Cowboys ‘Cap Hell’? Dallas Plans 6 New Contracts, 1 Big Cut

Cowboys ‘Cap Hell’? Dallas Plans 6 New Contracts, 1 Big Cut

FRISCO - The salary cap is real. "Cap Hell,'' however, is largely a myth - as the Dallas Cowboys might be about to re-prove this offseason as they work on ways to extend the contract of Dak Prescott while moving around the money already owed to stars like All-Pro guard Zack Martin and standout cornerback Trevon Diggs.

The Cowboys, facing a league-wide 2024 cap ceiling of $242 million, are presently about $20 million "over the cap.'' That sounds troubling on the surface. But teams don't need to be cap-compliant until the start of the NFL business year, March 13.

And there are clear paths - because there simply must be - to becoming cap-compliant.

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That starts with Prescott and his scheduled $59 million cap hit. Depending on the structure of a new deal, Dallas can sign him to a long-term deal that reduces that number by about $20 million - and voila!, Dallas is cap-compliant!

As noted by ESPN, a re-do of the Martin and Diggs deals - a simple "flip of the switch'' with clauses already built into their contracts - can create another $20 million in cap space.

Another (theoretically) easy move: A new deal for CeeDee Lamb, who is entering a contract year in which he is set to make a fully-guaranteed $17.991 million. Pay Lamb like he's the best in the NFL, say, $30 million APY, allowing him to join the likes of Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams? That actually would reduce his cap hit in a way that gives Dallas $11 million of room.

ESPN mentions a restructure for right tackle Terence Steele; that's a flip-switch. We've discussed cutting receiverMichael Gallup post-June 1 to save almost another $10 million.

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Eventually, the piper will be paid; things like "voidable years'' are in many cases the equivalent of using a credit card; that bill will come due.

Additionally, there are other big expenses to come. Defensive star Micah Parsons have been costing Dallas about $4 million APY. He is now eligible for a contract extension and will surely be asking to be the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history - joining Nick Bosa, Aaron Donald and TJ Watt? That's a $30 million APY price tag.

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The Cowboys will be under the cap in March; That's the law. Assuming a new Dak deal, they will have a contending roster; That's the likelihood.