North Dallas Thugboys: Well, it appears we have the 2016 Remittance Policy, and an eye on 2017...

I guess the reason we haven't seen this article until today is that the NFL hadn't finalized the policy yet for 2017.

We also have the final figure on the fine the Cowthugs paid last year:  The MAXIMUM.

Here was, according to ESPN, the 2016 Club Remittance Policy for excessive NFL suspensions:

• At the point at which three players are now suspended for drugs or personal conduct (I assume on the field counts as well), the team was fined 25% of all lost salary (not just the third player, all three!).
• A fourth suspension raises the figure for the team to 33% of all lost salary (base salary, and there's probably a lot of language determinant into what qualifies as such and what does not).
• The maximum fine, which the Cowboys had to pay as of September 29th, when Rolando McClain and Randy Gregory were banned 10 games and DeMarcus Lawrence four, is $500,000.

Although ESPN is only claiming three suspensions (and this would only make sense if the policy resets with the new "league year" around March 1, and does not apply to suspensions made before that date which cross over afterward), it appears as if Jerry Jones can just hand another $500,000 to Roger Goodell as he gets his Hall of Fame ring this week...

• If Gregory counts against the number for his January 9th strike three, that's about $260,000 alone on Gregory's $780,813 lost salary.
• Since the policy is an open deterrent against teams taking players who violate the league's conduct or drug policies, Shaquelle Evans, who was cut from the Cowboys six days after his suspension, counts.  The figure against him was $127,058.
• David Irving, for his 4-game suspension, is $144,706.
• DaMontre Moore, for his 2-game suspension, forfeits $97,508.

And this doesn't even take into account the indefinite suspension of last year from McClain, which continues!  (Though, according to Spotrac, McClain, if he were in the league, is actually an unrestricted free agent and carries no further per-game penalty, as a result!)

So, at barest of minimum (as ESPN points out), the Cowboys would be on the hook for a check for just Evans, Irving, and Moore (25% of a total of $369,272, or $92,318).

If Gregory is added, the total jumps, due to the percentage increase, to over $380,000 -- and that doesn't count Ezekiel Elliot, Nolan Carroll, and Damien Wilson.

If you want evidence as to why people say the NFL is 32 teams of thugs:  Here's evidence for that argument...

The Dallas Cowboys could have EIGHT players responsible to them (one cut, one was suspended in the last year of his deal, one previous season carry-over, five this season), and the fucking owner can just give the league $500,000 and the problem goes away.

Yeah...  That's the ticket...