Cowboys Murder Mystery: Scoop on Why Zuerlein Does Not Kill Forbath's Chances
FRISCO - The Dallas Cowboys, balking at whatever Greg Zuerlein's free-agency asking price was two weeks ago, turned back to Kai Forbath, who salvaged the position at the end of 2019.
Forbath was given a one-year contract worth $1.05 million (basically the minimum) with a paltry $137,500 signing bonus. Good deal. There's the Cowboys’ kicker in 2020.
But wait. On Friday, Zuerlein and the Cowboys circled back to one another. OK, the market had dried up. (And maybe the Rams' money had, too, when they got a second shot at retaining defensive lineman Michael Brockers.) Zuerlein, the long-time Los Angeles Rams standout who played under John "Bones'' Fassel, was newly interested in joining Fassel in Dallas.
And interested in doing it for less.
So Dallas reached a three-year, $7.5-million deal with Zuerlein while also leaking to the media that he was the Cowboys' "top target.'' (Franchises love to announce deals with supposed "top targets.'') The deal includes $2.25 million guaranteed.
So wait.
Forbath's guarantee is $137,500.
And Zuerlein's guarantee is $2.25 million?!
Given the fact that no NFL team wants to "waste'' $2.25 million on a player it doesn't keep ... the finances here pretty much murder Forbath's chances, right?
"Nope,'' a source tells me. "(The Cowboys) like 'em both.''
And they "like 'em'' enough, too, to have done the real math on what would happen if we get to training camp and Forbath flat beats out Zuerlein.
The deal with Zuerlein includes an "offset guarantee.'' In the event he's released, yes, Dallas guarantees him that $2.25 million - minus whatever his next employer pays him. That's the "offset.''
Zuerlein, 32, struggled late last season with the Rams. But he's a Pro Bowl-credentialed kicker. In the event Dallas divorces him, he'll get another chance. And if, with his next team, he gets a $1 million salary? The Cowboys will owe him only the "offset guarantee'' remaining, equaling $1,225,000. If he gets a $2 million salary? The Cowboys will owe him only the "offset guarantee'' remaining, equaling ... $225,000.
In total, then, if Forbath is given the opportunity to beat out Zuerlein, and does so, and then Zuerlein eventually signs elsewhere, Dallas' total 2020 investment in the kicker position will be ...
Forbath's $1.05 million + Zeurlein's offset leftover (for this argument let's say $225,000) = $1.3 million.
If Zuerlein's new deal elsewhere is just worth, say, $1.5 mil? Fine. That's ...
Forbath's $1.05 million + Zeurlein's offset leftover (for this argument let's say $725,000) = $1.75 million.
These are small prices to pay for a kicker in Forbath who proves himself good enough to beat out the accomplished Zuerlein. So financially, either way, Dallas has set itself up for a victory here. The kicker who wins will be worth it. And the kicker who just got paid more did not at all just murder the chances of the kicker who didn't.
