OverTheCap: Best & Worst Contracts: The Dallas Cowboys

[Califan007]

http://overthecap.com/best-worst-contracts-the-dallas-cowboys/

Here's something non-Romo for you guys to discuss lol...

Best Contract: Jason Hatcher
Dallas took a rare cautious approach to re-signing one of their own when they came to terms with Hatcher in 2011 after he could not find another home in free agency. Hatcher played out 2010 on the RFA tag and had the potential to be a decent rotational player on a team filled with high priced talent. Dallas more or less matched the production with his salary, guaranteeing him $1.8 million over three years on a $6 million dollar contract. Hatcher would expand his role in 2011 after signing his deal and show flashes of being a very vital player in their defensive scheme....

Worst Contract: Jay Ratliff
There are a number of places to go with this pick, but of all the bad, player friendly deals on the Cowboys none was worse than 2011 contract extension given to Ratliff. The extension of Ratliff typifies the good of Jerry Jones the owner and the bad of Jerry Jones the GM. As a player there is little worse than outperforming your contract, seeing inferior players getting paid, and knowing there is nothing you can do to help the situation. Jones doesn’t hold his players to those deals, generously opening the wallet to compensate his players for their performance. It is why players like playing in Dallas so much and why they will always be an attractive destination for free agents. Unfortunately in a salary cap league a GM that operates that way does nothing but dig a hole for his team that gets deeper and deeper every season, culminating in the bubble bursting and having a Raiders like purge of $50 million in dead money....

Lots more at the link...

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I agree with their takes on the best & worst.

 

[xwalker]

http://overthecap.com/best-worst-contracts-the-dallas-cowboys/

Here's something non-Romo for you guys to discuss lol...

Lots more at the link...

That's a good website.

If Ratliff can stay healthy, I think he can live up to the contract this year playing the 3-tech in Kiffin's scheme.

When healthy the past couple of years, he was still very explosive as an interior pass rusher but started having problems against the run. Moving from 3-4 NT to the 3-tech in Kiffin's scheme could revitalize his career. It's very difficult to double-team the 3-tech in Kiffin's 4-3-under alignment. It will be even more difficult with Ware lined up next to him at the Weak-Side DE spot.

If teams try to bring the Center to help, he has to take several steps over to reach the 3-tech. This would create a huge hole in the middle of the line where a LB could blitz the QB untouched.

If teams try using both a RB and TE to block Ratliff and Ware, then there's 2 less threats in the passing game and a LB is probably freed up to blitz.

The key to keeping Ratliff healthy is to keep him off the practice field as much as possible. I've been to many training camps and have watched the DL drills standing on the field about 10 yards away. Ratliff's intensity in those drills is on a completely different level than everybody else. Training camp is also where he got injured last season. I would prefer to minimize his practice time and have him healthy for game 1. I realize it's a new defense, but I'd prefer him healthy and learning on the fly in real games instead of getting injured during camp.

 

[xwalker]

I didn't see a link on the site to teams like the Commanders, but I found it putting "Best & Worst Contracts: Commanders" into google.

 

[Califan007]

I didn't see a link on the site to teams like the Commanders, but I found it putting "Best & Worst Contracts: Commanders" into google.

They had Chris Chester as "best" and London Fletcher as "worst".

Unfortunately they don't update the links at the bottom of the screen...so since the other teams in the NFC East hadn't been written about at the time they wrote about the Cowboys, the links don't show up in the Dallas article.

 

[AbeBeta]

Ratliff could be decent deal if he is healthy. This defense really fits his skills.

 

[iceman117]

Miles Austin might be the worst , or at least it was. He restructured it so I don't know exactly what it is now but when he signed it was like 5 years 45 million, that 8 million a year, and from the moment he signed the deal his game tools a couple steps back along with his health

 

[HanD]

Ratliff was probably the best value on the roster before we prematurely extended him. His first extension from the rookie deal was a great move.

 

[Vinnie2u]

Marion Barber is the worst contract by far.

 

[TheCount]

Marion Barber is the worst contract by far.

Not worse than Ratliff. Barber's contract was up or soon to be. Ratliff got an extension with years off for no reason at all.

 

[jterrell]

Not worse than Ratliff. Barber's contract was up or soon to be. Ratliff got an extension with years off for no reason at all.

it reads that way but how true is that?
was ratliff going to continue to play at that rate?
probably not.
he'd have held out and eventually demanded a trade.

ratliff is a guy with major nastiness. he gave us enormous return on investment.

he was guaranteed 18m which is bananas compared to many other guys.

the worst contract is miles austins. especially since it cost us 10m in cap penalties.

ratliff is arguably 2nd or 3rd worst now but orlando scandrick and doug free(even after reduced salary) arevery much in that conversation.