Sturm: What Are We Doing at RT? The Tyson Clabo Report

[WoodysGirl]

Now that the smoke has cleared from the draft weekend, we believe that the Cowboys are doing what they claimed they would be doing this week: Trying to sort through their right tackle situation.

This is clearly difficult when your stated objectives seem to be to handle it at a really cheap price, given the lack of cap room this year, but more importantly are the cap issues that lie ahead after the 2013 season. This limits the Cowboys to a series of 1-year solutions at right tackle, and frankly, when those are the parameters of your search, your options all have flaws or issues.

The least difficult solution at right tackle is to go back to the Doug Free well. The reason that this is easy is obviously because he is already under contract, is likely to agree to a pay cut, and you are familiar with his realities. Of course, you are also familiar with the fact that he led all NFL tackles with 15 penalties and conceded 6 sacks, 4 hits, and 41 QB hurries in 2012.

On the other hand, Free did finish 2012 with 3 consecutive games of very solid play as games against the Steelers, Saints, and Commanders all were almost completely clean from just about every perspective. Free seldom struggles in the running game, so all of his issues start with his feet and his difficulty in closing the edge off on pass rush. Even the penalties start there as he is usually cheating the snap and trying to get an extra step against pass rushers so he false starts.

Read the rest: http://sturminator.blogspot.com/2013/05/what-are-we-doing-at-rt-tyson-clabo.html

 

[21Savage]

He really dropped the ball on this one by not even mentioning Parnell.

 

[jterrell]

man i love sturms written work.

 

[jterrell]

He really dropped the ball on this one by not even mentioning Parnell.

i guess you can make that argument but parnell is nothing more than a competitor at the spot. he is not going to be penciled in as the starter.

as fans we overrate limited snap performance like crazy.

 

[fanfromvirginia]

Interesting. A few questions and thoughts:

1) What are the 'storm cloud of cap issues' the team faces next year? My admittedly limited understanding is that we get a fair amount of cap relief next year. I assumed that things would be at least a little looser next season.
2) He makes it sound like the Cowboys are really trying to thread the needle on this. He makes the case that they are likely interested, that he would certainly be an upgrade over free, that the Cowboys wouldn't want to give him more than a one-year deal due to next year's cap concerns, and that the Dolphins want/need him as well. They're willing to stick to their financial guns because they have Free as a fallback. If that is the case, I see almost no chance they'll get Clabo.

3) I hope I'm wrong about all of this. Clabo is worth at least a two-year deal and going with Free/Parnell is an enormous risk.

 

[CF74]

I confess that they would really fix their issues offensively if Free and center were suddenly upgraded.

And that leads us to Winston and Clabo.

I think he would be a tremendous upgrade from Free for a team that wants to pass 40 times a game.

Miami controls this game with their money, and if they bid too high on Clabo, expect Free to be your right tackle in 2013.

God help us.....ray: ray: ray:

 

[jterrell]

Interesting. A few questions and thoughts:

1) What are the 'storm cloud of cap issues' the team faces next year? My admittedly limited understanding is that we get a fair amount of cap relief next year. I assumed that things would be at least a little looser next season.
2) He makes it sound like the Cowboys are really trying to thread the needle on this. He makes the case that they are likely interested, that he would certainly be an upgrade over free, that the Cowboys wouldn't want to give him more than a one-year deal due to next year's cap concerns, and that the Dolphins want/need him as well. They're willing to stick to their financial guns because they have Free as a fallback. If that is the case, I see almost no chance they'll get Clabo.

3) I hope I'm wrong about all of this. Clabo is worth at least a two-year deal and going with Free/Parnell is an enormous risk.

cap space is an issue because we have dez bryant and sean lee.

we'll create cap space but those 2 are not going to be cheap or even in the ballpark of cheap.

but to me that simply signals why free and miles will be gone.

 

[Stash]

cap space is an issue because we have dez bryant and sean lee.

we'll create cap space but those 2 are not going to be cheap or even in the ballpark of cheap.

but to me that simply signals why free and miles will be gone.

Agreed.

Get rid of bad contracts to keep young talent.

I think drafting Williams signaled the end of Austin after this season.

 

[fanfromvirginia]

cap space is an issue because we have dez bryant and sean lee.

we'll create cap space but those 2 are not going to be cheap or even in the ballpark of cheap.

but to me that simply signals why free and miles will be gone.

Gotcha, thanks. I had heard Lee was due but didn't realize Dez was. Of course, it makes sense that they're up together.

What would be a bigger cap hit next year: making Free a June 1 cut this year or letting him play through one more year of his contract and bonus and making him a *pre* June 1 cut next off season?

 

[jterrell]

Gotcha, thanks. I had heard Lee was due but didn't realize Dez was. Of course, it makes sense that they're up together.

What would be a bigger cap hit next year: making Free a June 1 cut this year or letting him play through one more year of his contract and bonus and making him a *pre* June 1 cut next off season?

best scenario is him taking a massive pay cut so we can stretch his already paid salary further.

the later we cut him the better as far as dead money goes.

but his base salaries are too high so he's gotta go since he wouldn't accept the pay cut.

guys have egos so a pay cut was always a long shot.

dallas really has to make 2 june 2nd cuts this year and again next year imho. just the type of cap juggling required under this stricter, cheaper CBA.

 

[Future]

cap space is an issue because we have dez bryant and sean lee.

we'll create cap space but those 2 are not going to be cheap or even in the ballpark of cheap.

but to me that simply signals why free and miles will be gone.

Lee has another injury and he'll be pretty cheap.

Dez has any off the field issues, and he'll be pretty cheap as well.

If they both have monster years, which is certainly a possibility, we could be in some trouble.

 

[fanfromvirginia]

best scenario is him taking a massive pay cut so we can stretch his already paid salary further.

the later we cut him the better as far as dead money goes.

but his base salaries are too high so he's gotta go since he wouldn't accept the pay cut.

guys have egos so a pay cut was always a long shot.

dallas really has to make 2 june 2nd cuts this year and again next year imho. just the type of cap juggling required under this stricter, cheaper CBA.

I definitely support the idea of cutting under-performing, high-contract players. It's a necessary cap management tool.

Free may yet take a serious pay cut. It'll probably depend on what happens with Winston and Clabo. I'm sure he's biding his time to see what shakes out but the biggest shot to his pride would be to wind up cut with no employers in site. Take the pay cut and he has a fighting chance of beating Parnell out and proving the world wrong.

 

[xwalker]

Even if they could find a FA that is equal to Free (not better), I would prefer the FA because I don't really want a guy hanging around that had to take a massive pay cut and will have a bad attitude about it.

 

[Deep_Freeze]

cap space is an issue because we have dez bryant and sean lee.

we'll create cap space but those 2 are not going to be cheap or even in the ballpark of cheap.

but to me that simply signals why free and miles will be gone.

Yeah this is an ignored fact that people don't want to think about in their fantasy football dreams of adding every player under the sun for this season.

If Free is here this season, he will probably be gone next season anyway as Miles will have to leave at the same time. It takes at least a year to develop at WR, so we draft one this year and let Miles walk next year when the young guy is ready to play.....isn't rocket science here.

 

[Parcells4Life]

Yeah this is an ignored fact that people don't want to think about in their fantasy football dreams of adding every player under the sun for this season.

If Free is here this season, he will probably be gone next season anyway as Miles will have to leave at the same time. It takes at least a year to develop at WR, so we draft one this year and let Miles walk next year when the young guy is ready to play.....isn't rocket science here.

What's fair for Lee this summer? 5 years/20 million? He hasn't proven he can stay healthy for 16 games ever.

If he's healthy for all 16 games this year it could be 5 years/35-40 million

 

[jterrell]

Lee has another injury and he'll be pretty cheap.

Dez has any off the field issues, and he'll be pretty cheap as well.

If they both have monster years, which is certainly a possibility, we could be in some trouble.

those guys may lose guaranteed money with 'issues' but will be well paid by someone.

dez and sean lee are two of the top 10 guys at their positions if you were building a team today. they are ascending players with massive upsides.

unless they are out of football they'll be well paid.

 

[Future]

those guys may lose guaranteed money with 'issues' but will be well paid by someone.

dez and sean lee are two of the top 10 guys at their positions if you were building a team today. they are ascending players with massive upsides.

unless they are out of football they'll be well paid.

I meant cheap relative to other players of their calibre. I didn't mean we could get them for 2.5/year :laugh2:

 

[Deep_Freeze]

What's fair for Lee this summer? 5 years/20 million? He hasn't proven he can stay healthy for 16 games ever.

If he's healthy for all 16 games this year it could be 5 years/35-40 million

Well we can argue about how much, but really he will get a good contract, and the numbers will be substantial enough that it will affect our total cap situation.

The easiest way for us to be prepared for Dez's and Lee's contracts is to look at getting rid of Free and Miles with DL and OT being very high on our list of needs next year since we already have Miles probable replacement.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Lee and Dez are going to be expensive, injuries or not IMO. Yeah, by next year we will be out from under the BS crap the NFL levied on us for Austin's contract. Yeah, if we have any sense at all, we will be out from under Free's contract and Spencer's contract. I don't honestly know if we can get out from under Miles' contract. I have no idea what the restructure looks like. It may not be friendly towards a release, I don't know. I know that Romo's contract is going to be there so that's a lot of cap. I know that after Lee and Dez, we have Carter and Murray coming up as well.

I think we need to sign a two year deal with a 1 year option for one of these OTs and then we need to make OT, Right or Left, a priority next year. No way we can just sign any decent player to a 1 year deal and we can't afford to keep Free on at his Salary. Free has already said he's not taking a pay cut and doesn't expect to be in Dallas so something has to give here.

 

[jterrell]

I meant cheap relative to other players of their calibre. I didn't mean we could get them for 2.5/year :laugh2:

i hear ya there.

main thing is they are coming off of cheap rookie deals. so salaries will spike and that has to fit under the cap.

i hate this new cba and always have.

benefits heinously cheap owners and small markets.