Dr. Tradelove, Or How I Remembered to Stop Worrying and Loathe the Cap

I believe their should be a cap for competitive balance, yes somethings can be changed in the contract with the players association to make trades possible, but I seen what happened to hockey when a handful of teams are able to sign who ever they want, take on big contracts at the trade deadline and other teams just cant afford to meet the price of the bigger market teams. I used to be a big fan of baseball, but now with the new year of baseball about to start, I could care less about it, yankees and the redsox will be shoe ins again to compete for the division and the wildcard, Pitt, Mil, cubs, KC, might as well close shop, they have no chance to compete, and teams like the yankees and redsox wont give up a dime to help make those team competitive. I’m for a salary cap but I think things can be done to make trades possible and to increase the quality of play on the field.

I dont get the new “draft” system after 2008. If things would go back to the old days would the draft not sill be around?

Dr. Rafael Tradelove:

But what if the Cowboys took all of their best players in the offseason and put them in a mine, deep beneath the surface of the Earth? They could then invite a few select free agent players to join them. Of course, they would have to have a large concubine of the most beautiful and fertile young women in the world, at a ratio of 10 women to every man. At the appropriate time, word would spread of this underground mine, and every quality player in the NFL would request a trade to come join our team.

General, what if those Redskins build their own mines? What if they can build more mines than us?

Mr. President…I am seriously worried that we might have a “mine-gap” with the Reds. This is a very serious situation!!

LOL.

I’m picturing Jerry Jones riding on the bomb, howling, and waving his cowboy hat around like Slim Pickens…lol.

Instead of the ‘Doomsday Device’, it can be the ‘Doomsday Defense’ again. LMAO!! :P

“Everyone knew that salary cap was a communist conspiracy to undermine the great, noble, warlike, capitalist institution of American football” -General Buck Turgidson, U.S. Secret Operations War Room.

For me,if the cap ended, there would be no love lost from me. The nfl lasted 70 years without one and it punished a truly great team with one.I say bring back the old days and leave the cap behind.

In Strangelovian voice, referring to those female mine shaft candidates:

"Of course, the women would have to be of a highly….stimulating nature… much like your, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders no?

Of course, we would need doctors, coaches and key bloggers to maintain the culture….

Perfect…seriously though, this was one of your most entertaining blogs over the course of the last year, Rafael. Good points about how the Dynasty was decimated by the cap and FA, too. I think that point gets lost too often when discussing the potential of that team. You addressed the facts objectively, without too much bitterness for what the NFL and NFLPA did by instituting such a ridiculous rule as the salary cap that undoubtedly was among the chief causes for unraveling such a dominating Dynasty in that era.

Perhaps you could ask Raul to contruct a Hall of Fame for your best entries, such as this one? It would be nice to have a repository for some of the best ones to look at and reflect on from time to time. Especially if the Cowboys make the playoffs and Super Bowl next year too. I’m sure we all would like to recall those entries with minimal ease. A training camp area might be helpful too. Just a few ideas to ponder at will.

Now…make sure your arm doesn’t twitch suddenly and smack yourself in the face or fall out of your wheelchair there, Dr. Tradelove!!

Does anyone have a concrete number on our cap status? ESPN says we’re at $93.2 mill. Another web site, I forget the name, but they’ve been good at this stuff, says we’re at $90 mill. JJT has said we have $10-15 mill under the cap. Raf has said $14. WHAT IS THE NUMBER? I just want one number?

Last year I was able to work all the stuff out myself, but I haven’t been able to find all the SB numbers or bonuses this year. All I can get is the salaries, and even that is a pain to do secause I have to do it a player at a time from NFLPAs website.

SOMEONE HELP!!!

I dont mean to bring this draft down with questions born out of ignorance, but I also dont understand the the draft going away comment…. There has always been a draft… Why would it go away????

Dr. Love,

Now I wouldn’t want to be the New York Yankees of the NFL, but it sounds interesting. You should have thought of it about 10-12 years ago. When people try to “under score” the Cowboys of the 90’s I often tell them that we had a handful of future Pro Bowlers riding the pine. Jimmy Smith, Godfrey Myles, Leon Lett, Chad Hennings, and Brock Marion were all bench warmers during the 2nd of 3 Super Bowls. BOY!! Could you ever imagine if that team stayed together!!

But to get back to today and the current situation. I pointed out in the previous blog that teams drafting well should be rewarded. If the NFL adopted a salary cap rule similar to the one used by the NBA, they would be rewarding teams that drafted well. Here is my suggestion. If a team signs a player with (lets say) 5 years of service for that team, then 50% of that player’s salary would count against the cap. After (lets say) 8 years of service for that team, then 25% of the player’s salary would count for the cap. .. You know I am just throwing out numbers, but this would;

1) Reduce the 3.8% difference in what the NFLPA is asking for and what the owners are looking to pay.
2) Satisfy the owners that disapprove of a raise in salary cap numbers, because the onis will be on the teams that are drafting well. Hence the 3.8% difference will largely be fulfilled by the teams that are winning and resigning their players.
3) It will encourage teams to sign their players. So there will be more players retiring with only playing for one team. Which is always a good thing.

I’d like to hear a lot more about this no draft thing. are you kidding?

how will college players move into the NFL? will a few teams just grab’em all with big money? what’s the plan?

maybe the teams with the best “mines” get them all? ;-)

Matt, Impatient, and BuckeyeMark,

I don’t see any reason why the draft couldn’t continue until the courts struck it down, which they very well might, absent a labor agreement. Raul says that John Clayton is the one who is claiming there is something in the last CBA extension which prohibits a draft, if the CBA is not extended again. I can find no such clause.

I addressed this in a bit more detail in a couple of posts in the entry, ‘New CBA In Peril â€Å"Bloody” Offseason Looms’.

All I can say is that both Clayton and I have been known to be wrong.

Rafael,

I don’t much care if there is a salary cap or not, so long as there is labor peace. If that can be achieved with a cap, fine; without a cap, that’s fine too. The issue here, is that without a CBA of SOME sort in place, we are very likely to suffer lockouts and strikes. I would sacrifice any number of dynasties to avoid that.

Your claim about 6 years before a player becomes a free agent is only partially accurate — namely, only for 2007. After that, if no new agreement is in place, all provisions of the CBA (except those pertaining to the draft, which last for one extra year), become null and void, because the CBA, itself, disappears. The 6-year rule goes bye-bye. There will be no more EFAs, or RFAs, or UFAs. Those are all CBA terms. Without the CBA, they will not exist.

So, beginning in 2008, whenever any player’s contract runs out, he will automatically become a free agent. The NFL might try to implement some system to regulate it, but, without union agreement, good luck getting it through the courts.

I’m still one of those that thinks this whole thing will get hammered out over night and finished up tommrow. I don’t understand the no draft thing either, that makes no sense.

Ah, and then we have chaos, Mr. Bill.

And then, uggh. New leagues, perhaps?

I don’t want to contemplate that.

What did occur to me about an hour after posting this is that we could be headed for a litigious spell, which as you point out would be horrible for the game.

BuckeyeMark:

College players are simply unrestricted free agents. Simple as that.

Of course, they could always create some new agreement that brings the draft back (football, not selective service) but that’s a pipe dream right now.

Don’t blink folks – this train wreck could get ugly … and, oddly enough, interesting enough to take a peek …

Just wishful thinking but if the CBA dosen’t go through it would be cool if Jerry called and made up with his old friend Jimmy once Parcells’ contract expires so that they could regain the old 90’s dynasty magic.

WOW that would be the craziest thing ever done, no way the NFL would survive, the Cowboys and Redskins could just offer a ton of money to the top 10 players in the would be draft every year and build franchise after franchise. Teams in small markets would disappear. Could you imagine a team like the Saints trying to survive in that type of league? No way.

Jones is saying he thinks a deal will be reached tommorow. i think so too. this is just intense negotiations. theyll find some common ground. i hope so. the dallas web page said that the boys would have around 20 million in cap space. YES!!!!

One thing I have been considering about this whole issue is the possibility of antitrust against the NFLPA. I know it sounds strange…but since we’re talking ‘Strangelove’ in this post anyway, it is worth considering.

First of all…whoever heard of a labor union who collectively bargains for multi-millionaires in their 20’s and 30’s against a proven cartel? The whole idea is absurd at this point in time, IMHO. Years ago when players had to have offseason jobs and the NFL wasn’t a multibillion dollar enterprise, they definitely needed representation. But now? C’mon…anyone in the NFL from coach to trainer to player that thinks they are underpaid is looking at their job only relative to their peers, not the rest of society. Nobody in the NFL is not getting paid well for what they do, and especially not the players. In the entertainment industry you eiher make big money or you make dirt, and believe me there are far more unions in the entertainment industry than there are in pro sports. Difference is, the entertainment business is not a hegemonic monopoly, whereas the NFL has already been adjudicated by Federal Courts to be one.

As an example, can you imagine a Screen Actors Guild where there is only one movie studio? The nature of the motion picture industry guarantees that this would never happen, but for argument’s sake let’s suppose this was the case. Now, if that studio was found to be in violation of antitrust laws (which it surely would be)…would that not make SAG an accomplice of sorts to this monopoly? If they are the monopoly that controls the labor within a monopoly, then by implication they should be guilty of the same, IMO.

If we look at the NFL as not a monopoly per se, but a cartel of team owners, much like nations in OPEC, then without question they are still in violation of antitrust laws. If we look at the NFL as not a cartel, but a monopoly presided over by a commissioner, then they are simply a monopoly in violation of antitrust laws, and not a cartel. The point is, they have already been found to be in violation of antitrust regardless of who is in control of the league, owners or commissioner. They already had to pay their $3 in damages to Donald Trump and the other USFL owners about 20 years ago, so that is not in dispute. I hope Trump framed that dollar bill that he got, BTW.

The NFLPA has never been taken to court yet on antitrust grounds, at least as far as I know. Yet, they control not only the players in the league, but by inference any player that wants to join the league through the draft system or rookie FA. How could that system hold up in a world without a new CBA? How can they have collective bargaining power for a college player, an Arena League player, or even a nightclub bouncer that a team wants to hire to play for them without the NFLPA being guilty of the very same antitrust violation the NFL has already proven to be? How can you have a closed-shop within a monopoly?

It seems like some sort of owners lockout or players labor action would be inevitable in 2008 under this scenario, if nothing else as a way to force an agreement to avoid further litigation. With the Summer Olympics in China and a Presidential election, adding this situation into the mix for the networks who have shelled out fortunes for NFL broadcasting rights could make 2008 one hell of a year. Of course, we all may be living in a video iPod/TiVo/PPV style reality by then anyway.

All good points, Sterling, which is why for all the points I’ve made, which so many people have already shot full of holes (ain’t open source discussion cool?) I think the parties involved HAVE to find an agreement. They’re committing Jonestown-like mass suicide if they don’t. Everybody making a fortune is also legally vulnerable. They can threaten litigation all they want but the last place ANYBODY wants to be is court.

And there are too many bank accounts being padded to put this thing at risk.

Then again, never underestimate the power of ego.

BTW – If the NFLPA were to be found in violation of antitrust, and have not their collective bargaining power, but their power over football players diminished…what about the idea of each player becoming an independent contractor? Instead of each player being on a team’s payroll as a W-2 employee, he can be a 1099 guy and write his agent’s fees off his taxes. That makes more sense in a world of contracts and representation anyway, at least IMHO.

Rafael:

At this point the situation looks more like brinksmanship on the part of members of the ‘cartel’ than a true labor relations matter. If my hunch is correct, there are certain members of this cartel that would like to scuttle the current system with the hopes of striking a better deal for a brighter future in a new legal/business/football reality. Guys like Bidwell and Benson leap to mind.

Kind of like burning down the temple with the hopes of rising to be the next high priest, these guys don’t mind drinking the Kool Aid as long as they can upset the status quo enough to improve their own lot. They obviously don’t care if their team wins or loses, only if they can put the squeeze on the other franchises for more money. Unfortunately, instead of being a dignified and statesmanlike leader, Upshaw is playing right into the hands of guys like Bidwell & Co. He should be smart enough to see through that.

I hope Tagliabue throws down the iron fist tomorrow and forces a compromise, although I agree with Raul that the trainwreck would make for great copy.

I will tell you one thing, if there is, in fact, no draft, the veterans will cry like stuck pigs. They don’t like how the existing structure rewards draft picks, who have never played a down of football in the NFL. If there is no draft, it will be open bidding on college players (or high school, since the existing requirement will never stand up in court without a labor agreement), which will raise the bonuses and salaries given to the best incoming players, far higher than it is today. Even without a salary cap, there is only a finite amount of money that can be given to all players, including incoming ones. Those veterans, who do not happen to be superstars, will be squeezed, yet again.

I haven’t even mentioned how the colleges would react to all this. In fact, what would prevent a team from raiding a college in October, and signing away its star running back (or whatever). One might argue that current NFL rules would forbid that. But how long would any of those rules stand up in court, without an agreement with the union?

Of course, there were labor agreements and drafts before the current CBA was ever dreamt of. I suspect there will be agreements and drafts after this one, if this one becomes extinct. It’s just that no one knows exactly what will be covered, and how. It will also be rather difficult to accomplish, if the union decertifies, as it has threatened to do.

Chaos, Rafael? Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling. Forty years of darkness. Earthquakes, volcanoes… The dead rising from the grave. Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together – mass hysteria.

OK, enough fun! One thing to remember is that the world will not end if they don’t come to an agreement by tomorrow; not even the NFL world. There is nothing that would legally prevent an extension from occurring over the next two years. Weird happenings would occur in the meantime, and pain will be felt, but, unless one side or the other really does something incredibly stupid, all would not be lost.

Mr. Bill:

All your other forms of chaos would be bad…but please don’t make cats have to live with dogs…that whole concept is really more chaos than they should have to endure. It’s bad enough to throw up on a daily basis, but they shouldn’t have to get frothed on too!!

If there was no draft, then I would think the waiver wire would disappear too. Every player would immediately be an UFA upon being released from their team. Could be interesting in certain situations.

Whatever Rafe was smoking tonight, it was the good sh#*.

None of the cuts were surprising most of those guys were on the bubble or contemplating retirement last year too…. Trevor Pryce, Mike Anderson, Jeb Putzier, Brentson Buckner, Stephen Davis, Sam Madison, Tebucky Jones, Lawyer Milloy and Sam Adams not a shock in the bunch.

I’m with ya on this one though Cap or no Cap Dallas will be all right.

With no cba, we should really try to make a splash in free agency this year. Some of the big money teams(ie skins) will have to be on the sideline. we should definately go out and get bentley and Hope and maybe even hutchinson. as much as we can afford. some of the guys with cap space are the ones who don’t like to spend money anyway. We’ll have these guys for a while if there is no cap. And we should definately trade guys like ellis(glover will be cut as will LA-both untradable) to get more draft picks. the importance of the draft, for as long as there is one(i don’t understand why it would go away as well) is huge!

With chaos comes opportunity!! We are in decent position. With money and cap space, it’ll be time to separate the winners from the losers. Sorry danny boy, your millions will have to be on the sidelines for a couple more years.

General Jack D. Ripper: Mandrake, do you recall what Clemenceau once said about war?
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: No, I don’t think I do, sir, no.
General Jack D. Ripper: He said war was too important to be left to the generals. When he said that, 50 years ago, he might have been right. But today, war is too important to be left to politicians. They have neither the time, the training, nor the inclination for strategic thought. I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination, Communist subversion and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids.

Is it funny? Is it scary? Is it prescient, profound? I don’t know… but I like it. However, I do not like the unknown that faces us this offseason. Unrestrained spending could allow the Redskins and Little Danielle Snyder to build a Skins team reminiscent of the early 90s Cowboys.
It will be up to us to buy as much Cowboys paraphernalia as possible to give Jones more buying power. Would donations to the Cowboys fall under charitable donations? Tax deductible perhaps?

A no capped league won’t make the Cowboys or Skins exactly the Yankees and Red Sox of the NFL, but it puts them both in better position than most of the league. I figure there’s about 8 other teams that can compete with the Skins and Cowboys when it comes to $$$$ on their payroll.

The thing is that the smaller market teams get crushed in the end except for a couple of “stray” teams that do well occasionally, sort of like the Oakland A’s and the Marlins in MLB.

I understand the gripe that the small market and big market owners have along with the players gripe as well. In fact, I think one of the big things I don’t like is that it’s owners like Mike Brown, Bill Bidwell, and Tom Benson that give the rest of the small market owners a bad name.

Take a team like Jacksonville. They’ve been in the league for 11 years and have compiled a 94-82 record in that time, which is pretty good in such a short time frame. They already have a tough time competing because they can’t sell out home games because they lack tradition and are in a college football town.

The NFL and the other owners wanted the Jags in the league and the Jags did a reasonably good job so far in developing their team. Now they will most likely get killed down the road in an uncapped league.

And despite all of the legitimate points of all of the gripes each side has, this game should still be about the fans. Not just Dallas fans like myself, but all of the fans.

Sorry, but for the good of the league, I’d rather see a salary cap.

(I still think we’ll see a cap, they’ll just come to an agreement months down the road.)

Yakuza Rich:

I see your point from a sentimental standpoint, however the laws of economics cannot be repealed to satisfy our feelgood inclinations toward the more upstanding small market teams. Yes, it is the greedy small market owners who would rather let their teams lose by only using 70-75% of their cap space (and thus retaining more of their guaranteed league revenue for the bottom line profit) who poison the well for teams like the Jags, etc. That doesn’t mean that teams like the Cowboys and Redskins should have to subsidize all small market franchises any more than they already do by giving them a bigger piece of the revenue pie, or even worse be forced to devalue their own franchises’ success by having to live under a rule as silly as the salary cap. If these teams can’t stand on their own two feet and compete with the big market teams, then perhaps they should relocate, or find some other way to attract talent. A lot of these franchises have been carried by the big teams for too long as it is. Look at the Cardinals, who benefitted for decades by being in the same division as the Cowboys and Redskins. Yeah, they were the Washinton Generals to the Cowboys and Redskins, but at least their franchise got the benefit of two big home games every year to pack the stadium. The fact that a team like the Rams could move from a much larger market in LA/OC/IE to the very same city that Bidwell and his Cardinals abandoned only years before, and then succeed financially and on the field shows that it has a lot more to do with the brilliance of the owner, and not the size of the market the team is in. I think a strong case could be made that the Rams have never done as well.

Owners voted unaminosly to veto the unrealistic deal by the union and have broken off all talks with the players union. NFLPA is playing chicken with the wrong guys.

Let the bloodbath begin. God i hope jerry was strategic in this!

Rafe, Raul and fellow bloggers:
I just dialed up the blog hoping to read more about the upcoming draft and Free Agency prospects and POW!!!! I get doom and gloom….no draft? No cap? Runaway spending by the “rich” teams….bummer!!! I like the near parity we have now and the forced strategy and off-season ploys it causes. And as some have metnioned this could ruin the college game as we know it too, with no restrictions the NFL could grab players in mid season….this sucks….I just hope some cooler heads prevail, I love the NFL, I like the suspense of the draft and a salary cap gives the little guys a chance once in a while.

I agree with Eric R. I’d like a cap that rewards a team for keeping vets. If we had that, guys like Emmitt would have been a Cowboy his whole career. I like the idea of a cap because there would be no excuses as to why the Cowboys win a Superbowl. I get so sick of hearing how NE is a better “dynasty” because it did it with the cap and Dallas didn’t. Give everyone a gun and let them fight fare, don’t create an atmosphere where some teams get the cannons and other get the pee shooters.

From an economic standpoint, I agree with Sterling that owners play a big part in the success and failure of a team and that the cheap owners don’t deserve a as big a share. Maybe that situation could be remedied if there was a minimum cap to go along with the cap limit. This would limit the amount that could be pocketed by cheap owners. I’m sure if a franchise HAD to give some players a raise to meet the low cap, the players wouldn’t complain…

Sterling:

I still don’t see how a team like the Jags are at fault and should be penalized. The NFL and the other owners decided that Jacksonville should get a franchise which they felt would benefit the league. Jacksonville got their franchise, has done a very good job so far in building competitive teams, and can’t draw very well because of certain situations that are out of their control.

Moving the team isn’t the solution because most likely if they were to move to say, Los Angeles, those new fans wouldn’t put up with losing very long because typically the only fans that put up with losing are teams with great tradition. Since you’re just moving a franchise to a new city, there is no tradition.

In this situation, the Jags get screwed because of the other owners greed. Guys like Snyder and Jones wanted the Jags in this league and they never realized how hypocritical it was to have a team like Jacksonville in the NFL only to turn around and say they want to restructure revenue sharing to their favor and get rid of the cap.

And I never thought of the salary cap as being a “silly rule.” For a long time I’ve looked at the NFL as a corporation and the teams in the NFL as its wholly owned subsidiaries. Essentially, these teams have the right to make their own decisions, but the NFL still has the final say in what they can do and what rules they have to follow.

All the salary cap is to me is the NFL saying “here’s what we feel is the proper amount of dollars each subsidiary can use for player payroll.” And they are implementing that payroll rule because they feel it’s the best for the parent compnany (the NFL) in the long run.

Happens all of the time in business.

http://www.charter.net/news/read.php?ps=1013&id=12617135&LT=HOMEAPN1DCCL1_UNEWS
try this link. it’s to a story on the owners decision to break talks. even the mediots seem to realize how silly the owners are being.

OWNERS??? It’s the freakin’ players! They want to redefine the shared revenue AND want a higher percentage.

As an owner of a business, specifically a cartel (loose group that manages a monopoly), the owners have the right to set the ground rules.

The players have the right to collectively accept or reject the offer under a CBA agreement that prevents labor laws kicking in…but look at baseball. Even Congress is unwilling to slap restraint of trade on those guys.

No one has the legal or moral authority to tell these guys how to run their business, and THAT is what the owners did in rejecting the NFLPA proposal.

Upshaw & Co. MUST accept the owners’ offer,

I’m also opposed to the thought of an uncapped season in 2007, for all the reasons stated before, Dallas could have years of dominance with the team they could form with uncapped seasons but I really don’t know what’s the situation with the Arlington Stadium, do you guys think that Jones already has all the money for the stadium locked off in some bank and another big chunk of money in another bank for Free Agency purposes? I don’t think so, the stadium would serve as a limiting factor in 2008 and 2009 until the stadium opnes it doors in 2010, how much would teams like Seattle and Washington, who already have new stadiums and lots of more cash than Dallas, take as advantage in those few years?

That’s a hard point to swallow, I hope the Players come to their senses (I hardly see it happenning in the short term, maybe at the end of this year or by January of next) to set their aim sight a little lower, 58% of revenue sharing could be enough for owners to pull the trigger.

Arlington stadium is being paid for by building loans issued against the bond that was passed. Jones is putting up some of his own money, but trust me, he’s got plenty.

Nothing would stop the Cowboys from being the most prolific spenders in FA, other than JJ’s tolerance for profit skimming.

We’ll see what happens, 9 more hours, but forget the Jags think about the Saints. They will have some games in NO next year. How are they supposed to survive playing in New Orleans? Tagliblue has promised the Saints will return in 2007 to NO. Theres no way they would survive without a ton of help from other teams. They were already in a bad market, New Orleans was never a big football town, and when they played their last year at LSU they still only had like half a crowd. Its going to be REAL ugly for them, along with other small market teams, like Arizona or Jacksonville.

The Cowboys should actually have a little trouble with no cap, look at our division: Dan Synder, spends big time money, NYG- Biggest market, Eagles- pretty big market.

Hockey anyone???!!!!
You figure NFPLA; specifically downshaw (had to get that in there..) would learn a valuable lesson.. It hasn’t been too long ago for peat sake! Even baseball suffered from its strike.. Sorry guys no sympathy for the players from me. The owners are the one who put the BIG Capital in place and are the one to lose the most with take on the Big Risk.. For the players union, which I believe, is an anti-American organization and will cause the downfall of the greatest game of them all, to argue over 3.8% with extreme arrogance, is unconscious able period! I agree with some of you that, if this contentious, owners will win, which is fine with me. Get rid of downshaw and letâ€â"¢s get back to work!

Now, about this offseason, dreams of trade pick compensation and deals reworked fell as rapidly as plumb. This is the way in which I see our Offseason:

- Larry Allen and La’Roi Glover will be cut.

- Dallas won’t resign Campbell, he will cost too much for a player that can only block on the field, a combination of Pierce and Sean Ryan would be costless and as effective. Campbell’s leadership off the field would be the only true reason for retaining him.

- Rivera and Ferguson will rework their deals according to the 30% increment in reworked deals. The deals they signed are slated to give them near the same in every year of their contracts and according to the league rules you can’t rework deals before an uncapped year for more than 30%, that will give Dallas lots of room, something close to $8M more.

- Dallas will go after Damion McIntosh to play RT, Jeb Putzier to compliment Witten, Julian Peterson to play OLB, Adam Vinatieri (now with the uncapped season he’ll be allowed to test FA) and Marcus Coleman to play FS as a part time player.

- Leaving for the Draft as the major needs: OG, FS and MLB.

COWBOYS HAVE RELEASED LA ROI GLOVER

Chandus,

With Glover gone, you need a big backup NT. Fergie is older and Johnson IMO cant handle the job. Hes more of a passrusher than a space eater.

lou c:
Right! Then take MLB out of the top 3 needs.

lou c,
I just read about Glover being released… didn’t see LA? Where did you read about LA being released as well?

I never said LA would be cut, but he is expected to be within a few days. There is still a chance he restructures but its doubtful.

bigE,

Which dallas web page is reporting that we are $20 million under the cap?

How much money did we free up by cutting Glover? Is it $7.5M?

lou c,
My bad.. You are right, I am thinking LA will definitely will restructure his contract to finish his career in Dallas.

Its time to cut Larry Allen, he’s been stealing money from Jerry for three years, he’s an aging average slow player, cut him and finally move on and save 3.5 mil.

Cutting Glover gives us 6 million back. I hope LA restructures, I think Charles Spencer and Jean-Gilles will be gone when we pick, so are we really willing to start either Davin Joseph or Duece Lutiu? I’m not, I think they could be good players next year, but probably not this year. We have until April 1 to make a decision on LA, so maybe BP and JJ can find out if they think Spencer or Jean Gilles will fall a little bit and be there at 49.

dErrick
never ever cut larry allen…he’s like the heart of our team…hes been there through thick and thin…i agree with you If he does not want to restructure to help dallas…but if he is willing to help the team…let him play till he retired in dallas…neevr do to him ..what we did to emmit

i know alot of you guys are sold on our backfield….but how bout mike anderson if he is cheap….we need a power back to compliment jj and mb3…for goal…and short yards….i think mike anderson would be a nice touch in dallas….since there is so many big names to be signed….good back that arent alexander and james caliber…are ganna earn alot less than they desurve…..what you guys think..?

I dont think its going to happen, so many Cowboys fans (not me) think Tyson Thompson is the real deal and could breakout, so he will get a chance next year. We’re set at RB and Id rather get OLine and LB’s. Anderson would cost more than Sowell and the same as Beasley, give me one of those FB’s before Anderson.

im not sure which one of you guys runs this blog…but all in all its excelent…i live in jersey…so i have to deal with giants and eagles fans so much ….even skins…believ it or not…but i come on hear and you guys fill me in on everything thats goin on ..its good stuff..i just cant eait till the season starts and iu can come on hear and rave about how good dallas is doin ..cuz everyone hhear hates the boys…it SU*ks..but i gatta tell ya …im starting to feel like dallas is goin to be powerful next year…a few changes and we could squeezee up to a top 3 defence…maybe # 1…im excited….DALLAS BABY!

lou
good point…gimme sowelll…and were set…and about tompson ..im sold on him being a speed back…but you never know,..no one though mb3 was the real deal…but he definatly stepped it up…i like our rb corp. but i like it for speed…..not power…..sowell…will def. help our rb’s….tremendously!

LA won’t be cut. He will probably restructure. his bonus isn’t due until April 1 so we have plenty of time. The only urgency would be to free money to spend.

I was dissapointed reading Scott Wright’s updated mock draft…Manny Lawson falling to 43? The Cowboys taking a WR they have showed no interest in over guys like Wimbley or Lawson who they have showed strong interest in? Our picks didnt even change, and I think right now we would take Max Jean Gilles over Daniel Bullocks. Usually his are the best ones but not this time.

Ironman,
Thats the thinking that got this team in salary cap hell by standing by players that are overpaid and have it anymore, Emmitt was done, that was a good move by Bill. Larry Allen isn’t the heart and soul of this team, never was, he’s been living on rep for three years, we need to move on. New England doesn’t have a roblem with cutting high priced aging Vets and they have three superbowls in four years.

Scott Wright is probably crazy if he thinks Lawson will fall to 43rd. Sure, his body is really suited for 3-4 OLB, but his forty time is too impressive to pass up. Plus, Chad Jackson will most likely go up higher than 18th after his impressive combine and could be the first WR taken.

i must add. im totally torn between the TO situation…i think he is the # 1 wide out in the nfl…i think he cold boost our O up tremendously..he demands double coverage…and we have an outstanding Te..and a quick TerryGlenn..but its like a poker hand…some think he could destroy us internally…the thing that makes me want TO is his skill…his ability to embaress DB’s like champ bailey…his power and speed….his long ball and across the middle….his hands and his yards after catch..
BUT..WHEN SOME ONE SED he would not be ABle to play with bledsoe…i have to agree 100 % thats a lagitiment argument..
..the only thing i haveto say to defend TO…is that the 9ers are a weak organization…ever weaker whne he was destroying them..the eagles have a QB that is NOt a born leader….and still not a converted leader….DALLAS has so many leaders on there team…and BP will NOT deal with any BS from any player..TO, KJ, TG, anyone…i know hes getting old…but he is STILL BP…if any one can turn TO into a respectable player again…instead of a big mouth trouble making thug….its BP..we all know it…and he knows it himself..maybe even TO knows it..you guys have to have faithe in BP..To was neevr punished before this year..now he knows the sercumstances..if he acts up…he will have to retire in his prime..he knows that now..bacause the NFL isnt pplaying games with him anymore with baby fines..and slamps on the wrist..

remmeber being liek 8 years old and sneaking into the kitchen …and eating cookies…well …your mom would hear you and come down stairs and be liek “dont do it any more or your grounded”..then afte liek 10 times..your mom sends you dad down instead..to give you a spankin and YELL “DONT DO IT ANYMORE”..

..YOU DIDNT DO ANY MORE AFTER THAT!..

..lets just say BP is very capable of being T.O.’s daddy..therefor if he comes to dallas i would be willing to bet he shapens up quickly…JUST LIKE KEYSHAWN DID..
 
as far as saying …you cant enjoy dallas winning the big one with TO….i dont know how a dallas fan could let themselves say that …bacause …i dont care who we sign in FA..the day a star in on there shoulders…i welcome them like family…i always have..just liek prime time, just like c.haley and just like bledsoe..then again…never vinny test. haha…but i mean ..you gatta respect a man his age .. tossing a long ball like he could…

Glover is gone

Derrick..

your right about that…but IF allen is willing to restructure…why cut him and make more problems for our O line…i mean ..if he is unwilling to …then i agree 100 % with you …let him go..If he is wiloing to restructure…i say keep him …no need to force out cowboys that still have game left in them

Ironman,
T.O = CANCER

remember Antonio Bryant, mini T.O, where is he now….

madcowboy,
      i read it on the official cowboys web page in the story about jj and the cba. it says we will be about 10 million under cap unless the cba( i dont really understand) is reached. it says this would increase the cap another 10 mil. it also says were comparitavly in good shape either way.

t.o., t.o., t.o.
:)

thanks fighter….

and derrick…a.bryant..was much much less than a mini TO….a. bryant at his best was a 6…TO is a 9 on an off day

he may be a cancer….i would think twice about it…but bp and JJ might not…

so If they bring TO in which ..i think they will …. all im saying is that i would welcome him as long as he is changed..

ut If we win XLI with TO…would you cheer?

because i would cheer just as loud

Here’s the thing with Owens:

Pro’s:
1. The best WR in the game when healthy. Would solidify our WR corps with Glenn in the slot and Crayton another year to develop as he really showed nothing down the stretch last year.

2. He wont command top money. Despite what people say, hes not going to get alot of money because his character issues scare just about every team off.

3. The teams interested in him are all over the cap badly except the Dolphins, who have no QB. They are similar to the Boys, with a tough coach in Saban.

Cons:
1. The worst character issues in a LONG time in any sport. Was a cancer in SF and PHI, and tore a team apart.

2. Drew Rosenhous. Enough said.

3. JJ= Would snatch him up. BP= Doesnt want the headache. He has built through the drafts by bringing in and drafting guys who are good people off the field. KJ wasnt as bad as TO, so you cant compare the 2.
He’s already said he doesnt want the problems he brings with him, and him and KJ would be a hell of a locker room.

Bottom Line:
I can forgive and forget about the star incident if it brings us a Super Bowl, esp because Teague got us fans some respect after that. If he is willing to sign a 1 year deal, then I would take him, and put some kind of clause of anything negative happens he is gone. There will be no cap in 2007, and if he shows he can behave, another team would offer him big money afterwards. I’m really torn with the whole issue, but its something we need to talk about with all the cuts coming.

The Boys would be fools to sign TO. And you are only kidding yourself if you believe that he won’t be a problem beacuse BP is a tough head coach who doesn’t put up with any of that crap. That is exactly what the Easgles said a year ago when they signed TO. Andy Reid is very much a disciplinarian in the mold of BP and he is known to handle his players very well – and look what happened there. The reality is that BP can motivate and control players on the field but no one can control someone like TO off the field.

A leppard never changes his spots, T.O. doesn’t guarantee anything but turmoil in the locker room. We have more than enough weapons on offense, the missing link is the offensive line, A wide reciever like T.O doesn’t help that. He’s not coming here, so move on.

It’s precisely because Parcells is a tough, no-nonsense coach that he won’t go near Terrell Owens. Trust me, he’s not interested in being anyone’s ‘daddy’ at this stage of his life. He is interested in mentoring quality players and quality young men.

The point about Antonio Bryant’s productivity being so much less than T.O.‘s as a reason why he was traded, inferring that Owens’ stats would mean he wouldn’t be traded is ridiculous. If T.O. threw a jersey in Parcells face he would be off the team just as quickly as AB, no matter how good he is. Anyone claiming this psychobabble that T.O. will be reformed because of what happened last year is pissing in the wind. His behavior patterns are well established in his 32 year old peabrain. He will react the same way he always has, and probably even worse when he is truly disciplined (which I don’t think Reid did to him, btw). I could actually see him going to the media and crying about how mean Parcells was to him, or crying racism, or creating some other huge controversy that tears the locker room apart. It was an accident the first two times, and whichever team he goes to I won’t feel sorry for them when it happens there too. Even if it is Dallas. Everyone should know better by now.

Besides, WR is not even close to being a position in need of upgrade for next season. If it was, why go with someone older than TG and not much younger than Keyshawn? I thought this issue had been put to rest long ago.

It wasn’t an accident the first two times I meant to say.

I remember hearing the Eagles fans cheering and strutting big about getting him on their team. I just smiled and shook my head, because I knew in the back of my mind that he would be their undoing. Sure enough, it only took 10 months for the wheels to start coming off. I have got more than a few big laughs at their self inflicted hell with him. I’d have to give anyone else the chance to laugh at the Cowboys greed and stupidity in signing him when he does the same at his next team. Trust me, it WILL happen with the next team he goes to.

I know some will think me crazy but T.O is easy. He wants money and the ball thrown his way and he’s a model citizen. If you want him, pay him. That’s how ALL of his Eagles problems started. Eagles wouldn’t budge on the contract so he talked his way out of Philly. That simple. If you think some tough coach will change this guy, your totally wrong. But money, oh sweet money, will keep him quite and the locker room a good place. Just remember too, some of his teammates actually backed him, not McNabb. That should tell you a little something about how some of that team sees Donovan. T.O. can fit on any team as long as you realize his mission, it’s to get paid. Give him money, give him looks and he’s a walk in the park.

Cameron,

I going to have to go ahead and disagree with you on this one. I don’t think money was the problem in the whole Owens’ fiasco. If I recall he was offered quite a bit of money to play for Baltimore and he pitched a fit. And last year he was the third highest paid wide receiver in football (behind only Moss and Harrison) and he tore the Eagles apart. I am not saying Owens doesn’t like or doesn’t want money but that is not the real issue. If I had to summarize the root of the problem with Owens in a word it would not be “money” it would be “ego”! Dallas or some other team could come along and make him the highest paid PLAYER in all of footbal and he still would be a potential cancer. Let’s face it the guy is a time bomb just waiting to explode and I for one would rather not have that take place in the Cowboys locker room.

DJRUN,
NO, its about the money with T.O. thats it. He’s an I guy in a team game, thats like oil and water, they dont mix. All T.O. talked about was money and his contract.

He’s like a spoiled bit&#y woman. Seriously. You can buy her diamonds, give her chocolates, let her go shopping with your credit card 6 days a week. Guess what? If you don’t give her enough attention, and cater to her ego and insecurities, she will complain about how the diamonds aren’t big enough, there’s not enough chocolates, and why you don’t let her use your credit card 7 days a week instead of 6. If you point out all the things you are and have done for her…you will get an emotional tyrade about how she had to take the trash out last week when you were running late for work. She’ll remind of that time a year ago when she was feeling sick and had to get out of her sick bed to come attend that award ceremony with you (even though she wanted the attention of being there anyway!!). She’ll remind you of how she knows of two other men who spend more money on their woman, and how that is just not right. She’ll tell you she would be happier going to be with one of those other guys. Then, after all you have done for her, she’ll tell all your friends and your family how badly you treat her. She’ll complain about how when she achieved some milestone in her life that you didn’t throw a huge party for her to celebrate. Then she’ll get her loudmouth best friend to go out and tell everyone that will listen how great she is, how badly you treated her, how you should let her go, and how she can do so much better with another man.

Yeah, I’m referring to T.O. as a she, because he is a flat out crybaby B#TCH!!

i thought my story about the cookies was pretty good …but sterling…you def. just took the spotlight…but i still thinkn with the PERFECT 1 year deal…no BS. he might be worth it…about the age factor….true he is almost as old as KJ,,but KJn was in his prime…5 or 6 years ago…TO is in his prime now…im not disagreeing at all about him being a sickness to a lockeroom when he is unhappy…but if BP was out to lunch with rosenmouth…and TO was out with ROY…then maybe TO is approaching dallas? and wants to come hear…

Iron Man:

I think T.O. would like a job with any team at this point. He knows he blew it big time last year and cost himself loads of money. He’s probably like a lot of unemployed people, he’s trying to use all the connections he can to get a new job, or at least create a perception that he’s wanted. In reality, I don’t think he’s going to be nearly as hot a FA player as he and Rosenhaus were thinking. And, oh yeah, he’s still a little bitch.

Iron Man:

I think T.O. would like a job with any team at this point. He knows he blew it big time last year and cost himself loads of money. He’s probably like a lot of unemployed people, he’s trying to use all the connections he can to get a new job, or at least create a perception that he’s wanted. In reality, I don’t think he’s going to be nearly as hot a FA player as he and Rosenhaus were thinking. And, oh yeah, he’s still a little bitch.

lou c,

You can forgive what he did to the star if he brings a title, right? For lack of a better analogy, does that mean you’d pimp out a family member as long as someone paid you enough money (remember, just an analogy…nothing actually against you or your family so no offense intended)? Sorry, but if someone disrespects you or your family (or in this case your team), do you honestly want to give them a chance to share in any future glory or worse yet, disrespect you again? It’s not even like he’s proven that he’s changed or will ever change.

Enough about this sorry excuse for a “professional” athlete.

Sterling, great T.O. write up. LMAO!

Hi Everybody!

Salmita and Penelope so have to be tossed down that mineshaft.

And Dude, you clearly inspired Sterling to go nuts on this post – there is some friggin’ hilarious stuff up there. Nicely done.

And to lamely join in on the joke late, Oiler Troll does not see places such as Arizona, Seattle, Kansas City or Lord willing, Pittsburgh, having much purity of essence due to their small market nature. A new deal as you propose will hurt some…BWAH-hahahahahah….

We don’t want to turn into baseball, but you got a point – the teams with the better front office calls should not be punished.

Which brings everything back the Herschel Walker trade – he is to blame, which means he does not get his trip to Vegas nor does he get to keep his condoms – he just gets the rubles….which is not to say that his name should not be put up in the Cowboys ring of honor for bringing about the 3 titles.

If only the Oilers had not-…nah! not even worth mentioning.

OT

OT:

Salmita and Penelope sound like names that should be welcome in any mineshaft. If they are from Costa Rica, then what I just said goes double.

Thanks for the compliment, but I didn’t go nuts on this post…my coaches and professors already told me I was…but thanks for noticing anyway. Maybe Rafael brought it out more than usual? Dr. Tradelove…aha!!

You never answered my question from before about who the Oilers..,er…Texans…I mean “Titans” should draft, Bush or Young. I really think if ‘they’ don’t draft Young…he’s gonna make them regret it. ;)