Dallas Cowboys
TightDallas Cowboys are carrying $95.0M in dead money this year — cap already spent on players no longer on the roster. They project $1.8M OVER the 2027 cap before signing a single player — restructures, extensions or cuts are required to get compliant. Real flexibility doesn't arrive until 2028 (projected +$68.2M), as current deals roll off. The decisions that shape it: Dak Prescott ($76.0M), CeeDee Lamb ($46.1M), Kenny Clark ($23.7M) top the 2027 book.
Cap trajectory
Projected space, next three years
2026+$16.8M
$314.6M committed
2027−$1.8M
$328.8M committed
2028+$68.2M
$283.8M committed
Space is OTC's projection against a projected future cap. Negative = over the line before any new signings.
Decision watch-list
Biggest 2027 cap hits
| Dak Prescott | $76.0M |
| CeeDee Lamb | $46.1M |
| Kenny Clark | $23.7M |
| Tyler Smith | $19.6M |
| DaRon Bland | $19.5M |
| Terence Steele | $15.2M |
Ranked by cap hit — the contracts that drive the restructure-or-cut call. Per-player cut-savings math isn't modeled yet.