Norm Hitzges 2014 plan sucks

[jterrell]

we SHOULD be doing the cuts we need to make. Restructuring Romo is like saying, "we know we have to cut players, but if we take from another, we can possible keep some bad players" No, i dont want that, i want the forced cuts, cut from the team. FA is not saving us this year, and its not like theres a cheap player we can say "well if we get him this year, we can keep him long term" Unless he comes real cheap.

This should be the year of "the hammer falls". We can draft some players and throw them in and we can sign cheap fa guys to fill the gaps. Other than that, nothing else we can really do BECAUSE we got ourselves into this mess, if everyone is right about the cap hell, which happens every year. Two, we are NOT making the playoffs next season, so we dont have to jump on that ship. You have nothing to look forward to as an organization. so this is the year to drop teh hammer and get everything in order to go forward and NOT end up in this mess.

Not sure you or Norm are aware of the math but not restructuring Romo is basically stupid in a cap context.

Romo is already guaranteed 41M for 2014/2015.
Eating his base is pointless. Yes it avoids pushing about 5m off to 2016 and beyond but that 5M is meaningless given his totals.

There is an argument to be made for cutting Ware. He is a declining player and you can free up 7.5M plus get rid of all future money owed.
That's a hard pill to swallow but it is at least something to consider.

Not restructuring Romo is not even a consideration.

Under Norm's plan we are just under 5m OVER the cap until June 1st which means yea we can't go that route.
Miles June 1st move takes us only 300k under the cap so we'd not be able to sign our 1st or 2nd round picks.

 

[KB1122]

I mean last year, we were told, oh, we have to extend Romo to get under the cap for the 2013. Now you say we have to restructure to be able to do whatever it is you want to do this year. And that will force us to commit further in time to a declining player.

 

[Nightman]

The Cowboys have been rebuilding for the last 3 years.

There are 5 players on the offensive line, there are 4 on the defensive line. Of which 1 is already gone, and 2 others are free agents, and the other is heavily overpaid.

The offensive line was a completely different scenario. And honestly we took things entirely too slow with the offensive line getting guys like Bernadeau and Livings, and we put a guy like Costa in a starting position when he wasn't at all prepared for it. In other words we did little to nothing the first year to actually reform the oline. We also didn't have the same amount of money tied up in the oline as we did the d-line.

We've rebuilt every position on our team outside of QB and defensive line. It's the last thing we need to do, and it can be done in a year, just ask Seattle.

Sign a total of 3 new DL guys, either 2 FAs and a draft pick or 2 draft picks and a FA
Depending on step 1, Ware can stay or go
Selvie and Hayden can stay as rotational guys
Crawford and Bass come back as depth
Get lucky on a TC cut or UDFA
Done and done

 

[jterrell]

I mean last year, we were told, oh, we have to extend Romo to get under the cap for the 2013. Now you say we have to restructure to be able to do whatever it is you want to do this year. And that will force us to commit further in time to a declining player.

the short answer is yes.

stephen jones has chosen to create "scheduled restructures".
they are built in well in advance and are basically mandatory to operate.

you can work around some of them but romo is simply too large a figure to handle that way.
no team in football is seeing a franchise qb walk away and not eat large cap hits.

plenty to complain about with guys like ratliff or miles but romo is simply being handled how franchise QBs his age are handled.

dallas could have dumped romo last year and went with the nuclear option; the guaranteed money to romo prevents that for 3 years from the day he signed.

 

[Venger]

Releasing Ware constitutes rebuilding.

Does it? I disagree. Ware has gone down production wise so much, I think it's just a move that is honest in it's analysis of bang for the buck. That's not to say we still ARE rebuilding - an team that is perpetually .500 has to do something - but I don't think Ware factors into that equation much anymore, his on the field presence and production are just too low.

The best time to draft Romo's replacement is after we've addressed the needs on the offensive and defensive line. Namely 2015 or 2016

Folks are so insistent on getting Romo's replacement NOW as if that replacement is the missing piece on a top level team. It's not. We aren't good WITH Romo, we won't be with his replacement. As you correctly state, this team has to get better from the lines out, and soon.

I guess the question is can this team EVER get healthy fiscally and on the roster with huge dead weight contracts and cap hits. Which poison is most toxic, eating the Romo hit now so we are better for the future, or reworking the contract so it's easier for us to work the toxic cap numbers out of the system over time. I guess Norm thinks we've tried the latter too much, it's time to go for the former and see the next few years as the wash they likely were to be anyways...

 

[jblaze2004]

We need a backup QB. Draft one........

this. Why have 2 qb's 30+ smh. If we have a old qb we should have a young back up learning the ropes. Or organization is just backwards. We cut people or try to trade them when its too late, we hand out ridiculous contracts and never learn from it, and we do things that make you say ***. We have too much money tied up in the qb position. Orton is probably the hightest paid back up qb in the league.

 

[conner01]

I like Norm's plan lots! We have to get out of the business of borrowing money from Romo and Ware's contracts. They are aged and running out of time. It stinks to be paying for them long after they are home enjoying retirement. I am not crazy about borrowing some cap space from Witten's contract either but he is a better bet than Romo and Ware staying healthy. I love ridding of Orton's contract. We can get a cheaper backup who can fill in for Romo for a game or two. If we need a backup longer than that, the season will be crap anyway. I do think we should take a stab at what we did with Doug free and see who would stay around for less.

one small little problem with his plan is it does'nt get you under the salary cap

 

[xwalker]

His plan...

Don't restructure Romo

Cut DeMarcus Ware
Cut Miles Austin in June
Essentially cut Kyle Orton (he said to trade him for a 7th, not sure that Orton wouldn't have a no trade policy)
Cut Costa
Cut Durant

Restructure Witten and Lee

By not restructuring Romo not only are you saying you don't believe in Romo, but you're also saying that you're give up on the rest of his career, because according to overthecap, this would give us about 500k dollars in cap space, and I'm not sure that includes the rookie pool, and any free agents you would have to sign to replace certain players, for instance you would have to get a backup QB...

If this team wants to do anything next year and more importantly in the next couple years, you have no choice but to restructure Romo. Restructuring Romo saves 10 million dollars against the cap. That is going to be necessary, especially pre June 1st in order to get some money for free agents.

Like I've been saying with Ware, I think we really only have two options with him, especially if he won't take a massive pay cut. That is release him from the get go, or release him in June. Releasing him from the offset frees up 7 million this year, and 17 million next year. Releasing him in June on the other hand frees up 12 million this year (though only after June 1st) and 12 million next year. I think the cap this year is much tighter for us than it would be next year, so this would really depend on what you want to do in free agency. If you want to be players in March, you'd have to release Ware early and take the full hit this year.

Releasing Ware in February and restructuring Romo in February would open up about 17 million dollars, but still leave us over the cap. Cutting Miles Austin has to wait until June, and cutting him earlier than that doesn't help us this year.

By restructuring Lee and Witten in addition, you can get us 3 million under the cap, which still doesn't really make us a player in free agency, but that doesn't even include putting the 2nd round tender on Dan Bailey, or putting a tender on Jones.

The biggest decision going forward will be whether or not they restructure Brandon Carr or not, because that is really the move that will be necessary to giving us room to get some people in here. I'm not really in favor of restructuring him, but I think if you can give him a pro bowl defensive line, you'll probably see him play more closely to his salary.

Cutting Austin in June, then reopens things up for us to get a lot of budget help later on.

So the idea that we can go forward without continuing our commitment to Romo, that just isn't realistic. We've made that commitment like it or not. And drafting a QB early also flies against that commitment.

If they're planning on Romo playing in 2014, then it does not really matter if they restructure him or not. His salary will be guaranteed after game 1. If there is extra cap space from restructuring him in 2014, they don't lose it.

Not restructuring Romo just makes doing business difficult.

 

[Eddie]

I have no problem getting under the cap if it means gutting the entire team and tanking in 2014. At least it gives us hope.

 

[Redball Express]

Should we waste the time finding out for years to come or start looking for a new qb to take over?

Me?

I think that with all the quality QBs coming out..we stand an excellent chance of finding a good one with our pics.

Some say like 4th rd..but I think you are gambling again and we usually end up losing that gamble with poor results.

Like with Aikman..you have step up and take a quality QB if he falls to 17th or with our #2 pick.

Its time..even trade up.

Our QB situation has just taken a bad turn and it will not improve unless we take a very strong position to fix it.

But knowing what we already know about this team its not about the winning.

Its about the Stadium now and its profitability for the Jones.

If I had seen this coming..I'd just have stayed in Irving at Texas Stadium.

 

[Galian Beast]

Does it? I disagree. Ware has gone down production wise so much, I think it's just a move that is honest in it's analysis of bang for the buck. That's not to say we still ARE rebuilding - an team that is perpetually .500 has to do something - but I don't think Ware factors into that equation much anymore, his on the field presence and production are just too low.



Folks are so insistent on getting Romo's replacement NOW as if that replacement is the missing piece on a top level team. It's not. We aren't good WITH Romo, we won't be with his replacement. As you correctly state, this team has to get better from the lines out, and soon.

I guess the question is can this team EVER get healthy fiscally and on the roster with huge dead weight contracts and cap hits. Which poison is most toxic, eating the Romo hit now so we are better for the future, or reworking the contract so it's easier for us to work the toxic cap numbers out of the system over time. I guess Norm thinks we've tried the latter too much, it's time to go for the former and see the next few years as the wash they likely were to be anyways...

Ware represents probably 25% of the entire defensive starting salary. When you combine replacing his salary with Hatcher, Spencer, and Ratliff... You're probably looking at over 50% of the defensive salary. That I would suggest constitutes rebuilding.

 

[Galian Beast]

If they're planning on Romo playing in 2014, then it does not really matter if they restructure him or not. His salary will be guaranteed after game 1. If there is extra cap space from restructuring him in 2014, they don't lose it.

Not restructuring Romo just makes doing business difficult.

That is my point, though it doesn't just make doing business difficult, it makes it nearly impossible. You would have to make a lot of bad moves to get the team under the cap without restructuring him.

 

[jterrell]

I have no problem getting under the cap if it means gutting the entire team and tanking in 2014. At least it gives us hope.

hope for what?
high draft picks that will only get you to cap hell again by the time they are actually franchise caliber football players?

there are plenty of NFL teams that suck.
thankfully Dallas isn't one of those.

and if it becomes one where exactly is the hope?

not sure i understand how people who feel jerry can't build a mediocre team into a good one think he can build a terrible team into a great one?
maybe we should re-hire campo as head coach too.

 

[xwalker]

That is my point, though it doesn't just make doing business difficult, it makes it nearly impossible. You would have to make a lot of bad moves to get the team under the cap without restructuring him.

Yes, I was agreeing with you and pointing out that Norm is a dufus.

Norm loves to play with numbers, but is really bad at it.

 

[Redball Express]

That is my point, though it doesn't just make doing business difficult, it makes it nearly impossible. You would have to make a lot of bad moves to get the team under the cap without restructuring him.

Restructuring Romo repeatedly was the plan all along.

That's a given.

Listen..

they tried unsuccessfully to do this with Aikman and Deion.

It destroyed this team for about 5-6 years.

Do it again and this team is not going to win again until after 2020..

 

[Venger]

Ware represents probably 25% of the entire defensive starting salary. When you combine replacing his salary with Hatcher, Spencer, and Ratliff... You're probably looking at over 50% of the defensive salary. That I would suggest constitutes rebuilding.

I guess I look at rebuilding not as a salary number but as a roster strategy - I can see removing Ware because we can get more impact from the same salary elsewhere and improve short term and long term competitiveness. When I read "rebuild" I see "screw this mess, it all has to go cause we ain't winning with any of it"...

 

[Bluefin]

I guess I look at rebuilding not as a salary number but as a roster strategy - I can see removing Ware because we can get more impact from the same salary elsewhere and improve short term and long term competitiveness. When I read "rebuild" I see "screw this mess, it all has to go cause we ain't winning with any of it"...

Jason Garrett is trying to rebuild the roster and compete with his veteran core at the same time.

There are only 8 players currently under contract who are 30 or older or will turn 30 this year.

Tony Romo, L.P. Ladouceur, Kyle Orton, Demarcus Ware, Jason Witten, Doug Free, Miles Austin and Tyler Clutts.

Austin is in danger of being released (I'd rather he take a big pay cut to stay as depth) and Ware is at least being discussed (though I feel he's safe).

Clutts is a fringe player unlikely to make the opening 53 this September.

Orton and Free's contracts are designed to void following the 2014 season, so neither is a long term option unless something changes.

The team is married to Romo, he isn't going anywhere.

L.P. Ladouceur is fantastic at his job and under contract through 2017, but Dallas can part with him at any time.

Jason Witten looks safe for the next 2-3 years, but can be released as soon as 2015, if needed.

And Ware is year to year.

There isn't anyone else on the roster right now waiting to take Ware's job, so I expect him to stay (salary reduction, straight restructure or reduction/restructure combination).

Drafting someone to groom behind Ware for 1-2 years is the biggest need on the team, IMO.

 

[jterrell]

Jason Garrett is trying to rebuild the roster and compete with his veteran core at the same time.

There are only 8 players currently under contract who are 30 or older or will turn 30 this year.

Tony Romo, L.P. Ladouceur, Kyle Orton, Demarcus Ware, Jason Witten, Doug Free, Miles Austin and Tyler Clutts.

Austin is in danger of being released (I'd rather he take a big pay cut to stay as depth) and Ware is at least being discussed (though I feel he's safe).

Clutts is a fringe player unlikely to make the opening 53 this September.

Orton and Free's contracts are designed to void following the 2014 season, so neither is a long term option unless something changes.

The team is married to Romo, he isn't going anywhere.

L.P. Ladouceur is fantastic at his job and under contract through 2017, but Dallas can part with him at any time.

Jason Witten looks safe for the next 2-3 years, but can be released as soon as 2015, if needed.

And Ware is year to year.

There isn't anyone else on the roster right now waiting to take Ware's job, so I expect him to stay (salary reduction, straight restructure or reduction/restructure combination).

Drafting someone to groom behind Ware for 1-2 years is the biggest need on the team, IMO.

this was a good and informative post without being crazy on either side of the aisle.

 

[slomoxn]

As much as I see your Points about defense, you have to acknowledge that Tony is more than likely never going to be the same guy again. I've always been a Romo apologist, but it's time to see that it's coming to an end...two back surgeries in one year is not good...

I have to agree with this statement. Romo was playing scared at times last year, and even though I understand a stout dl helps keep leads they can't help Romo when he gets hit. If he starts experiencing pain again and starts ducking when at normal times he is running, or overthrowing, underthrowing receivers as he did last year no amount of a stout dl is going to help him mentally. Especially if he gets hitt especially hard. If one of the stud QB's coming out this year falls to them I think they should take him aand go DL right after. That doesn't mean trade up but if one falls to them.

 

[big dog cowboy]

There is an argument to be made for cutting Ware.

That's putting it mildly.