Uncertainty With Salary Cap Affects Decision Making Process Toward Free Agency

[Doomsday101]

INDIANAPOLIS – It’s hard not to get swept up in the constant conversation surrounding Dez Bryant and DeMarco Murray this offseason. After all, the duo combined for 145 receptions, 3,581 all-purpose yards and 29 touchdowns in 2014.
What the Cowboys decide to do with the pair of Pro Bowlers will help define their 2015 offseason, not to mention many seasons to come.
Given the importance of those decisions, it’s easy to lose focus on some basic truths. For instance, as team executive vice president Stephen Jones quickly pointed out on Tuesday – the Cowboys don’t even yet know how much money they have to work with this offseason. With three weeks still to wait until the start of free agency, the NFL has yet to announce a hard salary cap.
“We’re having different conversations with different guys. With the bigger ones, we’re trying to get our hands around just what we can do,” Jones said. “We still don’t have a hard salary cap from the league yet. That makes a small difference in terms of what you have.”

The 2015 salary cap is projected to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $140 million, but that is still subject to change. The Cowboys aren’t in the same dire situation as previous years because they’re already under the salary cap, but it still helps them determine how much wiggle room they have.
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/2...ts-decision-making-process-toward-free-agency

 

[phildadon86]

This is why all of the contract conversation at this point is moot. We dont even know how much they have to work with

 

[Doomsday101]

This is why all of the contract conversation at this point is moot. We dont even know how much they have to work with

Moot to a point, Dallas is still dealing with players contracts and doing so without knowing the exact number they have to work with.

 

[unionjack8]

when will it be officially announced?

 

[Nightman]

Even at 140m + 3.2m in rollover from 2014 Dallas is 15m under the cap right now. Some experts expect the cap to be closer to 145m which would put Dallas 20m under.

If they restructure Romo, TSmith and Witten they would be 50m under the cap. That is more than enough to tag Dez, sign Murray and a big time DE.

Mid level guys like Free/Parnell, McClain, Carter, Durant, Beasley and Moore shouldn't cost too much, but they are much easier to replace with draft picks or cheap vets.

 

[Hoofbite]

when will it be officially announced?

28th last year. Friday the 27th, maybe?

 

[Hoofbite]

I'm not as optimistic it will move as much as last year as last year was pretty unexpected.

I think a modest $5M to $7M bump is more likely. Can't imagine there's that much money that will come in that teams are unaware of.

 

[Nightman]

I read that Dallas was one of 8 teams that are under the 89% cash spending floor for 2013-2016. Oakland was under by the most, but Dallas wasn't far ahead at 82%. Dallas will have to come off some cash to back above the spending floor. Dez and a possible DE should take care of it, but it shows just how frugal and how young they are.

 

[Nightman]

I'm not as optimistic it will move as much as last year as last year was pretty unexpected.

I think a modest $5M to $7M bump is more likely. Can't imagine there's that much money that will come in that teams are unaware of.

I think it comes in around 143m. The revenue growth has been staggering with the new TV deals.

 

[Hoofbite]

I think it comes in around 143m. The revenue growth has been staggering with the new TV deals.

Sure, but the only contract not in play last year was DirecTV, correct?

At least that's what I thought.

The PA is supposed to provide there own projections at the start of the combine because they felt the league estimate was low. We'll see what they come up with.

 

[Bullflop]

Apparently, those who favor a radical influx of vet free agents will surely be obliged to compromise their lust. The pressure on teams to be attentive to maintaining healthy salary structures is certain to demand a more conservative approach when it comes to thoughts of pursuing too many costly free agents. I think Dallas likely will be inclined to seriously limit their vet FA acquisitions to an absolute minimum of spending this year.

 

[Longboysfan]

I think it comes in around 143m. The revenue growth has been staggering with the new TV deals.

Are all the TV deals set to kick in this year or next year?

 

[Nightman]

Are all the TV deals set to kick in this year or next year?

They kicked in last year, but the money doesn't start counting until this year.

The new Thurs night package alone is a bounty.
Add in another 500m to DirecTVs 1b and you can see the money is crazy

In fact I think that teams will have to start expanding the rosters to deal with the ever increasing cap. They have spending floors of 89% of the cap in cash over a 4 year period and even Dallas is under the threshold for 2013-2016 at 85%.

QBs and LT can only make so much more than everyone else and with the rookie wages being reset, teams are cutting expensive vets and using the young guys.

 

[Hoofbite]

They kicked in last year, but the money doesn't start counting until this year.

The new Thurs night package alone is a bounty.
Add in another 500m to DirecTVs 1b and you can see the money is crazy

In fact I think that teams will have to start expanding the rosters to deal with the ever increasing cap. They have spending floors of 89% of the cap in cash over a 4 year period and even Dallas is under the threshold for 2013-2016 at 85%.

QBs and LT can only make so much more than everyone else and with the rookie wages being reset, teams are cutting expensive vets and using the young guys.

Im pretty sure they set the cap based on projected revenues for the current year.

Actual revenues are looked at, but only for the purposes of adjusting the current years projection by the difference between the previous year's projection and previous year's actual revenue.

$143M is looking more likely. I didn't think it would bounce by another $10M but just may.

 

[Longboysfan]

So ticket revenue is also calculated in the next year after all gate is counted.