Labor Uncertainty = Excellent Opportunity to Rebuild Cowboys?
by Blue Eyed Devil on Mar 14, 2011 2:49 PM CDT
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PrintThe Dallas Cowboys are saddled by many contracts that are too expensive for players that produce too little. This is well known.
Marion Barber was the 2nd highest paid RB in the league last year, Roy Williams' contract is legendary, Leonard Davis makes 6-million a year to play at a backup-caliber, and Terence Newman is set to make $8 million next year.
As we explored in a FanPost a couple months ago the Cowboys could cut between $22 and $30 million dollars from their payroll by dumping contracts next year.
However, it is expensive to cut players. Things such as signing bonuses and guaranteed money have to be taken towards the "cap hit" in the year you cut that player. Therefore, it might cost almost as much to get rid of some players as to keep them! What is a team to do?
Well, the labor uncertainty may have granted the Cowboys an excellent opportunity. Per the National Football Post:
If the lockout is lifted via an injunction NFL players are pursuing in Minnesota federal court , then another uncapped year is likely to unfold, according to the Washington Post.
What an excellent opportunity for the Cowboys. They could jettison all the extra baggage (compromising up to 1/4th of the team's total salary cap amount!) in this uncapped year. This would free the Cowboys to massively restructure their team and bring in big-time free agents like Asomugah and Huff.
Some might say - but I thought you said it would be "expensive" to cut players? Ah, no, this is where we enter the world of accounting. You see, the cash has already been paid out to the players. Roy Williams received the majority of his $50 million deal. But with the way the salary cap works, things like signing bonuses hit the accounting books in different years. So Jerry already paid the money, the salary cap figures are just games with numbers.
Therefore, Jerry isn't writing any big checks by cutting players in a season, all he's doing is changing the numbers on the accounting books towards the salary cap -- unless there is no salary cap.
Should there be no salary cap this year, Jerry could free himself from his self-made contract constraints. Dump the players this year. Then when the salary cap returns we have a team free to take advantage of all sorts of free agent opportunities -- a team that can rebuild itself from a 6-10 disaster to a Super Bowl contender.
Another user-created commentary provided by a BTB reader.
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These are
things Jerry could’ve done last year, but refrained from in fear of what subsequent CBA/Cap years would be ( cuz, a new arrangement could still have accelerations etc..). If by some chance, he has a decent grasp of what probably will happen in a new CBA, then I’m sure he would go this route. But, if there’s still a lot of incertainty as there was last year, I’m not so sure
I think there was a lot of hope last year
Hope that Barber would return to form once healed from injury
Hope that Roy Williams would turn the corner (and Jerry would be vindicated)
Hope that Leonard Davis wasn’t declining quickly
Remember, they were comming off a PLAYOFF WIN!!!! How can a team possibly have any problems when they win one playoff game, they told us! One playoff win = superbowl next year, right?
All of these hopes turned up snake-eyes.
After seeing the play of these guys and the 6-10 result of the season. I think (hope!?) there’s a lot more attention paid to charting a new course for this team.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are your Sugar Bowl champions... and for the 7th year in a row Michigan still sucks.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Mar 14, 2011 3:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Agree JJ thought 2010 was a SB year
otherwise you are right, he would have dumped the underachievers.
+1 for the most part
he left what he and alot of others (me included) thought to be a team to contend for a title, pretty much intact. If i remember correctly, only the Flo release ruffled feathers. Most assumed (me included again) that we actually would be better at safety with the release of Ken and his contract…..
this year is a diff story, and it should be time to do some housekeeping…….
MB3…..beware the turk, he is looking for you
He who laughs last, thinks slowest
Well.....my days of not taking you seriously have certainly come to a middle
"Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name"
Imagine if he kept flo for right tackle and dumped Colombo....
Fulton Greenwall: Perhaps we should slow down just a teensy-weensy bit?
Ace Ventura: Nonsense, poopy-pants.
by I am a Romosexual on Mar 14, 2011 6:27 PM CDT up reply actions
Yep
would have helped the O, but the D would have still been pretty bad
He who laughs last, thinks slowest
Well.....my days of not taking you seriously have certainly come to a middle
"Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name"
In these dark days...
it’s great to see a silver lining. Good work!
"I am a true believer. Anthony Spencer will have 7 or more sacks in 2011 and Stephen Bowen can ball!" - Kegbearer
"Football is an incredible game. Sometimes it's so incredible, it's unbelievable."
- Tom Landry
Novel Idea
I would love it if an injunction forced another uncapped season with no cap or no floor to really stick it to De Smith and have the players turn on him.
That being said. I don’t see us cutting Roy without us having a solid slot receiver in place.
Bare in mind we’d still be paying all these players to NOT play for the Cowboys. Don’t know how much JJ would approve of that.
Also it’s uncapped for all teams not just the Cowboys, so I don’t know with our bad debt that’d we’d automatically win on Nmandi.
The money is already paid
Jerry wouldn’t be writing any checks to anyone not to be a Cowboy. It’s all accounting and “cap math” that says in what year the money you paid counts against the cap.
If there’s no cap, there’s no cap math.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are your Sugar Bowl champions... and for the 7th year in a row Michigan still sucks.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Mar 14, 2011 5:31 PM CDT up reply actions
Lets hope
there is an uncapped year so we can dump salary but why do you mention dumping L Davis and R Williams and then talk about bringing in more over priced players? Isn’t bringing in these guys part of the problem. We overpaid for Barber, Davis, Williams , Newman and now were paying for it, and make no mistake Ashomaga (however you spell it) is going to get 12 mil a year and Huff was a bust until his contract year (anyone remember Hamlin). Regarding Davis if we gave a 3rd round pick (Peterman) a chance giving Davis 50 mil would not of been neccesary. We sign these guys and were having the same conversation 3 years from now and it will countinue to be a hole we will never get out of. Also look at the WR’s on this roster and explain to me why you would cut R Williams? If there is no cap and like you said he has already gotten the money why release him? Who is waiting in the wings to be the #3WR? If there is a cap then if he gets cut he cost 13 mil instead of 9 mil against the cap. The smart play is to have R Williams on this roster next year and before anyone jumps on me for this opinon remember I did not say he has lived up to the value of his contract all I’m saying is as a #3 WR and the 4th option in the passing game he is very good and the 1st half of the season he was looking borderline pro bowlish.
please explain this statement jfdebois...
If there is a cap then if he gets cut he cost 13 mil instead of 9 mil against the cap.
What exactly were you trying to say?
"And one should bear in mind that there is nothing more difficult to execute, nor more dubious of success, nor more dangerous to administer than to introduce a new order to things; for he who introduces it has all those who profit from the old order as his enemies; and he has only lukewarm allies in all those who might profit from the new. This lukewarmness partly stems from fear of their adversaries, who have the law on their side, and partly from the skepticism of men, who do not truly believe in new things unless they have personal experience in them."
Niccolo Machiavelli
by I am Ironman!!! on Mar 14, 2011 5:35 PM CDT up reply actions
considering that there would be no cap that is
"And one should bear in mind that there is nothing more difficult to execute, nor more dubious of success, nor more dangerous to administer than to introduce a new order to things; for he who introduces it has all those who profit from the old order as his enemies; and he has only lukewarm allies in all those who might profit from the new. This lukewarmness partly stems from fear of their adversaries, who have the law on their side, and partly from the skepticism of men, who do not truly believe in new things unless they have personal experience in them."
Niccolo Machiavelli
by I am Ironman!!! on Mar 14, 2011 5:36 PM CDT up reply actions
????
what dont you understand about that? If there is a cap and he gets cut he will cost 13 mil against the cap. his guaranteed salary plus prorated signing bonus. If he doesnt get cut he will cost 9 mil …. his salary for 2011.
Actually, I'm pretty sure his 2011 salary isn't guaranteed
I’m reasonably sure that all the guaranteed money he is owed has been paid as of last year.
Therefore, the only reason not to cut him would be the cap hit of his pro-rated signing bonus. But, in the event there is no cap (as is the point of this fanpost) that wouldn’t matter.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are your Sugar Bowl champions... and for the 7th year in a row Michigan still sucks.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Mar 14, 2011 5:44 PM CDT up reply actions
This is the part where you provide a source...
Rotoworld says it’s not guaranteed.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are your Sugar Bowl champions... and for the 7th year in a row Michigan still sucks.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Mar 14, 2011 5:51 PM CDT up reply actions
Rotoworld is wrong
if we cut Roy, we would have to pay 13 million dollars
I have been over this and over this at cowboys.com and they wrote a article on it
by Archie Barberio on Mar 14, 2011 5:55 PM CDT up reply actions
David Moore at DMN says it's not guaranteed.
I’d like to see the article at DC.com to see how they phrased it.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are your Sugar Bowl champions... and for the 7th year in a row Michigan still sucks.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Mar 14, 2011 5:56 PM CDT up reply actions
I could be wrong/right
Ive just read at football forum it’s guaranteed, Ive read rotoworld and it did imply that it wasnt and ive read DC …. (i already forgot the site) that said all guaranteed money was paid and i remember spagnola (though i couldnt tell you when or where I read it) say it was guaranteed so I dont know. However I stand by my theory that nobody on this team is a better option than Williams for #3 WR and if the guaranteed money has been paid then why cut him?
If their own website is wrong about this, then thats awful
As it stands now, Williams is set to count about $9.4 million against the cap next year. That’s including a salary that jumps to $5.10 million next season and a prorated signing bonus amount of about $4.3 million.
So he plays on the Cowboys next year and Williams counts about $9.4 million. If the Cowboys decide to release him, it would cost in the ballpark of $12.9 million, maybe even over $13 million.
Keep him for $9.4. Cut him and you pay $13 million. And that doesn’t include the salary that you would have to go out and pay someone else.
by Archie Barberio on Mar 14, 2011 6:56 PM CDT up reply actions
That's a pretty sketchy analysis
I hate to say it, but do you think Eatman forgot that not all of a contract is guaranteed in the NFL?
I was listening to an interview with David Moore and he was saying it costs you $3 million to cut him and $9 million to keep him. This was last Tuesday.
Rotoworld has it as:
“The deal contains $26.6085 million guaranteed, including a $10 million option bonus in the second year, $2 million of Williams’ 2010 base salary, and a third-year option bonus of $9.5 million”
2nd year of his deal is 2009
3rd year of his deal is 2010
So according to rotoworld part of last year’s salary was guaranteed, but none of this year’s is guaranteed.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are your Sugar Bowl champions... and for the 7th year in a row Michigan still sucks.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Mar 14, 2011 8:24 PM CDT up reply actions
there is a reason not to cut him
and that is there is no one ready to take the #3 Wr spot. If i’m wrong tell me who the player is. Seriously is this team better having R Williams as the #3WR or Ogletree?
There are other WRs in the NFL
That cost a lot less than $9 million.
There’s this one guy down in San Diego that’s pretty good. He’s like 33 but he seems like a good slot receiver. Can’t remmeber his name. Patrick Crabtree? Peter Crayton? Hrm…
;-)
The Ohio State Buckeyes are your Sugar Bowl champions... and for the 7th year in a row Michigan still sucks.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Mar 14, 2011 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions
I'll have to look
i know i have read it is guaranteed several times and I agree with you that there are a lot of WR’s in the NFL that cost less than 9 mil ….. now tell me who on the cowboy roster is better suited than R Williams to be the #3 WR? Yes I remember P Crayton (what did he do in SD this year?) and he plays for the chargers so guess what it wont be Crayton.
actually
Huff has been good the last two years and I think he is a player that is finally playing at his talent level
entering his prime right now
by Archie Barberio on Mar 14, 2011 5:56 PM CDT up reply actions
At the very least
He’d me an insane improvement over Ball to say the very very least.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are your Sugar Bowl champions... and for the 7th year in a row Michigan still sucks.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Mar 14, 2011 5:57 PM CDT up reply actions
you know what scares me
if they decide to let Ball be the starting FS another year thinking it was like a rookie campaign for him in 2010
by Archie Barberio on Mar 14, 2011 6:58 PM CDT up reply actions
Please God, NO
He who laughs last, thinks slowest
Well.....my days of not taking you seriously have certainly come to a middle
"Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name"
Marion Barber is the 2nd highest paid RB in the NFL?
jesus christ
yes a uncapped year offers great opportunity to us
dump Roy Toy Boy Marion Barber Leonard Davis
go out and sign Huff RG RT if Nmadi wanted to come here, heck sign him too
by Archie Barberio on Mar 14, 2011 5:34 PM CDT reply actions
$7.86 million dollars in 2010
More than Michael Turner and Frank Gore combined.
The Ohio State Buckeyes are your Sugar Bowl champions... and for the 7th year in a row Michigan still sucks.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Mar 14, 2011 5:41 PM CDT up reply actions
3.3 yards per carry 380 yards 4 TD's
thats what he put up last year
by Archie Barberio on Mar 14, 2011 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions
thats SICK right! but no lets keep Choice on the bench, he cant average more than 3,3 yards per caryy
by Archie Barberio on Mar 14, 2011 5:53 PM CDT up reply actions
haha. That's $20,000 a yard
The Ohio State Buckeyes are your Sugar Bowl champions... and for the 7th year in a row Michigan still sucks.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Mar 14, 2011 5:54 PM CDT up reply actions
OUCH
He who laughs last, thinks slowest
Well.....my days of not taking you seriously have certainly come to a middle
"Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name"
Trade Marion Barber for Fat Albert Haynesworth.
On second thought nah.
by Jonathan Stern on Mar 18, 2011 11:20 AM CDT up reply actions
no way he's on the roster
after his blatant disrespect and challenging of Garrett. If I were him i’d be doing back door interviewing with other teams. UFL tryouts are soon…
Uncapped, unschmapped...
Repercussions of the 1981 mass firing may have significantly extended into the U.S. labor movement. The actions by Reagan sent a message to private industry that firing striking workers and hiring replacements was an acceptable practice. Some observers considered the firing of the controllers a watershed event in U.S. labor relations. Statistics on union activism indicated that between 1960 and 1981, approximately 275 strikes occurred in the United States annually and involved 1.3 million workers each year. Between 1981 and 1992, the annual number of strikes fell to 56 and involved just over 400,000 workers annually.
Weltschmerzen.
this is a big reason there are so few private sector unions left
my kid’s name is Reagan for a reason…
Ich bin ein Berliner--JFK
Having another uncapped year would be good for the reasons you mention...
…but don’t forget that along with that means players need six years of service to become UFAs.
So a guy like Michael Huff (five years) would still not hit the market, along with many other players mentioned here in recent weeks as potential signees.
On the other hand, guys like Bowen, Hatcher and Free would still be restricted.
I don't think the Raiders tendered Michael Huff
The Ohio State Buckeyes are your Sugar Bowl champions... and for the 7th year in a row Michigan still sucks.
by Blue Eyed Devil on Mar 14, 2011 8:27 PM CDT up reply actions
No doubt part of the rules implemented by management will include a period to
tender its RFAs.
Many teams chose not to bother not because they didn’t want to retain any of those players, but because of the uncertainty of the whole mess.
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