The Cowboys have the job for them.
If there's one statement that can sum up everything that came together at the NFL Scouting Combine last week, it's that. His salary cap outlook is questionable, especially as he looks ahead to 2025. Next month's stockpile of draft pick firepower will be mediocre, even with the addition of multiple compensatory picks.
It would be hard to build a better team than the one that embarrassed the Green Bay Packers in January.
Still, the Cowboys have to.
Here, we break down five things we learned in Indianapolis last week.
Prepare for modest free agency
Remember past years when many NFL teams spent big in free agency while the Cowboys stayed in the bargain shopping lane?
Expect something different.
Despite a significant increase in the NFL salary cap in 2024, the Cowboys will never spend much when the negotiating window opens on March 11th and free agency officially begins on March 13th. The feeling around the club is that they are not going to do anything.
Among the factors are past examples of converting salaries into signing bonuses (a strategy used by players such as quarterback Dak Prescott and right guard Zach Martin), allowing players to convert future dead money into caps in exchange for future dead money. One example is the creation of space. The team is expected to acquire Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and hybrid defensive end Micah Parsons, but now they are fighting back.
Additions from outside will definitely come.
However, given the size of these deals, those looking to get their hopes up will likely be disappointed. Select a position. It's unlikely that the company's biggest free agent, who fans are eagerly awaiting, will sign here.
Running backs are one example. Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley's names did not appear on Indy. The team will likely re-sign Tony Pollard and draft some cheap, fresh legs to complement him, assuming his price is achievable.
The Cowboys have made some cheap additions after the first wave of free agency. Examples include safety Jaylon Kearse, safety Malik Hooker and wide receiver Kavonte Turpin. Kicker Brandon Aubrey is an All-Pro and Pro Bowler who made the league minimum last year.
It's time to attack again.
Prescott extension in 2024 not guaranteed
A question often debated in the media and among fans is whether Prescott could one day lead the Cowboys to the Super Bowl. The fact that he's just coming off an MVP runner-up season would strongly support the idea that he can, even though it's the first year of a new offense poised to evolve in 2024.
But that's not the real problem.
Even better, how much could the team realistically build a championship-caliber roster if they signed Prescott to a new contract that would make him the highest-paid quarterback in NFL history at the time Lamb was playing? The question is, can they do it? Can they provide Prescott with a sufficient supporting cast? And Parsons is on track to become the highest-paid receiver and defender in league history.
To be clear, Mr. Prescott has not publicly said he is seeking such an agreement and may never do so.
Whether he does so could determine how quickly negotiations move forward this offseason. The Cowboys' desire to pursue Prescott's historic 2024 contract remains to be seen. If it doesn't happen before 2025, some believe the deal would be easier given the team's concerning 2025 cap outlook.
Prescott currently counts $59.5 million against the 2024 salary cap. Expansion is not the only way to reduce this number.
As reported in January, the automatic conversion of his $29 million salary would allow the club to shave more than $18 million off Prescott's cap hit. There is no need for negotiations between the team and Prescott's representatives to carry out this strategy. The necessary language is included in the contract he signed in 2021.
Cowboys struggle with Michael Gallup decision
On Friday, team owner Jerry Jones declined to say whether Gallup is part of the Cowboys' 2024 plans.
The team could release a wide receiver. If he is named to the roster on March 17th, $4 million of his $8.5 million annual salary will be fully guaranteed, with a decision expected to be made as early as this week.
If the Cowboys release Gallup, they won't feel good about it.
In the playoff loss to Green Bay on January 14, he caught six passes on six targets for 103 yards. His 100-yard game was his first since injuring his ACL in the early morning hours of Jan. 2, 2022. Gallup, a 2018 third-round pick, is currently healthy.
Gallup, who celebrated his 28th birthday on Monday, was definitely underutilized last season. He struggled before the Week 7 bye and understandably played less. However, the Cowboys probably overcorrected. His 25 goals in his final 11 games were sixth most on the team.
The coaching staff is full of one-year contracts.
Coordinator and position coach Mike McCarthy is in the same position as him.
Their contracts are also scheduled to end after the 2024 season.
Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer led a wave of staff additions last month. Most went to defense after the 2023 staff produced one NFL head coach and two coordinators in the 2024 hiring cycle. dallas morning news Last week, we reported that Zimmer and all of the Cowboys' new assistants had signed one-year contracts.
McCarthy and Zimmer did not attend the combine, but did participate in formal interviews with prospects via video call.
The offensive line could lose two starting pitchers to free agency.
Tyron Smith's time with the Cowboys may be over.
If that happens, the eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle likely won't be the only starter on the offensive line.
Club officials met with Smith's agent in Indianapolis. The conversation made it clear how far both teams are from Smith returning for his 14th season in Dallas. The Cowboys rate center Tyler Biadasz very highly, but he joins Connor Williams and Connor McGovern as the latest raw interior offensive linemen to receive a second contract elsewhere. That's it.
The Cowboys do not believe they are in a position to compete financially for Biadasz's services on the open market, a person close to the situation said. news. This is not seen as a reflection on Biadas, who is respected not only for his production level, but also for his study habits, toughness, effort, and overall consistency.
Williams signed with the Miami Dolphins in 2022. McGovern joined the Buffalo Bills last year.
As for Smith, he will likely have to accept a significant local discount to rejoin the team. The free agent tackle market could deflate somewhat due to the talent in the 2024 draft class. But that may not be enough to predict Smith's return. Offensive tackle is the premier position in the draft, and there is an overall lack of quality options across the league.
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