The Cowboys can afford to re-sign their own but should they?

[Risen Star]

Now I'm not a numbers guy but this doesn't seem sustainable. This can not happen.

How do you handle this? Or do you think a competitive team can be put on the field with 4 players taking up over 40% of your cap space?

 

[Robbieac]

Don't foget Zeke! Jerry's ego won't let him be released...

 

[xwalker]

Now I'm not a numbers guy but this doesn't seem sustainable. This can not happen.

How do you handle this? Or do you think a competitive team can be put on the field with 4 players taking up over 40% of your cap space?

2022 NFL Cap: 208M

2024 projected NFL Cap: 235M+

2026 projected NFL Cap: 300M possible

Timing is key. Contracts signed after any major increases in the cap will scale with that increase. Sign players just before agents know about a big cap increase.

 

[Stash]

Now I'm not a numbers guy but this doesn't seem sustainable. This can not happen.

How do you handle this? Or do you think a competitive team can be put on the field with 4 players taking up over 40% of your cap space?

For starters, I don’t touch Dak Prescott’s contract. Leave bad enough alone and reserve the option to get out of it in 2025. That gives me some wiggle room for huge deals like Micah’s.

Secondly, it’s not a foregone conclusion for me that I’m absolutely paying to keep Diggs. His end of the season and offseason news are giving me doubts that he’s the safest of investments.

Thirdly, while I tend to think we will re-sign Lamb, it’s also not a lock for me, given trends and a steady influx of talent at that position.

 

[bayeslife]

Now I'm not a numbers guy but this doesn't seem sustainable. This can not happen.

How do you handle this? Or do you think a competitive team can be put on the field with 4 players taking up over 40% of your cap space?

Those are APY numbers and are not representative of the actual cap hits each year.

Additionally, each of those players are among the best at their position and should be retained if the Cowboys want to remain competitive.

 

[stiletto]

Salaries for NFL players are never going to go down. It will only get worse and worse. Every team has to pay guys big money. Much easier for folks when the guys they pay make it deep in the playoffs though but that's not many.

 

[jazzcat22]

I am more concerned over the marginal players they will keep at this point in time. Or the one year prove it injured players they continue to waste money on.

All that other stuff will work itself out.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

Now I'm not a numbers guy but this doesn't seem sustainable. This can not happen.

How do you handle this? Or do you think a competitive team can be put on the field with 4 players taking up over 40% of your cap space?

pay micah, move on from diggs, draft a WR just in case, extend dak for some immediate cap relief and ability to move on in year or two.

 

[Whyjerry]

For starters, I don’t touch Dak Prescott’s contract. Leave bad enough alone and reserve the option to get out of it in 2025. That gives me some wiggle room for huge deals like Micah’s.

Secondly, it’s not a foregone conclusion for me that I’m absolutely paying to keep Diggs. His end of the season and offseason news are giving me doubts that he’s the safest of investments.

Thirdly, while I tend to think we will re-sign Lamb, it’s also not a lock for me, given trends and a steady influx of talent at that position.

They need to cut Smith and Elliot. That’s about $20 million in savings. They need to use that to sign Steele, McGovern, Watkins, and Wilson. Franchise Pollard. I would also kiss Peters butt to get him to come back for 1 more year. I would also look at signing a vet LB and DT.

 

[MountaineerCowboy]

Extending Dak will only lead to failure. You should not extend a mistake. You take it on the chin and move on.

Diggs can be moved on from.

Micah will get signed.

Lamb will be signed.

 

[Kingofholland]

Now I'm not a numbers guy but this doesn't seem sustainable. This can not happen.

How do you handle this? Or do you think a competitive team can be put on the field with 4 players taking up over 40% of your cap space?

Everything will get restructured and pushed into future years, but I think Ceedee and Parsons you have to retain. Diggs is deserving as well, but I'm a little concerned about that being a contract we regret. The lack of plays and decisions not to tackle gets me nervous about him checking out after getting the $$$.

 

[Aven8]

It’s not the major contracts that have hurt this team. It’s the bad ones. Jaylon Smith, Tyrone Crawford, Dlaw, Zeke, Gallup, on and on. Dlaw and Zeke are good players but the contracts are too high for the production. Especially with Zeke. The latest contract for Gallup was ridiculous at the time with an injury. The smarter move would have been to sign Wilson last offseason.

The high salaries for the Oline has hurt this team in the past as well when JG was here.

 

[Risen Star]

It’s not the major contracts that have hurt this team. It’s the bad ones. Jaylon Smith, Tyrone Crawford, Dlaw, Zeke, Gallup, on and on. Dlaw and Zeke are good players but the contracts are too high for the production. Especially with Zeke. The latest contract for Gallup was ridiculous at the time with an injury. The smarter move would have been to sign Wilson last offseason.

The high salaries for the Oline has hurt this team in the past as well when JG was here.

There isn't a worse contract than Prescott's. As bad a Zeke's is it isn't 45-50 million a year.

 

[Stash]

They need to cut Smith and Elliot. That’s about $20 million in savings. They need to use that to sign Steele, McGovern, Watkins, and Wilson. Franchise Pollard. I would also kiss Peters butt to get him to come back for 1 more year. I would also look at signing a vet LB and DT.

I agree about cutting or trading Smith and cutting Elliott.

 

[Captain-Crash]

 

[John813]

I mean, the Lamb, Diggs and Parsons AAVs seem alright with me.

Unfortunately, the QB market is stupid, and even someone like Daniel Jones could sniff 40mil AAV.

 

[stilltheguru]

Aaron Donald didn't get paid until before his 5th year started. Why do we have to pay micah early?

 

[John813]

Aaron Donald didn't get paid until before his 5th year started. Why do we have to pay micah early?

They can't this year even if they wanted to.

I think the Parsons part was talking about 1-3 years down the road. But, if Parsons improves in his third year I would hope they lock him up in his 4th year.

 

[ClappingCarrot]

I actually don't hate the Lamb, Diggs, and Parons AAV's.

This is a classic case of "one of these things is not like the other" and we all know what the outlier is here.

All of those players will get overpaid though, because the Joneses are terrible negotiators and seemingly get fleeced during every contract extension.

 

[Aven8]

There isn't a worse contract than Prescott's. As bad a Zeke's is it isn't 45-50 million a year.

I still blame Stephen for that. They dragged it out and it cost them. Could have had him for 27 million once, and 32 the next. Passed on both and now here we are….