The Dallas Cowboys currently lead the NFC East at 10-4 and look primed to make the post-season for the first time since 2009. Not bad for a team that was supposed to have the worst defense in NFL history and question marks on offense. The Cowboys' surprisingly good year just goes to show you that pre-season projections don't mean much.
Unfortunately, a black cloud has hung over Dallas amid all this success. Star receiver Dez Bryant and MVP candidate DeMarco Murray are both set to become unrestricted free agents after this season. It was rumored to be highly unlikely that the cap strapped Cowboys would be able to retain both of their marquee weapons on offense.
The Cowboys currently owe just north of $130 million in cap commitments for the 2015 season. Working in their favor, however, is an expected rise in the salary cap to possibly $140 million or more next year. Taking that number into consideration, ESPN's Field Yates lays out a scenario in which both Bryant and Murray are still playing in Big D next year.
"Teams maneuver cap space easily through releases or the restructuring of contracts on their roster," Yates wrote. "Among the candidates on the Cowboys' roster to have his contract reworked (or be outright released) is cornerback Brandon Carr, whose $12.717 million cap number in 2015 exceeds his level of performance.
"The Cowboys will have the franchise tag available this offseason to use on one of these two players. The value of the franchise tag at each position will be determined closer to the start of the new league year, but for perspective, the running back total was $9.54 million in 2014 and the wide receiver tag was $12.312 million in 2014. Both numbers will rise next season; we're just not sure by exactly how much, as the franchise tag total is based on the average of the top five salaries league-wide at that position."
The Cowboys could have the ability to re-sign both players for at least one more year. But whether or not they do so is another question.
Grantland's Bill Barnwell made an argument that Murray's immense workload this season was because Jerry Jones had little interest in re-signing him for next year.
"The third reason [you give Murray so many touches] is that you have no intention of re-signing [him] after the season and have no qualms about running him into the ground during his final season with the team," Barnwell wrote. "...I think they're just getting every last drop out of a player who won't be in a Cowboys uniform next year."
Murray leads the NFL with 1,687 yards and 11 touchdowns on a 4.8 yards per carry average. Bryant has 79 catches for 1,148 yards and an NFL-best 13 touchdowns.
