Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has admitted that the team have made errors in money management.
The Cowboys are currently estimated to be around $20m (£12m) over the projected $130m (£78m) salary cap for next season, a problem they will need to rectify by March 11.
The team have already restructured the contracts of linebacker Sean Lee, cornerback Orlando Scandrick and quarterback Tony Romo, but Jones admitted that they had overpaid for a number of players.
"All of that boils down to management of a cap, management of certainly having players that deserve to get the money that you got," Jones told KRLD-FM Dallas/Fort Worth.
"When I look back on it, we probably paid some people that we probably would have been better off not paying."
Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware is one of the players who could become a salary cap casualty if he can't agree a restructured deal with the team.