Tanier: NFL Refinancing (Falcons, Cowboys, Steelers)

[JD_KaPow]

Link.

Here is how crazy the Cowboys situation is: They already have $143 million of cap space committed for 2014, and another $128 million committed for 2015. By contrast, the Falcons have $70 million committed in 2014 and $32 million in 2015. They squeaked under the cap this season by forcing themselves to perform the same limbo routine for the next two seasons. A Romo extension can only provide short-term relief at the expense of even longer-term relief, unless Romo agrees to a pay cut, which he won't. ...

Yet the Cowboys seem incapable of stopping the cycle. This would have been the offseason to make a painful decision on Ware, as the Cowboys are switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense. With the draft loaded at wide receiver, it would have been a wise time to recognize that Austin peaked in 2009-10 instead of making him a dead-money hangover for 2014 and 2015. They could still part ways with Ratliff, though indications are that they will not. How different would the Cowboys releasing Ware and Austin be from the Falcons releasing Abraham and Turner? The Cowboys could argue that they are in great win-now position because the NFC East is depleted. As it stands, they look poised to max out at about 9-7, even in a weak division, and lose in the playoffs to a team like the Falcons.

 

[joseephuss]

That is dumb. They are not remotely the same situations especially the comparison between Ware and Abraham. If Abraham were the same age and had the same abilities as Ware, the Falcons would not have cut him. It wouldn't be a "painful decision" to cut Ware. It would be a stupid one.

 

[JPM]

Isn't Ryan still on his rookie contract ? Same with Jones? Let's see what the Falcons pay those two..

 

[DCBoysfan]

I cant say that I disagree, I wouldn't cut Ware but I would have really had to look at the roster and made some tough decisions on Austin, Free and some other players. I also would look for a replacement for Spencer, I like Spencer but its time to look toward the future.

 

[bigdnlaca]

Isn't Ryan still on his rookie contract ? Same with Jones? Let's see what the Falcons pay those two..

they also have to pay Spoon, Roddy, Biermann to contracts in the future.

 

[joseephuss]

I cant say that I disagree, I wouldn't cut Ware but I would have really had to look at the roster and made some tough decisions on Austin, Free and some other players. I also would look for a replacement for Spencer, I like Spencer but its time to look toward the future.

Isn't that still being considered?

I think they have made a tough decision with Austin. The tough choice to keep him at a restructured deal, but it is doubtful he stays around for several more years.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

I refer all of my Cowboys cap queries to AdamJT13.








YR

 

[Mr Cowboy]

My question is how did the Eagles go out a couple of years ago and sign just about every available free agent, and still be $20 plus million under the cap this year?

 

[Hoofbite]

Isn't Ryan still on his rookie contract ? Same with Jones? Let's see what the Falcons pay those two..

Ryan's rookie contract is probably as big as Tony's current contract.

 

[muck4doo]

No penalties for those that underpay. It's the evil Cowboys and Commanders everyone else needs to worry about and take away cap space from.

-John Mara

 

[Risen Star]

It's not surprising. It's the same guys responsible for the poor talent evaluation.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

Link.

The thing is, the numbers of dollars we have committed can change greatly at the drop of a hat.

Stephen isn't worried about the cap. That is good enough for me. At some point, chances are we will bite the bullet and start all over and maybe take a big hit for a year on contracts. Dallas still feels the core of this team is good enough to compete.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

See, the cut of Sensabaugh today drops 1.4 m from this year's cap, and takes 4.8 off the next two years and 6.5m off the last year. If we do something with Free...it will do the same. Same with Ratliff.

The contract talk is so overblown.

 

[Eddie]

See, the cut of Sensabaugh today drops 1.4 m from this year's cap, and takes 4.8 off the next two years and 6.5m off the last year. If we do something with Free...it will do the same. Same with Ratliff.

The contract talk is so overblown.

You guys realize that with all these cuts, we're paying some serious dead money.

 

[Gaede]

It's not surprising. It's the same guys responsible for the poor talent evaluation.

Yeah, you guys can gloss over this if you want, but it certainly seems restrictive to me to have to continually restructure every important player on the team to make up for horrible investments in players that are no longer playing, or will no longer be playing, for us.

In case you haven't noticed, this process has been happening more and more around here.

 

[joseephuss]

You guys realize that with all these cuts, we're paying some serious dead money.

Yes, dead money factors into the equation. In the Sensabaugh case, the amount of dead money still being paid is still less of a cap hit if they kept him and cut him at a later date this off season or next. Plus he would count toward next seasons dead money, but now he doesn't. There are trade offs.

 

[joseephuss]

Yeah, you guys can gloss over this if you want, but it certainly seems restrictive to me to have to continually restructure every important player on the team to make up for horrible investments in players that are no longer playing, or will no longer be playing, for us.

In case you haven't noticed, this process has been happening more and more around here.

How does that relate to the original post? Do you agree with the point of the article that Ware should be cut just like the Falcons cut Abraham?

 

[DBOY3141]

Isn't Ryan still on his rookie contract ? Same with Jones? Let's see what the Falcons pay those two..

We still have Dez, Lee, Carter, Smith on there rookie contracts. I think the cap is a joke, but the Cowboys are terrible with giving out contracts.

 

[JD_KaPow]

How does that relate to the original post? Do you agree with the point of the article that Ware should be cut just like the Falcons cut Abraham?

I would hardly describe that as the point of the article: that was one example of an action the 'Boys might take. I don't necessarily agree with Tanier on this (he's a Philly partisan and is generally pretty anti-Cowboys), but the point seems to be that Dallas is doing a lot of restructuring to keep together an aging core that isn't an SB-quality group to begin with. And yes, Dallas does seem to be creating more future dead money than most other teams - maybe not in the end a crippling amount, but more.

I look at the roster and think, yeah, I'd probably try to keep it together for a couple more years and hope that we catch a few breaks. But I'm under no illusion that the odds of that working out are good. The chances are just (barely) good enough to be worth taking.

 

[Gaede]

How does that relate to the original post? Do you agree with the point of the article that Ware should be cut just like the Falcons cut Abraham?

No. I wouldn't cut Ware, that's stupid. I'm referring to the troubling cap situation that would prompt someone to suggest cutting Ware.