Frisco, Texas – The 2024 NFL salary cap, which is an albatross for each team, has increased significantly from last year's $224.8 million to this year's originally expected $242.5 million, and will eventually reach $200 million. It was $55.5 million, the largest annual increase in NFL history.
The good news is that the Dallas Cowboys have gone from $16 million above their initial salary cap projections to an even more convincing estimate of $4 million above their top 51 numbers starting March 13 at 3 p.m. I did.
Potentially the three biggest expenses the Cowboys will have to deal with, or at least three notable players: quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, and linebacker Micah Parsons. That's something to be happy about, considering the deal is still in the works. All three will be owned by the Cowboys this 2024 season, with Dak and Sheedy currently in the final year of their contracts and Parsons being the final two, with the Cowboys picking up his fifth-year option for 2025. Assuming you get it by the 2nd of the month, that makes sense. Expanding, reconstructing, or standing putts on the problem.
As Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said at this week's NFL Scouting Combine: “Obviously, the three guys we talked about are priorities and they're going to be on the open market this year. They're going to be on this team.'' That's great.
Despite the situation, the Cowboys should be happy to say that they are making the necessary moves, including reaching out to free agents, working on potential trades, and re-signing themselves if they deem it necessary. They have plenty of cap money available to do business for the season.
But Stephen also pointed to the downside of a large salary cap increase, saying, “The cap bump is helpful in a way, but all 32 teams will receive a cap bump, so we all know what that means. I know,” he said.
Yes, that's true. A team with so much cap space has more cap space that could potentially trap some of the Cowboys' 16 unrestricted free agents and price the Cowboys off the market. I am.
The Commanders, who are headed by former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, were initially expected to have $68 million in cap space. Well, they currently have an estimated $79 million. That's a lot of money, for example, if Quinn has his eyes on Cowboys unrestricted defensive ends Dorrance Armstrong and Dante Fowler Jr. And Washington is just one of five teams with at least $72 million in cap space licking their free agent chops. And 2023 playoff teams like the Texans and Lions have at least $57 million at their disposal.
That's enough space that these teams can afford to take expensive “shots” on the market even if they miss. It's not a big problem.
- don't forget: A lot of attention has been focused on Stephen's mention of potentially working on a contract with the Big 3 (Dak, Sheedy, Micah), but although he clearly notes that there is “no timeline,” Dak's 59.45 million This has been largely overlooked when asked about the dollar salary cap. Charge adjustment in 14 days: “There's a way to adjust his cap number this year'' And that would be other than signing him to an extension, but does Stephen want to sign Dak to an extension? When asked, he replied, “Oh, yes, absolutely.” However, there is a difference between “I want to” and “I can”. So keep in mind that the Cowboys have two blank years in their back pocket added to a four-year contract in 2025 and 2026, and they've already given up their restructuring bonus. That means if they decide to restructure this year's $29 million base salary and pay the difference in signing bonuses to reduce it to the minimum amount ($1.12 million), that money would be eligible to be spread over three years. , his cap hit will be lowered to roughly $5 million. $42 million instead. please do not worry.
- QB cost: There's a lot going on in Dak's contract, which is in the final year of a four-year deal that averages $40 million. Do you know where that ranks in the world of NFL quarterbacks? Give him a three-way tie for the top 10th This means Dak is one of 12 quarterbacks between Joe Burrow's $55 million high and the $40 million average of Dak, Matthew Stafford, and Daniel Jones. do. Of these quarterbacks, because this always comes up when talking about money for the Ducks, the only ones who have won a Super Bowl are Patrick Mahomes (three times), Russell Wilson (with short stick in Denver), and Only three Staffords. that's it.
- Truly golden: I noticed this about former Cowboys wideout Golden Richards (1973-78) after looking at his career stats. He died at the age of 73 from congestive heart failure after battling the effects of Parkinson's disease for the past 10 years. This was more than just the player who caught Robert Newhouse's 29-yard fullback option pass in Super Bowl XII, sealing the Cowboys' 27-10 victory over Denver. Richards averaged 21.5 and 21.8 yards per catch twice during his career. Hall of Famer Bob Hayes owns the single-season franchise record with his 26.1, set in 1970.
- Training in Southern California: The Cowboys and three other teams will hold training camps in Southern California this summer, with the Cowboys in Oxnard, the Chargers likely in a new home in El Segundo, and the Rams in Woodland Hills. The event will be held at an undetermined temporary location. And the Saints are staying this summer at the Rams' former camp at the University of California, Irvine, while the facility in Metairie, La., is undergoing renovations. When asked if the Cowboys might face the Saints during camp, Stephen said, “I don't know. I guess we'll have to ask New Orleans.” After all, it sounds like a road trip for budding fans.
- Small part-time job:com determined that the Eagles vs. Cowboys game played at Arlington's AT&T Stadium on December 10, 2023, drew the most spectators for a single game this season with 93,752, followed by That's 93,731 for the Dallas-Detroit game on Dec. 30. 15th For consecutive seasons, the Cowboys led the NFL with an average attendance of 93,594 for their eight home games in 2023, a record that began when they moved to AT&T Stadium in 2009…well, last Sunday, 2 Was it really the 35th year on the 25th of the month? Jerry Jones becomes the third owner in franchise history since he bought the Cowboys from previous owner Bam Bright in 1989? … Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pauls remains tight-lipped about what the Bears will do with the No. 1 pick in this year's NFL Draft, but there is no possibility that another team could trade for the No. 1 pick. He suggested that if he wanted it, the offer would be about the same. Last year, Carolina gave the Bears the right to select quarterback Bryce Young with the No. No. 2, and wide receiver DJ Moore.
Again, it's Cowboys COO Stephen Jones who gets the first word this time, so he gets the last word too when he shares his thoughts on keeping veteran cornerback Stephen Gilmore. . His value was never more recognized than when he appeared in a Green Bay playoff game with a shoulder in a harness that required surgery, but the Cowboys tried that route in his place and replaced him with a more normal player. To protect him, they decided to move to a zone defense instead.
And remember, Gilmore and Jourdan Lewis are unrestricted free agents, and the established corners under contract are Pro Bowler Daron Brand and two-time Pro Bowler Daron Brand, who is returning from season-ending ACL surgery. Trevon Diggs was the only one to participate.
“Obviously, Stephon Gilmore was a great addition for us last year,” Jones began. “He is not only a great football player, but a first-rate doer. We are very happy with what he has done for the team and have nothing but respect for him.”
And when asked about this idea that Jimmie Johnson threw out with a laugh in a radio interview about Jerry Jones hiring him to be on the Cowboys' “advisory board,” Stephen also started with a laugh: . “I know Jerry has been on the phone and talked to a lot of people that he respects. He also talked to John Madden. (Jimmy) is always a great guy to bounce things off of. .”
Let's leave it at that.
