Dallas City News

What the NFL’s record-setting salary cap for 2024 means for the Dallas Cowboys – SportsDay Staff, Dallas Morning News

This is the perfect time for the Cowboys to be “all in”.

The Dallas Cowboys just got some financial breathing room.

The NFL informed teams Friday that the 2024 salary cap will be $255.4 million which is a record-breaking $30.6 million increase from last year’s cap. It’s the largest year-to-year increase in total money in free agency history.

The Cowboys are still expected to be over the cap, but they now have more flexibility this offseason. According to overthecap.com, which tracks each team’s cap hit, the Cowboys are projected to be $8.17 million over for the upcoming season. The Cowboys could just sneak under the cap by cutting wide receiver Michael Gallup as a post-June 1 release. Doing so would free up $9.5 million.

Two voidable years exist on Prescott’s contract after this season. An automatic conversion can turn part of his base salary into a signing bonus that’s then distributed over those three seasons.

Prescott is scheduled to receive $29 million in base salary. Dallas could choose to put all but $1.21 million of that into a signing bonus, which would lower his cap hit to $40.9 million for the upcoming season.

If this is the path Dallas chooses it likely would be taken by March 13, which is the start of the league year.

Open Market: Free agency flooded with LB options – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com

The Cowboys need to attack free agency as well as the NFL draft for linebacker help.

Lavonte David: Not unlike Wagner, David has been a staple of his team’s defense for a long time now and, not so coincidentally, is also approaching his mid-30s while still playing at a high level. He also owns a Super Bowl ring and the three-time All-Pro remains durable, starting in 32 regular season games over the past two seasons and showing no glaring signs of slowing down.

He is actually moving in the opposite direction, producing more tackles and sacks, and the same amount of pass break ups, in 2023 as he did in 2022, and despite two fewer starts. He is a leader of the highest order and, like Wagner, instantly provides credibility to the Cowboys’ linebackers room if they can make a deal with him.

Frankie Luvu: Oscillating back to the younger side of the list, Luvu jumps out at me in a big way. He’s wrapping up a three-year deal with the Panthers that ended with two career-best seasons in a row, and he’s also known to force fumbles when he gets near the ball. And for as good as he is as rushing the passer when he’s sent at one — 12.5 sacks since 2022 — he’s also statistically nearly a top-10 linebacker in stopping the run.

The 27-year-old enters this list in the same way as does Brooks, a young but established talent that can both contribute readily but that can also serve as a bit of a mentor. And the fact Luvu was able to climb from the ranks of the undrafted in 2018, and from a less-heralded program at Washington State, no less, to being on this list is the type of hunger and grind you have to love.

Azeez Al-Shaair: Brooks isn’t the only one on this list of intriguing candidates for the Cowboys who spent time studying from an NFL legend. For the better part of his young career, Al-Shaair served as mostly an understudy to none other than Fred Warner, before he’d go on to sign with the Tennessee Titans in 2023 with the hopes of establishing himself as a full-time starter.

Mission accomplished, folks. In 17 starts, the 26-year-old set a career mark in tackles (163 combined, 84 solo), while adding four more pass break ups and another forced fumble to his stat line; and he’s also been known to contribute heavily to special teams when needed, adding to his overall value to any team he’ll join going forward.

Cowboys’ 3-round mock draft: O-lineman in Round 1? When will Dallas grab a running back? – Jon Machota, The Athletic

Dallas addresses several key needs within the first 100 picks.

Round 1, pick No. 24 overall

Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia

Listed at 6-foot-7, 330, Mims has the size and athletic ability teams are looking for as a franchise cornerstone at offensive tackle. He started only six games last season for the Bulldogs, all at right tackle. In Dallas, he’d likely be expected to play left tackle, with Tyler Smith staying at left guard. There’s no reason to think Mims couldn’t handle that spot, even if there are some growing pains early.

This pick came down to three players: Mims, Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson and Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry. Powers-Johnson makes a lot of sense if the Cowboys don’t re-sign unrestricted free agent C Tyler Biadasz. A trio of Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland and McKinstry was also intriguing. But ultimately, this pick was about solidifying an offensive line group that has dropped off from once being elite. Tyron Smith’s heir apparent might be Tyler Smith, but if Mims is available at 24, pair him with Tyler Smith on the left side of that line for the next decade.

Mims is Brugler’s fifth-highest-graded OT in this class. There’s a bit of a dropoff after the top six, who are all ranked among his top 18 players. His No. 7 OT is ranked 38th overall.

The Cowboys’ offseason strategy is forming, and will break open with contract extensions and free agency – Tom Ryle and Roy A White III, Blogging The Boys

The dots to the master plan are connecting.

One big thing is whether to use the franchise tag, as our Brandon Loree has already looked into. Tagging players has been something they have done each year for the past six seasons, and there are some reports they are about to break that string. Dallas faces another tight cap situation and the high cost of a tag, with no ability to push the hit into future years, is not worth it. While there are certainly several of their own free agents they would do well to bring back, they are almost certainly going to be looking at much more favorable deals than tagging them. One of the most important is Tyron Smith, who reportedly wants to come back. He is still a premier left tackle when healthy, but there, as a famous guy once wrote, is the rub. He seems almost certain to miss some time, and it could be extensive. Look for them to try and negotiate something much cheaper than the $18 million plus cost of a tag for offensive linemen. That is going to be true of anyone else they bring back.

One player on that list who is possibly not going to be a target to reach a new agreement with is Tony Pollard, who did play on the tag last year. Running backs are plentiful in free agency, and it has proven to be one of the easiest positions to replace productivity. Pollard’s performance last year was not what the team wished for, especially early. While we often gripe about the constant reliance on bargain shopping for free agents, running back is one where it makes a lot of sense. The team still has Malik Davis, Hunter Luepke, and Deuce Vaughn under contract. If they do want to re-sign one of their own, they might well want to target Rico Dowdle over Pollard. Dowdle would be probably be much more affordable. Then they could wait for outside free agency to settle down and find a serviceable fourth back for depth. They could get someone on a very affordable one year, prove-it deal, something they could also do with other positions like linebacker where they have some pressing needs.

Former BYU football star and Dallas Cowboys receiver Golden Richards has died at the age of 73 – Jay Drew

Historical Cowboys figure passes away.

Former BYU and Dallas Cowboys receiver Golden Richards, one of the most gifted — and troubled — athletes the state of Utah has ever produced, died early Friday morning in his Murray home of congestive heart failure after a long battle with multiple health and prescription drug abuse issues that plagued his later years.

He was 73.

“He has left us and gone to a better place,” confirmed his brother, Doug Richards, a former BYU basketball star. “He fought pretty good there to the end, until it was his time.”

Doug Richards said his brother fell and broke his hip on Christmas Day in 2022, and has had four hip surgeries since then, all of which contributed to his declining health.

Cowboys add to the coachingstaff.

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• Thursday: The Ocho with RJ Ochoa
• Thursday: Ryled Up with Roy White and Tom Ryle
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