The Cowboys have restructured the contract of defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford, opening up about $4.4MM in cap room, according to Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link). The move will help create some additional flexibility for Dallas as the team goes about its offseason business.
Crawford, who inked a new contract extension in September, was set to earn a fully guaranteed $6.75MM base salary in 2016. Instead, he’ll reduce that salary to $1.25MM, converting $5.5MM into a signing bonus. That bonus will be paid to him immediately, but will be spread out on the Cowboys’ cap for the next five seasons at a rate of $1.1MM annually.
While the move reduces Crawford’s 2016 cap number from $8.75MM to $4.35MM, it increases his cap charges in future seasons. From 2017 to 2020, Crawford will count for at least $9MM annually against the Cowboys’ cap, including $10.35MM in 2017.
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