Clayton posts preliminary cap projections for all 32 teams

[Ring 6]

The best part of the whole Jets fiasco is that they have a bottom 10 QB with a 17M + cap hit.

Granted it will be fairly easy to shed a good junk of that this season because so much is salary but the Jets are in a tough position. They can save cap cutting a few guys, restructure Sanchize, and sign Harris long-term.

But as Andy correctly notes, they have about half a team right now. They can either try to build some depth with actual NFL caliber players or put all of their eggs in a few baskets like Holmes and Cro.

I don't see how they can come out of this even as good as they were last year. And they have been remarkably lucky injury-wise lately too which is how they get by with zero depth.

In the end I think all of those other teams with a ton of cap room will make their decision for them and drive up the prices on Holmes and Cromartie. I see them resigning Edwards. They can have him.

Really, having them extend Sanchez or just convert his salary to signing bonus is good for the Patriots. They increase their future commitment to him which means they are stuck with him, and they are in such awful cap shape (as much because of all the holes they have to fill as the lack of space they have) that freeing it up for this year wont be close to enough to solve the problems.
As the cap noose tightens and the commitment to Sanchez increases, the fate of the team becomes more and more in Sanchez hands, which will go a long way toward eliminating them from contention for anything.

 

[Miguel]

Like I said, I'm just not sure how teams go about significantly changing yearly cap hits on individual contracts.

http://www.patscap.com/restructure.txt

 

[HomerSchooled]

http://www.patscap.com/restructure.txt

Cool. Sorry I missed it.

 

[HomerSchooled]

Anyway, to expand on my initial question of who-might-go-where, I think Chicago just became my favorite to win the Asomugha auction. With tons of cap space in a huge market, no great corners outside of Charles Tillman, and a desperation to outshine Green Bay, it looks to me like a match made in heaven.

 

[Ring 6]

Anyway, to expand on my initial question of who-might-go-where, I think Chicago just became my favorite to win the Asomugha auction. With tons of cap space in a huge market, no great corners outside of Charles Tillman, and a desperation to outshine Green Bay, it looks to me like a match made in heaven.

Cap space is only half the equation. The number, and quality of players under contract is the other half.
If Mankins, Brady, Wilfork and Mayo were unsigned, the Pats would have over 40 mill of cap space and appear to be a team that would be a major FA player.

 

[HomerSchooled]

Cap space is only half the equation. The number, and quality of players under contract is the other half.
If Mankins, Brady, Wilfork and Mayo were unsigned, the Pats would have over 40 mill of cap space and appear to be a team that would be a major FA player.

Totally agree, and I had factored that into my thinking. I just failed to mention it. My bad. The Bears only have a couple of their own FAs they'd care to resign, and none would really break. That being said, they may have greater needs than corner. I just feel like they'll want to make a splash.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Dallas 18.9m over the cap!

Well someone had to say it -- Demarcus Ware come on down to New England!! ^_^

Hahaha, we can dream right?

BTW did anyone know that Miles Austin made 17m in 2010? That was even more than Romo and Ware combined! I'm thinking most of this must have been signing bonus.
http://www.sportscity.com/NFL/Dallas-Cowboys-Salaries

 

[Sicilian]

90% does not mean 90% every year. There is some type of 3 year average. I think any team can be as far under 90% as they want this year and have 2 years to make up the difference.

Well, yes and no... they still can't exceed the cap in subsequent years, so they can't be SO far under the floor this year that they can't mathematically make it up. For example, if the cap is $120m and the floor is $100m (or $300m over 3 years for hypotheticals), they will need to spend at LEAST $60m this year, or even right at the cap they'll fall short of the floor.

 

[VJCPatriot]

Well, yes and no... they still can't exceed the cap in subsequent years, so they can't be SO far under the floor this year that they can't mathematically make it up. For example, if the cap is $120m and the floor is $100m (or $300m over 3 years for hypotheticals), they will need to spend at LEAST $60m this year, or even right at the cap they'll fall short of the floor.

The numbers for the cap floor that I've heard are 99% for 2011 and 95% for 2012 onwards. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Rob0729]

Dallas 18.9m over the cap!

Well someone had to say it -- Demarcus Ware come on down to New England!! ^_^

Hahaha, we can dream right?

BTW did anyone know that Miles Austin made 17m in 2010? That was even more than Romo and Ware combined! I'm thinking most of this must have been signing bonus.
Dallas-Cowboys Salaries | Dallas-Cowboys Player Salaries | 2010 Dallas-Cowboys Salary

They are already rumored to be dumping some decent players (Terrance Newman, Marion Barber, Roy Williams, Marco Columbo, etc.).

 

[VJCPatriot]

They are already rumored to be dumping some decent players (Terrance Newman, Marion Barber, Roy Williams, Marco Columbo, etc.).

You know I wouldn't mind Marion Barber for vet minimum. Although the drafting of Ridley might mean there would be no need for it. Still our RB corps is awful young - BJGE, Woodhead, Vereen, Ridley.

 

[Sicilian]

The numbers for the cap floor that I've heard are 99% for 2011 and 95% for 2012 onwards. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Possibly? I was just using the $100m as an example to show the math.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

The numbers for the cap floor that I've heard are 99% for 2011 and 95% for 2012 onwards. Correct me if I'm wrong.

You're wrong. The floor for league wide cash spending is 99% of the cap for 2011 and 2012. Thereafter thru 2020 it is 95% league wide.

For individual teams there is NO CASH FLOOR until 2013 and then it becomes 89% of cap.

 

[BTTA]

You're wrong. The floor for league wide cash spending is 99% of the cap for 2011 and 2012. Thereafter thru 2020 it is 95% league wide.

For individual teams there is NO CASH FLOOR until 2013 and then it becomes 89% of cap.

If there's no way to regulate individual teams for the next two years, how do they regulate the league-wide number?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

If there's no way to regulate individual teams for the next two years, how do they regulate the league-wide number?

There is probably a mechanism as there was under the old cap floor (CAM) that will increase the cap as a sort of penalty if minimum spending isn't met. At the end of the day all that matters (or should to players) is league wide spending approaching the cap in cash.

 

[Ring 6]

Well, yes and no... they still can't exceed the cap in subsequent years, so they can't be SO far under the floor this year that they can't mathematically make it up. For example, if the cap is $120m and the floor is $100m (or $300m over 3 years for hypotheticals), they will need to spend at LEAST $60m this year, or even right at the cap they'll fall short of the floor.

Not exactly. You can exceed the cap in cash.
Here is a simplistic example. Cap 110mill
52 players at 2 mill each salary=104mill cap and cash
1 player with 6 million cap hit who sign 7 year deal with first year salary of 1 mill and a 35 mill signing bonus cap 6mill, cash 36 mill
Team cap 110, cash 140
In a season with many new contracts and signing bonusses cash will normally be over cap.

And we now know this doesnt start until 2013, and I still havent seen for sure whether its a 3 year average of 89% or year by year.

 

[Ring 6]

If there's no way to regulate individual teams for the next two years, how do they regulate the league-wide number?

They can't. But with all the FAs out there cash will probably EXCEED cap this year.
I assume the mechanism is if the cash falls short, they roll the shortage into the next year.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

For the record, all of the cap projections will shrink by a couple of million when the new minimum salaries are factored in. Brandt has them all going up roughly $55K this year. Teams are however being given $3.5M to help mitigate veteran salary cost. And there is the $3M that can be borrowed from future cap (it does have to be accounted for or paid back in future) which both help the $120.4M cap feel more like $127M - the 2009 adjusted cap was $128M.

 

[Brady'sButtBoy]

The Pats are $7.5mil under the cap and that's including the Mankins franchise number of $10mil? If that's so then I'd say the Pat's are in pretty good shape. I don't believe Mankins will play for that franchise number - he either signs a deal, holds out again or is traded (and no I don't expect to get 2 no. 1's for him - but one no.1 isn't hard to believe for an All-Pro stud like Mankins in his prime).

I'd much rather keep Mankins but getting a no. 1 for him with the new rookie cap in place would ease the pain of seeing him go. If Cannon is fully ready to play by next year then maybe we can live with Mankins leaving.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

The Pats are $7.5mil under the cap and that's including the Mankins franchise number of $10mil? If that's so then I'd say the Pat's are in pretty good shape. I don't believe Mankins will play for that franchise number - he either signs a deal, holds out again or is traded (and no I don't expect to get 2 no. 1's for him - but one no.1 isn't hard to believe for an All-Pro stud like Mankins in his prime).

I'd much rather keep Mankins but getting a no. 1 for him with the new rookie cap in place would ease the pain of seeing him go. If Cannon is fully ready to play by next year then maybe we can live with Mankins leaving.

They are under prior to the new season by roughly that amount including Mankins but not including BJGE and 1 ERFA (they left RFA's out even if legit). As I said, increasing minimums will eat up a couple of million. But they also have access to $6.5M in additional cap space if needed. And there a couple of restructures or extentions they could do to free up several more if needed. They don't need to cut anyone to sign UDFA's or even rookies. So yeah, they are in good shape. If they add a UFA or two depending on their cost they may have to also do some restructures unless they plan on some cuts anyway.

Personally I think Mankins will play here all 16 weeks this season. His biological clock is ticking and this is more money than he's made to date. Although that tag number may be changing too. There was talk that the owners requested the OL be split into positional groups. And there was reportedly no opposition. However in the presser the other day I believe Jeff Pash said that the formula for the franchise tag calculation was changing to some % of cap figure. So stay tuned. If the tag on Mankins drops all bets could be off. Although I think it remains the case that Bill hopes to retain him long term.