Frisco, Texas – Decided. Decided. Decided.
If this were political, we would call it:
But that's not the case. Although it's close. It's just about football. It's the Dallas Cowboys. And they have a number of decisions to make over the next two months that will have a huge impact on his upcoming 2024 NFL season, and perhaps he will be decided in the upcoming draft, which is just six weeks away. It will have a bigger impact than what you do.
And the Cowboys must be right. You can't afford to make mistakes over and over again. Otherwise, the goal is to achieve at least four consecutive 12-win seasons, become the first team since 2004 to win back-to-back NFC East titles, and become the first Cowboys team to advance past the second round of the playoffs. 1995 will be nothing more than a pipe dream.
But this is happening on day three of the 2024 NFL calendar year with an estimated $2.83 million in salary cap space when counting the salaries of the team's top 51. I'm glad the NFL Draft wasn't yesterday. The Cowboys wouldn't have had enough money to acquire seven picks.
And that's why the Cowboys were forced to take the two actions they did Friday afternoon. One is releasing seventh-year wide receiver Michael Gallup on June 1st, and the other is severing ties with seventh-year linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, who failed his physical designation. be. This should free up about $10 million in cap space, including signing veteran linebacker Eric Kendricks, who was officially signed on Friday, and re-signing nickelback Jordan Lewis to a one-year deal. That's enough to cover the cost.
But such moves come at a cost. The Cowboys can gain about $8 million in cap space now by releasing Gallup, but not until June 2nd, with $5.3 million in dead money this year and $5.3 million in dead money in 2025. It will cost an additional $8.7 million. They can treat that windfall as a savings account for funding. Their rookie pool.
As for Vander Esch, who finished the 2023 season on injured reserve after sustaining his second career neck injury that put his future in jeopardy, the move likely frees up about $2 million to go toward Kendricks' projected base salary. It will be worked out.
But they must be right, as upstarts Jalen Tolbert (24 career catches) and Jalen Brooks (six in his rookie season) are probably the only wide receivers signed after CeeDee Lamb at this point. And the Cowboys couldn't have done the same with the Bears short of trading veteran Chargers wideout Keenan Allen for a fourth-round draft pick while inheriting his $18.1 million base salary. I could not do it.
So let's start with some tough decisions. Better start with QB1.
The Cowboys will offload Dak Prescott's $29 million base salary and increase his cap hit to $59.4 million by giving him a prorated restructuring bonus over four years, three of which will be void. , meaning that your credit card bill will be due at some point. Or will he sign a contract that guarantees an extension for the next three or four years, depending on the length of his ninth season (how quickly time flies)?
Let's continue. What to do with offensive left tackle Tyron Smith, an unrestricted free agent who will enter his fifth All-Pro season in 2023. Smith, who turns 34 in December, is likely looking for market value in what is sure to be his final contract. So far, no team has made him an offer he can't refuse, but the Cowboys still have to be smart about this one.
They will simply decide whether to pay him his current rate or draft a guard by moving 2022 first-round pick and All-Pro guard Tyler Smith, who was a tackle in college, to left tackle. Do you think you can save money by doing so? Last year's rookie free agent backup, TJ Bass, could start at left guard. Or will they sign or trade for a cheaper veteran guard?
Again, you can't go wrong here when talking about Duck's blind spots.
Now, how much should Lamb be paid on a long-term contract to alleviate his fifth-year option cap of $17.99? And that amount will have a big impact on cap space in 2025. The Cowboys already know they have about $70 million in dead money, and if they don't sign Micah Parsons to an extension by 2025, his fifth-year option of $21 million will hit the cap. I am aware that I will reach it. .
As for Parsons, is he an undersized defensive end like the one who played the majority of snaps in 2023, or is he just an undersized defensive end who has had a very hard time double-teaming the Cowboys' sack leader over the past three seasons? , a linebacker who could take even more advantage of his athleticism? run towards the ball. Either way, it will affect draft priorities at positions he doesn't play.
They have DeMarvion Overshawn, a third-round draft pick last year who tore his ACL during training camp, and is back ready to shoulder the full load at linebacker, which is currently occupied by Kendricks and Damon Clark. Do you trust him or do you look for another starting quality helper? Again, the Cowboys paid for their lack of size at linebacker against the run last season, so this prediction should be correct. (See Green Bay rushing for 143 yards and 3 TDs in the playoff loss.)
Oh, wait a minute. We still have a long way to go.
What about the defensive end? Both rotation ends, Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr., took the Commanders' money and ran to Washington to join former defensive manager Dan Quinn. If Parsons primarily plays linebacker, that leaves DeMarcus Lawrence and Sam Williams at the end. Do they believe Sam can be a starter and play more than 28.3 percent of the snaps in 2023? I also wonder if Junior Fehoko, last year's fourth-round pick, thinks he's ready for a bigger role, which he never will be.He played well in his rookie season leading up to the game.
Maybe you need help there. Decision, decision.
Next is the defensive tackle spot. As you know, Cowboys rotational defensive tackle Neville Gallimore signed a one-year, $1.79 million guaranteed contract with Miami, and starter Jonathan Hankins is an unrestricted free agent. Hmm, how much faith do the Cowboys have in last year's first round pick Maji Smith to make a big leap in his second year and never fall below 300 pounds again? You will need beef in advance.
Hey, we're not nearly done yet. What about the center? You know Tyler Biadasz if he's going to Washington, too. The question you have to ask is, will the Cowboys back up second-year former 2022 rookie free agent Brock Hoffman in all 221 NFL games and two NFL starts (one at right guard) in 2023? The question is, do you trust him to transition from center to starter? Or is this just another type of veterans insurance you need just in case?
Next is the cornerback. It's a position they lacked in the playoff loss, when they had to adjust their defense to more zone coverage to protect veteran Stephon Gilmore's harnessed shoulder. Yes, they re-signed Lewis, but at nickelback. Can corner Trevon Diggs be trusted to return to Pro Bowl level after tearing his ACL last season? And if they need a fourth player to join Lewis, Diggs and Daron Brand, will they have enough cap space to re-sign Gilmore, who is more than reliable?
Well, did I forget something?
Oh yeah, wait. There's no way I can forget it. How about running back? The Cowboys lost leading rusher Tony Pollard to Tennessee for three years and $21.75 million, with $10.49 million guaranteed. And his backup, Rico Doodle, is also unlimited. That means the Cowboys still have Deuce Bourne, fullback Hunter Luepke and practice scooterist Malik Davis under contract from last season.
I must be longing for more, no.
But after all this, it might be understandable why the Cowboys didn't enter the first week of free agency for a veteran running back. They have so many roster flares to extinguish that they couldn't in good conscience go “all in” on one position at the expense of many other needs. That means acquiring the remaining veterans, trading for available veterans, or at least using a second-day draft pick at running back.
What has Sieg been up to lately? I still live here. It could probably use some extra scratch. He only had 181 carries last year, so he should be fresh. The Patriots scored three rushing touchdowns, more than any Cowboys player other than Pollard, who had just six. If you think about it for a second, he's already paid out his $6 million in dead money with last year's release.
Just an insurance concept.
I hope this article helps you gain some perspective on all these important personnel decisions the Cowboys have to make. They have to fill all these vacancies.
Do they trust young people?
Are you hoping to guess a draft pick?
Do they still shop at Dollar Tree in free agency?
When you are forced to make too many decisions, you feel dizzy.
Especially when you have to be right.
