Money Under the Cap Gone???

[b72s]

Did I miss something or don't we lose our money under the 2006 cap with the new year.

I gotta believe we used it before we lost it??

Did not see any new extensions or signing yet???

 

[SeanBruschi54]

So whats the big deal?

They did restructure one contract of a player (not known at this time) to help future cap numbers.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

The deadline for using that money passed on Saturday afternoon. Reiss reported it was unlikely there were going to be any extensions done before the deadline. That doesn't mean they didn't find ways to "spend" or basically spend down what remained, which was reportedly down to just $3M+ last week, by adding some LTBE incentives to various players contracts. Mike did report that some of the excess had already been spent down that way last week.

Remember the cap is set at $109M for next season and we are reportedly around $30M under heading into 2007.

 

[BelichickFan]

They did restructure one contract of a player (not known at this time) to help future cap numbers.

Plus Koppen's earlier with some moved to next year there, it sounds like they were able to move $3-$5M into next year. Now if they can just find someone to take their money next year

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Remember the cap is set at $109M for next season and we are reportedly around $30M under heading into 2007.

But until every dime of that 2007 $109M is spent, we'll be suffused here with posts lamenting the Krafts' cheapness and front office stupidity.

 

[fgssand]

But until every dime of that 2007 $109M is spent, we'll be suffused here with posts lamenting the Krafts' cheapness and front office stupidity.[/QUOTE
Dead nuts on...amazing isn't it?

The Kraft's save football for New England, keep the team in Foxboro, build the stadium with their own money and no PSL'S, bring us a first class organization all the way complete with a dynasty no less......but, certain ungratefull schmucks in here feel the need to call them cheap OR cite their sucessses after the fact.

It is real easy to tell us how much the franchise is worth now and how rich they are today, AFTER they put it all on the line and took the risk when they needed to.

It appears that they did use most, if not all their cap money - I wonder where and how it all ends up going.

 

[mgteich]

For me, it is not a matter of cheap. It is a matter of spending 2006 cap monies in 2008, 2009 and 2010 instead of in 2006. There weren't enough players available that met our value proposition in 2006. The same will likely be the case in 2007. Hopefully, there will be more extensions that are not backloaded as was previously the practice.

Before the flames, I have no doubt that the FO will make more than reasonable offers to all our high-priority free agents. Unfortunately, that fact alone doesn't put any players on the 2007 squad.

But until every dime of that 2007 $109M is spent, we'll be suffused here with posts lamenting the Krafts' cheapness and front office stupidity.

 

[DarrylS]

Looks like they spent the money wisely, and next year we have some extra money to spend. Do not envision using it on any big named wide receivers, but expect to see some changes in our LB's and CB's. Perhaps lock up Assante, if he wants reasonable numbers. Graham maybe, if it is good value. We also have two #1's which will tie up some cash.

Everytime I hear this org is cheap, wanna maim the author of that thread. Bob Kraft does not equal cheap, by any stretch of the imagination.

 

[upstater1]

For me, it is not a matter of cheap. It is a matter of spending 2006 cap monies in 2008, 2009 and 2010 instead of in 2006. There weren't enough players available that met our value proposition in 2006. The same will likely be the case in 2007. Hopefully, there will be more extensions that are not backloaded as was previously the practice.

Before the flames, I have no doubt that the FO will make more than reasonable offers to all our high-priority free agents. Unfortunately, that fact alone doesn't put any players on the 2007 squad.

A good business will not throw its salary structure out of whack just because it has a few flush years. You need to do it gradually. If the cap goes up 15% and suddenly you're giving you players 15% more money than the old, it will cause bad feelings. I once worked in a company with cost-of-living increases, and during a profitabkle spell, the sector got competitive, and before you knew it, you had entry level people making more than the people who were there for 10 years.

You simply can't throw your salary structure out of whack and retain team harmony. You're better off spending to the cap by pushing the savings into future years. This allows you to manage the money better because eventually those 15% cap raises are going to end, and when they do, you're going to find a lot of disgruntled players who insist on being paid in current dollars when that team has already spent them. If the Patriots can come to within 3 million of the cap before they push the money forward, that's all you can ask.

 

[b72s]

Thanks

I know teh Krafts have been good for the team and with private financing they deserve any penny they can squeeze.

I was just shaking the trees to see if missed something that might have
happened.

Guess Graham and Asante will have to wait until offseason!!!

$30MM should be able to get us some FAs too!!!

 

[mcsully]

Re: Thanks

I know teh Krafts have been good for the team and with private financing they deserve any penny they can squeeze.

I was just shaking the trees to see if missed something that might have
happened.

Guess Graham and Asante will have to wait until offseason!!!

$30MM should be able to get us some FAs too!!!

I would suspect with the salary cap going up, they'll franchise A.Samuel.
Now Graham on the other hand, I really hope they resign him. And as someone pointed out, he is a team captain. So maybe I'm kiddig myself but hoepfully that is the first step to letting him know he is wanted..

 

[JR4]

Did I miss something or don't we lose our money under the 2006 cap with the new year.
.....

Not sure what yo mean by "money under cap gone"

That would seem to indicate they spent it somehow ... so it's gone.

If they haven't spent it then the phyical money is not gone it's
still in the Patriots pockets ... right?

 

[jct]

It would be nice to know what happened to the last $3.5M.
Kraft promished it would be spent.

 

[AzPatsFan]

I suspect that a lot of incentives in many palyers contracts based on making the playoffs have just been met. BB doesn't like individual incentives as it can create selfish play, but does favor team success based incentives.

There are probably others, based on how far they get in the playoffs. I'll bet that most of it disappears if they reach, and then how far they go in the playoffs, but some is already gone, due on the fact of winning the AFCE division championship.

Don't forget they got docked over $2 million in cap for incentives NLTBE that were in fact earned in 2005. If a $ million is still unspent, on a $100 million dollar budget is about 1% surplus, and just what good planning is all about. That is enough perhaps a single additional player on IR, and the cost of his his replacement, and you can't plan and budget any closer then that.

 

[Miguel]

I suspect that a lot of incentives in many palyers contracts based on making the playoffs have just been met.

That can't be true. The Pats made the playoffs last year so making them this year would have made an incentive based on making the playoffs LTBE for the entire year.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Not sure what yo mean by "money under cap gone"

That would seem to indicate they spent it somehow ... so it's gone.

If they haven't spent it then the phyical money is not gone it's
still in the Patriots pockets ... right?

For a comparatively rich team like the Pats, it's sort of a "goal" to spend the most possible money, while still spending it on something you want.

The original poster wasn't asking whether the money is gone, he was asking whether the right to spend money is gone. As in, if we were 8 mil under (just a random number, some people are saying it was as low as 3.5 mil,) then is the right to spend that 8 million now gone.

And I don't have a clue as to the answer.

I think -- but please correct me, cap mavens -- that there is/was a loophole where you pay a likely to be earned (LTBE) incentive during a cap year, and account for an unlikely to be earned (UTBE) during the following year.

That would mean, if a player has UTBEs that you knew he was going to hit anyway as part of his contract, that gives you flexibility, assuming you can convert them to LTBEs by redoing the contract by the end of the year. I THINK this is the loophole we all talk about, but again, I am no expert.

But again, this depends in part not just on my own murky understanding, but also on whether this has changed at all during the new collective bargaining agreement -- as in, does the new CBA close this loophole?

By the way, around the start of the season I saw a list of teams that don't really make "spending to the cap" a priority. Of course, NE is always at the top of the spending list (so much for "cheap.") but guys at the bottom were like 40 million under the cap... I think Houston was one of them, if anyone has the Texans' cap status. Anyway, whether or not my memory is right re: the Texans, there are teams which are not just "leaving space for a rainy day", they're shorting the fans and players.

Most big-market teams like the Pats do everything they can to spend money within a cap year, and see the salary cap as a limitation (assuming they get value for their expenditure.)

Contrary to some loudmouth opposing player comments, the Pats don't short the players, except (arguably) at the very top, and by mutual agreement. (Often people argue that Brady could have gotten more on the open market, for instance.)

Another sick-day rant. Anyway the answer is that the question was, does our right to spend go away with the new year (not does the money go away).

PFnV

 

[RayClay]

It would be nice to know what happened to the last $3.5M.
Kraft promished it would be spent.

You want them to find a player who's worth exactly 3.5 million just so they can say the money's spent?

 

[alamo]

You want them to find a player who's worth exactly 3.5 million just so they can say the money's spent?

You do realize that with all the prior discussion on this subject, particularly about how they can push money forward to next year, your question is ridiculous?

The camp who complains about people allegedly saying "Kraft is cheap" seem 10 times as vocal and prominent as the people actually saying Kraft is cheap. In other words, almost noone says Kraft is cheap but if what someone says can be twisted into implying Kraft is cheap he is jumped on.

 

[spacecrime]

The camp who complains about people allegedly saying "Kraft is cheap" seem 10 times as vocal and prominent as the people actually saying Kraft is cheap.

Well, we have people who complain that Kraft is cheap. And we have people who complain about the people who complain that Kraft is cheap.

And now we have people who complain about the people who complain about the people who complain that Kraft is cheap.

And you guessed it: I am starting a group of people who complain about the people who complain about the people who complain about the people who complain that Kraft is cheap.

Any complaints about this?

 

[alamo]

Well, we have people who complain that Kraft is cheap. And we have people who complain about the people who complain that Kraft is cheap.

And now we have people who complain about the people who complain about the people who complain that Kraft is cheap.

And you guessed it: I am starting a group of people who complain about the people who complain about the people who complain about the people who complain that Kraft is cheap.

Any complaints about this?

Oh no, that's next door. It's being-hit-on-the-head lessons in here.