DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - Bobby Belt, 105.3 The Fan's Dallas Cowboys insider, is answering your burning questions about the team. Check out the latest mailbag of questions and answers below.
Q: “Most likely restructures not named Dak or Martin?”
- @JD214773
A: You’ve done your homework! Because you’re right…Dak Prescott and Zack Martin are probably the two most likely candidates to be restructured. You can free up as much as $22.3 million dollars in cap space by restructuring those two.
After that, there aren’t any super obvious candidates.
DeMarcus Lawrence could free up as much as $11.9 million with a restructure, but that would give him a pretty bloated cap figure heading into 2023. I think a pay cut or release might be more likely there.
Ezekiel Elliott could save you a decent amount of money with a restructure, but I don’t think Dallas wants to kick that can down the road any longer. They’ll just ride that out and likely make a decision on his future next offseason.
Tyron Smith has had his deal restructured three times already, and he’s getting up there in age, so I wouldn’t expect them to bother on that front either, even though it could free up as much as $8.2 million.
Perhaps the likeliest candidates are La’el Collins and Amari Cooper, depending on if the Cowboys want to keep them here.
Collins could free up almost $6 million with a restructure, but they have a young, cheap right tackle that they like. Maybe they’d prefer to just ride things out on that contract.
I still believe Amari Cooper is a prime candidate to be a cap casualty, but if Dallas decides he’s too valuable to let walk away, then they would more than likely opt for a restructure. That could free up more than $12 million dollars.
The problem is that an outright release frees up $16 million, which gives the front office some things to consider.
Q: “If Cooper and DLaw goes, gut feeling that they would use some money to get Gregory back?”
- @CoachJoseNG
A: Y’all are making some sharp observations in the mailbag today.
I think you’ve nailed it. Part of potentially moving on from Cooper and/or Lawrence is about freeing up some cash for in-house free agents that they’re prioritizing. I think Randy Gregory is their primary focus of their pending free agents.
Releasing Cooper and Lawrence would save a combined $24 million, which is a nice amount to work with when looking to re-sign Gregory and some others, like Jayron Kearse and Michael Gallup.
I’m still of the belief that the team would be better with Gregory and Lawrence together, so however you make that work is what’s best for the team. That could mean trying to negotiate a pay cut, or just biting the bullet and restructuring Lawrence. But that tandem did good things together in 2021, and I’d like to see more of it in 2022.
Q: “What round 2 WRs are targets for Dallas?”
- @Cool_LwAy
A: Three for three on astute observations! Good job, TOLOs.
I’ll expand it a little from round 2, and say I think Dallas is in the hunt for receivers on day 2 in general, so that’s rounds 2 and 3. Let’s look at one name in each range.
For round 2, I think a name to know is South Alabama’s Jalen Tolbert. Tolbert averaged almost 18 yards per reception for his career, and he didn’t do it with blinding speed where he was just running past random Sun Belt defensive backs who run in the 4.7 range. He was doing it with precision and technique, using his eyes and disciplined footwork to create separation.
In 2021, Tolbert put up 143 yards receiving on 6 receptions against one of the nation’s best defenses in Louisiana. A Ragin’ Cajuns team that finished the year ranked 16th in the nation.
Tolbert also had 7 receptions, 143 yards, and a touchdown against Tennessee late in the year. The Volunteers weren’t a power house by any means, but it showed Tolbert can produce even against SEC competition.
In the third round, I think a name to watch is Christian Watson, the receiver from North Dakota State. Watson had a great week at the Senior Bowl, and measured in at 6’4, 210 pounds, with 10-inch hands.
Watson has the size of a possession receiver, and he’s an intriguing red zone target, but he also has 4.4 speed, which helped him pass 20 yards per reception over his four-year college career.
Watson isn’t the same route-runner that Tolbert is, but his technique has steadily improved for the Bison, and his physical traits are exactly what you’d want in a play-making wide receiver.
North Dakota State has become a quietly reliable pipeline for NFL talent, and Watson certainly fits that bill.
