Tyrone Crawford signed...

[Jiggyfly]

Breaking down Tyrone Crawford's contract

Crawford’s cap number this season will be $2.828 million and jump to $8.75 million. The Cowboys have restructured contracts in the past of players to gain cap space over the years. The fact that Crawford does not turn 26 until November makes him a candidate to have the bulk of his $6.75 million base salary in 2016 reduced and the difference turned into signing bonus for cap purposes.

There are no incentives or escalators in the deal. At the time of the signing, he is guaranteed $17.4 million. His 2017 base salary ($7.25 million) is guaranteed for injury but becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the ’17 league year.

Here is the breakdown of Crawford’s deal:

Signing bonus: $10 million

2015 base salary: $675,000 ($2.828 million cap figure)

2016 base salary: $6.75 million ($8.75 million cap figure)

2017 base salary: $7.25 million ($9.25 million cap figure)

2018 base salary: $6 million ($8 million cap figure)

2019 base salary: $7 million ($9 million cap figure)

2020 base salary: $8 million ($8 million cap figure)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a great deal if he does not live up to it he can be cut in 2017 with a minimal hit.

 

[Jiggyfly]

For Cowboys, Tyrone Crawford deal proof position matters
1h


Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer

IRVING, Texas -- It's good to be a defensive tackle these days.

It's especially good for Tyrone Crawford.

The Dallas Cowboys locked up their defensive tackle to a five-year extension worth $45.67 million on Saturday afternoon, paying him a $10 million signing bonus and fully guaranteeing him $17.425 million with the likelihood he will be guaranteed $25 million in the first three years of the deal.

There have been a number of reactions on Twitter to the signing: those praising the Cowboys, those praising Crawford, those praising both and those wondering why the Cowboys did not use the money spent on Crawford to keep DeMarco Murray.

The Cowboys were wise to lock up Crawford before his contract year started. Crawford was wise to cash in now because of the unknown. But what about the running back part of the equation?

Well, the position matters.

The Cowboys put a value on the running back position, not the name.

If Murray played defensive tackle, they would have kept him, but the Cowboys made the decision not to pay a running back. It had little to do with Murray. The Cowboys loved him. They wanted to keep him. In a perfect world, they keep him and his 1,845 yards and they sign Crawford and they add Greg Hardy and they sign Dez Bryant and they have the draft they had.

But it's not a perfect world.

The Cowboys valued a defensive tackle over a running back because in their view the defensive tackle is more important. And more difficult to find. They believe they can find a running back a lot easier than they can find a defensive tackle. And they are right. The Cowboys should be able to run the ball fine this year, even if they don't run for 2,354 as a team. The chances they ran for that many had they kept Murray were slim as well.

There are fewer people roaming this world built to do the things Crawford can do compared to what Murray can do. There's a reason why defensive tackles go so high in the first round and running backs don't these days.

Crawford does not turn 26 until November. The Cowboys are going a little on potential here. He has just three sacks in his first three seasons, but he found a home last season in Rod Marinelli's scheme.

In addition to the three sacks, he had 29 quarterback pressures. He had 37 tackles, a low number because Marinelli hands out tackles like manhole covers. Crawford had two tackles for loss. He knocked down a pass and he forced a fumble. In his rookie year, the Cowboys played a 3-4 and he was a defensive end. He missed his second season with a torn Achilles. He returned last year and flourished.

And the Cowboys are banking -- literally -- he will be even better in 2015 in part because they have better pieces around Crawford to help turn those pressures into sacks.

"I don't think we're necessarily betting on upside," executive vice president Stephen Jones said Friday before Crawford's deal was completed. "We just want him to keep playing and playing the way he plays."

It pays to be a defensive tackle.

 

[ravidubey]

That's going to change in a hurry over the next year as more and more good DL are signed. The cap ceiling jump this year has made sure that every new deal is only going to get higher and higher.

When Dallas re-signed Scandrick years ago people freaked they overpaid only to be relieved later at the deal's value. I sense that will be the case with Crawford too.

 

[Deuce]

When Dallas re-signed Scandrick years ago people freaked they overpaid only to be relieved later at the deal's value. I sense that will be the case with Crawford too.

It showed value when he continued to develop no became the best player in the secondary despite high end FA's and 1st round picks.

If Crawford doesn't continue to develop than its a massive overpay regardless of the cap increase.

 

[1bigfan13]

So we act like last year did not happen?

He was an above average DT last year and had never played the position.

That's more than just potential.

Who says we're acting like last year didn't happen?

Crawford has put up one solid year in his 3 year career. Seems to me that this is a pretty hefty contract for what he's actually produced.

Which is why I think this a roll of the dice where the Cowboys are banking on Crawford's potential. Which is an absolute fact in this case.

Generally I'd like to see at least a couple of solid years before diving into contracts like this.

 

[Jiggyfly]

Who says we're acting like last year didn't happen?

Crawford has put up one solid year in his 3 year career. Seems to me that this is a pretty hefty contract for what he's actually produced.

Which is why I think this a roll of the dice where the Cowboys are banking on Crawford's potential. Which is an absolute fact in this case.

Generally I'd like to see at least a couple of solid years before diving into contracts like this.

He was going to be a FA after this year so waiting was also a roll of the dice.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

If Crawford doesn't continue to develop than its a massive overpay regardless of the cap increase.

Sometimes I think people on this board don't understand what reasonable contracts are for players. I remember some thinking that Dez should just accept 10 mil a year like it was appropriate value. 8-9 mil a year is not unreasonable for what Crawford did last year. It's spot on. If he doesn't get any better then that is still a good contract. Elite NFL DT's are now getting 100 million dollar deals. That's just the new market value. 45 mil is a very good deal assuming he doesn't regress.

 

[jsmith6919]

Sometimes I think people on this board don't understand what reasonable contracts are for players. I remember some thinking that Dez should just accept 10 mil a year like it was appropriate value. 8-9 mil a year is not unreasonable for what Crawford did last year. It's spot on. If he doesn't get any better then that is still a good contract. Elite NFL DT's are now getting 100 million dollar deals. That's just the new market value. 45 mil is a very good deal assuming he doesn't regress.

Well actually only the top 3 DTs are in that $100mil area and then its a big drop with a high of $53mil for the next group which includes Atkins, Ngata, Liuget, & Crawford.
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/contracts/defensive-tackle/

 

[Deuce]

Sometimes I think people on this board don't understand what reasonable contracts are for players. I remember some thinking that Dez should just accept 10 mil a year like it was appropriate value. 8-9 mil a year is not unreasonable for what Crawford did last year. It's spot on. If he doesn't get any better then that is still a good contract. Elite NFL DT's are now getting 100 million dollar deals. That's just the new market value. 45 mil is a very good deal assuming he doesn't regress.

And if he never has a season like that again? Ya, he won't be worth $9M.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

Well actually only the top 3 DTs are in that $100mil area and then its a big drop with a high of $53mil for the next group which includes Atkins, Ngata, Liuget, & Crawford.
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/contracts/defensive-tackle/

Wouldn't elite refer to top 3? You'll see more though. The 100 mil type deals are new. It's only going to keep going up from here. The smaller contracts are older. What was sick money for a DT 3 years ago is basically shit now. It's just the nature of the salary cap.

 

[Cowboysrock55]

And if he never has a season like that again? Ya, he won't be worth $9M.

Isn't that what happens any time you sign a guy long term? He could fall off the cliff at any moment, he could get better or he could stay the same. That's pretty much a risk any time you sign a guy to an extension. What you try to do is predict if a guy is on the upswing of his career or if he is done growing. I think most of us would agree that Crawford is probably on the upswing. Meaning I expect him to put together an even better season this year.