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Finding a Brandon Carr solution for the Cowboys
Todd Archer, ESPN Dallas Cowboys reporter
IRVING, Texas -- Now that the draft is over and free agency is slowing down, the Dallas Cowboys can start going about some other business remaining on their roster.
Dez Bryant is at the top of the list, but near the top is Brandon Carr.
A contract extension may be the best thing for Brandon Carr and the Cowboys. Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports
With the New England Patriots about to cut cornerback Kyle Arrington and his $3 million base salary, it pushed Carr’s contract to the forefront of my mind.
The Cowboys are looking for a solution regarding Carr. Here are their options:
** Designate him a post-June 1 cut and save $8 million against the cap this year, while having him count $7.4 million against the cap in 2016.
** Cut him without the designation, which would save only $566,000.
** Don’t do anything and have him count $12.717 million against the cap and pay him an $8 million base salary this season.
** Get him to agree to a pay cut, which would save them cash and cap dollars.
Most of the focus has been on the pay cut Doug Free agreed to in 2012. Carr’s agent, Ben Dogra, is on record as saying the player would not agree to a pay cut, but that was viewed mostly as posturing. Last week Carr said he would not talk about his contract, but he wants to remain with the Cowboys.
The Cowboys have been quiet about Carr. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones felt Carr’s late-season improvement in 2014 meant more than his overall play last season.
“I’m not quite as critical of what Carr did last year as it might seem I should be,” Jones said last week.
So what is a possible solution that can make both sides happy? A contract extension.
What?
Hear me out. Average cornerbacks received solid money in free agency, and there is plenty of cap room available for teams to give Carr a solid contract so the Cowboys won’t be able to work the system the way they did with Free a couple of years ago.
Cornerbacks like Buster Skrine, Davon House, Cary Williams and Tramon Williams received contracts worth between $6 million-$7 million annually in the offseason. You can hate the fact that Carr did not intercept a pass last year and cringe at some of the big plays he gave up, but realize the market will not be dry for him.
Carr is technically signed through 2017 with a $10 million base salary, but the contract will be void after the 2016 season. He is set to make $17.1 million the next two seasons in base salary.
He wouldn’t get that much in a new deal from any team. The Seattle Seahawks gave Cary Williams a three-year, $18 million deal that included $7 million guaranteed. He had a brutal season for the Eagles but was still able to pull in a decent offer.
The Cowboys can make a similar pitch to Carr for roughly the same average and maybe more years to achieve what they want: salary-cap room with the benefits of keeping the player. The structure of the deal could save the Cowboys money against the cap immediately and not burden them in the future.
While many view the drafting of Byron Jones in the first round as leverage for the Cowboys in dealing with Carr, it really doesn’t diminish how much the Cowboys need him, especially with Morris Claiborne’s knee injury.
Without Carr, the Cowboys’ top three cornerbacks are Orlando Scandrick, Byron Jones and Corey White with the hope Claiborne can contribute. With Carr, the Cowboys top three corners would be Scandrick, Carr and Jones with the hope Claiborne can contribute.
As much as the Cowboys have stockpiled their defensive line and linebackers this offseason, there is an adage that will forever be true in the NFL: You can never have enough corners.
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Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but wouldn't resigning him to a smaller contract extension than what he is due to make be him taking a pay cut?
Todd Archer, ESPN Dallas Cowboys reporter
IRVING, Texas -- Now that the draft is over and free agency is slowing down, the Dallas Cowboys can start going about some other business remaining on their roster.
Dez Bryant is at the top of the list, but near the top is Brandon Carr.
A contract extension may be the best thing for Brandon Carr and the Cowboys. Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports
With the New England Patriots about to cut cornerback Kyle Arrington and his $3 million base salary, it pushed Carr’s contract to the forefront of my mind.
The Cowboys are looking for a solution regarding Carr. Here are their options:
** Designate him a post-June 1 cut and save $8 million against the cap this year, while having him count $7.4 million against the cap in 2016.
** Cut him without the designation, which would save only $566,000.
** Don’t do anything and have him count $12.717 million against the cap and pay him an $8 million base salary this season.
** Get him to agree to a pay cut, which would save them cash and cap dollars.
Most of the focus has been on the pay cut Doug Free agreed to in 2012. Carr’s agent, Ben Dogra, is on record as saying the player would not agree to a pay cut, but that was viewed mostly as posturing. Last week Carr said he would not talk about his contract, but he wants to remain with the Cowboys.
The Cowboys have been quiet about Carr. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones felt Carr’s late-season improvement in 2014 meant more than his overall play last season.
“I’m not quite as critical of what Carr did last year as it might seem I should be,” Jones said last week.
So what is a possible solution that can make both sides happy? A contract extension.
What?
Hear me out. Average cornerbacks received solid money in free agency, and there is plenty of cap room available for teams to give Carr a solid contract so the Cowboys won’t be able to work the system the way they did with Free a couple of years ago.
Cornerbacks like Buster Skrine, Davon House, Cary Williams and Tramon Williams received contracts worth between $6 million-$7 million annually in the offseason. You can hate the fact that Carr did not intercept a pass last year and cringe at some of the big plays he gave up, but realize the market will not be dry for him.
Carr is technically signed through 2017 with a $10 million base salary, but the contract will be void after the 2016 season. He is set to make $17.1 million the next two seasons in base salary.
He wouldn’t get that much in a new deal from any team. The Seattle Seahawks gave Cary Williams a three-year, $18 million deal that included $7 million guaranteed. He had a brutal season for the Eagles but was still able to pull in a decent offer.
The Cowboys can make a similar pitch to Carr for roughly the same average and maybe more years to achieve what they want: salary-cap room with the benefits of keeping the player. The structure of the deal could save the Cowboys money against the cap immediately and not burden them in the future.
While many view the drafting of Byron Jones in the first round as leverage for the Cowboys in dealing with Carr, it really doesn’t diminish how much the Cowboys need him, especially with Morris Claiborne’s knee injury.
Without Carr, the Cowboys’ top three cornerbacks are Orlando Scandrick, Byron Jones and Corey White with the hope Claiborne can contribute. With Carr, the Cowboys top three corners would be Scandrick, Carr and Jones with the hope Claiborne can contribute.
As much as the Cowboys have stockpiled their defensive line and linebackers this offseason, there is an adage that will forever be true in the NFL: You can never have enough corners.
__________________________________
Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but wouldn't resigning him to a smaller contract extension than what he is due to make be him taking a pay cut?