Inside The Cowboys' 'Blow It Up' Plan to $100M in 2025 Cap Room

*STEP 1: Experts predict the 2025 cap to be in the range of $275 million. But in Dallas' case, there will be a 2024 carryover of $25 million (cap space "powder'' the Joneses purposely did not use this year). That effectively gives Dallas a $300 salary ceiling for 2025.

*STEP 2: Right now? Add is up. Dak Prescott is scheduled to count as $90 million against the cap, with CeeDee Lamb at $35 million and with Micah Parsons at $20 million. That’s $145 million for three guys, which is the origin of the misguided info being spread by ESPN and elsewhere that "Dak and Lamb will take up 45 percent of the cap!'' and "Dak, Lamb and Micah will take up 53 percent of the cap!''

*STEP 3: Those percentages would be true, except ... it is already built into Dak's contract for Dallas to "flip a switch'' that spreads his money into future "void years'' (a common practice across the NFL) in a way that will move his cap hit from $90 million to $50 million. The Cowboys will have created $40 million of room.

*STEP 4: It's also built into Lamb's deal to do the same. Again, no "asking,'' no "negotiation'' and no changes to the players' total payday. In CeeDee's case, the switch will be flipped from $35 million to $15 million. The Cowboys will have created $20 million more of room.

*STEP 5: The third leg on this journey: Sign Micah to a deal that both makes him the highest-paid defensive player of all time ... and causes his 2025 cap impact to move from $20 million to $10 million. the Cowboys will have created $10 million more of room.

And ... done. Again, these are all normal NFL front-offices practices - standard tools available in the toolbox - and added up, Dallas' three moves will have created $40 mil (Dak) + $20 mil (Lamb) + $10 mil (Micah) + the $30 mil (carryover) ...

And the three players will be taking up just 25 percent of the cap and the Cowboys will have a rather astounding $100 million in 2025 cap room! ... with what I hope is now some clarity as to the math and the path!

There are dozens of complicated wrinkles that can be involved, and again, we're using big round numbers to keep the math simple (for me!) There are also the ensuing questions about whether Cowboys Nation trusts the Joneses to spend the $100 million worth of room wisely. But the plan is in place. "Blow It Up'' is coming.

And we're just shown you the five steps to the math and the path.