You have to pay the piper eventually.

Southlake said:

---

Jerry doesn't pay money to keep mid- range players - Dorrance Armstrong comes to mind. I thought Rico Dowdle did a great job and a crappy team but he's probably gone too.

---

For the running back position I don't think it makes sense to pay a mid range RB.

Pick up mostert and a rookie. While healthy mostert will be better than dowdle. If the rookie pans out he will get touches. And generally you can get a decent practice squad guy on another team in a pinch.

You know, the RB draft is so deep, I would think you could grab two in the draft. I really think there will be a guy in the 5th or 6th that can contribute.

Zack Martin retiring. The hits just keep coming for Dallas sports fans.

Expected after the falloff he had last season. Anyone know the cap implications with him retiring? I know he has some dead cap money but I'm no cap guru.

gigem1223 said:

---

Expected after the falloff he had last season. Anyone know the cap implications with him retiring? I know he has some dead cap money but I'm no cap guru.

---

Yeah, guy was a warrior but he was done. The OL actually got better after he went out.

Not sure about his cap number.

10 million next season and 17 million for 2026.

$26 mill spread over 25 and 26

The writing was on the wall with his retirement 2 years ago. Renegotiated a 2 year deal and the assumption was it would be his last deal, which turned out to be the case. They added more voidable years last offseason to spread the cap hit when he did retire (would have been all $26mill in 25), but given he didn't get any actual money for that (they just converted base salary to bonus), it seemed to reiterate that 24 would be his last

I have no clue how player retirements work. Will they just cut him after June 1? If they do that his 2026 cap hit goes down to 15 and change.

I think he just waits until June 1 to file the official paperwork

Wish Zack all the best in his retirement. Guy was just a stalwart and a rock in that line for years. Future Hall of Famer.

Not going to lie, the Aggie in me wanted them to take Johnny on that draft night in 2014. I know urban legend has it Stephen had to physically restrain Jerry from picking Johnny, but the truth was he was never really in consideration for the pick. They were locked in on either Ryan Shazier (who went a pick ahead) and Zack.

Zack Martin was Will McClay's 1st draft pick

ChoppinDs40 said:

---

With Philly in their prime and Washington a phenom rookie QB deal… time to burn it all down and start over.

No cap space left to do anything.

---

Agreed. I know they will end up doing what Jerry loves to do, play the middle and hope for the best which is somewhere between 11-6 and 6-11. But I would trade Parsons and try to rebuild now with eyes towards 2026; the hopes of having a top tier OL in 2026 and ideally a lot of stud second year guys.

VP at Pierce and Pierce said:

---

ChoppinDs40 said:

---

With Philly in their prime and Washington a phenom rookie QB deal… time to burn it all down and start over.

No cap space left to do anything.

---

Agreed. I know they will end up doing what Jerry loves to do, play the middle and hope for the best which is somewhere between 11-6 and 6-11. But I would trade Parsons and try to rebuild now with eyes towards 2026; the hopes of having a top tier OL in 2026 and ideally a lot of stud second year guys.

---

Shoulda traded Parsons last year. He's going to want a deal now and has more tape of being a pure pass rusher, only

Last year you would've gotten two firsts and a few more later round picks because he can 100% take over a game.

ChoppinDs40 said:

---

VP at Pierce and Pierce said:

---

ChoppinDs40 said:

---

With Philly in their prime and Washington a phenom rookie QB deal… time to burn it all down and start over.

No cap space left to do anything.

---

Agreed. I know they will end up doing what Jerry loves to do, play the middle and hope for the best which is somewhere between 11-6 and 6-11. But I would trade Parsons and try to rebuild now with eyes towards 2026; the hopes of having a top tier OL in 2026 and ideally a lot of stud second year guys.

---

Shoulda traded Parsons last year. He's going to want a deal now and has more tape of being a pure pass rusher, only

Last year you would've gotten two firsts and a few more later round picks because he can 100% take over a game.

---

I agree there but that would require Jerry and Stephen to be proactive, which they are not. They are too hungover to do anything.

ChoppinDs40 said:

---

With Philly in their prime and Washington a phenom rookie QB deal… time to burn it all down and start over.

No cap space left to do anything.

---

I've been saying this since Dak went down

Crazy how bad Stephen is at "managing the cap" You'd think that a team that perpetually seems to be up against cap challenges would usually contend too. But no not this organization.

I wonder if there is any infighting within the family about how badly Stephen seems to have botched up the numbers and cap mgmt over the years. At what point does someone else step up and say "how bout I give it a try?". Whether that's Jerry Jr (although he gives me Fredo Corleone vibes) or Charlotte or a grandkid

Orlando Ayala Cant Read said:

---

Crazy how bad Stephen is at "managing the cap" You'd think that a team that perpetually seems to be up against cap challenges would usually contend too. But no not this organization.

I wonder if there is any infighting within the family about how badly Stephen seems to have botched up the numbers and cap mgmt over the years. At what point does someone else step up and say "how bout I give it a try?". Whether that's Jerry Jr (although he gives me Fredo Corleone vibes) or Charlotte or a grandkid

---

I get the sense that Stephen is the one that actually wants to manage the cap correctly but is continually overruled by Jerry. In the back of Jerry's mind he's thinking "I'll be dead soon, I want to win now. The debt won't be my problem"

Stephen's reputation is that he will not be the aggressor. He wants agents to call him instead of vice versa. This means things drag out, and unfortunately when things drag out in the current salary cap world, the price goes up.

DannyDuberstein said:

---

Stephen's reputation is that he will not be the aggressor. He wants agents to call him instead of vice versa. This means things drag out, and unfortunately when things drag out in the current salary cap world, the price goes up.

---

I hear you but I'm talking about when the cowboys constantly renegotiate to kick money down the line. I assume that's Jerry telling Stephen to make it work because he wants him some glory hole.

Kicking it down the road works as salary cap going to 282 million

I don't think Jerry has much of a clue about the cap. I think what he knows comes from Stephen. Stephen's penchant for kicking negotiations down the road would fit kicking everything down the road.