Heartless Question: What does Bru's Retirement Add to the Cap?

[JSn]

I mean no disrespect to Tedy, I'm just curious. I expect it's been asked in the super-long ultra-merged thread, but yikes...

Anyone know?

 

[BelichickFan]

According to Miguel's page we save close to $1.5M.

 

[NE39]

Miguel has him saving $1.44M once he files for retirement. I believe that is just the savings on his contract, not taking into account any top-51 effect.

 

[JSn]

Miguel has him saving $1.44M once he files for retirement. I believe that is just the savings on his contract, not taking into account any top-51 effect.

I still don't understand the top-51 thing. Is there a simple explanation somewhere on the interwebs? My googlies are acting funny tonight.

EDIT: Found it.

http://adamjt13.blogspot.com/2009/04/rookie-pool-and-salary-cap.html

Not much time left for that to matter too much, though.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I still don't understand the top-51 thing. Is there a simple explanation somewhere on the interwebs? My googlies are acting funny tonight.

Basically, the idea is that (roughly) until the season begins, if a player's salary cap hit is not in the top 51 salaries for that team, then his salary doesn't count at all against the cap. So, when you release a player in the top 51, you save that player's salary (since he doesn't earn it), but you then immediately add in the salary of the player who then moves into 51st place.

So, for example, when they cut O'Connell, his $385K salary was dropped, and Brandon Tate's $310K salary was added to the cap, for a net savings of $75K (unfortunately, the Pats also had to swallow O'Connell's $314K in signing bonus acceleration, so the net result is a loss of cap room).

 

[JSn]

I see. So this allows wiggle room in the area of playing around with UDFA's and the like prior to the cutdown?

Basically, the idea is that (roughly) until the season begins, if a player's salary cap hit is not in the top 51 salaries for that team, then his salary doesn't count at all against the cap. So, when you release a player in the top 51, you save that player's salary (since he doesn't earn it), but you then immediately add in the salary of the player who then moves into 51st place.

So, for example, when they cut O'Connell, his $385K salary was dropped, and Brandon Tate's $310K salary was added to the cap, for a net savings of $75K (unfortunately, the Pats also had to swallow O'Connell's $314K in signing bonus acceleration, so the net result is a loss of cap room).

 

[ctpatsfan77]

I see. So this allows wiggle room in the area of playing around with UDFA's and the like prior to the cutdown?

Yeah. If they didn't make that rule, there'd be a fair number of teams (including the Pats) over the cap.