Three bubble players who could save the Cowboys considerable money by making the roster

[waving monkey]

When you look at the current roster, there is a tight squeeze at several positions. Running back, safety, tight end are three that come immediately to mind. Let's look at who is available at those positions.

Running back

1. Ezekiel Elliott
2. Alfred Morris
3. Darren McFadden
4. Darius Jackson
5. Lance Dunbar

This is quite the squeeze. Dallas kept 4 RBs last year, in large part because there wasn't a clear #1 back. But in prior years, when Murray was looked on as the clear #1 guy, they tended to keep just 3. Now, Elliott is a rookie, but he's already emerged as the clear #1 back.

So who do you keep behind him? This is where Darius Jackson comes into play as our first bubble player. If you keep Jackson, you have a very cheap RB for 4 seasons, whereas McFadden and Dunbar are only signed for 1 year, and Morris for 2.

Now, both McFadden and Morris have put up multiple 1,000 yard seasons and been lead backs. While Jackson hasn't done squat. And even if he runs well in pre-season, will that mean much? Remember Phillip Tanner? He was a beast in pre-season, but worthless when the games counted.

Nevertheless, if Jackson has it, he could work himself into the #2 role and make both McFadden and Morris expendable. McFadden, of course, costs nothing to cut this year, so he's the easier target. Yet he also produced a lot better than Morris last year. Morris would cost a fair chunk of dead money to cut.

The ideal outcome? Jackson turns out to be great as a backup, allowing Dallas to trade or cut McFadden this year, and Morris next year.

link/http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2016...-could-save-the-cowboys-considerable-money-by

 

[BigStar]

I think with Zeke being the #1, it makes sense to go w/Morris and then Jackson as your #3 if he shines so much that you can't stash him on the PS, etc. Dunbar and McFadden could be gone in that scenario but doubt we would get anything in a trade for them unfortunately. Dunbar is such a niche player it is hard to gauge how much value he can deliver based off of his injury history and only brief displays of big play ability (early last season).

 

[vaturkey]

IMO Dunbar and McFadden (baring injury to Zeke/Morris) are done. Dunbar is coming off a major injury and was a niche player to start with. Zeke is also a three down back and getting real who would you want handling a dump off pass, Tissue Paper Dunbar, or 210 lb Zeke who has more moves and power then Dunbar. Also McFadden doesn't fit our scheme in any way shape or form.

 

[JBS]

I don't think they go cheap at RB...they know they need all hands on deck in case of injury and this team really wants to get back to 2014 style of play

 

[casmith07]

Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden are bridge players.

McFadden's 2-year deal is basically a 1 year deal with a team option. Same with Morris.

If Darius Jackson shows flash in camp, McFadden will be released. Morris will stay. Next year, Morris will be in his "option year" pending what we do at the position in the 2017 offseason and what happens in next summer's camp.

Elliott is safe -- he's been selected for the long haul.

 

[iceberg]

Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden are bridge players.

McFadden's 2-year deal is basically a 1 year deal with a team option. Same with Morris.

If Darius Jackson shows flash in camp, McFadden will be released. Morris will stay. Next year, Morris will be in his "option year" pending what we do at the position in the 2017 offseason and what happens in next summer's camp.

Elliott is safe -- he's been selected for the long haul.

about how i see it. we have zeke and the rest are fighting to define their own role. the cowboys are likely to just go with most productive, not sold on any given player outside zeke.

 

[tyke1doe]

I think Dunbar is gone. He's the only one (in my opinion) who is not likely to get picked up by anyone if we let him go. I think Jackson gets swooped up quickly if we try to stash him on the PS. Besides, he's big, strong and fast and behind this line, he won't have to be a top tier running back. He just needs to be one who can move the chains and possibly take it to the house if he breaks a tackle or two - and he has the speed to do it.

McFadden will remain because of the loyalty factor and because he's cheap. He's been a good soldier and proved he's a team player and actually did pretty good last year. Jerry's going to reward that.

Morris is old reliable and fits our scheme. He will be brought in to grind out yards when we want to play keep away and when we want to give Elliott a rest. Besides, he's a veteran and is a team player too.

So the way I see it is Dunbar is history.

 

[Fla Cowpoke]

When you factor in having to add a salary back in when you release a guy, the savings aren't much to get excited about.

Basically have to subtract about $550k

So for Wilcox the net savings is about 1m. For McFadden, it's about $1.5m, and for Escobar it is about $450k.

If we are interested in saving money, the guys that should be on the bubble are Church and R. McClain. Outside of those two, the rest either have too big of a dead money hit or not enough impact to cut just due to money. Free would be really be about the only other one that you could throw in there.

 

[stiletto]

If you have to choose between Morris and McFadden, it's a no brainer. Morris is younger, never gets hurt and is a monster zone runner which fits our scheme perfectly. Liked what McFadden did last year but he is expendable and he gets broken when he tries to save cell phones. Easy call.

 

[jazzcat22]

What is this article even saying. Cut players and replace with lesser experienced players to save money. Doesn't sound like a sound theory for winning.
Then when / if needed, rely on them, only to make a huge rookie mistake and cost us the season or a chance for the playoffs.
I know they need something to write about and to give us something to post about.

the McFadden hate continues, people ridiculed him at this time last year, but he proved to be worthy of keeping. We drafted Zeke, which is fantastic. Then drafted a RB in the 6th which even by college standards doesn't have a lot of experience. But yet people still want to think DMC is some kind of a bum.

I would bet that if Dallas did not draft Zeke, many of these same people would be saying DMC is a valuable RB until X round RB is ready. I doubt anyone would be saying Jackson will replace DMC as the starter. Though some would say Morris would.

Now is the article, iI say if anyone should be cut to save money would be Church, and save 4.5 million. But that would have happened by now. Frazier pushing Wilcox off the roster is the only other option, but how much do you really save.

As posted above, you cut one player to save, but you still need to pay that new player. Then what experience do you lose. But this is supposed to happen from drafted players too. Frazier for Wilcox is the better scenario, pay Barry, keep the better player for a little more money.

So why is not Witten the odd man out to save cap space? I am not saying get rid of Witten at all, but but wouldn't keeping youth and less paid be along the theme of the article?

 

[tyke1doe]

So why is not Witten the odd man out to save cap space? I am not saying get rid of Witten at all, but but wouldn't keeping youth and less paid be along the theme of the article?

You speak Cowboy blasphemy, man.

 

[NorthwestDallas40]

Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden are bridge players.

McFadden's 2-year deal is basically a 1 year deal with a team option. Same with Morris.

If Darius Jackson shows flash in camp, McFadden will be released. Morris will stay. Next year, Morris will be in his "option year" pending what we do at the position in the 2017 offseason and what happens in next summer's camp.

Elliott is safe -- he's been selected for the long haul.

You really think Elliot is safe?

 

[jazzcat22]

You speak Cowboy blasphemy, man.

Right. LOL.
But from the article, it's do as I say, not as I do, type of theme. So just had to bring that up.

 

[gimmesix]

I can't argue with any of the writer's points from a money-saving, length-of-contract standpoint.

McFadden/Dunbar, Wilcox and Escobar would seem to be the most likely choices to be replaced if Jackson, Frazier and Gathers/Swaim prove to be worth keeping. That's a big if, though.

How many of our late-round picks have proven to be worth keeping the past few years?

Here are the players drafted in the sixth round or later the last few years:

Mark Nzeocha, Laurence Gibson and Geoff Swaim in 2015.

Ben Gardner, Will Smith, Ahmad Dixon, Ken Bishop and Terrance Mitchell in 2014. (I remember some of us having hopes for Gardner and Bishop.)

DeVonte Holloman in 2013.

James Hanna and Caleb McSurdy in 2012.

Dwayne Harris, Shaun Chapas and Bill Nagy in 2011.

Sam Young, Jamar Wall and Sean Lissemore in 2010.

So three out of 17 made any kind of real contributions to the team, which means we'll probably be lucky if one of the three this year prove to be worth keeping.

 

[gimmesix]

If I had to guess based on my above post: Jackson and Gathers end up targeted for the PS while Frazier makes the team as the fourth or fifth safety primarily because of special teams play.

 

[DFWJC]

So why is not Witten the odd man out to save cap space? I am not saying get rid of Witten at all, but but wouldn't keeping youth and less paid be along the theme of the article?

By your logic, then Dez, Romo, Lee, and anyone else with a high salary could be odd man out.

Come on now, his odd men out where not the clear cut 2016 starters with Pro Bowl potential.
I KNOW that you know that.

 

[jazzcat22]

By your logic, then Dez, Romo, Lee, and anyone else with a high salary could be odd man out.

Come on now, his odd men out where not the clear cut 2016 starters with Pro Bowl potential.
I KNOW that you know that.

No it is not my logic for them to be out. You misunderstood what I was saying, or trying to say. Maybe I needed to say it better. LOL.

 

[Verdict]

I think the premise of the article is sound, and reasonable. It's not just the immediate cap savings that matter, it is the length of time that you control each of the referenced players because of their contracts and the cap savings you get in the later years as well. Of course, these guys have to also be able to play at a close enough level to make the switch, but in making that call you also have to look at the potential improvement that the young players will make with playing time.

 

[Nightman]

I think the premise of the article is sound, and reasonable. It's not just the immediate cap savings that matter, it is the length of time that you control each of the referenced players because of their contracts and the cap savings you get in the later years as well. Of course, these guys have to also be able to play at a close enough level to make the switch, but in making that call you also have to look at the potential improvement that the young players will make with playing time.

If you are going to build thru the draft you can't keep tossing aside draft picks in their 1st year

We aren't keeping guys like McFadden, Leary, Church, Wilcox, Gachkar, RMcClain, TMcClain, Escobar, Street, KMoore......we need to keep younger, cheaper guys with 4 year deals...cutting or trading some of these guys could save big bucks which could pay for TFred or be rolled over

 

[Nightman]

When you factor in having to add a salary back in when you release a guy, the savings aren't much to get excited about.

Basically have to subtract about $550k

So for Wilcox the net savings is about 1m. For McFadden, it's about $1.5m, and for Escobar it is about $450k.

If we are interested in saving money, the guys that should be on the bubble are Church and R. McClain. Outside of those two, the rest either have too big of a dead money hit or not enough impact to cut just due to money. Free would be really be about the only other one that you could throw in there.

It is not just the money, which could be upwards of 10m, but it is also the extra years of cheap control

Not saving 1.5m because his replacement costs 500k is silly....do that 4 times and it is 6m saved