SCOTT EHLERPARKSTON, SD
Did I read it right, the Cowboys will have $70 million in cap room next year? Where did all that come from?
Bryan: As dumb as you might feel this front office is when it comes to evaluations, they do have a really good handle on how to structure contracts. They have a plan of who they want to pay and what is the current value of that player and how it works out long-term.
David: Take a look around the roster, and you've seen a lot of expensive contracts come off the books in the last few years. Tony Romo, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten are no longer eating up huge numbers, and the salary cap continues to jump by about 10 percent every year. On top of that, you've got guys like Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick and Sean Lee playing on fairly team-friendly deals. It all adds up.
BOB LECLERCPRINCE GEORGE, BC
What is the process in making a trade? Does the front office send out a list of who they will or will not trade to other teams? Do the pro scouts try to get a feeling for who might be available or is it just a matter of calling a GM and inquiring about an individual player?
Bryan: You just pick up the phone and have a discussion -- it's really that simple. The trick is to call all the teams, because you never know who might want your guy. It's really more time consuming than being successful but it's part of the job. I actually enjoyed it.
David: I think part of the reason you see a smaller number of player-for-player trades in football is because it operates on a case-by-case basis. When baseball teams gets to the All-Star break and know they won't be competitive, they make a list of guys they're willing to part ways with. You don't see that in the NFL, because the small number of games makes it harder to part ways with resources. It does seem like NFL clubs are more willing to make trades in recent years, but it's still on a smaller, individual basis than in other sports.
