cmd34
Pro Bowler
- Messages
- 11,877
- Reaction score
- 126
As I always do when it appears the season will go down in flames, I started looking towards the future. I know we just signed Doug Free, Nate Livings, Mackenzy Bernadeau, Jermey Parnell, and Ryan Cook to contract extensions but they are showing me they are clearly not solutions. Parnell is young and raw but has shown nothing so far (in games) and Cook has some versatility so he could stick as a reserve. David Arkin can’t seem to crack the line up even when we are desperate. Phil Costa is awful despite the team’s obsession with him and Kevin Kowalski isn’t good enough (when healthy) to beat out Costa. If this core group of Romo, Witten, and Austin are going to have any chance, the offensive line must be fixed.
Doug Free was given a 4 yr extension in 2011 worth $32M, $17M guaranteed. His 2013 salary cap should he return next year would be $11,175,000. If we cut him this off-season, the cap hit would be $8,350,000. Releasing him actually creates $2,825,000 in cap room as well as saving the Cowboys $7M in actual salary paid out next year.
(-$2,825,000)
Mackenzy Bernadeausigned a 4 yr deal worth $11M this off-season. His 2013 cap number would be $2,562,500. If released, the hit would be $2,437,500, which would save $125,000.
(-$125,000)
Nate Livings signed a 5 yr deal worth $18.7M with a $3.5M signing bonus. His 2013 cap number would be $2.4M. If released, the hit would be $2.8. So, in his case it’s “cheaper to keep her” and since he’s performed better than the rest of this bunch, we might be okay with this. If released after the 2013 season, we would gain $2M in cap room, so at worse, it would be 1 more year of Livings. Still if you wanted to clean house, cutting him takes up an additional $400,000.
(+$400,000)
Ryan Cook signed a 2 yr extension worth $2.1M. His 2013 cap number is $1.25M. Releasing him creates $1.1M in cap room. I don’t mind him since he can play all 5 OL spots but again going with the cleaning house mentality..
(-$1,100,000)
Jermey Parnell – 3 yr $4,062,000. 2013 Cap Number = $1,356,421. Cap hit if released = $666,666 (not making that up). Savings = $689,755.
(-$689,755).
David Arkin – 4 yr $2,540,000. 2013 Cap number = $680,000. Cap hit if released = $250,000. Savings = $430,000.
(-$430,000)
Derrick Dockery is under a 1 year deal and hopefully is not part of the 2013 plan. Who knows with this staff.
Phil Costa is a restricted free agent. A tender next year would be around $1 M (possibly more). We don’t gain anything by letting him walk but keeping him costs that additional $1M.
Kevin Kowalski – 3 yr $1,395,000. I can’t find the specifics on his signing bonus but releasing him would create $555,000 in cap room.
(-$555,000)
No team is going to release 9 out of 10 Offensive Linemen in 1 season, although that would send a powerful message to underachievers on this team. I just wrote this to show we do have options. Let’s say we kept Tyron Smith (numbers not included since there is no way the team would consider releasing him), Nate Livings, and Ryan Cook meaning we have to go out and sign, draft, or trade for 6 new offensive linemen. Releasing the other linemen would create $4,624,755 in additional cap room. Yes, I know that creates “dead money” for a year but you have to look at like this. One, that money (signing bonuses) has already been spent. Two, would you want to keep paying this cast of underachievers? Keeping the 6 players I suggested cutting would take up over $17M in cap space. That’s not counting any 2013 roster bonuses they may have written into their contracts.
Again, I don’t really think we would let this many players from one unit go in a single off-season. I just know now that we aren’t stuck with them.
Doug Free was given a 4 yr extension in 2011 worth $32M, $17M guaranteed. His 2013 salary cap should he return next year would be $11,175,000. If we cut him this off-season, the cap hit would be $8,350,000. Releasing him actually creates $2,825,000 in cap room as well as saving the Cowboys $7M in actual salary paid out next year.
(-$2,825,000)
Mackenzy Bernadeausigned a 4 yr deal worth $11M this off-season. His 2013 cap number would be $2,562,500. If released, the hit would be $2,437,500, which would save $125,000.
(-$125,000)
Nate Livings signed a 5 yr deal worth $18.7M with a $3.5M signing bonus. His 2013 cap number would be $2.4M. If released, the hit would be $2.8. So, in his case it’s “cheaper to keep her” and since he’s performed better than the rest of this bunch, we might be okay with this. If released after the 2013 season, we would gain $2M in cap room, so at worse, it would be 1 more year of Livings. Still if you wanted to clean house, cutting him takes up an additional $400,000.
(+$400,000)
Ryan Cook signed a 2 yr extension worth $2.1M. His 2013 cap number is $1.25M. Releasing him creates $1.1M in cap room. I don’t mind him since he can play all 5 OL spots but again going with the cleaning house mentality..
(-$1,100,000)
Jermey Parnell – 3 yr $4,062,000. 2013 Cap Number = $1,356,421. Cap hit if released = $666,666 (not making that up). Savings = $689,755.
(-$689,755).
David Arkin – 4 yr $2,540,000. 2013 Cap number = $680,000. Cap hit if released = $250,000. Savings = $430,000.
(-$430,000)
Derrick Dockery is under a 1 year deal and hopefully is not part of the 2013 plan. Who knows with this staff.
Phil Costa is a restricted free agent. A tender next year would be around $1 M (possibly more). We don’t gain anything by letting him walk but keeping him costs that additional $1M.
Kevin Kowalski – 3 yr $1,395,000. I can’t find the specifics on his signing bonus but releasing him would create $555,000 in cap room.
(-$555,000)
No team is going to release 9 out of 10 Offensive Linemen in 1 season, although that would send a powerful message to underachievers on this team. I just wrote this to show we do have options. Let’s say we kept Tyron Smith (numbers not included since there is no way the team would consider releasing him), Nate Livings, and Ryan Cook meaning we have to go out and sign, draft, or trade for 6 new offensive linemen. Releasing the other linemen would create $4,624,755 in additional cap room. Yes, I know that creates “dead money” for a year but you have to look at like this. One, that money (signing bonuses) has already been spent. Two, would you want to keep paying this cast of underachievers? Keeping the 6 players I suggested cutting would take up over $17M in cap space. That’s not counting any 2013 roster bonuses they may have written into their contracts.
Again, I don’t really think we would let this many players from one unit go in a single off-season. I just know now that we aren’t stuck with them.
