Cowboys trying to lower Brandon Carr's cap number

Dallas Cowboys trying to lower Brandon Carr’s cap number from $12.717 million

The Dallas Cowboys want Brandon Carr wearing a star come September. But the Cowboys have some cap problems to work out, and one place they need to make some cap space is with Brandon Carr. Five years ago Carr signed a five-year, $50.1 million contract. Carr stands to earn $8 million base salary and count $12.717 million against Dallas’ cap. While Carr’s play has been good, it isn’t nearly $13 million good.

Carr has declined to talk about the specifics of his contract or his willingness to take a pay cut. However, Carr did dance around the subject when asked about it recently, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News.

"I’m a Cowboy. I love being a Cowboy. As long as I’m in this building, I’m going to give it my all."

This is a typical response from players that are under contract but are in the process of either figuring out a new contract or potentially being traded or cut. Carr’s agent, Ben Dogra, has been less diplomatic and instead has said that Carr would not agree to a pay cut. This is the same agent that unsuccessfully tried to negotiate a trade or new contract for Adrian Peterson.

With talks ongoing it remains a possibility that the Cowboys could make Carr a post-June 1 cut. Doing so would free up Carr’s base salary, a whopping $8 million. However, that money will count against Dallas’ 2016 cap number. If it gets to a point where the Cowboys may have to cut Carr, they might attempt to trade him in hopes of netting an additional return on their investment.

The last option available to them, assuming Carr is unwilling to take a pay cut and the Cowboys are unwilling to pay him his current salary, would be to negotiate a contract extension. This would increase his cap hit but move it a few years down the road, creating problems for later but solving the situation at present.

The Cowboys may have prepared themselves for the eventuality of Carr’s departure by drafting cornerback Byron Jones with their 2015 first-round pick. But with Orlando Scandrick looking for a new deal and the chronically under-performing Morris Claiborne returning from injury, their cornerback depth would be very thin.

In his three seasons with the Cowboys, Carr has six interceptions, 33 passes defended, and two touchdowns. He’s considered by head coach Jason Garrett to be a team leader on the defensive side of the football. Expect the Cowboys to figure out a way to keep him on the roster.

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