Update on Cowboys' Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup offers encouraging news
The clock is ticking as we get closer and closer to the start of free agency. And as we get closer, we are hearing more reports geared toward players' futures and seeing more moves being made. The latest bit of Cowboys updates comes from Ed Werder and it involves two important Cowboys in Amari Cooper […]
The clock is ticking as we get closer and closer to the start of free agency. And as we get closer, we are hearing more reports geared toward players' futures and seeing more moves being made.
The latest bit of Cowboys updates comes from Ed Werder and it involves two important Cowboys in Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup. Per Werder, the Cowboys are still trying to work on their options when it comes to Cooper's future. They're also hoping a deal is done soon when it comes to Gallup. Demarcus Lawrence isn't going anywhere, either, but we'll talk about that in a separate post.
Hopefully, if the update involving Cooper isn't centered around a trade, then it's centered around a contract restructure. One would think the Cowboys would've pulled the trigger by now if they were offered something they liked. If there isn't a market, then it would be a better decision to restructure Cooper's contract before releasing him outright. It's worth a shot, at least.
Cooper's base salary is $20 million over the next three years and he has a $2 million prorated bonus in each season for a total cap hit of $22 million over the next three seasons. The Cowboys could add a void year and spread $15 of Cooper's $20 million 2022 base salary over the last three years, which would drop his 2022 cap hit to the prorated $7 million, in all. His cap hit would rise from $22 million to $27 million in both 2023 and 2024. Cooper would count $7 million against the cap whether he's on the roster or not in 2025. Obviously, the Cowboys can decide what to do with Cooper after 2022.
Pushing money down the road like that is not something Stephen Jones likes to do and he's recently said as much. However, the Cowboys are considered one of the NFC favorites to reach the Super Bowl, so maybe pushing some money down the road to maximize that window is a good choice to make, now.
Obviously, it's all about how the Cowboys want to approach the Cooper situation, but when it comes to Gallup, they apparently have no issue paying the man.
Werder also states the Cowboys are hoping to get Gallup's deal finished soon. Word a few weeks ago was Gallup is one of the Cowboys' top priorities in free agency, so it makes sense why Dallas wants a deal done quickly. Gallup is project to make around $11.8 million per year, according to Spotrac.com.
Having a deal in place not only means no bidding war for Gallup, but it also means Dallas gets a better idea of where it stands cap-wise, which aids in other decisions.
In all, it's encouraging news on both fronts for the Cowboys and a good start to the weekend if you're a Cowboys fan.
Featured image via Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
