Why does Dallas not have a lot of cap space?

[TwentyOne]

I love this post. One year ago the Cowboys just came off a 13-3 season. Garrett won HCOY. Now suddenly everyone sucks.

He wrote SJ sucks. Not everybody.

 

[TwentyOne]

lol

LoL'ing kiddy ?

 

[LACowboysFan1]

LOL. Having cap space once in a couple of decades of losing would show they know how to manage the cap?

No, but what do you want? For the Cowboys to continue to screw up the cap forever?

At least it shows they're trying, I give them credit for that...

 

[Jarv]

Cut Witten, Dez, Crawford and Scandrick. Our problem is we hold onto guys too long because of the FO "feelings" for the players.

Yeah, we suck at cap management, most teams have a layer between the GM and owners, we do not. Therein lies the majority of the problem...Don't even let me get started on the coaching.

This explains our 20+ years of nothingness.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Cut Witten, Dez, Crawford and Scandrick. Our problem is we hold onto guys too long because of the FO "feelings" for the players.

Didn't do that with Emmitt and Troy, and that started the years of cap heck...

 

[Chuck 54]

8.5 million is NOT a cap killer. Do your research before spouting off again

8.5 million keeps Hitchins here and allows us more freedom in the draft. It’s not as big as it was, but that’s still a large amount for 1 guy going into his second year of retirement.

 

[Section446]

Because we're paying spares like Dez and Witten too much for what they bring to the table.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Cut Witten, Dez, Crawford and Scandrick

Well let's look at the dead cap situation for each, since some here feel the biggest cap problem the Cowboys have is paying people after they're no longer here, a la Romo:

Per Sportcap

Witten - 2018 dead cap $0
Dez: - 2018 dead cap $8 mil
Crawford: - 2018 dead cap $7.3 mil
Scandrick - 2018 dead cap $3.88 mil

Witten and Scandrick could be cut and would have no or a low dead cap hit, respectively.

But Dez and Crawford have nearly as much as Romo. They're not the same as Witten, who obviously has eroded skills, or both Scandrick and Witten, older guys who have at least 2 replacement players under contract waiting for their term.

Pretty much need to keep Dez and Crawford, unless you can trade them, for one more year.

I'd love it if Witten could go to a team like the Rams or Falcons, teams on the rise, who could get Witten a ring....

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

The cap guru from the other Cowboys site, Jumbo where are you?

 

[LACowboysFan1]

QUOTE:"8.5 million is NOT a cap killer. Do your research before spouting off again" QUOTE

"We're in cap heck because of Romo." (paraphrased)

It's not a black and white situation, it's how you view it, both views can be interpreted as correct. But let's look at it.

Romo's cap hit is 58% of the total cap hit. In that sense it is a cap killer, but you are correct as a percentage of the total cap it's not bad. And every team has dead cap money, that's just the way it works. You can't pay everybody every year what they're worth, the cap is limited, you have to defer some of a top players contract to later years, be it calling some of the contract a bonus, or showing low salaries early in the contract with a big increase in later years. That's a bona fide way to get good players without busting the cap.

But like some people who buy a big house with the hopes of selling it in a few years at a higher price because they're counting on the market going up, if the market doesn't rise, or falls, then they're under water on the house and if they lose their job or had a mortgage that had a low payment for a few years, then a big increase, now they can't afford the house.

Romo signed his big contract in 2013. In the two years previous, he had played all 32 games, threw for over 9,000 yards with 51 tds and an average qbr of 96.5. At the time he signed that contract, he was worth the big bucks, based on production and what other quarterbacks in the league were getting for similar production. That's just the way the market is.

However, the collarbone and back injuries occurred, causing his retirement. So the Cowboys got burned on the contract, big dead cap. But nobody KNEW he'd have to retire in a couple of years. If he hadn't had to retire, based on the increase in the quarterback pay scale, his cost would be almost a bargain.

Point is to complain about Romo's cap hit is a moot point, you take a chance paying somebody big bucks, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But to say Romo's dead cap is "nothing to be concerned about" is also a moot point, it is money you're paying to somebody who's not on the team and can't help you one bit with winning...

 

[3rd_n_inches]

We might not have a lot of money to make it rain on FA but we are rich in spirit and that counts for somethin

 

[Cowboysheelsreds053]

We might not have a lot of money to make it rain on FA but we are rich in spirit and that counts for somethin

While we watch the egirls continue putting SB trophies in the newly built case.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

I don't know what $9m of production looks like

Calais Campbell - in 2017, cap hit of $10.5 million, Crawford's was 10.35 mil, nearly identical.

But Campbell was the NFL Defensive player of the year, had 67.5 tackles and 14.5 sacks. Vs. Crawford's 27 and 4.

Now certainly Campbell played more, was in the same position, etc. Not saying they had equal opportunity. Just noting what $10 million of production looks like...

 

[LACowboysFan1]

While we watch the egirls continue putting SB trophies in the newly built case.

Continue? So you know they will win the SB next year or so? Better head to Vegas, the Eagles are currently 12:1 odds to win, you could get rich.

No guarantee the Eagles will ever win another....

 

[jsb357]

Wait why is Romo still counting against the cap? Makes no sense considering he's retired.

Same reason Dallas paid Miles Austin for 3 years to play for other teams.

 

[DallasEast]

LoL'ing kiddy ?

lol

 

[CowboyRoy]

I have to agree. Just because fo makes a mistake doesn't mean they can't correct their mistake. Use that money for David Irving who's much better.

Its like a GF your not happy with. Until you move on, you cant find the right one. Get it over with.

 

[TheCount]

Calais Campbell - in 2017, cap hit of $10.5 million, Crawford's was 10.35 mil, nearly identical.

But Campbell was the NFL Defensive player of the year, had 67.5 tackles and 14.5 sacks. Vs. Crawford's 27 and 4.

Now certainly Campbell played more, was in the same position, etc. Not saying they had equal opportunity. Just noting what $10 million of production looks like...

lol.

Ignoring the fact that you are cherry picking.

What's Campbell's cap hit in 2018 compared to Crawfords, I wonder.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

gnoring the fact that you are cherry picking.

Crawford was 84th in the league in sacks. 434th in tackles. You think $9 million is a good amount for that?

He's not worth his pay. Does he have value to the team? Sure he does. But is he worth $9 mil? Well, let's see:

Ever hear of Anthony Zettel? Quick now, who does he play for?

The Lions. He had 43 tackles and 6.5 sacks. He made $660,000 last year.

But I know, I'm "cherry picking". But you think all 83 players above Crawford made more than, or even close to, $9 million? I'm sure I could find at least a dozen defensive players with better stats who made less money, so I guess they are all grossly underpaid?

Nothing against Crawford personally, but the cap is about $$$, not whether he's a great guy or not...

 

[BlindFaith]

Calais Campbell - in 2017, cap hit of $10.5 million, Crawford's was 10.35 mil, nearly identical.

But Campbell was the NFL Defensive player of the year, had 67.5 tackles and 14.5 sacks. Vs. Crawford's 27 and 4.

Now certainly Campbell played more, was in the same position, etc. Not saying they had equal opportunity. Just noting what $10 million of production looks like...

First of all, stop cherry picking a single year of a contract to compare. You do know how contracts work, right?

Crawfords average yearly salary over the course of his original 5 year deal was 9mill per. Care to guess what Campbells was? 15mill.

Lets look at some of the top salaries for DE on average per year.
Olivier Vernon 17mill per - 37 Comb Tkls, 6.5 sacks, 701 plays
JPP 15.5 mill per - 68 Comb Tkls, 8.5 sacks, 1011 plays
Calias Campbell 15 mill per, 67 Comb Tkls, 14.5 sacks, 807 plays
Everson Griffen 14.5 mill per, 45 Comb Tkls, 13 sacks, 795 plays
Stephon Tuitt 12 mill per, 25 Comb Tkls, 3 sacks, 571 plays
Akiem Hicks 12 mill per, 54 Comb Tkls, 8.5 sacks, 899 plays


Now some closer to Crawfords
Vinny Curry 9.45 mill per, 42 Comb Tkls, 3 sacks, 578 plays
Derek Wolfe 9.17 mill per, 31 Comb Tkls, 2 sacks, 459 plays
Jerry Hughes 9 mill per, 44 Comb Tkls, 4 sacks, 735 plays
Tyrone Crawford 9 mill per, 27 Comb Tkls, 4 sacks, 630 plays
Cameron Wake 8 mill per, 36 Comb Tkls, 10.5 sacks, 615 plays

So Crawford's numbers are not that far out of alignment with other players getting paid the same. Not to mention, this was his first full year playing DE. As I said before, I think he will be better this year.

Did he light it up? No. But some of the comments here are that he's JAG. Worthless. Doesn't come close to his contract.

Then you have folks like you who try to compare him the Defensive Player of the year, who averages 6 mill per year more.

Why not compare him to Vernon. Or JPP. Or Griffen. Or Hicks. You telling me you'd rather have any of those guys with their contracts over Crawford?