Dallas Cowboys: Cap Space and What to do With it

The Dallas Cowboys now have over$16 million in cap space with Tony Romo‘s release official, so what should they do with that money.

As of June 1st, the Dallas Cowboys now have over $16 million dollars in free cap space. With the release of Tony Romo, the discussions have started with what the Dallas Cowboys should do with that money. The answer may not be simple, then again, it could be very simple. So what exactly are the options for the Cowboys?

First, extending Zack Martin seems to be a very common theme throughout the discussions. Martin may not be costing the Cowboys much the next two years, but resigning him should still be a high priority. The downside is that it looks like Martin could cost the Cowboys about $65 million and maybe even higher to re-sign.

Resigning him now could put the Cowboys back into the annual loop of having to restructure without much cap space.

Pass-Rushers

Another common theme seems to be looking for pass rush help. The major issue with this is there isn’t much available right now. Sure, there is Paul Kruger and the old man Dwight Freeney, but there is really not much that would add a much to the Cowboys pass rush. Elvis Dumervil is still out there but he is also in his 30s and not really a fit for the defense the Cowboys play.

This brings us to the everyone’s favorite topic, quarterback. The fan front runner is Colin Kaepernick.

Colin Kaepernick

I am in the corner that he isn’t as good as some think (although he isn’t a terrible QB and is far better than the 2015 backups the Cowboys had) and at the money he may want and his desire to be a starter, I’m not sold on him as the backup.

Even Pete Carroll has said he believes he is a starter and wants to be a starter. (For clarity, I personally don’t care about the stance or the perceived issues with it. I served in the military to allow freedom of speech and with that right comes speech I may or may not agree with. But, I hold that right close and am glad to give him the ability to have the freedom to speak how he wants.)

RGIII

Other fans will point to Robert Griffin III, however, his injury history and poor play over the last few seasons are not stellar. Could they come in and play a game if needed? Sure, but is the money value there and is the quality going to be that much better than Kellen Moore? I personally do not think so.

Wait and See

So what do the Cowboys do with the extra cap space? If we look at Jerry Jones and the way he does business, best guess is he waits to see who gets cut during and after training camp. There could be a solid veteran who might get cut to save money and give time to a rookie or younger player. A decent player that could be used for a season or two. Best guess is this is the path the Cowboys go down.

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What should happen is the Cowboys need to be looking for more pass rush help, maybe a scat back style running back, or some veteran leadership.

With Nolan Carroll and his arrest, there could be some search for experience at cornerback. If they are smart, however, they will play it safe with the money and use it to resign some of the offensive line. While many are clamoring for a quarterback, Kellen Moore knows the playbook, has had a few years behind Tony Romo.

There isn’t much left in free agency, so it might be best to sit and wait to see if a solid backup gets released.

What the Cowboys shouldn’t do is panic and start signing players.

They have the young talent to sit and patiently wait. In 2015 the Rams cut Kendall Langford. He signed with the Colts and had a fairly productive season. While he didn’t have a great second season there, as a one year signing he was well worth the value. This players like Mike Glennon, Brian Cushing, or Mychal Kendricks could all find themselves on the street based on how their teams drafted. Even if the Cowboys want to sign Kaepernick, with the Seahawks letting him walk, he should still be around through training camp.

Next: 3 Dallas Cowboys who could benefit from Romo-money

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While we all wait for the NFL season to start kicking up, it will be important to watch training camps of other teams. If rookies perform well, it could spell the end for a veteran so teams can get under the cap. It could also allow for a one or two year stop-gap until the Cowboys draft a replacement. As they say in Afghanistan, you have the watches, we have the time. The Cowboys have the time, and they can wait for the right move at the right time.

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Dallas Cowboys: Cap space and what to do with it

By Daniel Ruppert | Jun 5, 2017