The problem with bloated contracts

[Verdict]

Guys like Witten and Dez Bryant come to mind when I think of bloated contracts. Both are valuable players but are significantly underperforming their contracts. Doug Free is another in that same category.

Those 3 guys are likely all top 10 in terms of our cap hit which prevents us from going out and paying a top flight pass rusher, dominant DT or dominant linebacker on defense.

The salary cap makes you make choices. The sentimentality of this team is really handicapping us in terms of cap allocation. I would love to see all of the above (not Free) stay with the Cowboys as long as possible, but not at all costs.

Some tough decisions need to be made here. Hopefully Witten decides to take a pay cut and stay with the team, but if not the team should really look at moving on from players like him and Dez.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Guys like Witten and Dez Bryant come to mind when I think of bloated contracts. Both are valuable players but are significantly underperforming their contracts.

Sorry gonna stop you right there. Significantly underperforming?

 

[Verdict]

Yes. Have you looked at Wittens cap number? Holy smokes!

 

[Verdict]

Sorry gonna stop you right there. Significantly underperforming?

Do you look at Free and say, "Man, I'm sure glad we are paying that man his money!"

 

[plymkr]

Both Dez and Witten did not have great seasons as far as numbers but they sure came to play in that playoff loss. I'll take Dez underperforming a little in the regular season if he blows up like that in the playoffs. Witten is reliable, a leader and our best possession receiver.

I don't want to see either one go at this point. Hopefully Witten will restructure his deal or take a pay cut. I could see that happening if it helps him get a ring.

 

[Verdict]

Both Dez and Witten did not have great seasons as far as numbers but they sure came to play in that playoff loss. I'll take Dez underperforming a little in the regular season if he blows up like that in the playoffs. Witten is reliable, a leader and our best possession receiver.

I don't want to see either one go at this point. Hopefully Witten will restructure his deal or take a pay cut. I could see that happening if it helps him get a ring.

I would like to see both of them sticking around. What I'm not ok with is for them to eat up so much cap that we can't field a defense.

If they are going to eat up that much cap then Dez needs to be scoring two TDs and 130 yards every game and Witten needs 10 catches 100 yards and a TD in every game to justify their contracts

 

[Paniolo22]

Wow...

 

[AmericanCowboy]

Dez was an animal in the playoff game.

 

[robjay04]

The only salary that will deter us from spending money on defense will be Romo's.

I love the guy but handing out a 100 million dollar contract at his age, with back issues showing up, was ill advised. Not to mention the fact we restructured the contract at least twice was dumb. We did need him back at the time but we should've been more stingy in negotiating.

 

[DogFace]

Dez will be back among the league leaders next year. He helped get us back in the game. None of our other receivers can make the plays he made.

 

[HanD]

Those 3 guys are likely all top 10 in terms of our cap hit which prevents us from going out and paying a top flight pass rusher, dominant DT or dominant linebacker on defense.

what's stopped us from a top flight pass rusher is dlaw being injured and RG smoking up too much. if either play up to their billing we aren't talking about it. Collins has been awesome for a rookie 3tech. McClain when healthy has proved the cowboys scouting eyes to be dead on. he's solid. if anyone, you left out crawford who has underperformed even with injuries for his contract at DT. the dominant lb you seek was an all pro this year when he was finally healthy. we'll see if we can add Jaylon to that corps but wilson and hitchens are decent for mid round picks imo.

every team has poor signings and bloated contracts or poor draft decisions.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Do you look at Free and say, "Man, I'm sure glad we are paying that man his money!"

No I want him cut. But if you notice, I didn't include him in my original post either.

 

[dallasdave]

Dez was an animal in the playoff game.

 

[dallasdave]

Dez will be back among the league leaders next year. He helped get us back in the game. None of our other receivers can make the plays he made.

Well said indeed Sir

 

[Silver N Blue]

Yes. Have you looked at Wittens cap number? Holy smokes!

Free yes but Witten...common one of the greatest Cowboys of all time, sure fire first ballot HOFer, and the face of this franchise the past 10 plus years...he deserves every penny...Dez put all the haters to bed Sunday as he snatched balls out of the air not even attended for him...he is the only WR1 on this roster..

 

[dallasdave]

Free yes but Witten...common one of the greatest Cowboys of all time, sure fire first ballot HOFer, and the face of this franchise the past 10 plus years...he deserves every penny...Dez put all the haters to bed Sunday as he snatched balls out of the air not even attended for him...he is the only WR1 on this roster..

 

[Swanny]

Do you look at Free and say, "Man, I'm sure glad we are paying that man his money!"

Actually yeah I do. Free catches too much flak. The guy is a starter in this league.

 

[Nightman]

I would like to see both of them sticking around. What I'm not ok with is for them to eat up so much cap that we can't field a defense.

If they are going to eat up that much cap then Dez needs to be scoring two TDs and 130 yards every game and Witten needs 10 catches 100 yards and a TD in every game to justify their contracts

That is completely unrealistic.....those are 2180 yards and 32TDs........that would be 20m a year numbers......Witten would 14m a year for TE.... and those are the base salaries

Witten will extend or take a pay cut but he isn't a big problem
Dez is almost out of the top 5 for WRs already...he is fine

Free is bad at 5m
TCrawford at 7.2m is market
Sean Lee at 9m is market

Overall DAL is in tremendous shape going forward....the big contract guys are the big guys on the OL that age well and earn their money

 

[TheHerd]

That is completely unrealistic.....those are 2180 yards and 32TDs........that would be 20m a year numbers......Witten would 14m a year for TE.... and those are the base salaries

Witten will extend or take a pay cut but he isn't a big problem
Dez is almost out of the top 5 for WRs already...he is fine

Free is bad at 5m
TCrawford at 7.2m is market
Sean Lee at 9m is market

Overall DAL is in tremendous shape going forward....the big contract guys are the big guys on the OL that age well and earn their money

I can't agree on Crawford. 7.2M for a rotational 3 tech who can be a jag at DE, but doesn't make impact plays is way overpaid.

 

[Nightman]

I can't agree on Crawford. 7.2M for a rotational 3 tech who can be a jag at DE, but doesn't make impact plays is way overpaid.

that is a hard undersell.......he is consistently the QB pressure and hurries guy....playing SDE and 3T only increases his value

He was 15th in the league with 23 hurries.....right with Mack, JPP and Wake

https://www.sportingcharts.com/nfl/stats/defensive-hurries/2016/