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DCC 4Life
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2013
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ByPatrik Walker 105 minutes ago
It began in March 2018.
Sitting in Frisco, TX was a team still licking their wounds from a disappointing 9-7 finish to the 2017 season that also saw them knocked out of playoff contention in Week 16, working to determine how they could better themselves going forward. What would happen over the course of the offseason would shake things up in a major way, both with the coaching staff and within the roster itself, but the initial blueprint very much included wide receiver Terrance Williams. Having been the most durable and consistent player in a WR room that was about to be gutted in one way or another, approaching was yet another chance for the veteran to prove he could be the No. 1 guy going forward.
Instead, he broke his foot.
Fast forward a few weeks to May, and Williams had a sizable chip on his shoulder -- even larger than the one he usually lugs around -- proclaiming there'd be "hell to pay" for all who doubted him, referring to his potential for dominance this coming season.
18 days later, he was arrested for public intoxication.
Between those two events, the Cowboys opted to release All-Pro wideout Dez Bryant instead of Williams, but also signed both Deonte Thompson and Allen Hurns in the process -- also selecting Michael Gallup in the third round of the draft. Each of the new signees were expected to have big roles alongside Cole Beasley, leaving many to wonder where Williams would fit going forward. After missing most of offseason conditioning, he'd return to have a strong training camp, inserting himself back into the conversation, ultimately resolving his legal issues with Frisco PD as well.
Still, something isn't quite right.
Owner Jerry Jones made it known he doesn't believe the NFL will suspend Williams for his transgression in May, but that's a story heard before. He said the same one year ago about running back Ezekiel Elliott, and we all know how that turned out. Fact is, Williams is still facing a potential suspension and should it land, the Cowboys will immediately have the option to void every penny of his guaranteed money for 2018. Doing so will give them an instant out of his contract as it pertains to any possible dead money hit, that financial handcuff being a key piece of leverage in seeing him remain employed in Dallas.
Could one be coming down the tracks? It sure feels that way, considering they're now working out a slew of free agent wide receivers that include Brice Butler -- a player who fired a number of shots and ultimatums toward the Cowboys on his way out the door this offseason. Should the Cowboys strike a new deal with Butler, they'd have to release a player to make room, but who would it be?
The easy answer is Deonte Thompson, until you realize that answer is a tad bit more complex than you think. Based on the compensatory pick formula, releasing Thompson now could equate to an additional fourth-round pick in 2019, something that's extremely enticing for a draft-loving Cowboys front office. The hitch would be the fact the Cowboys already cut him during the final roster reduction, only to re-sign him back to the team, loving what his speed and hands bring to the table. Both were on display in Week 2 against the New York Giants, where Thompson was the second-leading receiver on the team, grabbing 33 yards on four catches (8.3 avg).
He also serves as an option in the return game, a value Williams doesn't have. Furthering this point is the fact they've already paid Thompson his $1 million signing bonus for the 2018 season and, again, if Williams is suspended -- they won't have to pay him anything beyond checks for the games he's played.
Hmmm.
As we speak, Williams is set to hit the Cowboys' salary cap for $4.75 million, not an ideal number for a player who took only 10 offensive snaps in Week 2 and landed only one catch for 12 yards. The problem is if the Cowboys release Williams without a suspension landing, they'd be forced to eat the entire $4.75 million as dead money, and would gain $0.00 toward the cap. This is where things get interesting though, as if they weren't already.
A source close to the situation reminds me that, even with the void of guaranteed money, it's possible Williams could use his vested veteran status to claim termination pay from the Cowboys.
What is that, you ask?
Termination pay is an in-season salary guarantee that is automatically given to veteran players as a provision of the CBA. There are actually two types of termination pay. The primary one guarantees a players entire Paragraph 5 salary for the season. To be eligible you have to make the roster for the first game of the season and have not collected termination pay in the past. If released the team owes you the remainder of your salary for the year if the player puts in a claim for the amount. So if a player earns $1,700,000 in P5 salary, makes the team, and is cut after the first week the team still must pay him the $1.7 million. This termination pay does count in full towards the salary cap.
The second form of termination pay is for players signed during the season. In this case the player is only entitled to 25% of his proportionate salary for the season. For example if a player is signed in week 2 at a rate of $1,700,000 (meaning he would earn $1.6 million if he is on the team the next 16 weeks) he is only eligible to collect a total of $400,000 under the termination pay clause. Considering he earns $100,000 per week he could be released after four weeks with no additional damage done to your salary cap.
In this case, the primary would be attributable to Williams, who made the roster but would be cut following Week 1. Mathematically speaking, with the Cowboys set to pay him a base salary of $296,875 per game this season, it means Williams could still walk away with an additional $3.06 million -- if he was released prior to Week 3. This caveat makes it that much more difficult to let Williams walk, even if the suspension takes hold, because the Cowboys would wind up paying him several million dollars either way. From a business standpoint, they'd truly have to be past a point of reconcilable differences with a player to pull this trigger, and although they may not be his biggest fans right now, it simply doesn't feel too far gone at the moment.
To be fair though, trying to feel out this version of the Cowboys' front office is like trying to pet thin air, so don't go throwing that notion out the window.
Between the newfound love for Thompson and the contractual hell for Williams, it'll be interesting to see what the Cowboys' next move here is. One final option, and it's a very attractive one, would be to simply trade Williams to another team for assets. They'd be relieved of his salary, find a spot for Butler -- considering they seem very interested in bringing him back -- and maybe gain a late-round pick in the process. Better still, the only dead money suffered would be to the tune of $1.25 million, a much more palatable sum as compared to the dead money hit from a pre-suspension release or potentially shelling out termination pay.
There are teams around the NFL who could use a veteran wideout with solid credentials like Williams and if they're willing to absorb a possible one- or two-game suspension, the business of such a move makes perfect sense.
Now, what is it that isn't quite right? Maybe it's simply the fact Thompson is better right now, and nothing more. In the end, if Butler puts back on the Cowboys' jersey, someone's going to have to take it off -- and we'll soon know who it'll be.
Spoiler alert, it might not be a wide receiver at all.
It began in March 2018.
Sitting in Frisco, TX was a team still licking their wounds from a disappointing 9-7 finish to the 2017 season that also saw them knocked out of playoff contention in Week 16, working to determine how they could better themselves going forward. What would happen over the course of the offseason would shake things up in a major way, both with the coaching staff and within the roster itself, but the initial blueprint very much included wide receiver Terrance Williams. Having been the most durable and consistent player in a WR room that was about to be gutted in one way or another, approaching was yet another chance for the veteran to prove he could be the No. 1 guy going forward.
Instead, he broke his foot.
Fast forward a few weeks to May, and Williams had a sizable chip on his shoulder -- even larger than the one he usually lugs around -- proclaiming there'd be "hell to pay" for all who doubted him, referring to his potential for dominance this coming season.
18 days later, he was arrested for public intoxication.
Between those two events, the Cowboys opted to release All-Pro wideout Dez Bryant instead of Williams, but also signed both Deonte Thompson and Allen Hurns in the process -- also selecting Michael Gallup in the third round of the draft. Each of the new signees were expected to have big roles alongside Cole Beasley, leaving many to wonder where Williams would fit going forward. After missing most of offseason conditioning, he'd return to have a strong training camp, inserting himself back into the conversation, ultimately resolving his legal issues with Frisco PD as well.
Still, something isn't quite right.
Owner Jerry Jones made it known he doesn't believe the NFL will suspend Williams for his transgression in May, but that's a story heard before. He said the same one year ago about running back Ezekiel Elliott, and we all know how that turned out. Fact is, Williams is still facing a potential suspension and should it land, the Cowboys will immediately have the option to void every penny of his guaranteed money for 2018. Doing so will give them an instant out of his contract as it pertains to any possible dead money hit, that financial handcuff being a key piece of leverage in seeing him remain employed in Dallas.
Could one be coming down the tracks? It sure feels that way, considering they're now working out a slew of free agent wide receivers that include Brice Butler -- a player who fired a number of shots and ultimatums toward the Cowboys on his way out the door this offseason. Should the Cowboys strike a new deal with Butler, they'd have to release a player to make room, but who would it be?
The easy answer is Deonte Thompson, until you realize that answer is a tad bit more complex than you think. Based on the compensatory pick formula, releasing Thompson now could equate to an additional fourth-round pick in 2019, something that's extremely enticing for a draft-loving Cowboys front office. The hitch would be the fact the Cowboys already cut him during the final roster reduction, only to re-sign him back to the team, loving what his speed and hands bring to the table. Both were on display in Week 2 against the New York Giants, where Thompson was the second-leading receiver on the team, grabbing 33 yards on four catches (8.3 avg).
He also serves as an option in the return game, a value Williams doesn't have. Furthering this point is the fact they've already paid Thompson his $1 million signing bonus for the 2018 season and, again, if Williams is suspended -- they won't have to pay him anything beyond checks for the games he's played.
Hmmm.
As we speak, Williams is set to hit the Cowboys' salary cap for $4.75 million, not an ideal number for a player who took only 10 offensive snaps in Week 2 and landed only one catch for 12 yards. The problem is if the Cowboys release Williams without a suspension landing, they'd be forced to eat the entire $4.75 million as dead money, and would gain $0.00 toward the cap. This is where things get interesting though, as if they weren't already.
A source close to the situation reminds me that, even with the void of guaranteed money, it's possible Williams could use his vested veteran status to claim termination pay from the Cowboys.
What is that, you ask?
Termination pay is an in-season salary guarantee that is automatically given to veteran players as a provision of the CBA. There are actually two types of termination pay. The primary one guarantees a players entire Paragraph 5 salary for the season. To be eligible you have to make the roster for the first game of the season and have not collected termination pay in the past. If released the team owes you the remainder of your salary for the year if the player puts in a claim for the amount. So if a player earns $1,700,000 in P5 salary, makes the team, and is cut after the first week the team still must pay him the $1.7 million. This termination pay does count in full towards the salary cap.
The second form of termination pay is for players signed during the season. In this case the player is only entitled to 25% of his proportionate salary for the season. For example if a player is signed in week 2 at a rate of $1,700,000 (meaning he would earn $1.6 million if he is on the team the next 16 weeks) he is only eligible to collect a total of $400,000 under the termination pay clause. Considering he earns $100,000 per week he could be released after four weeks with no additional damage done to your salary cap.
In this case, the primary would be attributable to Williams, who made the roster but would be cut following Week 1. Mathematically speaking, with the Cowboys set to pay him a base salary of $296,875 per game this season, it means Williams could still walk away with an additional $3.06 million -- if he was released prior to Week 3. This caveat makes it that much more difficult to let Williams walk, even if the suspension takes hold, because the Cowboys would wind up paying him several million dollars either way. From a business standpoint, they'd truly have to be past a point of reconcilable differences with a player to pull this trigger, and although they may not be his biggest fans right now, it simply doesn't feel too far gone at the moment.
To be fair though, trying to feel out this version of the Cowboys' front office is like trying to pet thin air, so don't go throwing that notion out the window.
Between the newfound love for Thompson and the contractual hell for Williams, it'll be interesting to see what the Cowboys' next move here is. One final option, and it's a very attractive one, would be to simply trade Williams to another team for assets. They'd be relieved of his salary, find a spot for Butler -- considering they seem very interested in bringing him back -- and maybe gain a late-round pick in the process. Better still, the only dead money suffered would be to the tune of $1.25 million, a much more palatable sum as compared to the dead money hit from a pre-suspension release or potentially shelling out termination pay.
There are teams around the NFL who could use a veteran wideout with solid credentials like Williams and if they're willing to absorb a possible one- or two-game suspension, the business of such a move makes perfect sense.
Now, what is it that isn't quite right? Maybe it's simply the fact Thompson is better right now, and nothing more. In the end, if Butler puts back on the Cowboys' jersey, someone's going to have to take it off -- and we'll soon know who it'll be.
Spoiler alert, it might not be a wide receiver at all.
