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- Jan 22, 2005
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I've seen the idea that the Patriots will barely be able, or possibly unable, to sign all of their rookies on this board several times in the last 48 hours.
This is simply wrong, for two reasons:
(1) Remember that ONLY the top 51 salaries currently count towards the salary cap (all signing bonuses count, but the salaries below #51 do not).
(2) Any rookie that signs a deal putting him in the top 51 will, necessarily, knock a top-51 salary off the salary cap. Right now, 10 of the 11 lowest salaries that count towards the salary cap are deals for vet minimum + a small signing bonus (the only exception is Wilhite).
The minimum rookie salary for 2009 is $310K; the 51st salary is $467K. So if the rookie has a signing bonus proration of <$157K, only his signing bonus actually counts against the cap. If the signing bonus proration is >$157K, the entire amount goes against the cap, but then the Pats are credited $460K for the salary that gets bumped off the list.
In other words, the total additional cap room to sign all of the Patriots' rookies this year should be about $2 million, if not less.
This is simply wrong, for two reasons:
(1) Remember that ONLY the top 51 salaries currently count towards the salary cap (all signing bonuses count, but the salaries below #51 do not).
(2) Any rookie that signs a deal putting him in the top 51 will, necessarily, knock a top-51 salary off the salary cap. Right now, 10 of the 11 lowest salaries that count towards the salary cap are deals for vet minimum + a small signing bonus (the only exception is Wilhite).
The minimum rookie salary for 2009 is $310K; the 51st salary is $467K. So if the rookie has a signing bonus proration of <$157K, only his signing bonus actually counts against the cap. If the signing bonus proration is >$157K, the entire amount goes against the cap, but then the Pats are credited $460K for the salary that gets bumped off the list.
In other words, the total additional cap room to sign all of the Patriots' rookies this year should be about $2 million, if not less.