Back in December, the NFL informed their clubs of the expected range of the next salary cap. At the time it was a pretty large range, going from a minimum of $196.8 million up to $201.2 million. With Sunday morning’s official announcement of the ratification of the new collective bargaining agreement, the league is ready to move forward with setting the parameters for the new league year.
The league has announced the official cap for 2020 will be $198.2 million, am exact $10 million bump from the 2019 season.
The NFL Management Council just informed team officials the salary cap will be $198.2 million per club in 2020, per sources.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) March 15, 2020
Most estimations have centered around a cap of $200 million, so there will need to be a downward adjustment of how much every team is expected to have.
According to the NFLPA website, the Cowboys are carrying over just under $19.5 million of unused cap space from the 2019 season. The salary website Over The Cap shows Dallas as having $145.8 million in salaries already allocated for their offseason Top 51. Only the highest 51 of the 90-man offseason roster count towards the cap.
Adding $19.5 million to the league-wide cap of $198.2 million gives the Cowboys a total ceiling of $217.7 million, meaning they have close to $72 million in space.
Offseason Manifesto Part 2:
How Dallas got to their contract conundrum
Dallas, of course, has a myriad of free agents and if the league does not push back the start of the league year due to the coronavirus pandemic that is affecting all other major sports around the world, then they will be looking to start negotiating with outside players as early as Monday, in addition to still trying to work out deals with their own guys they are trying to retain.
Quarterback Dak Prescott is expected to receive the franchise tag by Monday if no deal is worked out, as March 16 is the final day when tags can be applied. The team is also having to consider using the tag on Amari Cooper if Prescott is signed but the wideout does not agree to terms.
Other major free agents for the Cowboys include DE Robert Quinn, DT Maliek Collins and CB Byron Jones who is expected to surpass the $16 million per year average when he hits the open market.
The Cowboys have plenty of holes to fill on the roster for new head coach Mike McCarthy.
Below is a chart of all of the spots on the depth chart that Dallas will need to address.
[vertical-gallery id=640915][lawrence-newsletter]