Frisco, Texas – It's about time we find out what “All In” actually means, which has been bandied about as if it were the anthem of the 2024 season.
And by “all in,” do you expect the Cowboys to go “all in” for 2024, as if they weren't, during Senior Bowl Week in Mobile, Alabama? When asked, it goes back to what Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said about the team's commitment to next season. I've never gone “all in” before.
“As we look at the major contracts that we want to address, we expect everything to go well,” Jones began. “I expect we'll all be able to participate by the end of this year. If you ask me if I have any ideas, I'd say I'm going all in.
“It's going to be a different group of guys that we're going to go all-out for. We're going to be going all-out. We've seen some things in some of our players that we want to go all-out for. And yes, next year is the best way to put it, rather than us building for the future, and that should answer a lot of questions. ”
Jerry mentions “significant contracts,” but that means some of his 16 unrestricted free agents, eight starters, five key contributors, and seven more starters. This is a reference to the final year of his contract. Jerry certainly wants to keep some of those unrestricted free agents if the Cowboys can and get them ahead of next year's unrestricted free agents.
By some interpretations, Jerry didn't say he would trade the draft to acquire one or two players.
As you know, the NFL has a tight salary cap, so he didn't say he would be free to spend money in free agency. And ahead of the March 13 start of the new league year, the Cowboys will go from $242.5 to $255.4 thanks to Friday's adjusted cap, and a $10.8 million rollover from 2023. Projections have already been made that the project will require funding of $269,434,000. And the top 51 salaries as of March 13 are just $3.228 above the cap, certainly above the $16 million projected earlier in the week.
By some interpretations, Jerry didn't say he would trade the draft to acquire one or two players.
“So we’re always in this era,” Stephen said. “We've been doing that for the last three or four years. We've had three 12-5 seasons. We're getting close. … I certainly think we're getting close, and like I said, , we've won more football games' (36 games) than regular season games (Kansas City, 37 games) over the past three years. ”
For some reason, the Cowboys weren't keen on talent in 2023. They had 10 players in the Pro Bowl, six of whom were starters. They had four first-team All-Pros (Brandon Aubrey, Daron Brand, Zach Martin, and CeeDee Lamb). They had an MVP candidate (Dak Prescott). They nominated two players (Lamm and Prescott) for Offensive Player of the Year. There were two other Defensive Player of the Year candidates (Micah Parsons and Brand).
So, does searching for players in free agency that other teams don't think are suitable for re-signing mean they're “all in”? Or should the Cowboys start trying to re-sign their unrestricted players and build contracts that will grow in the future?
“All in” means re-signing centers Tyler Biadasz and Tyron Smith despite the possibility of moving Tyler Smith to left tackle, TJ Bass to guard, and Brock Hoffman to center. What does it mean?
“All in” means having to move on from running backs Tony Pollard and Rico Doodle and re-sign an aging veteran in free agency, or draft him in the first three rounds if his market value is high. What is meant to be?
Does “all in” mean bringing in a top-paid veteran free agent wide receiver they don't actually have at the expense of cutting Michael Gallup?
Does “all in” mean spending big on a free agent linebacker if Parsons remains at defensive end and Leighton Vander Esch decides to retire? Or what if you move Micah to linebacker, spend free agency at defensive end, and hope Demarvion Overshawn comes back like new as a linebacker after ACL surgery?
Does “all in” mean re-signing cornerback Stephon Gilmore? and Even though nickelback Jordan Lewis expected Trevon Diggs to be back as good as new after repairing a torn ACL to partner Brand at cornerback? But do we know it's better to find corner insurance so we don't have to play Gilmore with a harness in the playoffs like we did against the Packers when they changed their defensive scheme?
See what I mean about this “all in” thing? As nice as it sounds, the Cowboys certainly can't make all these decisions in one offseason, one draft.
“Yeah, you're going to want to bring back a lot of players,” Stephen Jones said of players heading to free agency. “But there's also the reality: There's a salary cap and you really have to make decisions.
“You know, we used to let players go when the money got too expensive, and then we could have gotten four better players[with that money]. I mean, I'm not going.'' So that I can answer any questions. Do you want him back? Yes. Do you want him back? Yes. Does that mean it can be done? No.
“I don't know, and I'm not going to talk to certain people.”
And on top of all these questions, the Cowboys have to make certain decisions about how to deal with Dak's $59.45 million salary cap hit heading into the final year of his contract. However, since there is a two-year void period in 2025-2026, the Cowboys could pay him a restructuring bonus and spread it over three years if they want to see how things go with an extension, which would allow him to earn a base salary of 29 million in 2024. The dollar could easily be restructured.
That's not all. They must try to sign CeeDee to a long-term contract to lessen the impact of his $17.99 million fifth-year option. Will they ask Martin to bring forward some of his $18 million base salary in the final year of his contract to restructure his base salary? do they want to? Even DeMarcus Lawrence will hit a $17.85 million cap hit ($10 million base salary) in the final year of his contract due to two previous restructures.
And Micah Parsons' upcoming salary cap woes are in the range of an estimated $22.8 million or $20.1 million, depending on whether he is listed as a linebacker or defensive end by May 2, 2025. He will have to select the fifth year option in 2019. We're going to get ahead of that by signing him to a long-term contract this offseason.
That's the reality Stephen is trying to emphasize. And he and Jerry understand that no one else is worried about things like this. They hope to win back-to-back NFC East titles, something the Cowboys haven't done since 2004, finish four consecutive seasons with double-digit wins, something they haven't done since 1993-96, and win at least two games in the playoffs. I want it. First time since 1995. And, hopefully, the starter's first NFC Championship in 29 seasons.
So be careful when looking at the Cowboys' unrestricted free agent list and seeing things like first or second choices to sign some of these players. First, teams have until March 13 to re-sign with their respective teams, so current free agents may not be free agents at that time. Second, the Cowboys may be able to sell on the trade market, but it comes at a price, and the No. 24 pick is never a great bargaining chip, especially with less draft capital this year.
Because of past trades, the Cowboys only have five draft picks this year: 1, 2, 3 (not to be confused with Lawrence Welk, who conducts the orchestra (look him up)) and 2/7 only. This leaves them withholding compensatory picks should they be acquired, and they will need to acquire two more picks to cover the losses of Connor McGovern and Dalton Schultz in free agency. And they haven't been reluctant to make trades over the past two seasons, making trades to acquire Jonathan Hankins, Brandin Cooks, Stephon Gilmore, Trey Lance, Noah Igbinoghene and Eric Scott.
And the Cowboys won't come out on top by going “all in” on one player, either through trade, draft, or free agency. They need a lot of things. I think they can mortgage their future, but they learned the hard way about trading away next year's first-round draft pick. For Joey Galloway, see his 2000, for Roy Williams, see his 2008, and for Amari Cooper, see his 2018. It's no fun going into the draft without a first-round pick.
So be careful when interpreting the meaning of “all in.” In fact, before any moves were made for salary cap purposes, the Cowboys already had $14.77 million in dead money, $12 million of which was stuffed into the Ezekiel Elliott and Tyron Smith gaps. It was paid as a restructuring bonus.
Saying going "all in" is one thing. Being able to do so is entirely a whole 'nuther deal.
