CBA first talk not going well

[Jimke]

Are you saying that the Pats will have 55 million in cap space next season? The reason why I thought an uncapped year would benefit the Pats is because everybody is freaking out that the Pats won't be able to sign Wilfork, Mankins and Seymour if there is a salary cap in 2010. I keep reading speculation from mediots that the Pats will have a hard time keeping their own free agents (which I find to be a load of crap, especially if 2010 is uncapped).

Regarding your second point, I have read about that rule too and I find it extremely stupid and flawed. In fact, what happens if players demand so much money that the bottom or mediocre teams can't afford? They have to sign somewhere. The whole point of being a free agent is being able to sign anywhere you choose. Also, their are always loopholes to the rules in the NFL. For example, you know how the Raiders were always complaining about the Broncos being able to sign anybody they want even when they had little to no salary cap. With that said, playoff teams will find a way to sign the free agents they want. Here's one example I wrote in an earlier post. Say Pierre Woods is the starting OLB this season and he doesn't do very well. The Pats want to upgrade the position so they let him walk in 2010 free agency and replace him with someone like Peppers, Merriman or Ware (highly unlikely).

The reason that the Patriots will have so much cap space is because they
have so few players under contract beyong 2009. At my last count, they
had 27 players whose contracts expire after the 2009 season.

The players include Faulk, Kaczur, Mankins, Neal, Galloway, Watson,
Bodden, Bruschi, Woods, Green, Seymour, and Wilfork. If most of
these players are re-signed or replaced with a player of comparable
value, the tab will increase very quickly.

I don't expect to see Bob Kraft spend like crazy just because there
may be no salary cap. He opted out of the CBA because he thought
that the players were receiving too much of the revenue. Bob and
most of the owners want to spend less than 128 million dollars per
team in 2010.

 

[VJCPatriot]

I don't understand what the big deal is in opening your books to the player rep's side. Unless your books are cooked, what does it matter HOW you're spending your money and that the other side now knows how you're doing it?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

The reason that the Patriots will have so much cap space is because they
have so few players under contract beyong 2009. At my last count, they
had 27 players whose contracts expire after the 2009 season.

The players include Faulk, Kaczur, Mankins, Neal, Galloway, Watson,
Bodden, Bruschi, Woods, Green, Seymour, and Wilfork. If most of
these players are re-signed or replaced with a player of comparable
value, the tab will increase very quickly.

I don't expect to see Bob Kraft spend like crazy just because there
may be no salary cap. He opted out of the CBA because he thought
that the players were receiving too much of the revenue. Bob and
most of the owners want to spend less than 128 million dollars per
team in 2010.

But with a new CBA $51+M will go farther as we will be back to 6 year amortization and rid of the 30% rule and so contracts will be able to be crafted in a cap and cash friendlier manner as in the past. A new Brady deal in 2010 could free up another $2-3M and other restructures could be routinely accomplished freeing up more - if needed. And Miguel has 36 under contract for 2010. Wilfork, Seymour, Mankins would be big ticket signings, probably eating up $25M or so in first year cap, the others you mention - not so much. Faulk, Neal, Kaczur, Galloway, Gostkowski because of age, performance or position aren't going to commant megabucks deals. Remains to be seen if Bodden is worth a big deal pending his own and the other DB's performances. If we still had $15M in cap space left after those signings I'd say we'd be in pretty good shapr. And we got a #1 and multiple #2's coming up again in 2010. Not to mention if one of the big guns can't be re-signed he can always be tagged and traded freeing up several million more in available cap for FA and others.

I also don't ever expect to see Bob Kraft spend like crazy just because there is no cap for the same reasons you stated. And because doing so would undercut the system. But in not signing any big bonus babies this season he has stockpiled some cash for (over cap)bonus spending in 2010 whether it's capped or uncapped. So he's really set up as well as could be expected for whatever scenario unfolds.

 

[mgteich]

At least a dozen of the 36 player Miguel had listed as signed for 2010 will not make the 2009 roster.

But with a new CBA $51+M will go farther as we will be back to 6 year amortization and rid of the 30% rule and so contracts will be able to be crafted in a cap and cash friendlier manner as in the past. A new Brady deal in 2010 could free up another $2-3M and other restructures could be routinely accomplished freeing up more - if needed. And Miguel has 36 under contract for 2010. Wilfork, Seymour, Mankins would be big ticket signings, probably eating up $25M or so in first year cap, the others you mention - not so much. Faulk, Neal, Kaczur, Galloway, Gostkowski because of age, performance or position aren't going to commant megabucks deals. Remains to be seen if Bodden is worth a big deal pending his own and the other DB's performances. If we still had $15M in cap space left after those signings I'd say we'd be in pretty good shapr. And we got a #1 and multiple #2's coming up again in 2010. Not to mention if one of the big guns can't be re-signed he can always be tagged and traded freeing up several million more in available cap for FA and others.

I also don't ever expect to see Bob Kraft spend like crazy just because there is no cap for the same reasons you stated. And because doing so would undercut the system. But in not signing any big bonus babies this season he has stockpiled some cash for (over cap)bonus spending in 2010 whether it's capped or uncapped. So he's really set up as well as could be expected for whatever scenario unfolds.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

At least a dozen of the 36 player Miguel had listed as signed for 2010 will not make the 2009 roster.

You can't know that they won't particularly over the course of the season, but they will remain the property of the NEP if they make the PS and they will still be eligible to make that 2010 roster. And if they don't someone similar will be plugged in to fill that slot at little or no additional cost...

Again, even after your personalized analysis the bottom line remains, we're fine dealing with a capped 2010...or an uncapped one. It's a lot easier to extend players with $25M+ in cap absent the expiring CBA rules. And we can deal in the alternative with multiple RFA's and multiple tags. Anyone we lose just presents an opportunity to sign someone else's UFA...