2021 NFL Free Agency/Trade News & Discussion: March Edition

[One-If-By-Sea]

I’ve been wanting Brown for years

You might tell us who you don't want. Must be a significantly shorter list. Mr. Positive - I love it.

 

[Deus Irae]

Meh, Pats beat the Cardinals last year and of the two teams, I expect the Patriots to be WAY better this year compared to last, particularly since the Cards don't have much CAP space.

As for the Dolts, well, they're the Dolts and always will be. The team is well-managed financially, but, like the Cowboys, under-perform always.
Carson Wentz doesn't look like the guy to lift that hump.

The Patriots beat the Cardinals in a game where the Cardinal QB, who needs to be fully healthy to function at anything near top capacity, was too banged up to use his most effective ability, which is his ability to terrorize defenses with his quickness/speed combination.

 

[venecol]

Latest NFL Salary Cap per team: For us, this does not include Trent Brown's salary. A lot of teams still over the cap, which means more cuts coming and more salary restructures.

Salary Cap Space​

Calculations:​

Cap Space = (Team Salary Cap) - (Active Cap Spending) - (Dead Money)
Team Salary Cap = (Base Salary Cap) + (Carryover) +/- (Adjustments)

---

• 2021
• 2022
• 2023
• 2024

Base Salary Cap: $182,500,000​

​

Team	Cap Space	Effective Cap Space ??	#	Active Cap Spending	Dead Money
Jaguars	$73,669,714	$73,669,714	63	$131,362,344	$4,208,098
Jets	$69,225,082	$69,225,082	58	$125,112,322	$16,260,410
Patriots	$68,520,056	$68,520,056	62	$136,427,431	$865,060
Colts	$46,681,614	$46,681,614	65	$144,116,640	$237,143
Bengals	$42,979,130	$42,979,130	51	$149,795,718	$2,363,427
Washington	$38,954,822	$38,954,822	67	$147,320,002	$13,464,097
Broncos	$32,350,285	$32,350,285	60	$167,856,913	$602,118
Chargers	$26,669,474	$25,349,474	49	$165,003,044	$58,009
Browns	$24,866,244	$24,866,244	63	$186,034,845	$1,008,602
Dolphins	$24,388,936	$24,388,936	61	$172,304,825	$490,085
49ers	$23,979,627	$23,979,627	63	$161,818,324	$9,965,071
Seahawks	$20,612,987	$17,972,987	47	$162,008,829	$1,309,419
Ravens	$19,906,890	$19,906,890	58	$151,343,438	$11,797,111
Panthers	$18,447,011	$18,447,011	58	$145,398,072	$22,672,549
Raiders	$17,932,434	$17,932,434	55	$167,573,875	$4,720,765
Texans	$17,670,596	$17,670,596	51	$173,730,344	$3,067,819
Cardinals	$14,588,869	$14,588,869	57	$172,811,269	$4,640,839
Steelers	$5,307,086	$5,307,086	55	$172,578,010	$9,565,459
Titans	$3,996,291	$3,996,291	55	$176,347,060	$10,202,346
Bills	$3,432,153	$3,432,153	55	$182,878,650	$2,066,156
Cowboys	$834,273	$834,273	63	$200,046,200	$9,082,046
Lions	$723,865	$723,865	55	$174,555,771	$22,447,791
Vikings	($2,359,416)	($2,359,416)	55	$182,676,201	$6,957,314
Buccaneers	($5,539,267)	($6,199,267)	50	$185,393,780	$2,196,595
Giants	($7,936,006)	($7,936,006)	65	$185,587,820	$7,842,041
Packers	($9,679,306)	($9,679,306)	61	$191,750,182	$4,103,142
Falcons	($14,196,796)	($22,116,796)	39	$185,222,918	$13,976,786
Bears	($17,569,053)	($17,569,053)	51	$198,718,138	$8,983,757
Chiefs	($20,984,019)	($20,984,019)	57	$206,573,603	$2,693,526
Eagles	($26,873,468)	($26,873,468)	67	$193,861,046	$40,011,197
Saints	($31,916,021)	($31,916,021)	57	$205,366,238	$12,040,287
Rams	($33,136,331)	($33,136,331)	64	$186,110,373	$34,125,099

NFL Salary Cap Space | Over The Cap

NFL salary cap space estimates for all 32 teams

overthecap.com

I'm not convinced this is as bad as it seems for "most" teams. Look at Dak's deal where he's basically getting $75M the first year but only counts $20 towards the cap. Or Lavonte David that only has a $3.5M cap hit but he's getting $17M. Owners are having to fund more cash up front in the form of bonuses and add voidable years to the back end.

Tampa is $6M over the cap with probably another $40M to go but they'll have a plan thru extensions & restructures to make it happen with few cuts.

That's not to say teams won't be making cuts as they have been. Good post. Thanks

 

[50-yard-line]

The Patriots beat the Cardinals in a game where the Cardinal QB, who needs to be fully healthy to function at anything near top capacity, was too banged up to use his most effective ability, which is his ability to terrorize defenses with his quickness/speed combination.

Which will be every year with Murray.

 

[venecol]

I’ve been wanting Brown for years

You an AB lover?

 

[sb1]

Bills releasing Brown - wow.
Josh Allen connects to John Brown for a 53 yards touchdown Patriots vs Bills - YouTube

 

[KDPPatsfan85]

 

[sb1]

If Bill can get something valuable for Harry then I take back almost everything bad I said about GM Bill. LOL

Not everything though - he drafted him here in the first place.

 

[BradytoMosstoGronk]

Teams, plural? Wtf.

 

[slash83]

Harry for Jimmy Bill

 

[50-yard-line]

Teams, plural? Wtf.

If I had a QB like, say, Matt Ryan, I'd go after Harry in heartbeat. he's a #1 bust, but he's got the potential to do much better in a new situation. It's pretty clear that most of his problems are in his head at this point (and with the QBs who are, or wouldn't, throw the ball his way). I'd absolutely give up something minor to grab him - hopefully, it's for a receiver in a salary dump situation.

How many times have we seen BB grab former high-end picks and get way more out of them than their previous teams? This looks like a reverse situation to that, to me at least.

 

[sb1]

Teams, plural? Wtf.

I'd take an 8th round draft pick for him.

 

[NG Pats Fan]

Harry...what a colossal bust

 

[venecol]

D.O I.T

 

[sb1]

 

[venecol]

Stidham and Harry for Jimmy, Bill. Do it! Make it happen. All's forgotten. We'd love you (again). BFFF.

 

[RIpats88]

Bill should take whatever he can and run. It's better than cutting him after another bust year

 

[patfanken]

Latest NFL Salary Cap per team: For us, this does not include Trent Brown's salary. A lot of teams still over the cap, which means more cuts coming and more salary restructures.

Salary Cap Space​

Calculations:​

Cap Space = (Team Salary Cap) - (Active Cap Spending) - (Dead Money)
Team Salary Cap = (Base Salary Cap) + (Carryover) +/- (Adjustments)

---

• 2021
• 2022
• 2023
• 2024

Base Salary Cap: $182,500,000​

​

Team	Cap Space	Effective Cap Space ??	#	Active Cap Spending	Dead Money
Jaguars	$73,669,714	$73,669,714	63	$131,362,344	$4,208,098
Jets	$69,225,082	$69,225,082	58	$125,112,322	$16,260,410
Patriots	$68,520,056	$68,520,056	62	$136,427,431	$865,060
Colts	$46,681,614	$46,681,614	65	$144,116,640	$237,143
Bengals	$42,979,130	$42,979,130	51	$149,795,718	$2,363,427
Washington	$38,954,822	$38,954,822	67	$147,320,002	$13,464,097
Broncos	$32,350,285	$32,350,285	60	$167,856,913	$602,118
Chargers	$26,669,474	$25,349,474	49	$165,003,044	$58,009
Browns	$24,866,244	$24,866,244	63	$186,034,845	$1,008,602
Dolphins	$24,388,936	$24,388,936	61	$172,304,825	$490,085
49ers	$23,979,627	$23,979,627	63	$161,818,324	$9,965,071
Seahawks	$20,612,987	$17,972,987	47	$162,008,829	$1,309,419
Ravens	$19,906,890	$19,906,890	58	$151,343,438	$11,797,111
Panthers	$18,447,011	$18,447,011	58	$145,398,072	$22,672,549
Raiders	$17,932,434	$17,932,434	55	$167,573,875	$4,720,765
Texans	$17,670,596	$17,670,596	51	$173,730,344	$3,067,819
Cardinals	$14,588,869	$14,588,869	57	$172,811,269	$4,640,839
Steelers	$5,307,086	$5,307,086	55	$172,578,010	$9,565,459
Titans	$3,996,291	$3,996,291	55	$176,347,060	$10,202,346
Bills	$3,432,153	$3,432,153	55	$182,878,650	$2,066,156
Cowboys	$834,273	$834,273	63	$200,046,200	$9,082,046
Lions	$723,865	$723,865	55	$174,555,771	$22,447,791
Vikings	($2,359,416)	($2,359,416)	55	$182,676,201	$6,957,314
Buccaneers	($5,539,267)	($6,199,267)	50	$185,393,780	$2,196,595
Giants	($7,936,006)	($7,936,006)	65	$185,587,820	$7,842,041
Packers	($9,679,306)	($9,679,306)	61	$191,750,182	$4,103,142
Falcons	($14,196,796)	($22,116,796)	39	$185,222,918	$13,976,786
Bears	($17,569,053)	($17,569,053)	51	$198,718,138	$8,983,757
Chiefs	($20,984,019)	($20,984,019)	57	$206,573,603	$2,693,526
Eagles	($26,873,468)	($26,873,468)	67	$193,861,046	$40,011,197
Saints	($31,916,021)	($31,916,021)	57	$205,366,238	$12,040,287
Rams	($33,136,331)	($33,136,331)	64	$186,110,373	$34,125,099

NFL Salary Cap Space | Over The Cap

NFL salary cap space estimates for all 32 teams

overthecap.com

consider this, Every team needs 5-8MM to sign their rookies. Also teams like to have around 10MM in space to make midseason moves due to opportunity to improve or injuries. So while its nice to say we have $68MM in cap space, the reality of it is the "EFFECTIVE number is closer to $52MM. And if you take that $14-18MM teams need to sign their draft picks and have some room to make mid season moves, the number tof teams with space enough to be factors in FA is severely limited

Based on this chart there are fully 20 teams will have less than $20MM in cap space. Almost by definition that means there are 20 teams who are essentially OUT of the FA market for much more than minimum value FA's. Then there is another 5 teams who look like they would have $10-15MM in EFFECTIVE space and 2 more who have $15-20MM in effective room,

That means that with the biggest raft of quality FA's in many many years (perhaps ever) the Pats will be competing with only 4 other teams (Jags, Jets, Colts and Bengals) for those FA's who would be looking for contracts that start at $10MM. (Washington and Denver can also afford one $10+MM contact)

I see this as an amazing opportunity for the Pats, and are REALLY bad year for FA's. If you are a FA and DON'T get signed in the first few days of FA, the chances of you getting the contract you THOUGHT you were going to get are going to drop precipitously. So for Pats fans, and BB, I suggest PATIENCE will end up being their best friend. AND I think most of the teams with money to spend will also be thinking this way

 

[Jim Beankie]

A little early for April Fools, don't you think?

 

[long distance]

Bill should take whatever he can and run. It's better than cutting him after another bust year

Harry is important (or at least very useful) part of the dominant running game that is likely to be the focus of 2021 NE offence.
Is that enough to keep him on the roster? idk But i dont see BB in any need to “run“ from him. There is zero cap gain if he is traded now,
1.4M if traded after June 1 so compensation would matter..