How does tagging Cassel impact the salary cap?
 

Although I am a fan of tagging Cassel and trading him, I am unsure how this tactic affects the Pats ability to go after free agents, namely a shut down CB.

Questions I have:

How much cap space do the Pats have heading into 2009? Would they have to cut players to get under the cap at the start of FA if they tag Cassel?

Would the Pats have enough money to sign a shut down CB early in FA with the tag applied to Cassel?

What happens if Cassel signs the franchise tag tender contract? Can the Pats revoke the contract if they are trying to facilitate a trade?

Re: How does tagging Cassel impact the salary cap?
 

Almot forgot, how does the pending CBA showdown impact signing Cassel? I know 2010 is an uccapped year right now.

Re: How does tagging Cassel impact the salary cap?
 

The Pats can supposedly tag him, then trade him before the FA period and then restructure/extend current contracts using that extra $14M that will be used up and then freed up again. Since it's illegal (and would be very hard to get Cassel to agree to anyway) for the Pats to work out a trade with another team with a contract offer for Cassel before they tag him, they'd be taking a huge risk in tagging him and hoping that another team is willing to trade for him and offer him at least $14M in his first year. I don't think the CBA affects him since that wouldn't happen until 2010 anyway.

As far as cap space goes, that'd be Miguel's department. But I'd guess that the Pats couldn't afford to pay a QB who isn't starting $14M.

Re: How does tagging Cassel impact the salary cap?
 

Impossible to answer right now.
One would have to know
1.) how many players the Pats sign to future contracts
2.) at what level do the Patriots tender their RFAs at
3.) what players redo their current deals. Example, extending Wilfork would take up more cap space than he currently counts against the 2009 cap. But extending Jarvis Green would free up cap space in 2009.
4.) how much cap space is lost to players reaching the escalator clauses in their contracts. I think that all of us would agree that the Ghost has done enough to reach his escalator but has David Thomas.
5.) the effect of the LTBE/NLTBE calculations.
6.) do any current Patriot retire after this season?
7.) do any projected UFA resign with the Pats before free agency begins


See above answer
Ditto

The 14.6 million franchise tag tender then becomes guaranteed.
If the Pats rescind the tag, Cassel becomes an UFA and the Pats no longer have the ability to trade Cassel.

Re: How does tagging Cassel impact the salary cap?
 

As of now, that is incorrect. The first day that the Pats can trade Cassel would also be the first day of free agency.

Re: How does tagging Cassel impact the salary cap?
 

This isn't meant facetiously, but how do we know that? I think it's near unanimous here that he deserves it, but do any of us know what he has to do to trigger the escalator clause(s)?

Re: How does tagging Cassel impact the salary cap?
 

This kind of thing happens frequently, you are being overly negative using words like illegal and huge risk. It's not illegal and it's not all that risky but that's all been covered in the other thread.

Re: How does tagging Cassel impact the salary cap?
 

I meant to write "but has David Thomas???"

Re: How does tagging Cassel impact the salary cap?
 

That wasn't my point. My point is, how do we know that Gostkowski has triggered the escalator clauses, if we don't even know what those clauses are?

Re: How does tagging Cassel impact the salary cap?
 

We do not know.

Yet it seems that people are not taking into consideration the likelihood that Ghost and others have earned escalators which will take up cap space in 2009.