You can't pay everyone

[Wood]

Melton is a candidate for a restructure. I think Brandon Carr will be waived. Free will be waived, and I would not be surprised to see the Cowboys select a RT in the first round to replace him, or give the job to Jeremy Parnell full time.

Leary will be a long term signing. He won't command anywhere near what Tyron Smith got, or even Doug Free initially got, so he should stick long enough to where the contract number vs. knee concerns are negligible (which should be negligible in my opinion anyway, since the guy has now gone through 20+ games without a single incident).

McClain will be re-signed. He is the Mike Linebacker of the future. Sean Lee is the Will. Bruce Carter will likely return, but not at a huge cost. He's a nice player but certainly not worth top dollar, and everyone knows it. Durant should also be kept - you don't only need 3 good linebackers. You really need 4 or 5 starting quality guys.

Claiborne has seen his last significant time in a Dallas uniform. The defense is better without him.

Sterling Moore should get an extension as well. In fact, you could probably start Scandrick and Moore on this team next year and have the same success.

My thoughts.


Edit: Murray will also be kept, my guess is the tag this year to see if he produces again next year.

Melton won't restructure. Dallas will either exercise rest of contract or release him. Dallas has option to still go after him after he is released. Most feel Melton at this point is not worth the money. He could become a force in 2nd half of season but so far he has just been average.

 

[ghst187]

I'm seeing some mock drafts pegging Gurley to Minnesota and, while ridic early, could make things interesting as the sense it seems overall is that there is a good chance, for many reasons, that Minny could get rid of AP. If that happens….I think AP really wants to be in Dallas and we'd have options with Murray.
For my money however, I think McClain needs re-signed before anyone, with Dez just behind him.
Its going to be an interesting offseason for sure, as it seems about half our team is due to be FAs.
Sadly, I think Harris walks. The WR rotation has just gotten too deep and you can't pay big $ for special teamers. I love Beasley, he'll probably get offered more money elsewhere. Leary needs to stay, Clutts is a FA and that's just the offense.
All good teams get pilfered in the offseason and I tend to doubt we end up getting too many hometown discounts, save possibly AP if he becomes a FA.
Carter is a really nice to have but could be the odd man out.
Forget bringing anyone in, we'll be lucky not to lose a significant amount of contributors.

 

[tyke1doe]

Murray hasn't had a significant injury since 2012. He's missed two games since then (back to back), and outside of the freak injury in 2011, I'm not sure where this "injury plagued" career thing comes from.

Hhm, so he gets drafted in 2011. He missed three games his rookie year. He missed six in 2012 and missed two last year. And he's not injury plagued? Also, the knock on Murray coming out of Oklahoma was that he was injury prone.

Murray has been a difference maker since he became a starter for the Cowboys.

This is the first season in four that he's going to break 1,000 yards in a season. And that's due to the fact we have a better offensive line. Sure, he's doing his share of toting the rock, but he's benefiting largely from a vastly improved offensive line.

And we'll find a way to keep our key players, unless they actually want out badly.

I'd like to think we could too. Unfortunately, in this salary-cap-strapped era, we may not be able to.

 

[Nightman]

The only guys to command big money will be Dez and Murray. If Melton really comes on he is under contract, if not let him test FA.

The others like Carter, Harris, Ro Mc, Free, Durant, Beasely all have warts and shouldn't get anything that couldn't be matched and don't offer enough to go crazy over.

From what I understand Moore and Leary can be tendered as RFAs pretty cheaply.

The cap should go up to 145m next year, add 4m in rollover to Romo's restructure that leaves the team will plenty of money to sign everyone. They will have to decide on Carr and Free and save big money by making them June 1st cuts. That is enough leverage to work out a drastic pay cut if they want to keep them.

 

[GoBigD]

Cut Lee and keep carter, mclain and durant.

 

[Chuck 54]

I don't understand why anyone would want Adrian Peterson to ever wear the star with all the crap coming out about him. Forget his being overpaid and near the end of his career; I would be so embarrassed to have a slime like him on my team. I question whether he will even be in the NFL next year.

 

[Tawney88]

You posted this under the guise of salary cap management but you then talk about trading Murray and signing AP, who would be every bit as expensive, which makes this sound suspiciously like a "Peterson is better than Murray" thread.

I didn't get that from the OP but Peterson is better than Murray.

 

[casmith07]

Melton won't restructure. Dallas will either exercise rest of contract or release him. Dallas has option to still go after him after he is released. Most feel Melton at this point is not worth the money. He could become a force in 2nd half of season but so far he has just been average.

Good observation. Mincey and McClain have played much better at a fraction of the cost.

I also looked some stuff up and cutting Carr only saves $600k on the cap while generating a lot of 2016 dead money, so I think he'll stick around. He's only had one bad game this year against the Giants, but this is about the same time last year he started to struggle as well. Wonder about fatigue/health a little.

He seems like a great teammate, though, so I'm rooting for him to keep playing well.

 

[Risen Star]

You can't pay everyone.

But I sure as bleep will pay DeMarcus Ware over Brandon friggin Carr.

Keep your impact players.

 

[starfrombirth]

So you're another one that thinks we can win with no talent? 8-8 stay warm buddy, cause we'll be right back to it next year.

Not disagreeing with you at all but how do YOU propose to pay everyone and remember franchising someone is usually 2-3 times more expensive per year than a contract... just curious. My personal opinion is that you have to continuously retool from the draft. The days of us being able to just throw money at the problem are over unfortunately (and by us, I mean Jerry )

 

[Risen Star]

Not disagreeing with you at all but how do YOU propose to pay everyone and remember franchising someone is usually 2-3 times more expensive per year than a contract... just curious. My personal opinion is that you have to continuously retool from the draft. The days of us being able to just throw money at the problem are over unfortunately (and by us, I mean Jerry )

The key is drafting well. That cushions the blow of losing quality players in free agency.

 

[Wood]

Good observation. Mincey and McClain have played much better at a fraction of the cost.

I also looked some stuff up and cutting Carr only saves $600k on the cap while generating a lot of 2016 dead money, so I think he'll stick around. He's only had one bad game this year against the Giants, but this is about the same time last year he started to struggle as well. Wonder about fatigue/health a little.

He seems like a great teammate, though, so I'm rooting for him to keep playing well.

Garrett mentioned he thinks Carr is playing thru some type of hamstring issue.

 

[casmith07]

Garrett mentioned he thinks Carr is playing thru some type of hamstring issue.

He didn't look right out there Sunday. Woicik'd.

 

[Stash]

Is anyone actually thinking that Melton is coming back under his current contract?

A $9 million salary guaranteed on the first day of the new league year?!?!?

Based on what we're getting, I put those chances at 0.0 percent.

I think we've found our cheaper, younger option in Crawford.

 

[Doomsday101]

Melton, who played in only three games last season because he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament, will be paid $78,125 per week in 2014 if he’s on the 46-man game day roster. If he plays in all 16 games for the Cowboys, that will mean an additional $1.25 million for him. Melton can earn up to $1.5 million more in incentives in 2014 based on the number of sacks he gets and his playing time.
Melton’s current salary-cap hit is $1.7 million, but that can climb to as much as $5 million as he earns more money. After signing Melton, the Cowboys still have $4.9 million in salary-cap room for next season, according to the latest NFLPA report.
After 2014, the Cowboys have the option to extend Melton’s contract for three seasons. If Melton is on the Cowboys’ roster on the first day of the new league year next March, he’ll be signed through 2017.
If Melton shows the Cowboys what they want to see — that he’s healthy and returns to his 2012 Pro Bowl form — he will get a fully guaranteed $9 million base salary in 2015. The Cowboys can prorate Melton’s $9.25 million cap hit in 2015 by dividing it equally over the last three seasons of his deal.
Melton’s base salaries for 2016 and 2017 are $7.5 million each season.

http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***...motivation-to-stay-healthy-perform-well.html/

 

[sbark]

The key is drafting well. That cushions the blow of losing quality players in free agency.

Correct---have to draft well so a player is ready to man up and let the Vet go with a compensated draft pic received......easier said then done---better pay McClay out the nose and the coaches that can coach the kids up........

 

[sbark]

Melton, who played in only three games last season because he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament, will be paid $78,125 per week in 2014 if he’s on the 46-man game day roster. If he plays in all 16 games for the Cowboys, that will mean an additional $1.25 million for him. Melton can earn up to $1.5 million more in incentives in 2014 based on the number of sacks he gets and his playing time.
Melton’s current salary-cap hit is $1.7 million, but that can climb to as much as $5 million as he earns more money. After signing Melton, the Cowboys still have $4.9 million in salary-cap room for next season, according to the latest NFLPA report.
After 2014, the Cowboys have the option to extend Melton’s contract for three seasons. If Melton is on the Cowboys’ roster on the first day of the new league year next March, he’ll be signed through 2017.
If Melton shows the Cowboys what they want to see — that he’s healthy and returns to his 2012 Pro Bowl form — he will get a fully guaranteed $9 million base salary in 2015. The Cowboys can prorate Melton’s $9.25 million cap hit in 2015 by dividing it equally over the last three seasons of his deal.
Melton’s base salaries for 2016 and 2017 are $7.5 million each season.

http://cowboysblog.***BANNED-URL***...motivation-to-stay-healthy-perform-well.html/

Meltons stay is going to be hurt by Crawfords play ......and Devon Colemans progress, maybe even the Stanford kid on injured reserve.

 

[ABQCOWBOY]

I gotta say, even if we don't sign Murray, which I hope we do, there are a lot of really good backs that will be FA's next year.

Both Vereen (25) and Riddly (25), Mark Ingram (24), Ryan Matthews (27), DMac (27), Justin Forsett (29), Ahmad Bradshaw (28), there are a lot of pretty good backs in FA.

We could easily draft a guy and sign one of these guys if we were unable to sign Murray to a reasonable contract. I love Murray but there is no reason at all we should over pay.

 

[mattjames2010]

Hhm, so he gets drafted in 2011. He missed three games his rookie year. He missed six in 2012 and missed two last year. And he's not injury plagued? Also, the knock on Murray coming out of Oklahoma was that he was injury prone.



This is the first season in four that he's going to break 1,000 yards in a season. And that's due to the fact we have a better offensive line. Sure, he's doing his share of toting the rock, but he's benefiting largely from a vastly improved offensive line.



I'd like to think we could too. Unfortunately, in this salary-cap-strapped era, we may not be able to.

Again, he hasn't had a significant injury for over 2 years. He broke 1,000 yards in 2013, and was on the verge of breaking it in 2011 before the injury (He was averaging over 5 YPC).

So no, Murray isn't just doing it because of how well the line has improved. He has produced since he came into the league.

 

[Stash]

I gotta say, even if we don't sign Murray, which I hope we do, there are a lot of really good backs that will be FA's next year.

Both Vereen (25) and Riddly (25), Mark Ingram (24), Ryan Matthews (27), DMac (27), Justin Forsett (29), Ahmad Bradshaw (28), there are a lot of pretty good backs in FA.

We could easily draft a guy and sign one of these guys if we were unable to sign Murray to a reasonable contract. I love Murray but there is no reason at all we should over pay.

Ingram intrigues me. I don't think he's ever gotten a real chance in New Orleans.