Archer: Cowboys restructure Jason Witten's contract, create cap space

Cotton

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Cowboys restructure Jason Witten's contract, create cap space
8:43 AM CT
Todd Archer
ESPN Staff Writer

FRISCO, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys restructured the contract of 10-time Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten, creating $2.75 million in cap room.

The Cowboys converted $5.5 million of Witten’s $6.5 million base salary into a signing bonus, which reduced Witten’s cap number from $8.612 million to $5.862 million. Witten is signed through 2017 and is set to make $7.4 million next season with a cap figure of $12.262 million.

Witten’s is the third contract the Cowboys have restructured in the last week. They re-worked Orlando Scandrick's contract to create $3 million in cap room. They added a $2 million roster bonus to Sean Lee's contract that increased the linebacker’s cap figure by $250,000. Early in the offseason the Cowboys restructured the deals of left tackle Tyron Smith and defensive tackle Tyrone Crawford to create cap room.

Over the years the Cowboys have carried $2 million to $3 million of unused cap room to deal with injuries and other needs during the course of the season.
 

22cowboysfan22

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Trade for a DE imminent? Seems like the only logical reason why we would be freeing up all this cap space.
 

Simpleton

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No way we trade for a DE 2 days before a game. If that was the case we would've done it a week ago.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I think it was to offset the cost of Sanchez.
We created some cap room prior to the Sanchez move that should have easily covered his salary by restructuring Scandrick already. I doubt any big move is pending. Although it would be funny if we brought back Greg Hardy after week one so his contract isn't guaranteed...
 

Jiggyfly

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It seems they do this to create room in case anybody becomes available and to have room to roll over into the next year.
 

Genghis Khan

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It seems they do this to create room in case anybody becomes available and to have room to roll over into the next year.
Exactly. They aren't doing it to sign someone, they are doing it to have extra space that sanchez depleted.
 

Cowboysrock55

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Exactly. They aren't doing it to sign someone, they are doing it to have extra space that sanchez depleted.
So what was the space they created restructuring Scandrick for? Sanchez only costs us 2 mil this season.

Not that it really matters. If we don't spend the money it just carries over to next year. So the credit card essentially gets paid off (For those concerned that this like swiping a credit card).
 

Jiggyfly

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So what was the space they created restructuring Scandrick for? Sanchez only costs us 2 mil this season.

Not that it really matters. If we don't spend the money it just carries over to next year. So the credit card essentially gets paid off (For those concerned that this like swiping a credit card).
Same reason, to move the space into next season if nothing can be done with it this year.

With the way the Browns are getting rid of folks you never know.
 

Genghis Khan

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So what was the space they created restructuring Scandrick for? Sanchez only costs us 2 mil this season.

Not that it really matters. If we don't spend the money it just carries over to next year. So the credit card essentially gets paid off (For those concerned that this like swiping a credit card).
I believe Sanchez has LBTE incentives, which they may have had to superficially account for.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I believe Sanchez has LBTE incentives, which they may have had to superficially account for.
I didn't think you had to account for them unless they hit them, in which case you had to account for them the following season?
 

Genghis Khan

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I didn't think you had to account for them unless they hit them, in which case you had to account for them the following season?
I was under the impression that you have to account for it ahead of time if it's deemed likely, and afterwards if it's deemed unlikely. And that what they deem likely is based on past performance, not necessarily what is truly likely.

I could easily be completely wrong.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I was under the impression that you have to account for it ahead of time if it's deemed likely, and afterwards if it's deemed unlikely. And that what they deem likely is based on past performance, not necessarily what is truly likely.

I could easily be completely wrong.
Oh and that could be. I guess they may deem some of those escalators likely with Sanchez even though I seriously doubt he meets any of them unless Dak gets hurt or is god awful. At which point moving to Sanchez will do us no good, just cost us more money.
 

jsmith6919

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What if Garrett is planning on going with Sanchez week 2 just because he's a vet no matter what Dak does week 1
 
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