Contract details for Gerald McCoy, Sean Lee, and Darian Thompson free agent contracts from Cowboys

The Cowboys are going to be handing out some huge contracts to two of their top players. Dak Prescott got the franchise tag which means he’ll be getting at least $31.5 million in 2020, but that could change if the Cowboys and Prescott can work out a long-term deal. Amari Cooper is getting a five-year, $100 million deal, but his cap hit in 2020 will only be $12 million.

As for some of the other signings, they are decidedly less. After some people freaked out about the cost of the Blake Jarwin signing, we found out that it was really a very reasonable deal.

As for some of the most recent signings, they are definitely on the bargain side of things. For instance, the Cowboys inked Gerald McCoy to a three-year deal, but take a look at how cheap it really is.

For another reading of the contract:

Gerald McCoy signed a 3 year, $18M contract with the Dallas Cowboys, including a $3M signing bonus, $9M guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $6M. In 2020, McCoy will earn a base salary of $2,5M, a signing bonus of $3M and a roster bonus of $750,000, while carrying a cap hit of $4,25M and a dead cap value of $7M.

The two readings of the contract don’t match up exactly, but even at a max of $20 million for three years, it’s a great deal. The Cowboys could get out of the deal next year with a $3.5 million dead cap hit. If they can get two solid years out of McCoy, the third year carries an out of only $1M dead cap hit. That essentially turns it into a two-year deal with a team option on the third at the cost of $1M if they let him go.

Sean Lee’s deal is very team-friendly.

That last part is “not-likely-to-be-earned incentives based on play-time percentage.”

If Leighton Vander Esch stays healthy, Lee is an excellent depth piece, If he has to play, he is certainly better than many backups in the league.

The last contract is safety Darian Thompson. His contract:

Darian Thompson signed a 2 year, $2,500,000 contract with the Dallas Cowboys, including a $200,000 signing bonus, $200,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $1,250,000. In 2020, Thompson will earn a base salary of $1,000,000, a signing bonus of $200,000 and a roster bonus of $100,000, while carrying a cap hit of $1,200,000 and a dead cap value of $200,000.

For a guy who played decently when he had to get on the field, and provides good service on special teams, that is a value contract.

The Cowboys are certainly stretching their dollars.