PA Season Ticket Holder
06-14-2003, 06:15 PM
IRVING, Texas - Never had the Cowboys been required to be more creative in signing their draft picks than they were a year ago.
By signing free-agent rookie Chad Hutchinson last February, the quarterback's salary counted against the team's allotted rookie pool, but because he was a free agent, his salary wasn't figured into the league-determined amount.
So the pro-rated portion of Hutchinson's $3.1 million signing bonus, plus first-year salary, wasn't easy to finagle around, but the Cowboys were able to sign all nine draft picks before the start of training camp, using longer contracts with voidable years at the end of the deal. All six players on the roster for the entire season eventually voided out the remaining years of the contract based on playing time.
While it sounds confusing, and at times it was for Cowboys officials who deal with the salary cap on an every-day basis, this year is expected to be a piece of cake.
Not only does the club not have another Hutchinson-type contract to work around this time, but the rookie pool did not increase this season, meaning clubs will likely just go by the contracts given players at the same spot in last year's draft. The Cowboys' rookie pool for 2003 will be $4.205 million, which must account for the first-year cap charge for seven draft choices and 12 rookie free agents.
For example, the contract the Cowboys end up giving to cornerback Terence Newman will be strikingly similar to the deal San Diego gave to cornerback Quentin Jammer last season. Both players were taken at the No. 5 spot, and, although Jammer held out for nearly seven weeks, the former University of Texas standout received a five-year contract worth $15.6 million, including a whopping $10.5 million signing bonus.
The only major changes to Newman's contract will likely be the date signed.
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news_061203.html
By signing free-agent rookie Chad Hutchinson last February, the quarterback's salary counted against the team's allotted rookie pool, but because he was a free agent, his salary wasn't figured into the league-determined amount.
So the pro-rated portion of Hutchinson's $3.1 million signing bonus, plus first-year salary, wasn't easy to finagle around, but the Cowboys were able to sign all nine draft picks before the start of training camp, using longer contracts with voidable years at the end of the deal. All six players on the roster for the entire season eventually voided out the remaining years of the contract based on playing time.
While it sounds confusing, and at times it was for Cowboys officials who deal with the salary cap on an every-day basis, this year is expected to be a piece of cake.
Not only does the club not have another Hutchinson-type contract to work around this time, but the rookie pool did not increase this season, meaning clubs will likely just go by the contracts given players at the same spot in last year's draft. The Cowboys' rookie pool for 2003 will be $4.205 million, which must account for the first-year cap charge for seven draft choices and 12 rookie free agents.
For example, the contract the Cowboys end up giving to cornerback Terence Newman will be strikingly similar to the deal San Diego gave to cornerback Quentin Jammer last season. Both players were taken at the No. 5 spot, and, although Jammer held out for nearly seven weeks, the former University of Texas standout received a five-year contract worth $15.6 million, including a whopping $10.5 million signing bonus.
The only major changes to Newman's contract will likely be the date signed.
http://www.dallascowboys.com/news_061203.html