Salary Cap 101 Inside the numbers that drive the NFL offseason

This is the time of year when the business of the NFL kicks into high gear. Free agency starts Tuesday, and teams will have to manage their payroll to comply with the league’s salary cap.

For years, the Cowboys struggled to keep their financial house in order as they doled out big contracts to players who didn’t hold end up their end of the bargain. But last year, Dallas showed a measure of fiscal restraint, and that conservative approach continues to govern the way the team operates.

To understand why the Cowboys paid dearly in the past and how they recovered, a primer on the salary cap is needed. Here it is: