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Many folks want us to move money into the future by turning salary into bonus and spreading the cost over future years. Let us presume that the players play out those contracts, so that large amounts of dead money aren't created.
Are we really happy with guys like Smith having 2023 and 2024 cap his of $18M or $19M? How many players do we wish to move lots of salary and have eye-popping future cap hits? I suspect that the same folks who want to move the $22M for the five players would be the same poster complaining about the very high cap hits next year and the year after. (Judon, Henry, Smith, Bourne, Mills and Andrews add up to $22M of opportunity).
The total available is thus the current $13M plus $22M. There are other opportunities. We could cut players, but then they would need to be replaced. We could negotiate contract extensions with those players who would agree to new deals.
Is $35M a lot? We will need $10M just for normal operations in camp and the season.
So, we have $25M to use if we want to push it all forward. That just isn't the way Belichick works. He will keep a couple of the restructures until camp to cover costs such as rookie costs, players on IR, the Practice Squad, players not on the top 51 (the cap until the seasons starts), in-season replacements for injured players, and certain incentives. Belichick might restructure $10M as needed later.
MY GUESS is that it is that is Judon's restructure that might be use before the draft if we really need cap money. So, for now we $13M plus Judon's restructure money for a total of $20M. Without getting rid of Van Noy and Mason, we'd have almost nothing but Judon's restructure to work with. I think that it will be tight being limited to $20M.
This presumes that Belichick is willing to sue more restructures than in the past ($17M total) because of the higher caps in 2023 and 2024.
A BUDGET OF $20M
Belichick can do a lot with $20M. Consider this 4 year contract for a total of $64M or $16M AAV. The 2022 cap is just $6M (1/4 of $16M plus $2M)
EXAMPLE ONE: 4/$64 for a 2022 cap of $6M
BONUS - $16M
2022 - $2M
2023 - $13M
2024- $15M
2025- $18M
EXAMPLE TWO 4/$50M for a 2022 cap of $5M
BONUS - $12M
2022 - $ 2M
2023 - $10M
2024 - $12M
2025 - $14M
Note that higher contracts can be accommodated by raising the salaries for the last 3 years, adding options at the beginning of Year 3, or by adding void years). The 2022 cap hit wouldn't change.
I don't expect more than one or two contracts like this, but they could be accommodated.
More contracts will be signed with lower cap costs.
Are we really happy with guys like Smith having 2023 and 2024 cap his of $18M or $19M? How many players do we wish to move lots of salary and have eye-popping future cap hits? I suspect that the same folks who want to move the $22M for the five players would be the same poster complaining about the very high cap hits next year and the year after. (Judon, Henry, Smith, Bourne, Mills and Andrews add up to $22M of opportunity).
The total available is thus the current $13M plus $22M. There are other opportunities. We could cut players, but then they would need to be replaced. We could negotiate contract extensions with those players who would agree to new deals.
Is $35M a lot? We will need $10M just for normal operations in camp and the season.
So, we have $25M to use if we want to push it all forward. That just isn't the way Belichick works. He will keep a couple of the restructures until camp to cover costs such as rookie costs, players on IR, the Practice Squad, players not on the top 51 (the cap until the seasons starts), in-season replacements for injured players, and certain incentives. Belichick might restructure $10M as needed later.
MY GUESS is that it is that is Judon's restructure that might be use before the draft if we really need cap money. So, for now we $13M plus Judon's restructure money for a total of $20M. Without getting rid of Van Noy and Mason, we'd have almost nothing but Judon's restructure to work with. I think that it will be tight being limited to $20M.
This presumes that Belichick is willing to sue more restructures than in the past ($17M total) because of the higher caps in 2023 and 2024.
A BUDGET OF $20M
Belichick can do a lot with $20M. Consider this 4 year contract for a total of $64M or $16M AAV. The 2022 cap is just $6M (1/4 of $16M plus $2M)
EXAMPLE ONE: 4/$64 for a 2022 cap of $6M
BONUS - $16M
2022 - $2M
2023 - $13M
2024- $15M
2025- $18M
EXAMPLE TWO 4/$50M for a 2022 cap of $5M
BONUS - $12M
2022 - $ 2M
2023 - $10M
2024 - $12M
2025 - $14M
Note that higher contracts can be accommodated by raising the salaries for the last 3 years, adding options at the beginning of Year 3, or by adding void years). The 2022 cap hit wouldn't change.
I don't expect more than one or two contracts like this, but they could be accommodated.
More contracts will be signed with lower cap costs.