News: TLH: Four ways the Dallas Cowboys can save salary cap space

[glimmerman]

Creating cap space in a given year is not the same as saving cap space.

It does not save cap space to restructure DLaw's contract. It just frees up cap space for this season.

Cutting Crawford does indeed save cap space. It saves 8M.

Would it be ok if I get like 3 million of that. They would still save 5 million and could offer it to Cobb.

 

[glimmerman]

Cutting Crawford and Fleming are no-brainers. It saves the team $12.5 million in awful contracts and it allows you to pay and keep Robert Quinn.
Is there anyone here who wouldn’t take that trade? Anyone?

I want to see how McGovern works out first. I know Fleming isn’t the best around but I hate losing descent depth. Really hoping Conner makes a leap forward. Collins was our best contract in a while. Wish all the players were that easy.

 

[Proof]

Makes me miss @nightma...
He's wiped?
What has happened to Nightman?

Aw no... c'mon.

shoulda paid the trolls toll

 

[Stash]

1) I believe you undervalue Crawford. He's not worth his price tag but he's a much better asset than the types of guys I would consider "street free agents". You can count on him to do his job at an average NFL level at 3 of the 4 DL positions in a 4-3 front. He plays banged up and doesn't complain.

He's been grossly overpaid for four years, what exactly would he 'complain' about?

Fact is that even if he's healthy enough to play, he's a rotational lineman, not a starter, on the downside of his career. He may have nothing left, especially based on last year.

By all accounts he is a great teammate.

I don't care if the guy doesn't make plays during the games.

Good rosters have guys like Crawford in the middle third.

Making veteran minimum.

2) Yep. Unless of course if it's the good kind of position flex, where the player is capable of attacking from multiple places, like JJ Watt. Just go find us another JJ Watt, @stasheroo !

Jack of all trades, master of none.

3) I agree, I dont think Quinn and a DT upgrade are mutually exclusive since 8M in cap savings is built into the DT upgrade.

I'm hoping for both. This team needs solid, dedicated starters, not a bunch of mediocre rotational guys.

 

[unionjack8]

Have you ever actually looked at Zeke's contract? I'd bet a significant amount of money that you haven't - it's actually a brilliant contract on the Cowboys part.

Not being facetious, can you break it down to show this.....

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

Creating cap space in a given year is not the same as saving cap space.

It does not save cap space to restructure DLaw's contract. It just frees up cap space for this season.

Cutting Crawford does indeed save cap space. It saves 8M.

Agreed. Pushing money into future cap years is not saving cap space.

 

[xwalker]

Would it be ok if I get like 3 million of that. They would still save 5 million and could offer it to Cobb.

Yes, but they're going to restructure you're contract and push the cap hit into the future. For this year you'll be at -3M and owe them money, but in 2090 they finally stop restructuring your contract and you'll get 6M.

 

[xwalker]

You just saved me from reading an article.

I really hate articles that call kicking cap down the road "saving cap".

Crawford won't be costing 8mil salary this year even if we keep him. He already said he'll take a pay cut.

Given that we have nothing at 3T, I expect him to be on the team. If we play more 3 man fronts, it may work out pretty well for us. Though ... also good chance that he's just done.

Crawford was an OK rotational player at his peak. If he has any physical decline, then I can't see him doing much.

On the flip-side, maybe he has had the hip issues for a long time and getting surgery will make him better. Either way he is a short at best option.

Last off-season the Saints signed DT M.Brown for 5M per on 3-year, 15M contract. Meanwhile the Cowboys paid Crawford 8M for 2019. The Saints DL was a brickwall that Zeke kept ramming into in the Cowboys-Saints game.

Brown is not a star player, but he was 25 when the Saints signed him and he was a solid DT for them.

Brown is exactly the type of free agent the Cowboys should try to sign or the 3Tech equivalent of Brown. Not a 15M+ per year star player but also not a minimum contract Kerry Hyder type player.

Regardless of free agency, they need to draft more DL.

McCarthy told Stephen Jones "just get good players and we'll design the schemes around them". That is exactly what Belichick does. BB goes back and forth between a 4-3 and 3-4 as his base defense over the years and varies fronts based on down/distance during games. In 2019 BB played primarily 3-4 on 1st downs. In 2018 he played primarily 4-3 on 1st downs. Both years his 2nd down front varied based on the situation and was often a hybrid between 3-4 and 4-3. On 3rd downs he often only had 1 true DL with 6 big LBs; although, some of the LBs would be DEs in the Marinelli type defense.

 

[plymkr]

Would it be ok if I get like 3 million of that. They would still save 5 million and could offer it to Cobb.

No way, I say we take that 3-5 million and lock up Hill before he explodes on the NFL. I want to avoid another DLaw situation.

 

[Leedscowboy]

Not being facetious, can you break it down to show this.....

His numbers up until end of 2022 season

2020 Cap hit $10.9m dead cap $25.8m
2021 Cap Hit $13.7m dead cap $14.9m
2022 Cap Hit $16.5 dead cap $10.3m

2023 Cap hit $15m dead cap $6.7m
2024 cap hit $12.6m dead cap $2.6

We have an out after 2022 season only costing us $6.7m in dead $$ if his production drops