Pay cut Cowboys will ask Zeke to take will be massive

[ConstantReboot]

It's hard to throw downfield with no time. Zeke provides that time. The others don't.

Nah "Zeke is a better blocker" is so cliche that its already stale.

They also said that about Schultz. They should use Pollard as a passing threat out of the backfield. But Kellen and his patented curl routes got in the way.

 

[Flamma]

Pay it a move along. Zeke is nothing more than excess baggage.

That's what most teams would do. I was just getting the impression people in here thought his pay cut would translate into cap savings. It isn't that simple.

 

[Stash]

That's the problem. Jerry is letting his ego hurt the team. Even he has to see Zeke is washed. But letting him go will be him admitting it was a mistake to resign him

Also the mistake in having his unqualified son handling these huge dollar contracts.

 

[cowboys5xsbs]

Good

 

[irishline]

A 4th rounder makes about $800K. A 3rd rounder makes about $950K. So that’s about where the value discussion starts. Zeke is going to accept that?

Veteran minimum for someone in the league 7 years is more than either of those. Around 1.2 million I believe.

Not saying what he is worth, just where the value discussion would need to start at (from a minimum standpoint).

 

[J12B]

Keep in mind, Pollard is probably the worst pass protector in the NFL. Just awful. That matters.

Pollard is too good of a receiver to keep in pass protection.

No good and creative OC would ever keep Pollard as a pass blocker. It was poor decision making of KM to keep him in as pass protection when it happened.

 

[doomsday9084]

As a Zeke fan I hate to see him go.

As a Cowboys fan that that understands the cap I hope for an outright cut, or massive pay cut.

Since the former and the latter are in conflict, for me the latter always wins out and that should be the case.

I am curious at the actual cap implications on cutting him outright (where Zeke receives no more funds nor guaranteed money) vs keeping Zeke at the vet minimum one more year as the #3 back.

Obviously in total cap dollars the latter costs more. But if his non-prorated SB is not accelerated, would his cap hit be less than if he is cut outright?

I am thinking that Zeke’s cap hit is less this year if he plays for the vet minimum unless he is a June 1 cut. Can someone give specifics on this?

Vet min $1.1m deal would leave him with a $7m cap hit.
Cut pre june 1 would be an $11.8m cap hit
Cut post june 1 would be a $5.8m cap hit

So the salary cost a little more than a post June 1 cut. Any additional salary over vet min adds to this. A $4m salary like some people have said would be a $10m cap hit.

 

[J12B]

Give him top Full Back money.

That seems fair.

 

[ConstantReboot]

- Pollard is not the worst, some don't see enuff around the league to compare him to ...
he's an average blitz blocker overall.. but he's improved from terrible to average. imo

- You have to vary him to where he is Not forced to blitz block every pass play he is in there.
you wouldn't be asking Aaron Jones to blitz block on every pass set.

- That's why you see an Aaron Jones (Packers) receive catch most of pass plays, ...only a small set of must- blitz block plays
while snaps and sets are share-split with the 2nd RB with blitz blocking responsibilities.
Have only a certain packages and sets to where he has to blitz block.

- The coaches here were too spoiled and set in their ways that they had Zeke blitz block on virtually every down, game to game basis.

- But hence, .. even blitz blocking, ...having to absorb hard rushing incoming blitzers so regularly ...also takes a wear and tear pounding toll on the RB bodies
Yet another reason why Zeke was so subject to rapid physical decline.

His decline started when he came back from his vacation from Cabo and signed that big contract. Then he got fat and lazy and never returned to his old form.

Cowboys should have traded him then when he had value. Now he takes up both cap space and a roster spot.

 

[NeonNinja]

Zeke was brilliant at it from day one.

So? Zeke is washed and not worth his salary. Cut and move on.

 

[NeonNinja]

Pollard is too good of a receiver to keep in pass protection.

No good and creative OC would ever keep Pollard as a pass blocker. It was poor decision making of KM to keep him in as pass protection when it happened.

It’s also incorrect about his pass-blocking.

 

[Stash]

Here's the math. Elliott has a $16.7 million cap hit for 2023. That's broken down as follows:

$10.9 million base + $1.5 million prorated signing bonus + $2.6 million prorated option bonus + $1.7 million 2021 restructure

So of his cap hit, $5.8 million are non base salary cap charges they can do nothing about. Even if you cut his base salary to $1 million (which I think is the vet minimum for a guy with his service time), he'd still have a $6.8 million cap charge for 2023. You do save $10 million against the cap but are still carrying a mediocre TB at a $6.8 million cap charge, which isn't all that great.

For informational purposes, if you cut him pre June 1, he's only a $4.9 million cap savings (because you have to advance all that prorated money) or if you make him a June 1 cut, which would save his base of $10.9 million (but again, you technically can't use that cap savings until June 1 because you have to carry Elliott's full cap charge until then). So from a cap perspective, getting him to take vet minimum provides a bit less cap savings but you get it right away. The downside is you still have Elliott on your books and then have to deal with this again next year (it is easier to cut him in 2024). On the flipside, a June 1 cut saves you a bit more but on the downside, you can't use the savings until June 1 and you still have to take a dead money hit in 2024 of around $6 million.

For one year, if you want as much cap savings as possible, getting him to take a massive pay cut makes some sense.

And while he’s clearly not worth big money, he’s also not worthless as sone suggest. The answer as always lies somewhere in between.

I think he can have a role on this team in a power running game. The change to a more finesse offensive line and running game didn’t do a power back any favors.

 

[Coogiguy03]

The things he does well - pass protection, short yardage, goal line, catching the ball, average running ability, and a good knowledge of the game - are worth $3-4 million a year.

I can't imagine any team offering more than that.

HE CATCHES THE BALL WELL, BUT DOESN'T GO ANYWHERE!!! Goes right out of bounds, or gets 1-2 yards!!!

 

[Mr_437]

Tony Pollard or Ezekiel Elliott: How about both? | NFL News, Rankings ... https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-dallas-cowboys-tony-pollard-ezekiel-elliott

Pass blocking debate is an old narrative, and it doesn't hold up anymore.

 

[ESisback]

Zeke is already rich for life, and based on his skill set, NO team would offer more than 3 or 4 mil. If he says no, he’s stupid AND greedy.

 

[Flamma]

Vet min $1.1m deal would leave him with a $7m cap hit.
Cut pre june 1 would be an $11.8m cap hit
Cut post june 1 would be a $5.8m cap hit

So the salary cost a little more than a post June 1 cut. Any additional salary over vet min adds to this. A $4m salary like some people have said would be a $10m cap hit.

I think people are losing sight of this. Either that, or they're worried about Jerry's money.

 

[CowboyoWales]

It depends on the definition of a massive paycut. It could be 5 million less, 10 million less. If I had to guess his market value is in the middle of that number. 7 million may feel high, but realistically that's probably what the market dictates when you look at other contracts. You see guys like James Connor, Nyheim Hines, Leonard Fournette, Rashard Penny, Kareem Hunt in that range. None of those dudes makes you go that's a great running back and Zeke is probably better than all of them at this stage.

His value has to be measured against the draft class. He;s not worth the CAP, not even the post June cut of $5.8m dead money. If he wants to stay, even as a 3rd down short yardage option he needs to restructure to a team friendly deal.

 

[CowboyFrog]

Also the mistake in having his unqualified son handling these huge dollar contracts.

At this point his son is qaulified, the problem is and has been is this FO working with a plan that actually has a goal that wins the SB? Jones JR is probably as qualified as any FO man in the league at this point in the cap of the NFL....we may not like his moves, but he has the knowledgde.

 

[jblaze2004]

dude is trash. We can get a 4th or 5th round back in this years draft to run and catch how Zeke did last year. (They may do it better).

 

[Robster8989]

Zeke played his card when he sat out.
He was under contract (his rooking deal) and felt he was underpaid.
So he held out even though he was under contract. His contract, as the #4 pick in the draft was not even a bad contract, be he was an All Pro and played his card to be paid as such.
I have no problem with that, but now it's time for the organization to play their card.
Zeke's production would be easily replaced by a draft pick making under 1 million a year.
Our 4th round pick last year, Jake Ferguson, has a cap hit this year of 1 mil. The Chiefs drafted Pacheco in the 7th round last year and his hit is also about 1 mil (and they are controlled for 4 years).
I would honestly prefer the draft pick. We know what Zeke brings, hard work but no play making ability. With a draft pick you may get some playmaking ability (see Pacheco).
It's foolish Jones behavior to act otherwise, and even float the idea of a restructure. To me, even if he restructured to the cap hit of a day 3 pick I would prefer the pick. Nothing against Zeke, but his play has faded and it's time to move on.
He didn't hesitate to play his hand when he held out, and we shouldn;t hesitate to move on from him now that his play no longer warrants his contract (and frankly, hasn't for years).