #1 in the NFL. An upgrade over Dez Bryant.

And maybe that's where we disagree. Ridley to me is a good #2. A better version of say Will Fuller, but he's not an AJ Green, Julio Jones, Larry Fitzgerald in his prime two WR.

Plus, I suspect in a weak WR draft, he's going to get overvalued and get picked before we even draft.

 

[dfense]

Let's see, the Cowboys are 25th in passing offense with Dez making big money as their "#1 receiver" so at most we drop 7 places in passing offense without him. Now let's look at some of the top ten teams:

New England, Pittsburgh, Chargers, Detroit, Chiefs, Rams, Seahawks, Vikings - where are all of those "#1 receivers"? Pittsburgh's best is a little guy taken in the 6th round. Adam Thielen? Chris Hogan? Tyreek Hill? Golden tate?

You're operating from a flawed premise, leading to a flawed conclusion. Spending a boatload on a big, physical receiver isn't necessary in 2017, unless your coaching staff is intent on running a 1990s offense.

Gee, all those teams have pretty good passers. Coincidence? I think not.....

 

[dfense]

Jarvis Landry. Close thread!

I'd love to get him on the team. tough, baller, plays angry. Dolphins will never let him walk.

 

[birdwells1]

We wouldn't need a great receiver to replace Dez's production per attempt. He's not even played like a top-20 receiver. The team's offense was outstanding in his absence last season.

Maybe there isn't a top-5 receiver in the draft, FA or via trade. That's fine. Don't over-draft one.

Add a couple of viable threats...get a top tight end, a receiver or two later in the draft

Teams are playing Dak differently than they did last year. Beasley and Witten are being taken away.

 

[dfense]

I am in

Send him to Miami for Jarvis Landry .. straight swap ... The name even fits

Who's gonna talk to Jerry?

Lol, then Jarvis's numbers tank as well. What could be the common factor here? QB?

 

[maxdallasfan]

IMO, the shifty RB sneaking out of the backfield is the new #1 WR in today's NFL.

The ultra athletic TE is #2

The big WR is a thing of the past. It's a speed game these days. Not north/south speed, but east/west speed. Quick, not fast.