NFL free agency talks open up on March 14, just three days away, and the Dallas Cowboys are beginning to clear space entering crucial contract discussions. Earlier in the week the team restructured the contracts of QB Dak Prescott and Zack Martin. Although the moves saved Dallas nearly $23 million in cap space, they still had work to do to get under the 2022 salary cap max of $208.2 million by March 16.
While some bigger names have been bandied about for weeks now, the fog surrounding other contributors has now cleared as Dallas has shed some cap, releasing tight end Blake Jarwin and kicker Greg Zuerlein.
The Cowboys have released kicker Greg Zuerlein and waived/injured TE Blake Jarwin.
— Nick Eatman (@nickeatman) March 11, 2022
For Zuerlein, this moves seems apropos considering the rocky season he had in 2021. In his second year with the Cowboys, he missed 12 kicks, including a few costly ones in games that ended as losses. Three misses in a two-point loss to Tampa Bay in the season opener were the first warning shots and then two more misses in a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Raiders were front and center on national television.
Entering the final season of his Cowboys’ contract, Zuerlein was scheduled to make $2.5 million in base salary and similar to the situation with free agent punter Bryan Anger, Stephen Jones will be looking for a cheaper option.
In the case of Jarwin, it’s an unfortunate situation for the 2017 UDFA. Jarwin broke onto the scene for the Cowboys in the final game of the 2018 season with 119 yards and three touchdown catches in a win. Expectations rose for the Oklahoma State product but the return of Jason Witten from retirement derailed his ascension.
Fast forward to 2020 and Jarwin entered as the sure starter at tight end but tore his ACL in the first game of the season against the Rams and then backup Dalton Schultz usurped his role moving forward. Jarwin may have been ready to resume his role as a starter with Schultz a free agent, but a major hip injury knocked him out for the season and potentially ended his career.
The release of Jarwin saves Dallas an undisclosed amount this offseason as there was an injury settlement. In the final year of his deal, Jarwin was set to make $4.5 million in base salary and had bonuses totaling another $750,000. Looking forward, these departures create space for the Cowboys to make their necessary moves.
Dallas also released three other players, headlined by CB Reggie Robinson, a 2019 fourth-round pick. RB Ito Smith and WR Robert Foster were also let go.
When a player is released from the roster, the savings are offset by other players who are then added to the Top 51 calculation of the salary cap. So while Zurlein was due to make $2.5 million, a new player making $705,000 is now part of the equation, making the savings for moving on from the kicker around $1.8 million. Jarwin’s potential $5.25 million will be lessened by the same amount and the other three players were so close to the minimum, the net savings there are around $600,000.
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