One litmus test for the Pats' interest in a Peppers deal

[Patsrock]

It appears that the only deal for Peppers that could work cap-wise would be a straight-up trade: Seymour for Peppers.

You only get 3.4 for trading Seymour. That still leaves a lot of space to create

 

[Fencer]

If I remember correctly, and Miguel is more of the authority on this, a team can only "restructure" the contract of a player once in any 365 day period. And I point to Richard Seymour signed his contract extension a couple years ago. The Pats and he had to wait until August to sign it because of a restructuring that they had done on Seymour's contract the year before.

There's definitely some rule that says approximately that. But every time I try to state it precisely, I get it wrong. Hence my weasel words on the subject.

 

[Rob0729]

Not enough. Wilfork extended would only add money. AD was signed under a fully functional CBA. You can't engineer artificailly low cap hits in the final capped year because of the 30% rule. Not for Peppers and not for Wilfork. Each are looking for $8-10M AAV deals. Best case scenario you're looking at $6-8M cap hits. Wilfork's would add another $4M or so all by itself. So we'd need to have AT LEAST $10-12M in cap space to sign both, and at least several million just to sign Peppers.

Thomas' deal was for $7 million a year. So expecting Peppers' deal to be only $1-1.5 million more of a cap hit in 2009 isn't out of the question.

By converting parts of Brady's and Light's salaries into bonuses the Pats could probably free up about $4-5 million in cap space. Just about enough to fit in Peppers. The Pats still have about $8 million in cap according to Miguel (not sure if he has updated it from yesterday though). They will need about $4 million of it for draft picks. They will probably need to keep about $3 million free for emergencies and bonuses made during the season. They could free up millions by cutting or extending Jarvis Green, extending Faulk, cutting Bruschi (not likely to happen, but not impossible), extending Seymour, converting part of Welker's base salary into a bonus, and/or extending Neal. It isn't impossible or even straining to free up the money if they wanted to.

The story stating that they wanting to get the deal in between next week and the draft tells me if it is true, the Pats are holding off so they can make some cap moves. Again I am saying if the story is true.

Miguel says that if a teams needs to get cap money, they usually can.

 

[Fencer]

Why do you say that? There are numerous ways to free up cap space and the Pats are 5+ million under the cap. Peppers could, theoretically, be signed to a deal with a cap hit in the 3-4 million range for the 1st couple of year.. And then spike up the way Stallworth's did.

My point is that when you look at Miguel's page, there AREN'T a lot of good ways to free up money. The guys with big 2009 new-money numbers whose current contracts extend past 2009 are obvious targets, but if Moss is off the table there aren't that many millions that can be found that way. And there aren't a lot of other good targets.

There's a limit to backloading, however -- take a signee's up-front guarantee, divide it by the number of years, add vet minimum, and that's as low as you can get his first-year cap hit.

 

[JackBauer]

If they really want to make this happen, I wouldn't shed any tears if they cut Jarvis.

 

[RoughingthePasser]

If they really want to make this happen, I wouldn't shed any tears if they cut Jarvis.

Neither would I.

 

[tuckeverlasting]

if he's one of their steroid users, i don't want their cheaters in our lockerroom .

 

[Rob0729]

If they really want to make this happen, I wouldn't shed any tears if they cut Jarvis.

Considering that Mike Wright got the start over Green against the Jets and Steelers, I don't know if I disagree with you. I don't know if he is worth his base salary (he definitely isn't worth his overall cap hit) if he is the second guy off the bench. I thought if they got Wright resigned that his days could be numbered.

 

[satz]

Colvin when moving to NE said it took him 2 yrs to completely understand the defence. AD did have a downyear for the 1st one moving over as LB to our system. so lets give peppers the same 1 yr to learn to play a new position when he is reading and either pass rushing or drops into a shallow zone.

now for 1 yr after so much money you want a guy to learn ??? .If he is not picking it up as fast you are screwed as every team will run right at him or release RB in the flats to his side......now compound this by playing green/wright who are not good against the run. seems like a great way to send this defence down the drain.

 

[Synovia]

Why do you say that? There are numerous ways to free up cap space and the Pats are 5+ million under the cap. Peppers could, theoretically, be signed to a deal with a cap hit in the 3-4 million range for the 1st couple of year.. And then spike up the way Stallworth's did.

Not in the year preceding no CBA he can't.

 

[Nonentity]

Colvin when moving to NE said it took him 2 yrs to completely understand the defence. AD did have a downyear for the 1st one moving over as LB to our system. so lets give peppers the same 1 yr to learn to play a new position when he is reading and either pass rushing or drops into a shallow zone.

now for 1 yr after so much money you want a guy to learn ??? .If he is not picking it up as fast you are screwed as every team will run right at him or release RB in the flats to his side......now compound this by playing green/wright who are not good against the run. seems like a great way to send this defence down the drain.

I don't really think that's a problem though. Just put him there as a pure pass-rusher for the first season until he 'gets' the system, and then use him in some more interesting ways in future seasons. Peppers is a physical freak that Belichick knows how to work into the defense, he may not be dropping back into coverage right away but he'll still be good enough to start.