The Dallas Cowboys will place retired center Travis Frederick on the reserve/retired list on Thursday, freeing up $7 million in salary-cap space.
Frederick announced his retirement in March, but the Cowboys opted to keep him on their active roster until now in order to be able to spread the salary-cap hit over the next two seasons. He was set to count $11.975 million against the cap in 2020 but will now count $4.975 million this year and $6.06 million in 2021.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Cowboys have a little more than $11 million in cap room, but they have not signed any of their draft picks.
The added space does not impact the negotiations involving quarterback Dak Prescott. He already counts $31.5 million against the cap even though he has yet to sign the exclusive franchise tag. If he signs a multiyear agreement, his 2020 cap number should decrease.
Frederick, 29, opted to retire despite starting every game last season and earning his fifth Pro Bowl appearance. He missed the 2018 season because of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that affects the nervous system. The Cowboys are looking at Joe Looney, who replaced Frederick in 2018, Connor McGovern, Connor Williams and Tyler Biadasz, a fourth-round pick, as the starting center in 2020.
