As the Dallas Cowboys look to get back into the playoffs next season, they have some work to do on their current roster. Talent needs to be added and retained, and that takes money. Veteran Tyrone Crawford's contract puts the Cowboys in a tough spot.
Crawford isn't the Cowboys' best defender, but he did have the highest cap hit in 2017, even more than linebacker Sean Lee. Crawford will count $9.1 million against Dallas' salary cap next season, which is currently second behind Lee's projected $11-million hit. That fact alone would make you think Tyrone Crawford is likely to be released this offseason.
It would seem even more likely when you consider how guys like DeMarcus Lawrence and David Irving have eclipsed him as impact players on the defensive line.
However, Crawford's contract isn't so easily discarded.
Because of past restructuring, Dallas won't get much cap relief by cutting Tyrone outright. He still has $7.3 million in dead money on the deal, which means cap savings of only $1.8 million.
That's a small return for losing a solid, dependable player and great locker room guy.
Crawford can play inside or outside in the 4-3, and he's been a veteran leader on an otherwise young roster.
If Dallas were to make Tyrone Crawford a June-1st release, they would get $6 million in cap space for 2018 and push another $4.2-million in dead money to 2019. That sounds nice on the surface, but keep in mind Dallas can't use that $6 million during free agency in March. It only becomes available after June 1st. Still, the Cowboys could find ways to use that money.
It could fund their rookie pool, or go toward a new contract for Lawrence or Irving. It could also be used to sign other June-1st cap casualties. If nothing else, it could be rolled over to next season. But again, you lose a solid player in the exchange.
Tyrone Crawford may not be worth a $9.1-million cap hit, but you have to factor in replacement cost.
Dallas could certainly get by. Assuming Lawrence and Irving return, they also have Maliek Collins, Taco Charlton, and Charles Tapper under contract. Benson Mayowa has one year left on his deal, but is likely to be a cap casualty himself. The Cowboys also have several young prospects in Richard Ash, Lewis Neal, and anyone they might add in this year's draft.
This would be a no-brainer if Crawford's contract hadn't been reworked in the past. Dallas would likely get a nice chunk of immediate change if they cut him, but they created their own problem here with the restructuring. Now they have an asset who isn't worth his price, but doesn't offer enough relief to be worth cutting.
It's a tough call; one of many the Cowboys will face in the 2018 offseason.
