2022 Cowboys Free Agency Thread
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Cujo
DCC 4Life
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Why do you ask?
Sheik
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Some asshole texted me and told me to keep checking espn for McCarthy’s firing today.
I don’t know the guy well enough for him to be messing with me.
Maybe he’s drunk.
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Biggest issue this FO has, IMO. Not willing to spend the money needed to improve on areas that are lacking.
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Yeah, he's fucking drunk. Unfriend him on social media accounts, delete his phone number too. Sounds like a real asshole.
p1_
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He knows you’re a Cowboys fan.
Sheik
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Jane from accounting saw your Dallas tramp stamp when you bent over last week.
data
Forbes #1
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You do talk NFL, though, right?
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Well she needs to speak up and bring it on.
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Not really. Most fucking people repeat what they see on the sports media machines. I have no time for that.
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Why the Cowboys' contention window might not be wide open
6:00 AM ET
Todd Archer
Jones was disappointed and frustrated with the wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers because everything was seemingly lined up for the Cowboys: a home game, a healthy team, a confident defense, an offense that was No. 1 in the NFL in yards and points, a Super Bowl-winning head coach.
Jones wasn’t the only one disappointed and frustrated. Running back Ezekiel Elliott said the 2021 Cowboys’ team was the best he has been on. Quarterback Dak Prescott echoed those feelings.
There was not -- or maybe is not -- the feeling the Cowboys are building for a multiyear run and this was simply a price they had to pay on their way to playoff success in the future, like the 1991 Cowboys, who lost in the divisional round to the Detroit Lions and won three of the next four Super Bowls.
“In my opinion I don’t think the 'window' conversation applies as much in today’s NFL as it did in the '90s, just for the amount of movement that you have,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “I remember the Chiefs, you work with the same players four, five, six years in a row.”
Cowboys' Unrestricted Free Agents
RB Corey Clement
WR Noah Brown
WR Michael Gallup
WR Malik Turner
WR Cedrick Wilson
TE Dalton Schultz
TE Jeremy Sprinkle
OT Ty Nsekhe
OG Connor Williams
DE Dorance Armstrong
DE Randy Gregory
DT Brent Urban
DT Carlos Watkins
LB Keanu Neal
LB Leighton Vander Esch
CB Maurice Canady
S Malik Hooker
S Damontae Kazee
S Jayron Kearse
P Bryan Anger
LS Jake McQuaide
McCarthy said the 53-man roster will change by 20-25% each year. That figure might be low. The Cowboys have 21 players set to become unrestricted free agents in March and only two were not available for the playoff game.
Of those 21, most were key contributors -- a starter, top rotational player or special-teamer -- to a team that went 12-5, won the NFC East and, yes, lost a home playoff game.
The ability to keep the likes of tight end Dalton Schultz, defensive end Randy Gregory, receivers Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, safety Jayron Kearse and Pro Bowl punter Bryan Anger, who are among those 21, will be difficult.
The Cowboys face a challenging salary-cap situation. According to Roster Management, the Cowboys are projected $17.7 million over the 2022 cap. According to overthecap.com, they are $24 million over the 2022 cap.
Nothing is impossible when it comes to the salary cap. The Cowboys can create enough room to keep whomever they choose and make runs at big-time free agents, but that would leverage future cap space by restructuring contracts of players that have been redone multiple times already.
Prescott is without question the easiest restructure to do. It’s why the Cowboys signed him to a six-year deal that voids to four years. Prescott has a $34.45 million cap figure. By reworking Prescott’s deal, they can create up to $15 million in space.
The rest of the decisions are a bit murkier.
What to do with receiver Amari Cooper? He is set to make $20 million in 2022, which becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the league year. They can create $16 million in space by cutting Cooper, having him count $6 million against the cap.
But are they -- and maybe more importantly Prescott -- better without Cooper?
The Cowboys have four receivers set for free agency: Gallup, who is scheduled to have surgery on his torn anterior cruciate ligament soon, Wilson, Noah Brown and Malik Turner. If the Cowboys walk away from Cooper, then they must have deals for Gallup or Wilson -- or both -- in place and look to the draft for receiver help.
The Cowboys are paying Cooper No. 1 receiver money, but in the interview with 105.3, Jones sounded like an owner who doesn’t believe the coaches are using him like a No. 1 receiver.
Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence has a $27 million cap figure. Cutting him would save the Cowboys $11 million, but are the Cowboys better without Lawrence? They might want more sacks with that contract, but he remains a difference-maker. Why not restructure Lawrence’s contract? It's certainly doable but not wise since he turns 30 in April and has been slowed by injuries.
Lawrence’s future is tied to the future of Gregory, who is set to be a free agent. Can the Cowboys afford Lawrence at $27 million against the cap and pay Gregory enough on a multiyear deal or on the franchise or transition tag? Seems dicey at best.
Elliott will be a Cowboy in 2022 and not a salary-cap casualty. Why? His $12.4 million salary is fully guaranteed. Could the Cowboys restructure his contract? Yes, and it could save them up to $9 million against the cap. But it could put them in a poor situation in 2023 when they could move on from him financially for the first time if he does not have a highly productive season whether because of health or poor play.
Then there are offensive linemen Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and La’el Collins. Could the Cowboys restructure all of their contracts? Yes. Should they? Probably not. Age, health and length of deals make that less than ideal.
Moving on from Smith and Collins, who had his $6.48 million guarantee voided because of his suspension in 2021, might make sense but only if there are replacements ready to go. What might make more sense is moving Collins to left guard for pending free agent Connor Williams and putting Terence Steele at right tackle. Smith has not played a full season since 2015, so finding his long-term replacement should at least be a draft priority in 2022.
There are other moves the Cowboys could make to find cap space -- cutting cornerbacks Anthony Brown or Jourdan Lewis, defensive end Tarell Basham, kicker Greg Zuerlein and tight end Blake Jarwin -- but those wouldn’t create significant room
.
The biggest decisions come with the highest-paid players.
Once the Cowboys decide what to do there, they can figure out how many of the 21 free agents they can keep.
6:00 AM ET
Todd Archer
- ESPN Staff Writer
Jones was disappointed and frustrated with the wild-card loss to the San Francisco 49ers because everything was seemingly lined up for the Cowboys: a home game, a healthy team, a confident defense, an offense that was No. 1 in the NFL in yards and points, a Super Bowl-winning head coach.
Jones wasn’t the only one disappointed and frustrated. Running back Ezekiel Elliott said the 2021 Cowboys’ team was the best he has been on. Quarterback Dak Prescott echoed those feelings.
There was not -- or maybe is not -- the feeling the Cowboys are building for a multiyear run and this was simply a price they had to pay on their way to playoff success in the future, like the 1991 Cowboys, who lost in the divisional round to the Detroit Lions and won three of the next four Super Bowls.
“In my opinion I don’t think the 'window' conversation applies as much in today’s NFL as it did in the '90s, just for the amount of movement that you have,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “I remember the Chiefs, you work with the same players four, five, six years in a row.”
Cowboys' Unrestricted Free Agents
RB Corey Clement
WR Noah Brown
WR Michael Gallup
WR Malik Turner
WR Cedrick Wilson
TE Dalton Schultz
TE Jeremy Sprinkle
OT Ty Nsekhe
OG Connor Williams
DE Dorance Armstrong
DE Randy Gregory
DT Brent Urban
DT Carlos Watkins
LB Keanu Neal
LB Leighton Vander Esch
CB Maurice Canady
S Malik Hooker
S Damontae Kazee
S Jayron Kearse
P Bryan Anger
LS Jake McQuaide
McCarthy said the 53-man roster will change by 20-25% each year. That figure might be low. The Cowboys have 21 players set to become unrestricted free agents in March and only two were not available for the playoff game.
Of those 21, most were key contributors -- a starter, top rotational player or special-teamer -- to a team that went 12-5, won the NFC East and, yes, lost a home playoff game.
The ability to keep the likes of tight end Dalton Schultz, defensive end Randy Gregory, receivers Michael Gallup and Cedrick Wilson, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, safety Jayron Kearse and Pro Bowl punter Bryan Anger, who are among those 21, will be difficult.
The Cowboys face a challenging salary-cap situation. According to Roster Management, the Cowboys are projected $17.7 million over the 2022 cap. According to overthecap.com, they are $24 million over the 2022 cap.
Nothing is impossible when it comes to the salary cap. The Cowboys can create enough room to keep whomever they choose and make runs at big-time free agents, but that would leverage future cap space by restructuring contracts of players that have been redone multiple times already.
Prescott is without question the easiest restructure to do. It’s why the Cowboys signed him to a six-year deal that voids to four years. Prescott has a $34.45 million cap figure. By reworking Prescott’s deal, they can create up to $15 million in space.
The rest of the decisions are a bit murkier.
What to do with receiver Amari Cooper? He is set to make $20 million in 2022, which becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the league year. They can create $16 million in space by cutting Cooper, having him count $6 million against the cap.
But are they -- and maybe more importantly Prescott -- better without Cooper?
The Cowboys have four receivers set for free agency: Gallup, who is scheduled to have surgery on his torn anterior cruciate ligament soon, Wilson, Noah Brown and Malik Turner. If the Cowboys walk away from Cooper, then they must have deals for Gallup or Wilson -- or both -- in place and look to the draft for receiver help.
The Cowboys are paying Cooper No. 1 receiver money, but in the interview with 105.3, Jones sounded like an owner who doesn’t believe the coaches are using him like a No. 1 receiver.
Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence has a $27 million cap figure. Cutting him would save the Cowboys $11 million, but are the Cowboys better without Lawrence? They might want more sacks with that contract, but he remains a difference-maker. Why not restructure Lawrence’s contract? It's certainly doable but not wise since he turns 30 in April and has been slowed by injuries.
Lawrence’s future is tied to the future of Gregory, who is set to be a free agent. Can the Cowboys afford Lawrence at $27 million against the cap and pay Gregory enough on a multiyear deal or on the franchise or transition tag? Seems dicey at best.
Elliott will be a Cowboy in 2022 and not a salary-cap casualty. Why? His $12.4 million salary is fully guaranteed. Could the Cowboys restructure his contract? Yes, and it could save them up to $9 million against the cap. But it could put them in a poor situation in 2023 when they could move on from him financially for the first time if he does not have a highly productive season whether because of health or poor play.
Then there are offensive linemen Tyron Smith, Zack Martin and La’el Collins. Could the Cowboys restructure all of their contracts? Yes. Should they? Probably not. Age, health and length of deals make that less than ideal.
Moving on from Smith and Collins, who had his $6.48 million guarantee voided because of his suspension in 2021, might make sense but only if there are replacements ready to go. What might make more sense is moving Collins to left guard for pending free agent Connor Williams and putting Terence Steele at right tackle. Smith has not played a full season since 2015, so finding his long-term replacement should at least be a draft priority in 2022.
There are other moves the Cowboys could make to find cap space -- cutting cornerbacks Anthony Brown or Jourdan Lewis, defensive end Tarell Basham, kicker Greg Zuerlein and tight end Blake Jarwin -- but those wouldn’t create significant room
.
The biggest decisions come with the highest-paid players.
Once the Cowboys decide what to do there, they can figure out how many of the 21 free agents they can keep.
Simpleton
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Not a single one of those players did anything of true consequence last year except Gregory, Schultz, Kearse, Anger and Wilson. Everyone else is easily replaceable, and if we're being honest Schultz and Wilson probably fall in that category too, and Anger is a punter.
At any rate, I'd imagine we should be able to easily retain 3-4, and possibly even all 5.
At any rate, I'd imagine we should be able to easily retain 3-4, and possibly even all 5.
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Yeah, I'm not worried about the free agent list. There are a lot of names but a lot of that is because Dallas only signs free agents to these 1 year contracts.
I'm also not worried about the cap. It will get restructured and they will clear 50 mil and then we will use it to retain a few of those guys and sign some bottom free agents hoping for another Kearse hit.
Simpleton
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Yea they box themselves into a corner with literally 0 impact FA signings.
Like, I get wanting to be frugal and not spend lavishly, but you should be able to sign an impact starter once every 3-4 years. The best organizations don't spend wildly in FA but they do execute targeted impact signings here and there.
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What I struggle to understand why they sign 3-4 schlubs to one year deals when they could be a little more aggressive in terms of quality and sign fewer players, but have the potential for higher impact.
It is like they are doing everything they can to get cheap alternatives just in case a draft pick doesn't pan out and you can repeat that cycle every year.
Simpleton
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I think that's basically it, they are deathly paranoid of external FA's getting paid and going in the tank (which ironically happens about half the time when we sign our own internal guys) and I'd imagine they don't want to pay FA's because they'd be "progress stoppers" to the draft picks who they view as the real future of the team.
They basically treat FA's as bandaids until they can find a solution in the draft, which isn't a bad strategy in general, but it can't be your only strategy.
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Well and the problem with all the 1 year deals is that it creates the same holes again the following year. You hit on Kearse big in free agency but now he is a free agent. So now you need safeties yet again. You get no where with all the 1 year deals except maybe 1 year of bargain production.