JJT/ Archer: Is Melton worth the money?

Yeah it looks like a 9 million cap hit as it stands, but I am sure they will restructure and bring that down, but a lot depends on what to do with everybody else.

We have a bunch of division games going forward. Melton will have a lot of chances to be a beast in the middle of that line and earn his money. If he disrupts the pocket enough (along with a few sacks) in these games and helps us win the division, I'll be a lot more interested in giving the man his money than I am now. Good news for him that he seems to be rounding into form at the right time to finish strong down the stretch.

Full breakdown of new Dallas Cowboys DT Henry Melton’s contract shows he’ll have plenty of motivation to stay healthy, perform well
By Brandon George / Reporter bgeorge@dallasnews.com
1:47 pm on March 20, 2014 | Permalink
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New Cowboys defensive tackle Henry Melton. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

If defensive tackle Henry Melton wasn’t motivated enough by returning home to play for the Cowboys, his contract is structured in a way that will urge him to stay off his couch.

The breakdown is in on Melton’s one-year contract that carries a three-year option. According to a source, he can make as little as $2.25 million this season and as much as $29 million over the next four seasons.

Chicago used its franchise tag on Melton last season, when he was paid $8.5 million.

Melton can earn up to $5 million this season playing for the Cowboys. His base salary is $1.25 million, and he gets a $1 million signing bonus.

Melton, who played in only three games last season because he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament, will be paid $78,125 per week in 2014 if he’s on the 46-man game day roster. If he plays in all 16 games for the Cowboys, that will mean an additional $1.25 million for him. Melton can earn up to $1.5 million more in incentives in 2014 based on the number of sacks he gets and his playing time.

Melton’s current salary-cap hit is $1.7 million, but that can climb to as much as $5 million as he earns more money. After signing Melton, the Cowboys still have $4.9 million in salary-cap room for next season, according to the latest NFLPA report.

After 2014, the Cowboys have the option to extend Melton’s contract for three seasons. If Melton is on the Cowboys’ roster on the first day of the new league year next March, he’ll be signed through 2017.

If Melton shows the Cowboys what they want to see — that he’s healthy and returns to his 2012 Pro Bowl form — he will get a fully guaranteed $9 million base salary in 2015. The Cowboys can prorate Melton’s $9.25 million cap hit in 2015 by dividing it equally over the last three seasons of his deal.



Melton’s base salaries for 2016 and 2017 are $7.5 million each season.

Melton would become an unrestricted free agent for the second consecutive off-season in 2015 if the Cowboys don’t pick up his three-year extension, and that would leave Dallas with $750,000 in dead money.

Bottom line: Melton will be playing in a contract year in 2014, but he knows exactly what’s at stake: .a big pay day.

But, for now, the Cowboys hold the hammer.

Follow Brandon George on Twitter at @DMN_George.

The only way they can do that is to make his cap hit 10.75 mill in the second and third year of the contract unless they restructure. That's not happening.

Iamtdg said:

The only way they can do that is to make his cap hit 10.75 mill in the second and third year of the contract unless they restructure. That's not happening.

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Why? You want an elite NFL DT in his 20's but don't want to pay him elite money? We won't be paying any DE's elite money (Draft picks are cheap for a few years). As much as I like Crawford unless he starts posting numbers he isn't going to command much money on the open market.

Cowboysrock55 said:

Why? You want an elite NFL DT in his 20's but don't want to pay him elite money? We won't be paying any DE's elite money (Draft picks are cheap for a few years). As much as I like Crawford unless he starts posting numbers he isn't going to command much money on the open market.

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We are arguing this in two different threads.

I'm not ready to call Melton elite quite yet. So, no, I don't see them restructuring it that way, causing a 6 mill dead money potential in 2016.

Iamtdg said:

We are arguing this in two different threads.

I'm not ready to call Melton elite quite yet. So, no, I don't see them restructuring it that way, causing a 6 mill dead money potential in 2016.

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I know, it's confusing arguing this in two threads. All I'd say is a 9 million dollar signing bonus is totally reasonable for a guy of his caliber. Especially when the price tag in the first year is very low.

Cowboysrock55 said:

Why? You want an elite NFL DT in his 20's but don't want to pay him elite money? We won't be paying any DE's elite money (Draft picks are cheap for a few years). As much as I like Crawford unless he starts posting numbers he isn't going to command much money on the open market.

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Yeah I am not ready to call Melton Elite just yet, but outside of sacks Crawford has better numbers than Melton.

Jiggyfly said:

Yeah I am not ready to call Melton Elite just yet, but outside of sacks Crawford has better numbers than Melton.

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Some of Melton's sacks have been huge. In general they can make a big difference as long as they are the result of constant pressure. If there are gaps with no pressure at all, sacks have much less of an impact.

Carp said:

I do whatever I can to keep him here...and to have him be the key prong in the DT rotation. I am fine with him taking less snaps. Also, I am not ready to give Crawford a big payday yet. I really like what I have seen from him, but I need more.

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Agreed on both counts.

Texas Ace said:

Agreed on both counts.

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Ditto, and they need to help both of them out by getting a clogger next to them who isn't an alcoholic.

If you look at production per snap Melton is killing it. I don't care if his snap count isn't super high because that's just not what this defense is about. Ware never came off the field but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. If Melton is giving me the sack production of a guy taking 100% of the snaps while only playing 50% of the snaps I consider that a good thing. It means we have a fresh body in at DT at all times.

Cowboysrock55 said:

If you look at production per snap Melton is killing it. I don't care if his snap count isn't super high because that's just not what this defense is about. Ware never came off the field but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. If Melton is giving me the sack production of a guy taking 100% of the snaps while only playing 50% of the snaps I consider that a good thing. It means we have a fresh body in at DT at all times.

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I don't mind if he doesn't take a lot of snaps as long as I feel like he CAN, if injuries strike the DL.