The Truth About The Cowboys’ Dealings At Right Tackle

[RS12]

IRVING (105.3 THE FAN) – There are two problems with the reports that have the Dallas Cowboys simultaneously negotiating a pay-cut contract for incumbent right tackle Doug Free while also negotiating a free-agent contract for prospective right tackle Eric Winston:

Problem 1: That simultaneous orchestration doesn’t make sense.

Problem 2: That simultaneous orchestration isn’t happening.

Some bullet-pointed truths, from sources inside Valley Ranch:

*There has been nothing “imminent’’ about the signing of Texas native Winston, who has experienced some good NFL years with the Texans and the Chiefs. His status in the eyes of the Cowboys is as it was when we first wrote about his availability in this space on March 6: Signing him remains a “concept.’’

*This is a buyer’s market on players of Winston’s stature. Winston himself knows this, which is why he’s been so frank in public about possibly being willing to accept a short-term deal at $3-to-$4 million annually. The Winston-to-Dallas story has traction because agent Drew Rosenhaus made it so; it’s so widely-reported now that Winston’s Wikipedia page identifies him as a member of the Dallas Cowboys.

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/04/10/the-truth-about-the-cowboys-dealings-at-right-tackle/

 

[xwalker]

Mike Fisher is one of the only remaining DFW media guys that attempts to get the correct story.

Interesting quote:

By the way: Anybody who thinks Free is a candidate to move from tackle to being successful at guard hasn’t talked to people in the Cowboys’ personnel department.

 

[Zordon]

Mike Fisher is one of the only remaining DFW media guys that attempts to get the correct story.

Interesting quote:

This theory was created by people on CZ who are too scared to let go of players.

 

[burmafrd]

Mike Fisher is one of the only remaining DFW media guys that attempts to get the correct story.

Interesting quote:

just about everyone that is familiar at all with O line players have pretty much said that. No one that really has any knowledge there thinks he would be any good as a guard.

 

[Future]

Mike Fisher is one of the only remaining DFW media guys that attempts to get the correct story.

Interesting quote:

Thank God if that quote is true.

 

[Mansta54]

This theory was created by people on CZ who are too scared to let go of players.

Scared to let go of who, Free?

 

[CyberB0b]

This theory was created by people on CZ who are too scared to let go of players.

Well, his contract is setup to where you almost can't let him go.

 

[Little Jr]

Local media sources saying its not true. National media sources saying it is true. Lol who know

 

[jterrell]

Well, his contract is setup to where you almost can't let him go.

quite the opposite. his contract makes it impossible to keep him.
the only way he stays is if he takes less money to do so. he is paid about 3x what the market bears for a starting RT. the fact he is a bad starting rt suggests he either be on a rookie type contract at 1.5m or he gets cut.

the cowboys do not have the luxury of overpaying people unless are essential players like ware or romo.

 

[conner01]

cutting free is much easier than keeping him. it never semed very logical to negotiate a pay cut with free and sign winston. thats something an agent with a small brain put out. if you have winston you don't need nor can you afford free. i could see them asking free to take a pay cut. i could see them having some interest in winston. i can't see both things happening.
i suspect if they have interest in winston they will wait a bit and see how things look just before the draft, maybe even after the draft. i definatley a buyers market right now for ot's

 

[MRV52]

Wish all this rumors about Winston and Free would just stop. I doubt the Cowboys are going to sign someone before the draft. Free ain't going anywhere just yet and may might not be released.

 

[CyberB0b]

quite the opposite. his contract makes it impossible to keep him.
the only way he stays is if he takes less money to do so. he is paid about 3x what the market bears for a starting RT. the fact he is a bad starting rt suggests he either be on a rookie type contract at 1.5m or he gets cut.

the cowboys do not have the luxury of overpaying people unless are essential players like ware or romo.

As far as I can tell, it will cost us close to 5 million this year and next year against the cap to cut him, even after June 1st.

 

[xwalker]

As far as I can tell, it will cost us close to 5 million this year and next year against the cap to cut him, even after June 1st.

You're confusing dead money with total salary cap cost.

If his cap hit (cost) is 10M to be on the team and 5M if off the team, then there is 5M dead money but it saves 5M against the cap.

There is more salary cap space available if he is a June 1st cut than if he stays on the team.

 

[CyberB0b]

You're confusing dead money with total salary cap cost.

If his cap hit (cost) is 10M to be on the team and 5M if off the team, then there is 5M dead money but it saves 5M against the cap.

There is more salary cap space available if he is a June 1st cut than if he stays on the team.

Thanks for the clarification. Yes, there is more space, but how much more? How much does he count against the cap next year if he is a June 1st cut?

 

[jterrell]

Thanks for the clarification. Yes, there is more space, but how much more? How much does he count against the cap next year if he is a June 1st cut?

money already paid to free is gonna hit regardless but he has HIGH yearly bases we can not pay out.

right now free costs us 10.x m this year in cap costs.
if we cut him today with no june 2nd designation he costs us 10.x m.

however he has a 7m base in 2013. if we cut him we remove that.
we pay ~5m this year in dead cap space of the 10.x m he was scheduled to make thus save ~5m on this cap in 2013.

we would eat another 5m next year in dead cap space.

bottom line is free is so vastly overpaid he has to go or take a major pay cut.

if he reduces this year's base to 2m he costs us the same 5m he'd cost to cut him and likely stays. we might even pay him 2.5m or 3. But anything more than that and it isn't viable and he must go.
i wouldn't have believed he'd take that pay cut but the market has sucked for RT. the new salary cap control around rookies has driven down prices for vets. with 3 or 4 round 1 OT available teams aren't gong to pay untold riches for solid RTs. free of course isnt a solid rt so he has to fall in line below those guys who could make 3-4m per year. he actually might not get 4m in total SB and 1st year pay right now making a pay reduction a better deal for him.