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The Dallas Cowboys aren’t a team that likes to suddenly swing big and go "all-in," as defined in its traditional sense, on any single season. Whether that’s because they truly don’t understand the flexibly and dexterity of the modern-day salary cap, or because they just don’t want their loyal fanbase to understand it, is almost irrelevant.
The fact remains the Cowboys aren’t big cash spenders most years. They actively avoid upgrading in free agency whenever possible and will only bargain hunt when completely necessary. It's possible money just seems to matter more when the owners, as the chief decision makers, essentially get to pocket whatever goes unspent. It’s the world the Cowboys live in, and most fans have begrudgingly come to accept it.
One area that should be of particular interest to this penny-pinching family of Joneses is the understanding and utilization of “surplus value.” Surplus value, from a financial perspective, is a relatively new concept explaining how much money a player on a rookie contract saves a team compared to the veteran alternative.
Pro Football Focus explored the concept a few years back, breaking players down into various tiers. While the exact numbers of those tiers have changed since then, the concept remains the same. An elite player on a rookie deal saves his team an enormous sum of money compared to his veteran counterpart. Furthermore, since some positions are paid more than others in the NFL, each position offers different amounts in surplus value. For a cost-conscious team like the Cowboys this should be of particular interest since some positions offer tens-of-millions in savings while other positions offer very little.
The highest paid positions in the NFL these days are quarterback, receiver, defensive end, defensive tackle and cornerback, respectively. These are the high value positions on the field, and these are the positions offering the most surplus value through rookie contracts. It’s no surprise these are also the most targeted positions early in most drafts.
Positions such as running back, tight end and center offer very little in surplus value since their veteran pay scale falls far below the premium positions. So, the savings made by employing a player on a rookie deal at those positions are fairly paltry.
Picking at No. 12 in the 2025 NFL draft, the Cowboys know what the financial expectations are for their first pick this year. Whatever the pick, regardless of position, they’ll be on the hook for an estimated $4,845,296 in APY. If they can get an elite tiered player with this pick, they’ll score ridiculous savings in surplus value. Even if that pick doesn't grow into an elite performer and only becomes a quality starter, it’ll still secure the Cowboys tens of millions by drafting the right position.
For anyone wondering why so many WRs go early in most drafts, look no further than here. WR is the second-highest paid position in the NFL so snagging a premium prospect on a rookie deal would save the Cowboys over $10 million in costs each season. Offensive tackles, edge rushers, cornerbacks and defensive tackles would all offer savings close to $7 million annually. And those numbers essentially double if their rookie develops into an elite-tiered player at his respective position.
As much as people want to fight it, drafting is about far more than finding good players. It’s about positional value, surplus value, depth, need and so much more. For a front office like Dallas’, surplus value should rank pretty high on their list of considerations. If used correctly it would save them millions year after year. If used incorrectly it would represent a major missed opportunity for a team always looking for ways to save a buck.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: How 'surplus value' can save the Cowboys millions in the NFL draft
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The fact remains the Cowboys aren’t big cash spenders most years. They actively avoid upgrading in free agency whenever possible and will only bargain hunt when completely necessary. It's possible money just seems to matter more when the owners, as the chief decision makers, essentially get to pocket whatever goes unspent. It’s the world the Cowboys live in, and most fans have begrudgingly come to accept it.
One area that should be of particular interest to this penny-pinching family of Joneses is the understanding and utilization of “surplus value.” Surplus value, from a financial perspective, is a relatively new concept explaining how much money a player on a rookie contract saves a team compared to the veteran alternative.
Pro Football Focus explored the concept a few years back, breaking players down into various tiers. While the exact numbers of those tiers have changed since then, the concept remains the same. An elite player on a rookie deal saves his team an enormous sum of money compared to his veteran counterpart. Furthermore, since some positions are paid more than others in the NFL, each position offers different amounts in surplus value. For a cost-conscious team like the Cowboys this should be of particular interest since some positions offer tens-of-millions in savings while other positions offer very little.
The highest paid positions in the NFL these days are quarterback, receiver, defensive end, defensive tackle and cornerback, respectively. These are the high value positions on the field, and these are the positions offering the most surplus value through rookie contracts. It’s no surprise these are also the most targeted positions early in most drafts.
Positions such as running back, tight end and center offer very little in surplus value since their veteran pay scale falls far below the premium positions. So, the savings made by employing a player on a rookie deal at those positions are fairly paltry.
Picking at No. 12 in the 2025 NFL draft, the Cowboys know what the financial expectations are for their first pick this year. Whatever the pick, regardless of position, they’ll be on the hook for an estimated $4,845,296 in APY. If they can get an elite tiered player with this pick, they’ll score ridiculous savings in surplus value. Even if that pick doesn't grow into an elite performer and only becomes a quality starter, it’ll still secure the Cowboys tens of millions by drafting the right position.
For anyone wondering why so many WRs go early in most drafts, look no further than here. WR is the second-highest paid position in the NFL so snagging a premium prospect on a rookie deal would save the Cowboys over $10 million in costs each season. Offensive tackles, edge rushers, cornerbacks and defensive tackles would all offer savings close to $7 million annually. And those numbers essentially double if their rookie develops into an elite-tiered player at his respective position.
As much as people want to fight it, drafting is about far more than finding good players. It’s about positional value, surplus value, depth, need and so much more. For a front office like Dallas’, surplus value should rank pretty high on their list of considerations. If used correctly it would save them millions year after year. If used incorrectly it would represent a major missed opportunity for a team always looking for ways to save a buck.
Follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: How 'surplus value' can save the Cowboys millions in the NFL draft
Continue reading...
