Considering the performances put forth by cornerback Brandon Carr since he became a member of the Dallas Cowboys organization, it really wouldn't be all that surprising if the Boys brass simply up and decided Carr was no longer a meaningful piece of the team's future.
Luckily for Carr, who has posted just six interceptions and 33 pass breakups in three seasons since joining Dallas on a $50.1 million free agent contract, Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones has remained adamant that he wants the enigmatic corner to remain with the team - he just doesn't want to pay him as much as he's currently slated to make.
"That one is as it is, we're evaluating, looking to the extent that we can make contractual adjustments that would fit and help us under the cap, we want to try to do that with him," owner Jerry Jones said Wednesday, per Charean Williams of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "We value Carr and what he can mean for us this year."
Carr's current deal pays him $8 million in base salary and carries a $12.717 million cap hit for 2015.
Carr's agent, Ben Dogra, told Clarence Hill, Jr. of the Star-Telegram in March that his client would not be taking a pay cut.
It's unclear whether that stance has changed, but Carr reiterated what he said in March - that he wants to remain in Dallas.
"I'm a Cowboy," Carr said. "I love being a Cowboy. As long as I'm in this building, I'm going to give it my all."
After the Cowboys added cornerback Byron Jones in the first-round and with the high-quality season put forth by Orlando Scandrick last year, it seems Carr is likely to operate as either a placeholder on the outside for Jones or the nickel back for Dallas in 2015.
Scandrick though, is staying away from offseason workouts as he seeks a new deal - he reportedly met with the team recently to discuss his contract - Jones, despite his prodigious first-round talents, is an unknown NFL quantity and the perma-disappointing Morris Claiborne is recovering from a torn patellar tendon.
The Cowboys may need Carr, meaning they might not have much leverage as they push him to rework his deal.
"All of the contracts that we don't have closure on are a priority," Jones said. "He certainly is a player who is in our top consideration. So yeah, I'd say that's a priority. We want him on the football field."
If Carr remains disinclined to restructure, the Cowboys may be forced to take a different tact, potentially in the guise of a contract extension which lowers his cap hit for 2015.
