million, meaning a $6.75 million cap charge if he's on the 2011 roster.
So good for 2011 finances and bad for 2012 if uncontrolled dumping is not allowed.
Then there is Davis, who's quite big to start with, but who appeared a tad bigger than usual at Tony Romo's wedding last Saturday if a guy weighing 360 can possibly look heavier. If cut, the Cowboys would have to account for $6.6 million of escalation, either all this year, depending on the system, or one-third this year and two-thirds next year if the June 1 rule stands. His base salaries over the final three years of his deal are $6 million a year.
Moving on, next up would be everyone's whipping boy, Roy Williams. He still carries $13.12 million of unaccounted proration over the next two years if he's released, yet his base salaries aren't all that unreasonable, $5.1 million this year and $6.8 million the next. What you gonna do with three years left on his deal? That's a big hit for nothing.
As for Newman, another popular choice among you guys to be released since he's turning 33 a week before the Cowboys' season opener, he's in basically the same boat as Barber, with $6 million of proration still remaining over the final three years of his deal. And again, under previous rules, then that means $2 million this year and $4 million next year. Giving pause, though, would be his $8 million base salary for 2011.
And then there is Marc Colombo, turning 33 this season and having fought through leg and knee injuries. His is a complicated deal, one laced with roster bonuses, options and guarantees, and worth $2.4 million this year. Cutting him would charge $5.4 million, so no mega sale going on here.
Knowing all this likely will cause you some head scratching when randomly suggesting dumping this guy or that guy, no different than the Cowboys when it comes to this season and then especially next season if the cap is put back in place this year. And you know, even if this is an uncapped year and the salary cap rules aren't reinstituted until next year, there is a fear cutting guys in 2011 to dump escalation might carry some sort of penalty once the cap returns in 2012.
I know it's a popular argument that getting a push on the base salary savings and escalation cost is a good thing. But I'm thinking, if I have to subtract $6 million from my cap for absolutely nothing, how do I count that as a victory even if I've already paid out all that money? Sort of like buying a new car, yet still having to make payments on the old car I dumped without a trade-in, thus two car payments.
Talk about dead money.
So just a little food for thought.
And in the meantime, we'll continue to just hurry up and wait.
