Around the NFL: Offseason edition 2.0

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by dmek25

schneed, the cowboys now have 3 players suspended. what does that do to their cap? is it just like nothing happened?

Great question.

So let's take McClain. He is suspended 10 games. The Cowboys will get relief on their salary cap for the 10 games he misses, so they open up cap space by the amount of whatever game checks he misses out on during the suspension.

But, in order to accrue a "league season" you need to be on the active roster (and not suspended) for at least six games. So if McClain comes back for the last six games and is active on game days, he accrues a league season, and thus is one year closer to free agency.

If he doesn't get through 6 games on the active roster, he does not accrue a league season, meaning his contract with the Cowboys essentially extends by one year. It's like being held back in 2nd grade to repeat it after failing too many classes.

In the event he does not accrue the league season, his 2016 salary would essentially become his 2017 salary, and his 2017 salary would become his 2018 salary. Etc.

The cap space created by McClain's suspension this year will roll into next year, if it goes unused. So in a way, from a STRICT salary cap perspective, the Cowboys might be onto something by employing players prone to suspension. The plus side is it offers salary cap relief. I would never want to build a team that way, bad character doesn't win, but you do get a break on the cap during a suspension.