Here is my end of year pre-NFL Combine take on the moves da'Boys should make, salary cap implications of each potential move, and our current cap situation going into
2018. The correct moves will cement the Cowboys as NFL Super Bowl favorites over the next half decade. I've included my 2018 Free Agent Moves, Mock Draft, Depth Chart
and resulting Scheme Charts.
I've said and still believe that 'addition by addition' is the way to consistency in NFL football, and in 2017 the front office should have kept the core of the team together adding
a select few pieces.The move to allow the 4 DB's to walk was foolish. Church could have been retained for the difference in Hannah and Heath's salaries; and a Lance Dunbar and Nolan Carroll contract keeps Carr in the fold This would have allowed far better continuity and therefore was a bad move we should not duplicate in 2018.
This also holds true in the off seasons reasoning in keeping the coaching staff in tact with strategic moves with the position coaches to bring a bit more creativity in times of adversity when the boys can't simply "Roll-Tide" the opponent. We have the talent and proved it in 2016 with a 13-3 record. With a rededication to using our current roster's players to the best of their respective skill sets, the adding of a few select pieces in free agency and the draft and maintaining of continuity, even with a coaching staff that often times makes the fan base cringe, the Cowboys are in fact a championship caliber team.
Dallas Cowboys 2017 Roster : The Cap, Resignings, Free Agency, Draft and Depth Charts.
2018 CAP PROJECTION: $178 Million Projected 2018: $190
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Free Agency: SUGGESTED RESIGNING AND CONTRACTS ( In order of importants )
SonnyBono's Suggested Free Agent Signings:
( Swing Tackle ) Andrea Smith 6'4 335 3 yrs / 12 million 8g { 3SB - 1, 3, RB1 -4 } $2.0 Cap Hit Bell
( 5th Corner: Thomas, White, FA 6'0+ 195+ ) 1 yrs / 1.5 million ( Sterling Moore type )
SonnyBono's Suggested Free Agent Re-Signings:
DeMarcus Lawrence FT $17 mil Tender | Contract: 6 yrs / 90 mill 46g- { 18SB, 3, 10, 11, 4B 10, 16, 18 } $6 Mill Cap Hit
Zack Martin 6 yrs / 62.0 mill | Contract: 6 yrs / 66 mill 43g- { 15SB, 1, 8, 9, 10, RB3 - 8, RB3 - 9 } $3.5 Mill Cap Hit
David Irvin RFA $4.1 million 1st Rd Tender | Contract: 4 yrs 30 million { 5SB - 1, 7, 8, 9 } $2.25 Mill Cap Hit
Anthony Hitchen 3 yrs / 15 million 8g - { 3SB - 1, 3, RB1- 4 + 3 mill Incentives } $2 mill Cap Hit
Jonathan Cooper 2 yrs / 5.0 million 2g { 1SB - 1, B.5 -2.5 } $1.5 Cap Hit Looney
Donte Jones 1 yr / .8 million
J.P Ladouceur 3 yrs / 3.5 million { .5SB 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 }
Keith Smith RFA 3 yrs / 5 million { .5SB - 1.25, 1.5, 1.75 }
Joe Looney 1 yr / 1.25 million Cooper becomes looney if the 2nd pick beats him out
Byron Bell 1 yr / 2.25 million Bell and Green in a camp battle, two men enter one man leaves
John Hanna 3.5 ( +2.75 ) 2.75 is a lot for what Hannah does with Rico coming
Vince Mayowa 3.5 ( +2.75 ) must beat out a cheaper tapper ONLY if Gregory is reinstated
Kyle Wilber 1 yr / 1.25 million could re-up him
Brice Butler 1 yr / 2.25 million
Alfred Morris Smith
Justin Durant Smith
Cooper Rush ERFA
( No Dez Bryant or Tyrone Crawford pay cuts )
Restructures/ Extensions: ( 2019 )
Dez Bryant ( 16.5 cap hit / 4 dead $ ) < 4 yrs $52 mill extension: ( 8B-4.5, 10.5, 12.5, rb2.5-12.5 + 4pb ) $10.5 Cap Hit (+5.5 )
Tyrone Crawford ( 10.1 cap hit / 4.2 dead $ ) < 4 yrs / $30 mil extension: 6SB-1, 7, 8, rb2-6
Byron Jones 4 yrs / 16 million 7 guarantee ~ { 2SB - 1, 3. B1 - 3.5, RB1+4.5 } The defensive Terrence Williams $2 Cap Hit
Cooper Rush 3 yrs / 7.5 million { 2SB 1, 2, 2.5 }
Coal Beasly 2 yrs 7.5 million ( 2SB 2, 3.5 ) Randy Gregory 2 yrs / 4.0 million { 1.5, 2.5 + incentives to 8 millon }
Rod Smith 3 yrs / 7.5 million { 1.5SB 1, 2, 3 }
Damien Wilson 2 yrs / 5 million
Benson Mayowa
Chaz Green
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SonnyBono's 2018 Mock Draft: ( Cowboy Exclusive Talent Board )
1st Round Pick ( 19 ) DT Vita Vea 6'4 335 Washinngton Price or Neal ( ps -2 )
Big Strong "Snacks"-type.
OR
1st Round Pick ( 19 ) LB Roquan Smith 6'1 228 Georgia Durant
Best Possible backfill for Lee...137 tkls ( 9 per game ); 14 tfl; 6.5 scks , 2 pbu, 2 ff....Nuff Said.
OR
1st Round Pick ( 19 ) DT Maurice Hurst 6'2 285 Michigan Price or Neal ( ps -2 )
Big Strong "Snacks"-type.
OR
1st Round Pick ( 19 ) S Derwin James 6'3 215 Florida St
Best Safety
OR
1st Round Pick ( 19 ) WR Courtland Sutton 6'4 225 SMU Butler
Brandon Marshall. Not the speed guy everyone wants but damn difficult to deal with -- next to impossible next to Dez
Trade: w/ Pats - PICKS: 19, 80, 112, 134 OR ( Beasley ) {1075+ pts} for PICKS: 32, 43, 96 {1175 pts}
1st Round Pick ( 32 )NE OG Will Hernandez 6'3 340 UTEP
One of the best guards in the draft; a big, strong, mean guy to open holes and keep Dak upright.
1st Round Pick ( ~ ) DE Randy Gregory 6'6 255 Nebraska Ross ps
If Randy is reinstated, he can be an immediate primary right rush end opposite D-Law in the Nickel giving the Cowboys an 8 man rotation that would be among the best in the league. His is akin to an additional 1st Rd Pk.
2nd Round Pick ( 43 )NE WR James Washington 6'0 205 Oklahoma St
I settle between Kirk, Sutton.. He gets open and makes plays - nuff said.
ALT: RB Raashard Penny 5'11 220 San Diego St
ALT: WR Christian Kirk 5'11 200 Texas A&M Butler
ALT: OG/C Franck Ragnow 6'4 325 Arkansas Looney
2nd Round Pick ( ~ ) TE Rico Gather 6'7 290 Baylor Hannah > Jarwin
Already more of a down field threat than Witten; a physical freak at 6'7 290 - 4.7 forty....a match up nightmare.
2nd Round Pick ( 50 ) DT Tim Settle 6'3 335 Virgina Tech ( +3rd Tackle )
The 0 / 1 many fans crave with more production than Vea. Our "Snacks / Cox"
ALT: RB Sony Michel 5'11 212 Georgia OR ( Derrius Guice 5'11 212 LSU )
ALT: WR D.J. Chark 6'3 192 LSU
ALT: OT Josh Noteboom 6'4 324 TCU
3rd Round Pick ( 96 )NE SS Kyzir White 6'3 220 W. Virginia ( +5th safety )
Atl My guy at safety. One of the hardest hitting safties with fine ball skills.
ALT: WR Michael Gallup 6'1 195 Colorado St
ALT: OG Billy Price 6'3 319 Ohio St
ALT: DT B.J. Hill 6'3 321 North Carolina St
4th Round Pick ( 132comp ) RB Ito Smith 5'9 195 Southern Miss ( Dunbar )
Versatile, durable game breaking 3rd down back who replaces Dunbar in the offense.
ALT: LB Chris Worley 6'2 230 Ohio St Durant
ALT: WR Dante Pettis 6'0 195 Washington
ALT: DT Joshua Frazier 6'3 318 Alabama
4th Round Pick DE Charles Tapper 6'3. 255 Baylor Neal or Mayowa
Tapper is a better 'talent' than Mayowa and has the tools to be a double digit sack guy.
5th Round Pick ( 170comp ) LB Kenny Young 6'1 235 UCLA Durant
ALT: OG//C Maea Teuhema 6'4 320 SE Lousiana
ALT: DT Reggie McKenzie Jr 6'3 325 Tennessee
ALT: RB Roc Thomas 5'10 195 Jacksonville St
5th Round Pick ( 172comp ) OLB Uchenna Nwosu 6'3 242 USC Wilber
ALT: OG/C Taylor Hearn 6'4 324 Clemson
ALT: DT Folorunso Fatukasi 6'4 313 Connecticut
6th Round Pick ( 192 ) TE Ethan Wolfe 6'6 252 Tennessee Hannah < Jarwin ( ps )
Witten's Alumni Progject
ALT: DT Greg Gilmore 6'4 315 LSU ( 1-tech 5th Tackle - ps )
7th Round Pick ( 210 ) OT Brett Toth 6'6 306 Army
2 year project.
Priority Free Agents
QB Nic Shimonek 6'3 225 Texas Tech Moore ( ps )
Practice Squad ( scout team ) QB
RB Lavon Coleman 5'11 228 Washington ( ps )
WR Jester Weah 6'1 210 Pitt ( ps )
OG/C Larry Allen Jr 6'4 289 Harvard ( ps )
Practice Squad. Legacy, Legacy, Legacy....
LB Jack Cichy 6'2 232 Wisconsin ( ps )
LB Brett Taylor 6'1 230 W. Illinois ( ps )
LB Eric Boggs 6'2 236 Appalachian St ( ps )
CB Devron Davis 6'0 205 UT-San Antonia ( ps )
CB JaMarcus King 6'2 18 South Carolina ( ps )
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2018 SonnyBono Projected Depth Chart:
Special Teams: ( 3 ) Bailey, Johnson, Ladocouer
Offense: 24
QB ( 2 ) Prescott, Rush PS: 1 Nic Shimonek
RB ( 3 ) Elliot, Smith, Smith PS: 1 Lavon Coleman
FB ( 1 ) Smith
WR ( 6 ) Bryant, ( Washington ), Williams, Beasley, Brown, Switzer PS: 1 Lance Lenoir
TE ( 4 ) ( Gathers ), Witten, Swain, Jarwin PS: 1 Ethan Wolfe
OL ( 8 ) Smith, ( Hernadez ), Freddrick, Martin, Collins, ( Smith ), Cooper, Green OR Bell
PS: 2 Parker, Allen Jr
Defense: 26
DE ( 4-5 ) Mayowa, ( Tapper ), OR Gregory ( R )
Lawrence, Charleton ( L )
DL ( 3 ) Irvin, Crawford , Jones
DT ( 3 ) ( Settle ), Collins, Ash
LB ( 5 ) Smith, Lee, Hitchens, Wilson, ( Nwosu ), ( Young )
SS ( 2 ) Frazier(SS) , ( White )(SS/OLB),
FS ( 3 ) Wood(FS/Slot), Huff (FS ), Heath(S)
CB ( 6 ) Awuzie, Jones (CB/TE's), Lewis, Scandrick, Brown, Johnson OR White
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