How Much Cap Space Do we Need?

[mgteich]

We are very close against the cap. The current $9.9M should just about cover the contracts not yet posted: Simon, Dorsett, Pennell, Harris, and Brooks).
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CURRENT SITUATION
We have about ZERO cap space.
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We need money for the following
1) rookies
2) end of off-season stuff: player 52 & 53, Practice Squad, IR folks before the season starts
3) reserves for in season replacements and incentives
4) Minor free agents: primarily at veteran minimum or other near minimum compensation
5) replacements or re-signs of Hogan, Waddle, John, Gostkowski, Allen, Shelton, Clayborne and McClellan [could be rookies]
6) upgrades

$14M FOR STARTERS
1) about $3M
2-3) about $10M
4) about $1M

IN ADDITION
We need money for #5 and #6 ($6M-$11M) for a total of $20M to $25M.

OPTION 1
is to leave some restructures for later to cover 2&3. This $10M could be covered by the restructures to Cannon, Gilmore and Mason).

OTHERS
we would need extensions, retirements or cuts to sign anyone else, including the draftees.

 

[JarOfMayo51]

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Six feet, from head to toe.

 

[mgteich]

We need $20M to $25M of cap space. This will NOT be easy.

 

[patfanken]

We need $20M to $25M of cap space. This will NOT be easy.

This would be ideal to have going into the draft. So the question becomes, how do they get from about the zero they have after the latest 4 signings have been added to that $20MM figure, given that you know they'd like to have about $6-8MM left when the season starts.

Whenever someone makes a series of suggestions, like Bedard did, you get your ass handed to you by the same guys who will cry like babies when they find out Justine Houston just was signed by .....

 

[50-yard-line]

Well, unless something happened we didn't hear about, you can reduce the Hightower savings on cut by $2million, as that much of his salary became guaranteed today.

The most likely thing I can think of would be an extension to DMac, adding a year and spreading the cap.

They're like 95-100 under next year, based on projections of cap increase. They're going to have to push 10+ there if they're as tight against it as it seems.

I don't see them cutting McCourty after re-signing his brother.
I don't see them cutting Hightower after letting $2m become guaranteed today.
I don't see them cutting Harmon, who played 60+% of the snaps last year and would only save them like $2.5m.

Extend Brady? Seems like a plan.
Is Gronk going to play? Can they extend him if he is and is willing to commit to it?

I'd be more worried if it wasn't the Patriots. No team is better at managing the cap.

 

[venecol]

Wait, several posters have said that we could sign anyone we wanted and the cap space doesn't matter. Now I'm confused.

 

[supafly]

Wait, several posters have said that we could sign anyone we wanted and the cap space doesn't matter. Now I'm confused.

It makes them feel better at night, and I can respect that.

In all seriousness, it’s possible to sign someone whose name we recognize by structuring the year one hit to be low + freeing up a bit of room, but it’s nothing like what some have suggested (in my opinion).

 

[signbabybrady]

 

[farn]

I know it’s been written about lately, but while I’m most def not in the “cap is crap” crowd, I didn’t realize things were so tight.

Maybe NE knows Gronk is retiring ? Brady extension ?