2016 Cap Outlook: Dallas Cowboys
Through the 2015 NFL season, Pro Football Rumors has been looking ahead to the 2016 offseason, gauging the salary cap situation for a number of teams with significant cap charges for next season. The cap for 2016 hasn’t been set yet, but we can still assess the salary commitments made by a club and determine whether or not that club will be in good financial shape going forward.
In addition to evaluating each team’s overall cap situation, we’ll focus in on a few key players who may be candidates to be extended, restructured, or released by their current teams. These lists aren’t comprehensive, and depending on a player’s 2015 performance and health, he could drop off one of these lists – or be added to one – as the season goes on. For now though, these are some players to watch.
Using data from Over The Cap, we’re making our way through NFL teams in order of total salary commitments for 2016. Today’s team is the Dallas Cowboys, who currently have the eighth-highest total for their ’16 cap.
Let’s dive in….
Top 10 cap hits for 2016:
- Tony Romo, QB: $20,835,000
- Tyron Smith, LT: $14,000,000
- Brandon Carr, CB: $13,817,000
- Dez Bryant, WR: $13,000,000
- Tyrone Crawford, DT: $8,750,000
- Jason Witten, TE: $8,612,000
- Orlando Scandrick, CB: $7,782,271
- Sean Lee, LB: $5,950,000
- Doug Free, RT: $5,500,000
- Cole Beasley, WR: $3,356,000
Current 2016 cap number for top 51 players: $140,409,470
With the cap figures on extensions for Smith and Bryant set to increase significantly in 2016, many of the Cowboys’ top cap numbers belong to key contributors, which is generally a good thing. Still, it can sometimes provide a more difficult path to clearing room.
Consider the Cowboys’ division rivals in Washington, for instance — Scot McCloughan and co. can quickly clear $16MM+ in cap space by parting ways with Robert Griffin III in the offseason. Outside of Carr’s deal, the Cowboys don’t have many potential short-cuts to gaining big chunks of cap room this winter, so it’ll be interesting to see what moves the team makes if it needs extra space.
Candidates for extension:
- Barry Church, S
Church isn’t the only player the Cowboys will consider extending this offseason. Travis Frederick, who currently rates as the league’s best center, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades, will be extension-eligible, and the team will certainly try to lock up its Pro Bowl center sooner or later. Church, however, is the only obvious extension candidate whose cap number could be reduced with a new deal.
Of course, the Cowboys’ ability to get something done with Church without increasing his 2016 cap charge will depend on whether the two sides can agree on his value. I wouldn’t consider Church one of the NFL’s top safeties, but he has started every game for Dallas since the start of the 2013 season, and his box-score stats have been impressive — he averaged 122 tackles in 2013 and 2014, and has racked up another 78 this year. If the Cowboys think they can extend him without giving him a significant raise, that would be a deal worth exploring.
Candidates for restructure:
- Tyrone Crawford, DT
- Tony Romo, QB
- Orlando Scandrick, CB
- Tyron Smith, LT
- Jason Witten, TE
The most ideal contracts for restructuring, from a team’s perspective, are ones without much future dead money, and ones where the cap hits in future seasons don’t increase too significantly. The deals for Crawford, Romo, and Smith don’t exactly fit that bill, but the sheer size of them makes them logical candidates to be reworked if the Cowboys need to create significant cap savings. Dallas could clear close to $5MM in cap space by restructuring Crawford’s contract, nearly $6MM by restructuring Romo’s, and over $7MM by restructuring Smith’s.
Still, if they can avoid it, the Cowboys would be wise to avoid reworking those deals and pushing more dead money to future years. Romo’s, in particular, is starting to look unwieldy, and even if owner Jerry Jones thinks his quarterback still has four good years left in him – which is debatable – the team would be wise to minimize the risk on those later seasons as much as possible.
Smith’s deal is a solid candidate for a restructure, and so is Scandrick’s, which has a significantly higher cap charge in 2016 than in future seasons. Witten’s is a trickier case — the veteran tight end had 703 receiving yards in 2014, the lowest mark of his career besides his 2003 rookie season, and he’s on track for about the same number this year.
With his production on the decline, Witten’s cap hit will rise to $8.6MM in 2016. The club could ask him to take a pay cut on his $6.5MM base salary, perhaps giving him the opportunity to earn back some of that amount in incentives, but given how much he has meant to the franchise on and off the field over the last decade, that may be a conversation the Cowboys prefer to postpone for another year. A restructure could accomplish that.
Candidates for pay cut or release:
- Brandon Carr, CB
- Andrew Gachkar, LB
As noted earlier, Carr seems extremely unlikely to return to the Cowboys with the Cowboys’ third-highest cap number next year. Of course, I wouldn’t have thought he’d still have the team’s second-highest cap hit in 2015 either, so I can’t say with 100% certainty that the Cowboys will adjust his deal or cut him. But the club’s leverage will certainly increase this winter — if Dallas had parted ways with Carr last winter, it would have created less than $1MM in cap savings. This time around, the team could clear nearly $6.4MM from its cap by releasing him, so he’ll be under more pressure to accept a reduced salary if he wants to remain in Dallas.
As for Gachkar, his $1.9MM cap number isn’t exactly a huge drain on the Cowboys’ 2016 cap, and we usually focus on players with cap hits of $2MM+ in this space. But given how little he has played on defense for the Cowboys this year, Gachkar looks like a release candidate, unless the team is fine with paying him that salary for his contributions on special teams. Dallas could create $1.3MM in cap savings by cutting him.
Contract information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post.
Draft Updates: Ramsey, Goff, Underclassmen
With five weeks remaining in the NFL regular season, not many teams are looking ahead to the draft yet, but the NCAA year is winding down and many underclassmen are determining whether or not to declare their intent to enter this year’s draft class. Here’s the latest on a few prospects:
- Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey and his family have spent “meaningful time” vetting potential agents as he considers entering the draft, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports. That’s no surprise, considering Ramsey is a potential top-10 pick.
- A pair of receivers, Florida’s Demarcus Robinson and Pitt’s Tyler Boyd, are strongly considering entering the draft, according to Getlin (Twitter links). Getlin adds that one of Boyd’s family members has been looking into possible representation.
- Sources close to Cal quarterback Jared Goff indicate that there’s a 99% chance he’ll enter the draft, and wide receiver Kenny Lawler is expected to declare as well, writes Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net. Bengals receiver Marvin Jones has been a common point of comparison for Lawler, per Pauline.
- Boise State edge defender Kamalei Correa, who has received second-day grades, has been interviewing agents and is very likely to enter the draft, says Pauline. Maryland defensive lineman Quinton Jefferson and San Diego State cornerback Damontae Kazee are also likely to enter the draft, according to Pauline.
- Indiana guard Dan Feeney, Mississippi State defensive tackle Chris Jones, and Mississippi defensive back Tony Conner are waiting to hear back from the advisory committee before making a decision on the draft, per Pauline.
- Ole Miss tackle Laremy Tunsil, defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche, and receiver Laquon Treadwell are all expected to enter the draft, says Pauline.
- Other underclassmen considering making the jump to the NFL, according to Pauline:
- Texas A&M defensive end Daeshon Hall
- Alabama cornerback Eddie Jackson
- Louisville safety Josh Harvey-Clemons
- Mississippi tight end Evan Engram
Minor NFL Transactions: 12/5/15
Here are Saturday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including practice squad moves:
- The Falcons have released an injury settlement with tackle Lamar Holmes, releasing him from the reserve/PUP list, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Holmes’ four-year rookie deal had been set to expire at season’s end, but since he was on track to spend all year on the PUP list due to a foot injury, his contract would’ve tolled, keeping him on Atlanta’s roster. Instead, he’ll reach the open market a little early.
- To fill the roster spot formerly held by Trent Robinson, whose release was noted below, Washington promoted linebacker Carlos Fields from its practice squad, Tarik El-Bashir of CSNMidAtlantic.com reports. The 25-year-old Fields should serve as depth for a depleted Washington linebacking corps Monday night, with Mason Foster and Will Compton expected to start. Perry Riley remains out, and Keenan Robinson is questionable, so Fields figures to see extensive special teams time.
Earlier updates:
- Darius Jennings joins the Browns‘ active roster after the team promoted the wide receiver from their practice squad. Cleveland cut linebacker Darrian Miller to make room, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports (on Twitter). A former Virginia wideout, Jennings caught on with the Browns after a minicamp tryout this May. Miller played in two games as a backup after spending nine weeks on the team’s practice squad prior to his promotion.
- The Dolphins signed defensive end Jordan Williams from their practice squad and cut tight end Brandon Williams to make room, James Walker of ESPN.com tweets. Initially signing with the Jets as a rookie UDFA this offseason, Jordan Williams signed to the Dolphins’ practice squad in October.
- The Giants waived cornerback Leon McFadden and signed linebacker James Morris to take his spot on the 53-man roster, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). A 24-year-old inside backer, Morris played in three games with the Giants this season after spending time with the Patriots in 2014.
- Washington waived/injured safety Trent Robinson, per Master Tesfatsion of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Robinson was backing up Dashon Goldson and Kyshoen Jarrett previously. If Robinson clears waivers, he’ll land on Washington’s IR, per Jay Gruden (via Tarik El-Bashir of CSNWashington.com, on Twitter).
- The Bills have promoted running back Michael Gillislee to the active roster, reports Joe Buscaglia of WKBW in Buffalo (via Twitter). The former fifth-round pick hasn’t played in the NFL since a three-game stint with the Dolphins in 2013. To make room on the roster, the team has waived offensive lineman Gabe Ikard. The Oklahoma product has only made three appearances this season, although Buscaglia believes his absence will lead to Ryan Groy being active for the first time.
- With the Bengals dealing with a banged up secondary, the team has promoted cornerback Troy Hill from the practice squad, reports ESPN’s Coley Harvey (via Twitter). To make room on the roster, the team waived cornerback Chris Lewis-Harris, who was injured during last week’s victory over the Rams.
49ers Activate Daniel Kilgore From PUP List
After a lengthy wait to ascend to the 49ers’ starting center position and subsequent lengthy absence, Daniel Kilgore‘s re-emerged on the active roster after being activated from the PUP list, Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News reports.
The team cut linebacker Shayne Skov to make room for Kilgore, who hasn’t played since breaking his leg in an Oct. 2014 game.
A fifth-year player who arrived in San Francisco as a fifth-round pick, Kilgore didn’t start until the 2014 season — when he started seven games before that lower left leg injury halted his career — due to Jonathan Goodwin serving as the 49ers’ center from 2011-13.
The 28-year-old Kilgore needed additional surgery, which involved 12 screws being inserted, in June to fully recover from that malady. And he returns to a 49ers lineup that’s starkly different than what he left, with Colin Kaepernick out and numerous veterans having either signed elsewhere, been traded or retired.
Marcus Martin hasn’t been on Kilgore’s level as a snapper in replacing him, but the 22-year-old’s been durable, having started the past 19 games since Kilgore went down. Inman notes Martin and Kilgore could rotate snaps Sunday.
Seahawks Place Paul Richardson On IR
A promising start to Paul Richardson‘s career has again been obscured by an injury. The Seahawks placed their 2014 second-round pick on injured reserve after he’s been unable to shake a hamstring malady, Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk reports.
The Seahawks promoted ex-Packers running back DuJuan Harris from their practice squad to fill Richardson’s roster spot.
Richardson caught 29 passes for 271 yards and a touchdown in 15 games (and six starts) as a rookie but missed Super Bowl XLIX after tearing an ACL in Seattle’s divisional playoff win against the Panthers.
The 23-year-old Colorado product snared a 40-yard reception in his first game back after coming off IR-DTR in Week 10 but suffered the hamstring ailment soon after and hasn’t practiced since.
Considered a candidate to contribute this week against the Vikings, Richardson won’t face as daunting of a rehab process as he did this year. But his status in Seattle’s obviously in decline as a result of this scant availability. “His hamstring just isn’t coming back,” Pete Carroll told media regarding Richardson’s Week 13 status. “We’re just disappointed that he wasn’t able to continue to get back and it’s just lingered a little bit.”
Breer’s Latest: Dolphins, Gronk, Cowboys, Texans
Dan Campbell‘s decision to jettison both his coordinators, with OC Bill Lazor being the second to go, as an interim coach likely stemmed from the tough-minded instructor’s dismay at the Dolphins being referred to as a “finesse team in a power division,” Albert Breer of NFL.com reports.
Miami ranks 27th in rushing yards per game but sixth in yards per carry at 4.6 and attempted just 23 combined runs the past two games. This led to a sense that Lazor was losing his players, per Breer.
Lazor and Ryan Tannehill began to have a less-than-ideal QB-OC relationship, and Breer now notes Campbell will take a more involved role in the Fins’ offensive approach. So, Lamar Miller will probably see more touches going forward.
Here are some more notes from the veteran NFL scribe.
- Rob Gronkowski‘s league-high five offensive-pass interference penalties stem from teams alerting officials to the Patriots‘ brand of pick routes against an increasing amount of man coverage, with Gronk’s size making separation at route stems noticeable. Defensive coordinators are torn on the degree of the All-Pro tight end’s level of infraction, with one saying “He pushes off on every play” and another categorizing the physical performer’s penalties as a product of his size. “It just looks extreme with him, because of size and strength. A 180-pound dude pushing off is different [than] a 260-pound dude pushing off,” the anonymous DC told Breer. Another coordinator falls in the middle of these characterizations, noting the Patriots’ volume of pick routes makes it logical they should be on the receiving end of the most OPI flags.
- With Tony Romo set for his age-36 season in 2016 and coming off more severe collarbone trouble, the Cowboys will explore taking a quarterback in the first round and signing a veteran, Breer reports. Romo being the starter for the foreseeable future gives the Cowboys some flexibility here by not having to reach for a player they don’t think can take the reins.
- The Los Angeles relocation project continues to point toward the Chargers and Rams, with Breer noting Dean Spanos carries the political capital in the owners’ eyes and Stan Kroenke possessing the finances to make this transition work.
- Bill O’Brien‘s cultivating a reputation as a players’ coach in leading the Texans, permitting open social media use and organizing a 12-player leadership council, Breer notes. Houston’s now tied for first in the AFC South with Indianapolis, but as far back as the Texans’ blowout loss in Miami in late October, players were behind O’Brien. “He’s not the problem. Very cool coach to play for and everyone enjoys the way he treats us,” one Texan told Breer after that 44-26 defeat.
- In projecting franchise tag figures for next year, Breer also gives predictions of players potentially being tagged. Moving past long-rumored names like Von Miller and Muhammad Wilkerson, NFL executives told Breer players like Josh Norman, Janoris Jenkins, Russell Okung, Mike Daniels and Kirk Cousins are tag candidates.
AFC Rumors: Titans, Revis, Collins, Broncos
On their third head coach in four years after employing just one during the previous 15, the Titans are working diligently to find a full-time replacement for the recently fired Ken Whisenhunt.
GM Ruston Webster, controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk and interim president/CEO Steve Underwood to find the team’s next coach as Mike Mularkey helms the Titans through another disappointing season.
“I’m working with Steve every day along those lines and also talking to Amy,” Webster told ESPN.com’s Paul Kuharsky. “I talked to her for a long time yesterday. Yeah, we’re right in the middle of it. Right now it’s mostly background work, building lists.”
Tennessee is 23-42 since their 9-7 season in 2011, Mike Munchak‘s first before he was fired after the 2013 campaign.
Webster told Kuharsky in working on this search he assumes he’ll be part of the power structure once a coach signs on.
Here are some other items coming from the AFC as Week 13 Sunday looms.
- With Darrelle Revis set to miss Sunday’s Jets-Giants game with a concussion, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News writes the 30-year-old All-Pro’s future isn’t as certain as people may think, considering he’s now suffered head injuries in each of his past four seasons. Revis sustained official concussions this season and in Sept. 2012 and missed time with concussion-like symptoms in December 2013 and in January of this year.
- Jets cornerback Marcus Williams‘ emergence points toward him ascending to the starting lineup full-time next season in place of Antonio Cromartie, Rich Cimini of ESPN.com writes. Cimini expects the Jets to strongly considering cutting Cromartie after one season of a three-year deal, with the nine-year veteran having no dead money on his contract after this season. A second-year UDFA, Williams will make just $600K in 2016.
- Expected to return after a four-week absence, Patriots outside linebacker Jamie Collins provided little on the illness that sidelined him. “I was sick,” Collins told media, including Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald. “That’s all I know. I was just feeling real bad. I don’t want to talk about it, bring up memories.” The athletic linebacker’s lack of interest in disclosing what was behind a mysterious absence falls in line with the Patriots’ M.O. That notwithstanding, New England figures to need his services now that it’s expected to be without Dont’a Hightower for a bit.
- The Broncos delaying their season-defining decision on whether to officially bench Peyton Manning should be put off as long as possible, Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes. Renck notes that while Osweiler’s inspired more confidence among his teammates than Brian Griese had when he was prematurely promoted in 1999, an injury or subsequent struggles from the career backup would make a Manning return awkward if the team had already declared him the backup.
Extra Points: Packers, Meyer, Draft
Some assorted notes from around the NFL (and several from the NCAA)…
- Besides the previously-reported trio of players, the Packers also worked out three receivers yesterday, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter): Jamel Johnson, Deon Long and Kevin Vereen.
- Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said through a school spokesman that he doesn’t have interest in any job besides his current position (via Tim May of the Columbus Dispatch on Twitter). The NFL Network’s Albert Breer believes this to be sincere, tweeting that he’s heard Meyer isn’t “considering the NFL right now.”
- A lot has been made of Jared Goff out of Cal declaring for the 2016 NFL Draft as the potential top quarterback available, but one of his favorite targets Kenny Lawler could also declare, according to Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net (via Twitter).
- Pauline also notes that Toledo running back Kareem Hunt has been meeting with agents, signifying a likeliness to declare for the NFL Draft (via Twitter).
- South Carolina’s standout receiver Pharoah Cooper will unsurprisingly enter the NFL Draft, as Neil Stratton of Inside The League writes that multiple sources have indicated his intentions (via Twitter). Cooper will be represented by CAA.
Rob DiRe contributed to this post.
Jaguars Place Toby Gerhart On Injured Reserve
Toby Gerhart‘s disappointing tenure with the Jaguars has likely come to an end, as the running back has been placed on the injured reserve, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). To take his spot on the roster, the team has promoted wideout Rashad Lawrence from the practice squad (via Ryan O’Halloran of Jacksonville.com).
The 28-year-old certainly hasn’t lived up to the three-year, $10.5MM contract he signed with the Jags in 2014. After having rushed for 326 yards on 101 carries in 2014 (resulting in a career-low 3.2-yards per carry), the veteran has only compiled 49 all-purpose yards in seven games this season. Based on his lack of production, the team will presumably cut the running back following this season, opines O’Halloran.
Prior to his tenure in Jacksonville, Gerhart was a competent backup for the Vikings behind Adrian Peterson. His best season came in 2011, when he finished with 531 rushing yards and another 190 yards through the air.
Lawrence, a rookie out of Northwestern, joined the Jaguars practice squad in early September.
NFC Notes: Hester, Hawley, Graham
Falcons returner Devin Hester was activated from the IR-DTR yesterday, and the 33-year-old is set to return to the field for the first time this season. After having dealt with a turf-toe injury for the past three months, Hester acknowledged how good it feels to be back.
“It was a long process of rehabbing,” he told D. Orlando Ledbetter of MyAJC.com. “It’s was hard work getting up every morning and going in for treatment. If feels great to back in the locker room, in the huddle and out of the field with the teammates that I have.”
While Hester is generally regarded as the best returner of all time, veteran Eric Weems has filled in admirably this season. The 30-year-old has returned 15 kicks for 403 yards, and he’s fielded another 19 punts for 221 yards.
Let’s check out some other assorted notes from around the NFC…
- Joe Hawley‘s two-year contract with the Buccaneers called for four $250K bonuses based on playing time, TampaBay.com’s Greg Auman passes along. Considering he’s already played 94-percent of the team’s snaps in 2015, the 27-year-old is in good position to practically double his $1.25MM salary.
- Hawley was released by the Falcons days before the season opener. Despite returning from a torn ACL, Buccaneerss offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter knew the veteran could help his offensive line. “When Joe became available, I went to Coach (Lovie Smith) and went to Jason (Licht, general manager), and said, ‘Look, we have a chance to get this guy,’ “ Koetter told Auman. ” ‘He may not be quite healthy yet, but he is going to get better.’ I know what kind of player Joe is.”
- Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said surgery on Jimmy Graham‘s torn patellar tendon went as planned. ““[E]verything, as the doctors would report, it went really well,” he said on Friday (via Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com). “He was uncomfortable, I know, the next couple of days. He was fighting through it to get back, started getting back. Looking forward to his return and his spirits are looking ahead and all that. It was a difficult surgery for him.”