Salary Cap Calculations for 2014

[xwalker]

I have calculated the 2014 cap numbers. I know there were reports of the Cowboys being 31M over, but by my calculations they are only 18.8M over prior to any restructures. This includes dead-money from cutting Ratliff (6.9M) and from a few other players.

Rule of 51 (the off-season cap rule): 141M
Projected 2014 cap: 123M
Over: (141M-123M) 18.8M

Savings from Restructures
Romo: 10,128,000
Carr: 5,328,000
Witten: 3,328,000
Lee: 3,728,000
Scandrick: 2,128,000

Total Savings from Restructures Above: 24.64M

Restructure Savings - Over = 24.64M - 18.8M = 5.84M

The 1st year of Brandon Carr's 50M contract had a cap hit of 3.6M. That is 7.2% of the total contract value.

Using the 5.84M available and using the 7.2% from Carr's contract as an estimate for the 1st year cap hit, they can sign players to 80M total contract value for a 1st year cap hit of 5.84M.

June 1st Cuts:
Ware: 2014 Cap Savings 12.25M
Austin: 2014 Cap Savings 5.5M
Total Ware/Austin 17.75M

Summary: They can sign free agents for a total contract value of about 80M and then free up 17.75M on June 1st to sign draft picks and give new contracts to players like Dez and Tyron Smith.

 

[perrykemp]

Didn't they restructure Carr this year as well? How much of his $50m contact is being pushed into the future?

Doesn't that eventually become a major issue -- especially if a player ends up not deserving that future money?

 

[StarBoyz83]

Hmmmm maybe they will have the money to fix the defense this offseason.

 

[xwalker]

Didn't they restructure Carr this year as well? How much of his $50m contact is being pushed into the future?

Doesn't that eventually become a major issue -- especially if a player ends up not deserving that future money?

They can carry most of the extra 17.75M forward into future years. The drafts picks replace other players that are already counting against the cap; therefore, it only requires 2M to 3M additional to sign them. That leaves about 15M to carry forward or use to re-sign other players.

Dead-money does build up when restructuring players; however, when those players are cut or their contract ends, not having their large base salaries often offsets the dead-money. They have been pushing money forward with Ware, but his base salary is still more than the dead-money; therefore, when the cut him the lack of his base salary more than offsets the dead-money.

In a few years, Romo will be gone and replaced by some young QB with a low base salary. They can clean up the salary cap then.

 

[maxdallasfan]

I think extending Dez will be a mistake. He's going to want Megatron type money, and IMO, a WR isn't worth that much.

This organization has got to stop putting all of their eggs in only a few baskets.

 

[perrykemp]

I think extending Dez will be a mistake. He's going to want Megatron type money, and IMO, a WR isn't worth that much.

This organization has got to stop putting all of their eggs in only a few baskets.

They need to resign Dez but he doesn't deserve anything close to Megatron money at this point in his career.

Going to be a tough call for the organization. Luckily they signed him to a 5 year rookie contract so they can play out next and see how he does, and if absolutely needed, franchise him until they are ready to make a decision.

 

[LatinMind]

They need to resign Dez but he doesn't deserve anything close to Megatron money at this point in his career.

Going to be a tough call for the organization. Luckily they signed him to a 5 year rookie contract so they can play out next and see how he does, and if absolutely needed, franchise him until they are ready to make a decision.

His first yr will not be a big number. Thats the good thing.

 

[jterrell]

I have calculated the 2014 cap numbers. I know there were reports of the Cowboys being 31M over, but by my calculations they are only 18.8M over prior to any restructures. This includes dead-money from cutting Ratliff (6.9M) and from a few other players.

Rule of 51 (the off-season cap rule): 141M
Projected 2014 cap: 123M
Over: (141M-123M) 18.8M

Savings from Restructures
Romo: 10,128,000
Carr: 5,328,000
Witten: 3,328,000
Lee: 3,728,000
Scandrick: 2,128,000

Total Savings from Restructures Above: 24.64M

Restructure Savings - Over = 24.64M - 18.8M = 5.84M

The 1st year of Brandon Carr's 50M contract had a cap hit of 3.6M. That is 7.2% of the total contract value.

Using the 5.84M available and using the 7.2% from Carr's contract as an estimate for the 1st year cap hit, they can sign players to 80M total contract value for a 1st year cap hit of 5.84M.

June 1st Cuts:
Ware: 2014 Cap Savings 12.25M
Austin: 2014 Cap Savings 5.5M
Total Ware/Austin 17.75M

Summary: They can sign free agents for a total contract value of about 80M and then free up 17.75M on June 1st to sign draft picks and give new contracts to players like Dez and Tyron Smith.

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/cap-hit/2014/

Your numbers are probably off by a lot.

 

[jterrell]

His first yr will not be a big number. Thats the good thing.

Every year will be pretty big because the bonus will be quite large.
Dez isn't the best WR in football but he's in the elite group of young, coveted guys.

You can probably get Dez in for a 4 or 5 m hit the first couple years but that's still large pay raise.

For comparison's sake Sean Lee has no cap hit years of below 4.5M.
He has another "scheduled" restructure next year that will put him at about 4m cap hit though.

That's best scenario for Dez in year 1 of a new deal.

 

[Alexander]

They need to resign Dez but he doesn't deserve anything close to Megatron money at this point in his career.

Going to be a tough call for the organization. Luckily they signed him to a 5 year rookie contract so they can play out next and see how he does, and if absolutely needed, franchise him until they are ready to make a decision.

Correct. It is about time that Jerry and Stephen Jones both learned that sometimes they need to take a risk on the opposite side of the spectrum rather than having free candy for everyone.

 

[TobiasEagle77]

Does AdamJT still post here? His numbers are usually more accurate than anything the media puts out.

 

[Stash]

I have calculated the 2014 cap numbers. I know there were reports of the Cowboys being 31M over, but by my calculations they are only 18.8M over prior to any restructures. This includes dead-money from cutting Ratliff (6.9M) and from a few other players.

Rule of 51 (the off-season cap rule): 141M
Projected 2014 cap: 123M
Over: (141M-123M) 18.8M

Savings from Restructures
Romo: 10,128,000
Carr: 5,328,000
Witten: 3,328,000
Lee: 3,728,000
Scandrick: 2,128,000

Total Savings from Restructures Above: 24.64M

Restructure Savings - Over = 24.64M - 18.8M = 5.84M

The 1st year of Brandon Carr's 50M contract had a cap hit of 3.6M. That is 7.2% of the total contract value.

Using the 5.84M available and using the 7.2% from Carr's contract as an estimate for the 1st year cap hit, they can sign players to 80M total contract value for a 1st year cap hit of 5.84M.

June 1st Cuts:
Ware: 2014 Cap Savings 12.25M
Austin: 2014 Cap Savings 5.5M
Total Ware/Austin 17.75M

Summary: They can sign free agents for a total contract value of about 80M and then free up 17.75M on June 1st to sign draft picks and give new contracts to players like Dez and Tyron Smith.

Firstly, thanks very much for the time and effort you've put into this. Nice work.

One restructure I'm concerned about is Brandon Carr's.

If this team is determined to stick with this Tampa 2 defense, I don't think it makes sense to restructure Carr's deal.

Not fair to him to play in a scheme he didn't sign up found isn't well-suited for, and it doesn't make sense to pay big money for corners in such a passive role.

If they're switching back to the 3-4, I can somehow see it.

Otherwise, no way. Take your lumps and get out of it.

 

[xwalker]

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/cap-hit/2014/

Your numbers are probably off by a lot.

They are showing 57 players on that page. They only count 51 players against the cap in off-season.

If you think my numbers are off, you need to show it.

 

[jterrell]

Correct. It is about time that Jerry and Stephen Jones both learned that sometimes they need to take a risk on the opposite side of the spectrum rather than having free candy for everyone.

They franchised Spencer twice and that's went well... /sarcasm

Dez is our best young offensive player and they nee dot either re-sign him or trade him.
Franchising him is a worst case scenario.
He doesn't handle head games very well and that is one big head trip.
Besides it cost more on the cap to franchise him than to extend him and we don't have cap to play with.

If you want to save cap space cut Witten/Miles June 2nd and force a Ware restructure.
Attack olde rmon

Does AdamJT still post here? His numbers are usually more accurate than anything the media puts out.

If I recall he stated he no longer gets the numbers he used to.
He posts here irregularly and no longer maintains a cap page here.
There are very solid numbers up on websites such as spotrac.com.
Any differences are usually small technical details that could go either way.

 

[Picksix]

This may sound sacrilege, but I wouldn't restructure Witten. The guy can still play, and probably for another few years. But I'd seriously consider moving on from him as well. Won't happen, because he's still a good player, Romo loves him, and he's done so much for the community. I just think his money can be better spent elsewhere. I understand that cutting him this year wouldn't save anything (unless he was a June 1 cut), but restructuring all but guarantees more years and more money backed up. Unless I really needed the cap space, I'd pay him next year, and then let him go.

 

[jterrell]

They are showing 57 players on that page. They only count 51 players against the cap in off-season.

If you think my numbers are off, you need to show it.

and every player you cut adds the next player's salary.

 

[NJ22]

They are showing 57 players on that page. They only count 51 players against the cap in off-season.

If you think my numbers are off, you need to show it.

Good job. You show a 12.5 mil savings for cutting Ware. What is the projected dead money from the cuts?

 

[cowboys1981]

Incredible work put in. Could we afford, Jared Allen and Linval Joseph??? I would love these two and they could bolster our Dline, Joseph would long term.

 

[LatinMind]

Restructuring Romo next yr will kill this team in 2015.

 

[xwalker]

Firstly, thanks very much for the time and effort you've put into this. Nice work.

One restructure I'm concerned about is Brandon Carr's.

If this team is determined to stick with this Tampa 2 defense, I don't think it makes sense to restructure Carr's deal.

Not fair to him to play in a scheme he didn't sign up found isn't well-suited for, and it doesn't make sense to pay big money for corners in such a passive role.

If they're switching back to the 3-4, I can somehow see it.

Otherwise, no way. Take your lumps and get out of it.

That would be a 4.7M cap hit in 2014 and a 12.2M cap hit in 2015.

They need to make the scheme fit the players. Kiffin indicated that he wanted his defense to be similar to Seattle's. Carr is a good fit for what Seattle does with their defense.

I don't think the coverage that Kiffin is using this season is what he really wants to run if he has the correct players. I think he has Carr in zone, not because that's best for Carr, but to try to cover up deficiencies at other positions.