Salary cap Hell

[charron]

1. SALARY CAP HELL ONLY EXISTS IF YOU WANT IT TOO. '
2. THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF WAYS ONE CAN MANIPULATE THE NUMBERS TO REDUCE THE YEARLY CAP NUMBER FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL. MANY MECHANISM ARE BUILT INTO EACH PLAYERS CONTRACT.
3. STEPHEN WANTS YOU TO BELIEVE IN CAP HELL SO HE HAS AN EXCUSE WHY HE CAN NOT BUILD A CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER OR SPEND MONEY LIKE OTHER TEAMS DO.

 

[kskboys]

Other teams do this. There is a way.

You can manipulate the cap. The cowboys have just decided not to all of a sudden

Yup, and that's because all the former cap manipulations have come home to roost, and we desperately need a season to clean it up. Prolly 2.

 

[kskboys]

1. SALARY CAP HELL ONLY EXISTS IF YOU WANT IT TOO. '
2. THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF WAYS ONE CAN MANIPULATE THE NUMBERS TO REDUCE THE YEARLY CAP NUMBER FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL. MANY MECHANISM ARE BUILT INTO EACH PLAYERS CONTRACT.
3. STEPHEN WANTS YOU TO BELIEVE IN CAP HELL SO HE HAS AN EXCUSE WHY HE CAN NOT BUILD A CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER OR SPEND MONEY LIKE OTHER TEAMS DO.

Nope. Sooner or later, those yearly salary cap reductions have to be paid.

 

[Bobhaze]

Other teams do this. There is a way.

You can manipulate the cap. The cowboys have just decided not to all of a sudden

I‘m not convinced the Jones boys know how to manage and manipulate the cap.

Somehow teams like the chiefs (with the highest paid player in the league in Mahomes) find a way to pay Chris Jones a ton, pay their All Pro TE Travis Kelce, and keep a really good roster together. The eagles are paying Jalen Hurts a ton, and somehow they can sign FAs and make trades.

Jerry and son have never had playoff success in the cap era. After three decades I’m convinced they just don’t know how to do it and are too arrogant to admit it. They are master marketers but below average cap managers and roster builders.

 

[kskboys]

Normally it would be Dak because of his age but then you see the value of a QB when the Falcons paid 200 Million for 36 year old injured Kirk Cousins.

Then, the FO has to decide if the team is at a point to win it all in the next 2 years because if not CeeDee may be let go. If the offensive line is a disaster, why pay a WR top 5 money?

Then there is Micah. This is the hardest one in some respect because he's the only one considered to have " generational talent"....... personally I see chhinkks in the armor and I see a mega contract as risky.

I'm gonna take flak for this but, I'd keep Ceedee let Dak go after the season, and deal Micah for a boatload of picks a la Herschel Walker trade and build this puppy over but ONLY with a strong new HC calling the shots

But, if you let Dak walk, Ceedee is useless. As he'll have no QB.

Unfortunately, if we're letting Dak walk, might as well trade the other two and get some major draft picks. Then we can build a juggernaut, like DET did, and like SEA is doing.

 

[kskboys]

I‘m not convinced the Jones boys know how to manage and manipulate the cap.

Somehow teams like the chiefs (with the highest paid player in the league in Mahomes) find a way to pay Chris Jones a ton, pay their All Pro TE Travis Kelce, and keep a really good roster together. The eagles are paying Jalen Hurts a ton, and somehow they can sign FAs and make trades.

Jerry and son have never had playoff success in the cap era. After three decades I’m convinced they just don’t know how to do it and are too arrogant to admit it. They are master marketers but below average cap managers and roster builders.

It's because they can evaluate players and pick the right guys to let walk. The Chiefs knew that Jones makes the D go, so they had to let Tyreek walk.

Tough decisions have to be made, but to make those decisions a team absolutely must have a heady GM who is a master at evaluating both talent and team. We do not.

 

[Creeper]

Other teams do this. There is a way.

You can manipulate the cap. The cowboys have just decided not to all of a sudden

I am not saying yes or no to this point, but I am curious. Do they really do it? I took a look at a few teams to see what their CAP situations are and the teams with the least CAP space do have a couple of high CAP players. But to really understand this question we would have to look at the details of the top contracts for every team.

Let's start with the Chiefs. They have Mahomes, Kelce, and Chris Jones. Mahomes CAP number this year is $37 million. Next year it is $66 million. But his contract goes out to 2031 so they have years to spread his CAP impact out. The Chiefs next to highest CAP players are Joe Thuney and Jawaan Taylor at $26 and $24 million respectively. Next year their CAP numbers are about the same. It will be interesting to see what the Chiefs do with them. Both can be cut for a pretty sizable CAP save. Again, their contracts allow this and the Chiefs avoided pushing CAP money on their contracts into the future so cutting them is easier. Remember, Chris Jones is in the first your of his deal where his CAP number is about $7 million. Next year his CAP number goes up to $35 million. Something has to give in 2025 and my guess is one or both offensive linemen will be cut to make room for the Chiefs other players, Like Creed Humphrey who is in the last year of his rookie deal.

I think what the best teams do to manage their CAPs is to avoid restructuring too many contracts pushing CAP money into the future. The Cowboys got into a CAP issue and restructured a bunch of contracts, some multiple times, which they are now dealing with - and will deal with in 2025. No doubt if they give new deals to CeeDee and Dak, they will make them as CAP friendly in 2025 as they can but creating a CAP problem a couple of years down the road again. Any new contract with Dak starts with $26 million they pushed into 2025. If Dak insists on another 4 year deal it really makes dealing with his CAP number a lot more difficult. If they push money from his first your into the rest of the deal, then they are just creating another problem in 2026 and 2027. If they don't do it that way, the won't get much CAP relief in 2025. I have said it before and I will say it again, Giving Dak a 4 year deal was a mistake. They should have insisted on 6 or even 8 years for $40 million.

But the Saints were $60 million to $80 million over the CAP the last two years and managed to get under each each. Right now they have more CAP room than Dallas. One thing that a lot of teams are willing to do is cut guys to make CAP room. The Cowboys could make CAP room now buy giving CeeDee a new deal. They are choosing not to.

 

[HungryLion]

The cowboys FO is incompetent. Dont buy their propaganda about not having cap space to maneuver.

 

[charron]

Nope. Sooner or later, those yearly salary cap reductions have to be paid.

Easily done. Again it's just manipulation of the numbers. 1 example is Teams do not always have a QB or player on the roster taking up 10+ % of the cap.

 

[Sandyf]

Ok from what I am seeing and please correct me..... How can you pay Dak 60 mil., CD 30-35 mil and MP 35-40 mil and field a competitive team. I kinda get the conundrum here with the va jays (JJ & Stephen). Do we trade them? What is the answer?? Me....not paying Yak top 10 QB. My take on WR is we can find some one to catch the ball, no offence CD but we have to field a competitive team here. MP.....not LT status by a long shot. Pouty and moodie.....just bust chops and play the game no matter what. and shut your damn mouth.

Do you think the teams are not going to extend Chase or Jefferson or Aiyuk? Every team is either facing or will face the same situation. Sure you can find a guy that can catch but not dominate. Chiefs paid Mahomes, Kelce, Jones, Tunes, LT, Reid, it is how you structure those contracts. Always about the guaranteed money, not about the total contract.

 

[jazzcat22]

Maybe being in this myth of cap hell is really like being in cap heaven. Since they are in fear of giving Dak a huge contract, that means they will be in the same or worse situation 4 or 5 years from now. Still without getting to the NFCCG.
In the meantime, that is 4 or 5 more drafts of them not selecting a QB in the top 2 rounds.

 

[MyFairLady]

16 million in dead money for bums like Zeke and T Smith. It is the same thing year after year. Throw away your money on magic beans and you get dog walked by Green bay.

 

[Chasing6]

No reason to pay the top of the market when you still have th 5th year option and or the tag.

CD plays this year on 5th year deal. Next year he gets tagged.

Micah next year plays on 5th year deal, then gets tagged.

Problem is neither will be happy about it.

 

[doomsday9084]

The idea that the cap isn't real is just a fantasy. You can delay payments but it rolls up eventually. Teams like KC have had to deal with it. Philly had to deal with it last year. Dallas is having their go this year and next year.

People tend to forget that just a few years ago, Dallas had a ton of players on huge contracts. Zeke, Dak, Tank, Jaylon, the O line, etc. They were able to do that by pushing off cap hits . . . . to now.

 

[Chasing6]

They are using Dak as an excuse to not extend/delay CD and Micah. Absolute no reason to make CD and Micah the highest paid in their position when you have a 5th year option and the tag that will be cheaper.

If Dak was signed we would have no excuse to not extend CD.

 

[DuncanIso]

The cowboys FO is incompetent. Dont buy their propaganda about not having cap space to maneuver.

It’s true.

Spotrac keeps the Cap updated really well.

We are about $13 million in the red, counting the Top-51 and the dead cap.

 

[DuncanIso]

They are using Dak as an excuse to not extend/delay CD and Micah. Absolute no reason to make CD and Micah the highest paid in their position when you have a 5th year option and the tag that will be cheaper.

If Dak was signed we would have no excuse to not extend CD.

They are not paying Dak more mega millions $$$$

2024 cap $55 mil + $29 mil base
2025 cap $40 mil
2026 cap $12 mil

 

[BEARCATSKLZ]

1. SALARY CAP HELL ONLY EXISTS IF YOU WANT IT TOO. '
2. THERE ARE A MULTITUDE OF WAYS ONE CAN MANIPULATE THE NUMBERS TO REDUCE THE YEARLY CAP NUMBER FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL. MANY MECHANISM ARE BUILT INTO EACH PLAYERS CONTRACT.
3. STEPHEN WANTS YOU TO BELIEVE IN CAP HELL SO HE HAS AN EXCUSE WHY HE CAN NOT BUILD A CHAMPIONSHIP ROSTER OR SPEND MONEY LIKE OTHER TEAMS DO.

We are fine, we have tons of rookie contract in key areas like ol, dl,

 

[Chasing6]

They are not paying Dak more mega millions $$$$

2024 cap $55 mil + $29 mil base
2025 cap $40 mil
2026 cap $12 mil

$55+ $29M absolutely not.

$55 - $29M. The $29M is included in the $55M.

The cap for 25 and 26 is GM Jethro deciding to restructure and push money down the road. It has nothing to do with the contract Dak signed.

He signed a 4 year $160M contract. Original contract for this year was $42M and $0 in 2025 and 2026.

 

[Chasing6]

$55+ $29M absolutely not.

$55 - $29M

The cap for 25 and 26 is GM Jethro deciding to restructure and push money down the road. It has nothing to do with the contract Dak signed.

He signed a 4 year $160M contract. Original contract for this year was $42M and $0 in 2025 and 2026.