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As June 1 approaches, the Dallas Cowboys have some tough decisions to make in regards to personnel. That date marks the time when teams can cut players to help give them some room on this year’s salary cap and push whatever dead money is left on that player’s remaining contract to the following year. In the case of Brandon Carr, he is scheduled to count $12.7 million against the cap this year and he still has a ton of money left on his remaining contract which can be voided after the 2016 season.
The problem with cutting Carr is that if the Cowboys choose to go that route, they are left with Orlando Scandrick, who is currently sitting out in hopes of getting a new contract himself, rookie Byron Jones, free agent signee Corey White, and the ever disappointing Morris Claiborne at cornerback. That’s putting way too much faith in a rookie who is still learning the cornerback position and adjusting to life in the NFL and hoping that Claiborne will finally figure it out and play up to his potential.
Carr may not have played up to expectations last season but he did play better towards the end of it. Regardless of what most people think of him, he is still the second-best cornerback on the team. It will do the Cowboys no good to load up on their defensive line and linebacker position only to have the opposing team’s wide receivers running free down the field due to the fact that no one can cover them.
So the solution that works for everyone is for Carr to simply take a pay cut. Sure cornerbacks are still valued in this league and they tend to get overpaid regardless of their performances on the field, but June 1 is pretty deep into the offseason and most teams already have their rosters set with all of their salary cap money dedicated to their current roster and the rookies they just drafted. So Carr’s options would be limited as far as teams he could go to and the chances of him signing with a contender are pretty slim; this of course isn’t taking into account the Chip Kelly factor as he is known for doing the exact opposite of what everyone expects.
Carr could restructure his deal, wind up extending his stay with the Cowboys, and still be on a contending team. And with the money the Cowboys save, they could use that money to lock up Dez Bryant and remain contenders for years to come.
So the only question that remains is, what’s taking so long to get this done?
