b_btrick

One comment and one question:

I'm not sure if anyone else has said this yet, however I think it would be a great gesture for the Pats to use some of the space to give 'underpaid' (by Pats standards) players a bonus this year. Specifically Bruschi and Harrison even though both are older and returning from injury (ok, so Bruschi returned last year but still ... ). It would be a great way for the Pats to show that they can and will reward for performance beyond pay and work as an incentive for those low wage players.

As to the question, arent the 'not likely to be reached' incentives rolled over to next year so that a team can actually have more than the set cap space to use? Perhaps that wasnt the right way to say it, however, it seems to me that I have heard/read that if players have incentive in their contracts that are not likely to be reached, and they are not reached so that the money isnt paid out this year, then that money is available to be used next year. If this is so, then it would seem that the Pats would want to take advantage of that and negotiate/renegotiate contracts using incentives that would carry any extra money over to the next season rather than simply not using it this year and losing the ability to use it if necessary next year.
Of course this was under that previous CBA and may not be in the present one.

pats1

Here's how it goes with LTBEs/NLTBEs:

A LTBE counts against the cap in Season A. The player reaches the LTBE in Season A. There is no carry-over into Season B.

A LTBE counts against the cap in Season A. The player doesn't reach the LTBE in Season A. The team receives a cap credit worth the LTBE for Season B.

A NLTBE doesn't count against the cap in Season A. The player reaches the NLTBE in Season A. The team receives a cap charge worth the NLTBE for Season B.

A NLTBE doesn't count against the cap in Season A. The player doesn't reach the NLTBE in Season. There is no carry-over into Season B.

5 Rings for Brady!!

Sarge:

One area of speculation about Willie has been that Bioli was not happy with him, because Willie refused to switch sides with Colvin, to better utilize Colvin after his hip injury. With Willie losing a step during the first half of the season as well, the Pats were going to move on without Willie unless the price for Willie was low. And they did supposedly contact Willie plenty about his contract, what he said on ESPN may have been a little dishonest.

This is all speculation, but I also read that Colvin worked at Willie's old spot in mini camp at one point this offseason.

I wasn't there, obviously, but there could be a lot more to the McGinnest release than fans are suggesting by saying that we should have resigned him. I think Bioli probably made the appropriate effort, given their view of the situation. Willie is rolling in money right now, and we don't have to face him in any meaningful games because the Browns are still a last place team in their division. We probably could only get one more year out of him, at this point. We need to develop some new players at that position, and we are trying to.

b_btrick

Ah, I see. Not a 'likely to be used' scenario then (pun intended) since any bonus would likely be reached. Unless, there were some way to establish goals that would not likely be reached, and still call them likely to be reached so that the money carried over.
What is the deciding factor in whether a goal is likely to be reached (LTBE) and not likely to be reached (NLBTE)?
I can see putting in a bonus for Brady to run for 1000 yards would be an NLBTE, however what about puttin in a condition for Seymour to get say 10 sacks? Thats not likely to happen even though its not completely outrageous.
Is it a set standard (such as a player reaching a goal he has never reached before) or simply someone sitting around saying 'thats not gonna happen' and writing it up as an NLBTE, or is it actually stipulated when the contract is signed that 'this set of goals are all LTBE and this set of goals are all NLTBE'?


Oops, kinda off topic, sorry. Just curious, thanks for the clarification.

Welker83

There is not much talent at the monent in the Free agent market. it would be foolish to go cash crazy.

I think the pats usual plan of sitting back may have back-fired on them a little this year. Ussually they could find plenty of impact guys at cheap prices, but with the inflation of the cap, and all the teams having excess cash i think a lot of the talent that ussually gets passed over was chomped up.

I think the best thing the Pats could do is:
1. Find common ground w/ Branch and sign him.
2. Re-up any good talents to long term deals.
3. Possibly sign Law... (his price will not go down till TC though...)

__________________
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pats1

I'm not entirely sure, but I believe the NFL might dictate what's NLTBE/LTBE.

One twist is that after the season starts, any incentive added is automatically LTBE, so it can be for 1,000,000 rushing yards, which won't be reached, giving the team a cap credit for the next season.

b_btrick

Might be an interesting way to roll over any extra space from this year. Just tack it on as incentives for one of the guys on the PS. As a PS player they wont be making any incentives and if they are picked up by another team, then again, they wont be making their incentives (at least not with the Pats) and the incentive money is available for next year.

VJCPatriot

Right now the question is not if the Pats have enough cap room. The question is how do they plan to burden their cap in future years.

Signing McGinest would have been affordable this year, but that contract lasts 4 years. Does that deal start to look better when he is in his decline over the second half of the contract? Nope.

That's the problem with the cap. No extra cap room doesn't "carry over" per se. But any contracts you give out WILL carry over impact to future seasons. Potentially tying the Pats hands in future years.

Sure I'd like to see the Pats make a splash as there is nothing much between now and TC. But not just to make a splash just for the sake of making a splash. That's what Daniel Snyder does. Look how many rings that has won the Skins. And they really would have been in cap hell this year had it not been for the new CBA. But I'm sure with the rate of Snyder's signings and bonuses given out he will quickly destroy the Skins future cap as well, even with the cap increases.

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shakadave

I'll go

1) Deion Branch
2) Seymour bonus-thing $6m
3) get Graham done
4) Ty Law
5) Koppen
6) Buy Wilfork a nice salmon dinner

__________________
Please, God, don't let us ever suck as bad as the 2011 Cowboys did in the Jets opener.
* * * * *
"I got a little shine on and showed you guys a little taste of my speed."

----Vince Wilfork, Jan. 7, 2007

sarge

So, now that Law is out of the question, and the Pats seem unwilling to overpay for Branch, where does the money go?

I will be furious if this team just eats the cap space!
I can't see how they are going to get close to the cap.

This team has a lot of wholes on Defense, and did zilch to address them.

At this point, if the choices are either
A. Pony up for Branch
B. Lose the cap space.

I say pony up! It isn't as if they will get to use the money saved eslewhere!