Last week ESPN reported the 2017 salary cap would fall between $163 and $165 million. We scoffed, knowing it normally comes in higher than the initial projection. Sure enough on Wednesday word began to circulate from multiple parties the real estimate is between $166 and $170 million.
Still, even with the bump, Dallas is currently above the threshold. It’s no worry however. We detailed how Dallas has built-in triggers to several contracts to use to create a boatload of room. That isn’t the only option available to the team, however. It’s not uncommon for players to no longer play to the level of their compensation. When that happens, or when there are budding stars behind them on the depth chart, players run the risk of being released to regain cap space.
Here are five players we think could end up on the chopping block before the new league year starts in March 2017.
Tony Romo
This one’s obvious. The chances of Romo remaining a Cowboys quarterback hinges on a lot of factors, including reduction of his cap hit. Romo’s base salary is $14 million in 2017, and combined with his cap hit from prorated bonuses, he counts $24.7 million against Dallas’ cap. We break down the cap effects of trading or cutting Romo here, and go through an exercise examining how a pay cut would go down here. Either way, there’s minimal chance of Romo’s impact on the cap to be this strong.
Jason Witten
Say it ain’t so. The Senator? Media and bloggers alike have been trying to bury Witten’s career for years but he’s as resilient as they come. The sure-fire Hall of Famer may hang it up on his own, especially if Dallas can win their sixth Lombardi. If not, would Dallas do what they did with Demarcus Ware?
There’s no succession plan in place, but Witten is set to cost $7.4 million in base salary, with just under $5 million in prorated bonuses. Is Witten the best tight end in the league? He’s going to count almost $2 million more then the next highest hold at the position.
Perhaps Dallas looks to an extension with Witten, that will give him up front money to add on a few years he probably won’t see. That would also allow them to reduce the cap hit considerably.
Doug Free
This is infinitely a tougher decision in March. The Cowboys don’t have a successor here as it’s become obvious Chaz Green’s injury history has followed him from Florida into the pros. That likely means a mean to remove Free’s $5 million base salary from the books in his final year will likely depend on finding a free agent replacement or waiting until after the draft if Dallas chooses to spend major draft capital on the offensive line again.
James Hanna
Hanna missed the entire 2016 season with a knee microfracture, something we feared as soon as the codewords of bone bruise were bandied about. It’s extremely difficult for a player to make it back and be a major contributor. If Dallas was satisfied with the performance of Geoff Swaim as the blocking tight end prior to his pectoral injury, it makes little sense to keep Hanna on and pay him $2.25 million in base salary.
Hanna just resigned prior to the year for three-years, $8.25 million. Dallas paid him $3.25 million this year with no return. With his prospects of returning full speed in question, it may be time to cut the losses even though there will only be $750,000 worth of savings in 2017.
Alfred Morris
The Cowboys obviously know more than we do about their running back corps behind Ezekiel Elliott. It was thought that Darius Jackson was being kept around to be the No. 2 back in 2017, but they released him for a few weeks of Darren McFadden and he was quickly snatched up by the Cleveland Browns. Several teams put waiver claims on the sixth-round pick.
The club kept Lance Dunbar, who is on a one-year deal, despite it appearing McFadden would fill his role with the team better. Lost in all of this is Alfred Morris, who has been the No. 2 back behind Elliott.
Morris was signed prior to the draft, so is he now expendable? He will cost $2.2 million against the cap and if the club feels strong enough to activate McFadden over keeping Jackson, that can’t say alot for what they think of Morris. He has $1.7 million in base and roster bonus, so it shouldn’t surprise oif the club parts ways with him.
The ‘Not Quite Yet’ Guy
Tyrone Crawford isn’t really playing up to the potential of his 2015 extension, which we feverishly were against. With Maliek Collins looking like the real deal, Crawford would appear expendable as he has a $10.3 million cap hit in 2017, but there’s simply too much dead money on his deal to walk away before 2018. If Dallas cut him, they’d only save $50,000 on next year’s cap.
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