This year's cap games winner: Kyle Eckel

[ctpatsfan77]

From The Globe:

The main move was altering the contract of backup running back Kyle Eckel - extending it one year through next season and adding incentives - which will result in a $5.6 million credit on the 2008 salary cap.

I presume they're actually giving him a signing bonus of some sort (the NFLPA doesn't like it when teams play cap games without benefiting the player). I wonder, though, what the faux incentive was. . . . "The player will receive a $5.6 million bonus if he leads the team in touchdown passes"?

When the Patriots adjusted the contract of Eckel in the final week of the regular season, setting themselves up for a $5.6 million credit on the 2008 salary cap, they likely had some of those issues in mind. Always planning ahead, the team finished 2007 with just $536 remaining on its salary cap.

Cheapskates.

 

[ClevTrev]

This starts the time of year from now through training camp when Pioli and his organization prepare the team's roster with skill positions and depth while planning to work the salary structure with the cap constraints. This is when the Patriots position themselves to be a winner.

 

[xmarkd400x]

When the Patriots adjusted the contract of Eckel in the final week of the regular season, setting themselves up for a $5.6 million credit on the 2008 salary cap, they likely had some of those issues in mind. Always planning ahead, the team finished 2007 with just $536 remaining on its salary cap.

Oh. My. God. Accounting at its best. This years cap = $109M

$536/$109M = 0.0005% accuracy.

 

[WhiZa]

I'll sign a contract for $536 a year

 

[Pat the Pats Fan]

$536/$109M = 0.0005% accuracy.

Wow, Scott, see if you can work on that and get closer next year....

 

[Krazy Koz]

I remember hearing something that last year they were like 50 or 25 cents within the cap. Anyone remember that? or am I way off?

 

[makewayhomer]

I don't get it. how could the credit be $5.6m when his cap figure this year was $250k ish

I'll wait for Miguel to chime in

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I don't get it. how could the credit be $5.6m when his cap figure this year was $250k ish

I'll wait for Miguel to chime in

Quite simply, that $5.6 million is the Pats' "excess" cap room from 2007 which they're rolling over into 2008. They re-worked Eckel's contract with a bizarre incentive like the one I mentioned above, which, since it's added in mid-season, counts as Likely to Be Earned, and therefore counts against this year's cap. But, since the payoff was not earned, the money gets credited to the 2008 cap.

 

[makewayhomer]

Quite simply, that $5.6 million is the Pats' "excess" cap room from 2007 which they're rolling over into 2008. They re-worked Eckel's contract with a bizarre incentive like the one I mentioned above, which, since it's added in mid-season, counts as Likely to Be Earned, and therefore counts against this year's cap. But, since the payoff was not earned, the money gets credited to the 2008 cap.

huh, ok. I assume this is something that most teams do?

 

[Oswlek]

huh, ok. I assume this is something that most teams do?

Many do. Those that don't are screwing themselves.

 

[Va_Pats_Fan]

Many do. Those that don't are screwing themselves.

Buffalo probably doesn't. Why would they need a cap of 200 million?

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

I remember hearing something that last year they were like 50 or 25 cents within the cap. Anyone remember that? or am I way off?

I remember the same thing and was thinking that they must have screwed up big time to be off by $500 this year (sarcasm meter- off the charts)

Edited- giving credit where credit is due- Miguel as usual......
>>>>>>http://www.patscap.com/2006capinfo.html

According to my figures the Patriots' 2006 cap figure is $99,647,347 with 68 players (53 active) signed and a 8-man practice squad. The salary cap is $102 million. The Patriots's adjusted cap adjustment is a negative $1,990,060 so their adjusted cap number will be $100,009,940. Therefore, if my calcuations are correct, the Pats are under the cap by around $400,000. Adamjt13 reported that the Patriots ended the 2006 season under the cap by just 76 cents so my numbers are off by the same 400,000 - an error of less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the Patriots' adjusted cap.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Miguel as usual......
>>>>>>http://www.patscap.com/2006capinfo.html

According to my figures the Patriots' 2006 cap figure is $99,647,347 with 68 players (53 active) signed and a 8-man practice squad. The salary cap is $102 million. The Patriots's adjusted cap adjustment is a negative $1,990,060 so their adjusted cap number will be $100,009,940. Therefore, if my calcuations are correct, the Pats are under the cap by around $400,000. Adamjt13 reported that the Patriots ended the 2006 season under the cap by just 76 cents so my numbers are off by the same 400,000 - an error of less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the Patriots' adjusted cap.

Let's see if that slacker Miguel got any closer this year.

 

[mgteich]

Some owners would pocket the $5.6M and not consider that they were "screwing themselves"

Many do. Those that don't are screwing themselves.

 

[mgteich]

I think this also means that Eckel will be given a chance to stay on the roster. Recall that we only carried four running backs this year. When Morris comes back, we'll have five. Of course, there are no commitments to keeping Eckel, but he does start next year as a member of the team, signed through 2008. And I also expect that he received a small signing bonus. I guess we could have given him another $1,000, with bonus being spread over the two years. cheapskates!

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I think this also means that Eckel will be given a chance to stay on the roster. Recall that we only carried four running backs this year. When Morris comes back, we'll have five. Of course, there are no commitments to keeping Eckel, but he does start next year as a member of the team, signed through 2008. And I also expect that he received a small signing bonus. I guess we could have given him another $1,000, with bonus being spread over the two years. cheapskates!

Probably more like $25K or so; FWIW, I think that if Izzo decides to hang it up, Eckel will take over as "ST man."

 

[Fencer]

IIRC, when the figures were reported before about how big a "tip" a guy got for doing the LTBE rollover deal, is was $2500 or $5000 (I forget which).

One year it was Brandon Gorin. I think his incentive was having at least 16 ST tackles.

 

[Fencer]

We could have a game to come up with the most ridiculous incentive for Eckel.

I vote for FGs made, with INTs as my runner-up. Can you top that?

 

[Krazy Koz]

I remember the same thing and was thinking that they must have screwed up big time to be off by $500 this year (sarcasm meter- off the charts)

Edited- giving credit where credit is due- Miguel as usual......
>>>>>>http://www.patscap.com/2006capinfo.html

According to my figures the Patriots' 2006 cap figure is $99,647,347 with 68 players (53 active) signed and a 8-man practice squad. The salary cap is $102 million. The Patriots's adjusted cap adjustment is a negative $1,990,060 so their adjusted cap number will be $100,009,940. Therefore, if my calcuations are correct, the Pats are under the cap by around $400,000. Adamjt13 reported that the Patriots ended the 2006 season under the cap by just 76 cents so my numbers are off by the same 400,000 - an error of less than 1/2 of 1 percent of the Patriots' adjusted cap.

thanks for doing the leg work on this one. I had a simliar reaction last year when I read that they were that close. Pretty amazing last year, and this year's # look good too. Just another reason why this club does so well.

 

[alamo]

Reiss makes an uncharacteristic mistake in the article.

Moss ended up hitting all those marks, which meant he received an additional $2 million. The moment those incentives were earned, they immediately were applied to the 2007 salary cap.

In some past cases, teams have had to cut players to account for such a sudden change. But the Patriots, who generally are considered shrewd in their cap management, had built in a cushion to absorb the hit.

No, NLTBE incentives which are met DO NOT require the team to make changes to stay under the cap. At the end of the year NLTBE incentives which are actually earned are taken from the next year's cap.

I think (but am not 100% sure) they are not applied at all mid-season, because even if they don't force a team over the cap they would drastically limit the team's ability to make personnel moves.

So based upon reading Miguel's figure of Pats being under the cap by 6.2M, and seeing they just pushed 5.6M to next year, it looks to me like none of the earned incentives are being counted yet.

So don't think they get 5.6M extra next year, between Moss and the playoff/SB and award (MVP/Pro Bowl) incentives the Pats like to use it will be mostly gone, maybe even completely gone.