3 salary cap casualties for the Dallas Cowboys after the 2020 season

The Cowboys are in an interesting cap space position going forward.

With star players such as Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Demarcus Lawrence and Jaylon Smith all signed to long-term extensions, a good portion of Dallas’ core will be around for a long time. On the other hand, the most pressing issue on Dallas’ plate right now is the potential contract extension of quarterback Dak Prescott.

With the franchise tag currently placed on Prescott, owner/GM Jerry Jones has a bit more time for negotiations. With a lot of money already tied to the aforementioned names above, Jones and the front office will have to make the right financial decisions to put themselves as well as Prescott in a position where both sides are satisfied with the agreement. This means having to make a few cuts for the sole reason of cap space.

Here are a few names to look out for as cap casualties after 2020 in Dallas.

No, not Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl hero and star defensive lineman Chris Jones. We are talking about punter Chris Jones.

Jones has been a mainstay for Dallas’ special teams unit for the past nine years. Going into year 10 with the Cowboys, Jones is one of the longest tenured players on the roster. Going into the 2018 season, Jones signed a four-year, $8.7 million extension with Dallas to keep him as the team’s punter going forward.

Going into 2020, Jones currently has two years left on his deal. Barring any unforeseen punter coming into training camp and bumping Jones out of his spot, he should be able to stick around going into the 2020 season. In addition, getting rid of jones would save $1.9 million in cap and carry $1 million in dead money.

2021 is where it gets interesting. With Jones’ guaranteed money already paid out, Dallas can move Jones via trade or cut whenever it feels the need to do so. If Dallas gets rid of Jones in 2021, the team saves $2 million in cap space and only has $500K in dead money.

While the numbers are not eye-opening, every dollar counts when it comes to extending the franchise quarterback. With younger punters expected to be on the market for less money, Dallas could look to get rid of Jones following the 2020 season and invest its financial assets elsewhere on the roster, Prescott or otherwise.