FRISCO - We don't have any problem with bashing Jerry Jones, at least when it is deserved. In fact, the Dallas Cowboys owner generally seems so obsessed with his "365-Day Soap Opera'' that we're pretty sure he doesn't mind even the irrational bashing ...
As long as you spell "C-o-w-b-o-y-s'' properly.
But in this space, as we've often said, there are too many valid criticisms of this franchise to have to make up fake ones.
And that's why our Mike Fisher finds ESPN's anti-Dak Prescott work to be a bit of nasty business.
Fish's reports dating back to last February about how a "Blow It Up'' plan pointing toward a true remodeling of the coaching staff and the roster are factual.
No, being bad in 2024 wasn't exactly the plan ... and Dallas was indeed bad, limping to a 7-10 record. This wasn't about "sabotaging'' coach Mike McCarthy or about "forfeiting the season.''
Rather, it was about 2024 being a year that wouldn't be about the Joneses investing resources, choosing instead to "keep our powder dry'' for a quick and timely "Blow It Up'' and remodel for 2025.
And now 2025 is here. ... and along with it the opportunity for Dallas to carve out for itself $100 million in cap room with which to build around Dak.
Also here, of course, is the skepticism and cynicism. And with even COO Stephen Jones is (for reasons we cannot fathom) insisting that roster-building for 2025 is going to be "really, really tight''?
Cowboys Nation has a reason to wonder about the plan. But no reason to wonder about the facts ... unless they are intentionally being fed misinformation.
Enter ESPN's Dan Orlovsky, who we find too talented to reduce himself to being a Cowboys-hating troll.
Orlovsky is among the many in Bristol who spend the offseason continuing to perpetuate the myth that Dallas simply won't be able to built a roster around Prescott because they are stuck with a 2025 cap hit on him of $90 million.
As we said all along ...
There is a path. And there is a math. And it's much more simple than the skeptics and the cynics think. To wit (in big round numbers) in five simple steps that we outlined months ago ...
*STEP 1: Experts predict the 2025 cap to be in the range of $275 million. But in Dallas' case, there will be a 2024 carryover of $25 million (cap space "powder'' the Joneses purposely did not use this year).
That effectively gives Dallas a $300 salary ceiling for 2025.
*STEP 2: Right now? Add is up. Dak Prescott is scheduled to count as $90 million against the cap, with CeeDee Lamb at $35 million and with Micah Parsons at $20 million.
That’s $145 million for three guys, which is the origin of the misguided info being spread by ESPN and elsewhere that "Dak and Lamb will take up 45 percent of the cap!'' and "Dak, Lamb and Micah will take up 53 percent of the cap!''
*STEP 3: Those percentages would be true, except ... it is already built into Dak's contract for Dallas to "flip a switch'' that spreads his money into future "void years'' (a common practice across the NFL) in a way that will move his cap hit from $90 million to $50 million.
Do that? The Cowboys will have created $40 million of room.
*STEP 4: It's also built into Lamb's deal to do the same. Again, no "asking,'' no "negotiation'' and no changes to the players' total payday. In CeeDee's case, the switch will be flipped from $35 million to $15 million.
Do that? The Cowboys will have created $20 million more of room.
*STEP 5: The third leg on this journey: Sign Micah to a deal that could make him the highest-paid defensive player of all time ... and causes his 2025 cap impact to move from $20 million to $10 million.
Do that? The Cowboys will have created $10 million more of room.
Dallas completed the first 4 steps.
Micah is all that awaits as the Cowboys presently have - after doing some free agency buying - about $36 million in cap room as we prep for this week's NFL Draft.
That's the Dak and Micah truth. So much else is a lie.
What Fish said then?
"And ... done. Again, these are all normal NFL front-offices practices - standard tools available in the toolbox - and added up, Dallas' three moves will have created $40 mil (Dak) + $20 mil (Lamb) + $10 mil (Micah) + the $30 mil (carryover) ...''
There are also the ensuing questions about whether Cowboys Nation trusts the Joneses to spend the millions worth of room wisely. But the plan was in place.
We've shown you the Cowboys five steps to the math and the path.
Now Jerry and Stephen Jones simply have to do it.
