FRISCO, Texas – The Cowboys officially parted ways with Tony Romo on April 4 but for financial purposes designated him a post-June 1 cut.
So, here in the first full week of June, Romo's release suddenly creates $14 million in additional salary cap space as the club moves into the summer.
One reason for the post-June 1 designation was the ability to spread out Romo's salary cap hit over two years. Another benefit is the Cowboys can carry over unused space into next year's cap.
What might the Cowboys do with the extra room? The obvious answer is the essentials.
Third-round pick Jourdan Lewis remains the only unsigned draft pick. The Cowboys also always leave a little space for potential injury settlements and signing replacements throughout the season.
"We'll need some of that money, obviously, by the time you sign 53 players, the practice squad, you've got to have all the injuries covered that happen unfortunately," Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said earlier this month. "You eat up a lot of money that you've got to have just to get through the year."
Jones has said the team feels pretty comfortable with the state of the roster, though he didn't rule out pursuing quarterback depth behind starter Dak Prescott if the right free agent were to be available.
Jones always says player acquisition is a 365-day-a-year process, meaning the Cowboys continue to look for and consider opportunities to upgrade the roster even into the season.
One move the club would like to make within its own roster: signing All-Pro guard Zack Martin to a long-term extension. Jones recently said he thinks negotiations with Martin's camp could ramp up around training camp. The Cowboys recently picked up the fifth-year option on Martin's rookie contract, which means he's currently signed through 2018.
