We're sacrificing the future with cap restructures

[Midswat]

Bye Carter, Lee, Dez, and everyone else that we wont have the means to re-sign.


‏
‏@AdamSchefter

Dallas restructured contract of DE DeMarcus Ware, converting $5 million of his base salary into signing bonus, saving $4 million against cap


@AdamSchefter

Now that they've restructured DeMarcus Ware's contract, Cowboys plan to restructure contracts of about a dozen more players by March 12.

 

[dbair1967]

No

 

[yimyammer]

No

can you elaborate why this isn't a concern?

 

[Hoofbite]

can you elaborate why this isn't a concern?

No

 

[yimyammer]

No

lol, saw that coming.....

 

[cmd34]

The Redskins have been restructuring for years and seem to do fine.

Think of it like this; It may seem like we are putting off paying these guys down the road with backloaded contracts but they are years that these guys will never see. DeMarcus Ware will never see that $13.75M base salary ($18M plus cap hit) in 2015, when he's 33. He'll either be retired, a cap casualty, or restructure again.

 

[Hoofbite]

The Redskins have been restructuring for years and seem to do fine.

Think of it like this; It may seem like we are putting off paying these guys down the road with backloaded contracts but they are years that these guys will never see. DeMarcus Ware will never see that $13.75M base salary ($18M plus cap hit) in 2015, when he's 33. He'll either be retired, a cap casualty, or restructure again.

Doing fine?

They're one of the few teams that's been more futile than Dallas has over the past 20 years.

Starting in like 1995, they're 130-157.

Yeah, that's doing "fine".

Think of it like this. If Ware keep kicking ass it forces Dallas to restructure and then move the cap burden down the road. That's the problem. You can't just avoid the cap charge all together. It will come current at some point.

 

[Iamtdg]

Doing fine?

They're one of the few teams that's been more futile than Dallas has over the past 20 years.

Starting in like 1995, they're 130-157.

Yeah, that's doing "fine".

Think of it like this. If Ware keep kicking ass it forces Dallas to restructure and then move the cap burden down the road. That's the problem. You can't just avoid the cap charge all together. It will come current at some point.

/end thread

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Ware is here through 2015. Romo can be expected to be gone around the same time. They will be 36 and 27 respectively at that time. That is going to be +$25m off the cap.

Even if we were to draft there replacements this year, they would be under our control through 2016. That means that their replacements are not going to be costing +$25m. Additionally at that point unless we get lucky a la the Broncos and get a pro bowl caliber QB to not only be a FA but come here then we will be in full on rebuilding mode.

Further, you can now push existing cap space into the next year. IE if we have $7m left over from this year we no longer have to play the LTBE game to get that pushed into next year. So 'mortgaging the future' now only makes a real difference if we take that additional cap space and spend on it now.

Since no one has any interest in making claims about the scenarios in the next couple of years of who we need to sign, I will actually try and discuss specifics rather than just assuming that it's impossible like what I see being done here.

Following next season, the only major UFA we have is Lee and Hatcher. While it's oh noes time around here it should be kept in mind that both of the OG scrubs we signed last season can be cut with minimal impact and both Ratliff and Austin become major savings. There are other dead money contracts ie Newman that will also be off the books AND the $5m cap penalty is gone.

The following year is the one that should be a major concern. Smith, Bryant and Carter will all be FA. A couple of things to consider at that point.

First is whether all of those guys AND Ware are going to be healthy and worth their contract at that point. This is football and not tiddlywinks so in all likelihood they are not all going to be still playing. If Ware breaks down at that point you can save $10m off the cap or something of that nature.

Additionally, unless we resign Spencer the only major signings we will have AND be tied to our Romo, Witten, and Carr. Guys like Scandrick, Sensabaugh, Austin and Ratliff that everyone is wringing their hands over now will offer savings. We also can 'mortgage the future' then too.

If you are going to start complaining about mortgaging the future' then at least have some doomsday scenarios are some sort of scenario whatsoever. Mindless handwringing is fun I guess but I never, ever ever see an accounting justification for doing it.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

/end thread

Before they got the $16m cap penalty last year could you please point out the year they have had to let FA go and not been able to go FA crazy?

They have not sucked because they cannot sign FA. They have sucked because they trade away more draft picks then we do and until last year trotted out QB like McScrub, Grossman, Banks, Brunell and Campbell.

 

[yimyammer]

Ware is here through 2015. Romo can be expected to be gone around the same time. They will be 36 and 27 respectively at that time. That is going to be +$25m off the cap.

Even if we were to draft there replacements this year, they would be under our control through 2016. That means that their replacements are not going to be costing +$25m. Additionally at that point unless we get lucky a la the Broncos and get a pro bowl caliber QB to not only be a FA but come here then we will be in full on rebuilding mode.

Further, you can now push existing cap space into the next year. IE if we have $7m left over from this year we no longer have to play the LTBE game to get that pushed into next year. So 'mortgaging the future' now only makes a real difference if we take that additional cap space and spend on it now.

Since no one has any interest in making claims about the scenarios in the next couple of years of who we need to sign, I will actually try and discuss specifics rather than just assuming that it's impossible like what I see being done here.

Following next season, the only major UFA we have is Lee and Hatcher. While it's oh noes time around here it should be kept in mind that both of the OG scrubs we signed last season can be cut with minimal impact and both Ratliff and Austin become major savings. There are other dead money contracts ie Newman that will also be off the books AND the $5m cap penalty is gone.

The following year is the one that should be a major concern. Smith, Bryant and Carter will all be FA. A couple of things to consider at that point.

First is whether all of those guys AND Ware are going to be healthy and worth their contract at that point. This is football and not tiddlywinks so in all likelihood they are not all going to be still playing. If Ware breaks down at that point you can save $10m off the cap or something of that nature.

Additionally, unless we resign Spencer the only major signings we will have AND be tied to our Romo, Witten, and Carr. Guys like Scandrick, Sensabaugh, Austin and Ratliff that everyone is wringing their hands over now will offer savings. We also can 'mortgage the future' then too.

If you are going to start complaining about mortgaging the future' then at least have some doomsday scenarios are some sort of scenario whatsoever. Mindless handwringing is fun I guess but I never, ever ever see an accounting justification for doing it.

nice post, thanks

I assume the bolded part is a typo?

 

[Hoofbite]

Before they got the $16m cap penalty last year could you please point out the year they have had to let FA go and not been able to go FA crazy?

They have not sucked because they cannot sign FA. They have sucked because they trade away more draft picks then we do and until last year trotted out QB like McScrub, Grossman, Banks, Brunell and Campbell.

Qualifying it as only having to let players go is a bit short sighted.

The fact that they didn't let guys go could also be because they couldn't because of the cap ramifications. Trotting out sucky guys because cutting them is too steep of a penalty wouldn't be something anyone would be proud of.

In related news, Dallas is considering moving Doug Free inside.

Furthermore, even if all you said was true it still does nothing to suggest that Dallas is handling their situation all that great. The Redskins have been worse than Dallas over the past couple decades. Maybe if they had some clout to stand on we could use the "push it to infinity" example as something that actually works and pays off.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Qualifying it as only having to let players go is a bit short sighted.

The fact that they didn't let guys go could also be because they couldn't because of the cap ramifications. Trotting out sucky guys because cutting them is too steep of a penalty wouldn't be something anyone would be proud of.

In related news, Dallas is considering moving Doug Free inside.

Furthermore, even if all you said was true it still does nothing to suggest that Dallas is handling their situation all that great. The Redskins have been worse than Dallas over the past couple decades. Maybe if they had some clout to stand on we could use the "push it to infinity" example as something that actually works and pays off.

They have been spending like FA loons since 1999. I did not qualify it as only not letting guys go because they have been able to both keep their FA but also then sign and cut massive contracts like for example Haynesworth followed by Atogwe. You would think that after saying that for going on 25 years that it would finally get through.

The point is that causation between cap restrictions and their poor performance is unfounded. Throwing away high draft picks and never having a QB make sense because the cap has never been an issue for them. Every year it was, 'they are going to be in cap hell,'and every year they would go out and sign multiple FA.

They have sucked sure but it wasn't because they restructured contracts. The Redskins gave up 3 firsts and a second for RG3 and a lower first round pick. Good times.

Now if we would stop trading away picks in the first three rounds of the draft for 'splash.'

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

nice post, thanks

I assume the bolded part is a typo?

Yeah it would be 36 and 34. Romo will be 33 34 35 the next 3 years putting him at 36. Ware will be 34 as he is two years younger. Both of their Bdays are in the offseason.

Romo will at that point be in Brady's current situation and the Cowboys will have to make a choice. I would be stunned with Ware's neck injuries and everything else if he is still playing after three more years. Man is a warrior though.

I am just trying to give anidea of when contracts that we currently have are off the books and what guys we are going to want to resign. We need to keep our picks especially the ones we hit on and build through the draft. I think we can do both.

I would also add that most teams caps are shrinking next year while ours and the Redskins will be 'growing' following this season. If Snyder sues and wins then its even better.

 

[dbair1967]

Yes, only the Cowboys are up against the cap every year and have to restructure contracts. Nobody else in football has to make such manuevers.

Some of you are definitely CZ-like with this junk.

Hey better idea, lets cut all our good players so that in 2015 we have 69 million in cap space.

 

[Midswat]

@fishsports
The Brandon Carr contract 'lever' is about to be pulled. Guaranteed $ in exchange for $10M of #Cowboys cap room.


Don't have a problem with doing this to mid-20 somethings.

Do have a problem with giving large guaranteed money to 30 year olds.

 

[junk]

@fishsports
The Brandon Carr contract 'lever' is about to be pulled. Guaranteed $ in exchange for $10M of #Cowboys cap room.


Don't have a problem with doing this to mid-20 somethings.

Do have a problem with giving large guaranteed money to 30 year olds.

Agreed. I think "cap hell" is a thing of the past although you can be cap constrained which I think Dallas is this year

They have been too quick to reward their own in the past and too quick to extend guys past their prime

Bottom line, you need to nail the draft in this day and age. FA should be a supplement to get you over the top/fill specific roles. You can't build a team through FA

I think one of the Cowboys biggest issues is they don't foster a environment of competition. Too worried about progress blockers. Guess what? You are paying dick to Costa, Arkin and Leary. Bring in competition and if more than one pans out you have depth

 

[Theebs]

i have never worried about the salary cap personally.

As a fan its not an issue to me. I know they understand how to manipulate the contracts and get to where they need to be.

 

[dbair1967]

You trolls do realize several of these contracts are set up a certain way (like Carr's) to have future cap flexibility.

Oh wait, look who I am talking to. No, you dont know.

 

[Midswat]

You trolls do realize several of these contracts are set up a certain way (like Carr's) to have future cap flexibility.

Oh wait, look who I am talking to. No, you dont know.

We know just as much as you know Dbair. Lets not pretend you spend your off hours reviewing NFL contracts.

Common sense dictates it's not good business to have to push guaranteed money into the future in order to get under the cap. How many times have we been burned by this in the past?