Just For Fun--Your Guess

[Real fan 02]

It was only uncharacteristically because they were in a position they hadn’t been in before where they had that much money to spend.
Every time they have that much money to spend they will spend it.

This is the piece that fans who just want to whine don’t get.
For many, many years the patriots had a roster that in total overperformed its payroll. Whichever players became free agents they couldn’t afford because they commanded more than they were playing for. They managed around that and of course they weren’t spending big on outside free agents because they struggled to retain their own.

By 2019/2020 they lost a lot of the base of the team. They had made an incredible run keeping the core together and then it largely left. Over 50% of the snaps player in the SB in 2018 were players not on the team in 2020. And in 2020 they had no cap space to use.
In 21 because of the above, and more players no longer here, they had a ton of free agent $$ to spend. The 21 team had 50% of the snaps played by players who were there in 2020. No team has ever overhauled a roster like that, not to mention start a rookie QB and win 10 games. 2021 was an incredible 1 year rebuild. They would have been better if they had more retention and less free agency but that was the price of success.
Last year they took a step back on offense. The defense was excellent and losing the OC clearly upset the growth of the rebuild.
Why would they do anything different than they always have? When he they were loaded they didn’t spend on FA because they couldn’t. When they had a ton of cap they spent it because they could.
When you look at the roster and cap situation on the first day of the league year 2020 being a 1 over .500 team the next 3 years, with a playoff berth (and frankly what would have been 2 if McDaniels didn’t leave) is better than reasonably would have been expected with an honest assessment

Great post! I'd urge people to go and take a look at Andrew Brandt former Packers GM he has some excellent material about the cap. He was saying it's not real it's made up by the owners. The are the master tactician with the cap room.

But your absolutely right the roster has overperformed and the organization had done a great job with managing the roster, FAs ect. I'm definitely looking forward to this season I believe the offense will be much improved

 

[IcyPatriot]

10 - 7

Why? Because I said so.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Great post! I'd urge people to go and take a look at Andrew Brandt former Packers GM he has some excellent material about the cap. He was saying it's not real it's made up by the owners. The are the master tactician with the cap room.

Yup, he basically said it's not what the fans and media think it is.

 

[UrbanCowboy]

11-6
Bad luck last year
Horrific Matt & Joe show
Schedule strength usually ends up different
Mac back on track
D could be really good. offense good enough.

It's not that crazy.

 

[Ring 6]

Yup, he basically said it's not what the fans and media think it is.

Not even close

 

[Brewskies]

I'm using some hope, want, and common sense logic.. in 2021 under real coaching they were tops in all the offensive stats that matter and are conducive to scoring and wins.

This was done without a number 1 at WR.. and with jannu Smith and alghlor here. So safe to assume they could achieve a top 10 offense yet again this season. IMO

I think the problem this season to negate the 2021 season is the much more difficult schedule this season.

 

[Real fan 02]

I think the problem this season to negate the 2021 season is the much more difficult schedule this season.

You mean the 2022 season?

 

[Real fan 02]

Yup, he basically said it's not what the fans and media think it is.

Exactly right! Is why I never pay any attention to talk about cap space or cap management..blah blah blah.. it's all made up.. was KC worried about cap space paying Mahomes? Or Buffalo with Allen.. Baltimore with Lamar...

 

[Wax Frog]

10 - 7

Why? Because I said so.

I read that in my mom's voice!

 

[50-yard-line]

Exactly right! Is why I never pay any attention to talk about cap space or cap management..blah blah blah.. it's all made up.. was KC worried about cap space paying Mahomes? Or Buffalo with Allen.. Baltimore with Lamar...

They traded Tyreek Hill, one of the top 3 WRs in the league, remember? They have that luxury BECAUSE Mahomes is the only QB in the league right now who can work with anyone and still give you a chance to win. He's a unicorn. Without him, the Chiefs would be mediocre at best.

But still, it's a great position to be in, particularly with a great offensive coaching staff. It'll be interesting to see if the departure of their OC makes a difference.

The CAP can be cheated, for a couple of years. Then you pay the price, particularly if you're making deep playoff runs and getting crappy draft capital.

 

[Real fan 02]

They traded Tyreek Hill, one of the top 3 WRs in the league, remember? They have that luxury BECAUSE Mahomes is the only QB in the league right now who can work with anyone and still give you a chance to win. He's a unicorn. Without him, the Chiefs would be mediocre at best.

But still, it's a great position to be in, particularly with a great offensive coaching staff. It'll be interesting to see if the departure of their OC makes a difference.

The CAP can be cheated, for a couple of years. Then you pay the price, particularly if you're making deep playoff runs and getting crappy draft capital.

Your right, tyeek was traded becuase he didn't want to accept the contract offer.. I don't remember the figures.. but I hear it was dam good. He wanted to go home to Miami who wouldn't want to play with Mahomes right?.. same with juju KC supposedly offered him peanuts he was thier best WR outside of kecle.. the way KC played offense last season is a carbon copy of how the Brady offense was done for years. The cap was created by the NFL owners.. by the rules and competition committee. It's a just another way to say.. hey you can't try to outspend to make your team better than say team X..

Mahomes was one of the few QBs I've seen that was legendary right out the gate.. KCs best offensive output was with kecle, hunt, tyreek.. boy they were bombs away.

Pertaining to us.. I can't stomach anymore of new england media just bashing this team.. why even line up on the field if we aren't going to be competitive according to them.

 

[UrbanCowboy]

They traded Tyreek Hill, one of the top 3 WRs in the league, remember? They have that luxury BECAUSE Mahomes is the only QB in the league right now who can work with anyone and still give you a chance to win. He's a unicorn. Without him, the Chiefs would be mediocre at best.

But still, it's a great position to be in, particularly with a great offensive coaching staff. It'll be interesting to see if the departure of their OC makes a difference.

The CAP can be cheated, for a couple of years. Then you pay the price, particularly if you're making deep playoff runs and getting crappy draft capital.

I think KC was wicked smaht to do that. Ballsy too. Cap management is half the battle -- we've been pretty good at it too!

 

[n6249c]

I think KC was wicked smaht to do that. Ballsy too. Cap management is half the battle -- we've been pretty good at it too!

And then people scream and cry that the team isn’t spending enough!

 

[Real fan 02]

And then people scream and cry that the team isn’t spending enough!

They've always spent.. the new england sports media has nothing significant to report on until camp.. so they create stories.. I could care less if they're 1st, 15th or 32nd in spending I just want my team to win. I don't know any sports fan that has seriously cares about rankings in spending.. it's all about winning to me..

 

[BTTA]

The CAP can be cheated, for a couple of years. Then you pay the price, particularly if you're making deep playoff runs and getting crappy draft capital.

Yes, although it isn't cheating, it is playing within the rules to spend more now and less later. It is using a credit card and not paying it off immediately. The only real difference is that your income (the cap) goes up each year, so it is easier to absorb the cost of today's splurge later, but only on a net basis and not on a competitive basis.

 

[Brewskies]

You mean the 2022 season?

Hi Real fan 02, you originally were talking about the great season Mac Jones had in 2021 and used that season to suggest this coming season 2023 would also be great because all the **** was removed that was there in 2022.

I was saying that the schedule in 2021 was easy compared to the upcoming schedule of 2023 so I didn't think the comparison had merit. That's all. Have a nice day.

 

[scott99]

They have a BRUTAL schedule, so even 9-8 would be an improvement from last year. With this schedule, they could easily start 0-4, so I’d be happy with a 9-8 record and/or sneaking into the playoffs.

 

[Ring 6]

Exactly right! Is why I never pay any attention to talk about cap space or cap management..blah blah blah.. it's all made up.. was KC worried about cap space paying Mahomes? Or Buffalo with Allen.. Baltimore with Lamar...

No it’s not made up. It’s real and legitimate but there are ways to manipulate it. Those ways may help today but they have to be paid tomorrow. Of course those teams are worried about cap space, hell Jackson was ready to walk.
Your argument is like saying the guy making 80,000 can have the same house as the guy making 200,000 because who cares about putting anything of quality in it.

 

[Ring 6]

Yes, although it isn't cheating, it is playing within the rules to spend more now and less later. It is using a credit card and not paying it off immediately. The only real difference is that your income (the cap) goes up each year, so it is easier to absorb the cost of today's splurge later, but only on a net basis and not on a competitive basis.

Right. Teams have a choice to follow an approach, particularly with their highest paid players of how they account for the cost on the cap.
For example you could sign a player for 5 years and 50 million and structure it to charge the cap 10 mill each year or to charge 2 mill to this year and 48 to the next 4. Save 8 this year at the expense of being charged 2 more for each of the next 4 years.
Then you factor that over an entire roster.
The team that takes the equal hit basically paying as the go and theoretically getting equal value each year and the team that doesn’t gets exceptional value year one and is overpaying (resulting in less to spend on the rest of the roster) for 4 straight years. And note “overpaying” is based on the value they assigned to him.

No team spreads it equal but some backload much more heavily than others.

 

[Real fan 02]

No it’s not made up. It’s real and legitimate but there are ways to manipulate it. Those ways may help today but they have to be paid tomorrow. Of course those teams are worried about cap space, hell Jackson was ready to walk.
Your argument is like saying the guy making 80,000 can have the same house as the guy making 200,000 because who cares about putting anything of quality in it.

Understand this.. owner's are billionaires and I'd like to think most billionaires want to spend to make thier team respective teams competitive.. I believe Andrew Brandt over your argument... I'll take what he says literally. Jackson ultimately signed.. Allen signed, Mahomes signed, Rodgers signed a contract extension, dak, curt cousins, hurts.. I get what your saying but i don't get to caught up in the cap like some do. I'm not saying your wrong at all just saying we seem to care more about the cap then owner's do!