FRISCO – When it comes to spending and the salary cap, the Dallas Cowboys have earned every bit of skepticism and cynicism that Cowboys Nation can manufacture.

Jerry and Stephen Jones have written big checks to keep their own stars, most recently with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, with Micah Parsons next in line.

So in that sense, they aren’t “cheap.”

But our reports dating back to last February about how a “Blow It Up” plan pointing toward a true remodeling of the coaching staff and the roster are factual.

No, being bad in 2024 wasn’t exactly the plan … and Dallas was indeed bad, limping to a 7-10 record. This wasn’t about “sabotaging” coach Mike McCarthy or about “forfeiting the season.”

Rather, it was about 2024 being a year that wouldn’t be about the Joneses investing resources, choosing instead to “keep our powder dry” for a quick and timely “Blow It Up” and remodel for 2025.

And now 2025 is here. And so is the skepticism and cynicism … and heck even COO Stephen Jones is (for reasons we cannot fathom) insisting that roster-building for 2025 is going to be “really, really tight.”

But the math is the math. There has been pain along the way and there might be changes to the original concept; if the lame-duck McCarthy is retained, that puts a slightly different spin on “Blow It Up.” And there are no guarantees that this will work.

We don’t know that the Cowboys will buy wisely 2025 NFL free agency. Until it starts unfolding, and soon, we can’t even promise that they will buy at all.

But factually, it is perfectly clear that Dallas set itself up to have in the range of a whopping $100 million in cap room for this upcoming season.

There is a path. And there is a math. And it’s much more simple than the skeptics and the cynics think. To wit (in big round numbers) in five simple steps

*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.

Do that? 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.

Do that? The Cowboys will have created $20 million more of room.

*STEP 5: The third leg on this journey: Sign Micah to a deal that could make him the highest-paid defensive player of all time … and causes his 2025 cap impact to move from $20 million to $10 million.

Do that? 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 we 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.

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 … if Jerry and Stephen will simply do it.

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