Less than one day into the now unlocked 2011 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys are making moves to get under the salary cap, according to ESPN's Calvin Watkins and Dan Graziano. As of this morning, the Cowboys were around $17 million over the cap. Jerry Jones met with some players today and told them not to bother reporting to camp on Wednesday because they'd be released before then.
The first of those cuts will be Marion Barber, who is owed $4.75 million. The Cowboys were debating on cutting Barber before the lockout began so this doesn't come as a surprise. In addition to under performing last season (113 rushes, 374 yards and four TDs), Barber defied head coach Jason Garrett after he took over last season by not compiling with his dress code for road games. Barber most likely knew his days in Dallas were numbered when the Cowboys took DeMarco Murray out of Oklahoma in the third round of this year's draft.
The most surprising of the cuts is Leonard Davis, who has started every game since he signed his seven-year, $49.6 million contract in 2007. He wasn't as consistent this season as he'd been in years past with Dallas, but part of that had to do with Marc Colombo being the weak link in the offensive line for the Cowboys. The Cowboys will save $6 million by cutting Davis.
Speaking of Colombo, it would seem that for the near future, he appears to be safe. Colombo met with Jones and the Cowboys this morning, and while he didn't seem optimistic about the future, he knows he has at least one more day in Dallas
"I didn't get released so that's a good sign," Colombo said to ESPN Dallas (h/t Dallas Morning News). "That's not to say that's not going to happen by tomorrow or Friday. We'll see what happens and see if we can come to an agreement. I've loved my time here. I love being a Cowboy. I hope it continues."
Also, the Cowboys have informed Roy Williams that he will also be cut. This could be the end of a very controversial and unproductive partnership between Williams and the Cowboys.
Williams never did live up to the five-year, $45 million extension he received when he was traded to the Cowboys from the Detroit Lions in 2008. The Cowboys hesitated on cutting Williams before the lockout because he would've counted for over $12 million against the cap. In his last two years in Dallas, Williams didn't break 40 catches, 600 yards and eight touchdowns.
The Cowboys also informed kicker Kris Brown that he will be cut soon. Brown, who was expected to compete with David Buehler for the starting job, was supposed to make $910,000 this season.
There were also rumors floating around earlier in the year that the Cowboys could part ways with Terence Newman, but there has been no word of Newman being on the chopping block recently.
In other Cowboys news, the team has already reached agreements with nine undrafted free agents. Here is a list of those players, according to NBC DFW Sports.
K Dan Bailey, Oklahoma State
S Justin Taplin-Ross, Utah
C Kevin Kowalski, Toledo
C Jose Acune, Nevada
OG Leupapa Letuli, Hawaii
WR Lyle Leong, Texas Tech
CB Mario Butler, Georgia Tech
CB Chris Randle, Utah State
QB Zack Eskridge, Midwestern State
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/779844-dallas-cowboys-waste-no-time-making-cuts
Jonathan Albaladejo Andrew Brackman A.J. Burnett Steve Garrison Phil Hughes Damaso Marte
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