The quirk of the upcoming NFL season continues to sprout its ugly head with new developments surfacing all the time. As people continually try to adjust to the repercussions of the coronavirus, there are huge financial implications looming as it becomes increasingly clear that fan involvement is going to take a significant hit.
As owners pursue the idea of lowering the salary cap for 2020 and 2021, the NFL Players’ Association and league general managers believe it could lead to team jamming, forcing teams to release players and / or to restructure certain contracts to remove the cap. What a mess this could be.
Negotiations are fluid, but NFL owners continue to push for a deal to lower the salary cap in 2020 and 2021 – proposals that the NFLPA and general managers believe could lead to a wave of cuts and restructuring in the industry. veterans ahead of this season, sources say.
– Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 23, 2020
It’s unclear what type of ceiling reduction, if any, could be implemented, so we have no idea how much space should be created. The Cowboys have $ 8.4 million (ranked 23rd in the league) according to spotrac; however, that figure does not take into account the recent rookie contracts that were just signed this week (with a few more to come). If a deal was made and NFL teams suddenly had to free up some extra money – how could the Cowboys go about it?
The team could free up some space by making a decision with veteran defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford. He’s in the final year of his contract with a base salary of $ 8 million this season, which could make him an attractive choice as a potential victim. At 30, he’s only played one season in the past four years, including 12 games missed last season due to a hip injury. With cheaper free agent defensive line signings this offseason in the form of Gerald McCoy, Dontari Poe and Aldon Smith – could the team live without him?
If they think he’s too valuable and want to keep Crawford around, the front office could look to revive him with an extension. In doing so, they could then convert a portion of his base salary into bonus money, freeing up a cap in 2020 and pushing the cost back into future seasons. If it’s between those two choices, I’ll go with the latter. Crawford is constantly underrated even as the guy shows up and contributes year after year.
There are no other good options for a straight cut. The team could save a little over $ 8 million by releasing Tyron Smith (cap of $ 13.5 million versus $ 5.3 million in dead money), but that wouldn’t be wise. Smith may not be the dominant force he was a few years ago, but he’s still a great tackle in this league, and not having him would hurt the team.
Sean Lee’s name may also surface ($ 4.5m cap hit vs. $ 2m dead money), but the savings are far less than the expected return the team should get if they are able to. to stay healthy.
So, the next idea should come from the restructuring of one of the 2014 draft benchmarks – DeMarcus Lawrence or Zack Martin. They represent the team’s second and third highest caps in 2020 after the $ 31.4 million paid to Dak Prescott. But unlike Dak, the cap hit of Lawrence ($ 21.9M) and Martin ($ 15M) can be restructured. The Cowboys could convert a portion of their base salaries into bonuses, which would then be distributed over the next several years. But which of these actors makes the most sense for a possible restructuring?
Lawrence and Martin are relatively safe choices, as the players the team would consider parting with anytime soon. Martin’s contract was designed for restructuring, but the front office has yet to use this method to free up money. Could that moment come?
Martin appears to be the safest option as he has been a role model of consistent greatness since entering the league; however, his base salary is $ 11 million while Lawrence’s is $ 16.9 million. The team could free up more room by taking on Tank.
There are also other players like Ezekiel Elliott or Jaylon Smith who could be restructured if the team goes this route. Those picks might not be as favorable as it would put more money on the books later if the Cowboys decided to remove the rescue hatch and terminate the contract sooner. The team has already converted $ 5 million of La’el Collins’ 2020 base salary into a bonus, freeing up $ 4 million of cap space. It shows how secure they feel with the LC contract, but he’s now off the table for a restructuring this year.
If the pressure is on, the Cowboys could pull it off without disastrous impact on their roster. Other teams might not be so lucky.
