5 most cost-effective players on Cowboys 2024 roster

5 most cost-effective players on Cowboys 2024 roster.

Which five players, as the Cowboys prepare for another offseason, best exemplify how performance and compensation should be balanced?

Some players make it easier for the Dallas Cowboys to handle the pay cap this summer than others. Certain players on the squad will need the team to make some difficult decisions and creative maneuvers, but others offer flexibility because they are relative steals.

Dak Prescott won’t be on this list, I promise. The likes of DeMarcus Lawrence and Zack Martin, who continue to be exceptional performers despite topping the charts with their $20 million-plus cap hits, won’t either. Today, our attention is on the men who, should they find employment, aren’t earning what they could.

Because he’s likely to receive a major extension this offseason, we’re not including Micah Parsons on this list. His current $5.4 million cap hit is ridiculous for one of the top five defensive players in the league. Parsons knows it, the Cowboys know it, and it’s probably going to change before September to avoid a holdout.

With that said, let’s get into it!

WR CeeDee Lamb

$17.99 million cap hit

Lamb was so good in 2023 that his cap hit quadrupling from $4.5 million to about $18 million doesn’t make anyone flinch. This jump happens because Lamb moves out of the standard four years of his rookie deal into the fifth-year option, which Dallas exercised last spring. Lamb posted career numbers last season and established himself as an elite NFL receiver.

While $18 million would make Lamb the fourth-most expensive player on the 2024 roster, at least based on current numbers, it wouldn’t even put him in the top ten for annual WR compensation league-wide. Tyreek Hill is making $30 million per year and others are in the $28-$23 million range.

Lamb led the NFL in catches last year, was second in receiving yards, and third in touchdowns. He’d be a steal even at $18 million, and there’s a good chance that number will come down if the Cowboys work out a long-term extension for him this offseason.

CB DaRon Bland

$1.06 million cap hit

Bland is now the best value on the team after going from a fifth-round selection to the First Team All-Pro in just 20 months. Despite having to shift from the slot to the outside following Trevon Diggs’ injury, Bland excelled in overall coverage in addition to recording the highest number of interceptions in the league.

Bland is still just three years into his rookie contract, so his income won’t increase dramatically, even if he should receive a raise based on the league’s performance-based pay scheme. You could multiply Bland’s current salary several times over and still win at one of the most desirable positions in football.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*