220 NFL players have contracts = > $10M. If the salary cap was to provide an even playing field, how come the Eagles and Browns can afford eleven players with contracts = > $10M while the Patriots have two players?
Under current cap rules, winning the Super Bowl requires teams to win two games. The salary cap shell game before the season begins and the actual game on the field.
The reason the Eagles and Browns have the most player contracts > = $10M is they use the cap rules to maximize lowering the current salary cap at the expense of a dead cap problem- six or more seasons down the road.
The player cap charge has nothing to do with a player's value or cost. The player contract determines the cap charge for the season. A real example is a player who signed a one-year $14M contract with the entire amount guaranteed. The cap charge was $4M. The cap charge could have been $14M had the contract been different.
Jalen Hurts of the Eagles has a contract APY of $43M with a cap charge of $6M. Kendrick Bourne of the Patriots has a contract APY of $5M with a cap charge of $7M. In the salary cap- up is down, and down is up.
The only strategy that makes any sense is the following: If the quarterback can take the team to the Super Bowl, then modify existing player contracts with void years and backloading to create extra cap space. Use this cap space to acquire more high-priced player contracts backloaded and having void years. The dead cap problem can be delayed six seasons or more. The Eagle starting lineup player contracts have almost $300M of cap assigned to void years (See Jalen Hurts contract- $98M alone).
Winners of the 2023 salary cap shell game starting the season:
the Bills have player contracts of $289 APY, the Browns $287, and the Eagles $277 (Through 10/30 - 14W - 6L).
Losers of the salary cap shell game-
The Rams are lowest at player contracts worth $182M, followed by the Patriots at $184M and the Bears at $187 (7 wins- 15 losses).
If you are OK with artificially manipulated contracts to gain a competitive advantage over other clubs - then the current system is the system for you.
Under current cap rules, winning the Super Bowl requires teams to win two games. The salary cap shell game before the season begins and the actual game on the field.
The reason the Eagles and Browns have the most player contracts > = $10M is they use the cap rules to maximize lowering the current salary cap at the expense of a dead cap problem- six or more seasons down the road.
The player cap charge has nothing to do with a player's value or cost. The player contract determines the cap charge for the season. A real example is a player who signed a one-year $14M contract with the entire amount guaranteed. The cap charge was $4M. The cap charge could have been $14M had the contract been different.
Jalen Hurts of the Eagles has a contract APY of $43M with a cap charge of $6M. Kendrick Bourne of the Patriots has a contract APY of $5M with a cap charge of $7M. In the salary cap- up is down, and down is up.
The only strategy that makes any sense is the following: If the quarterback can take the team to the Super Bowl, then modify existing player contracts with void years and backloading to create extra cap space. Use this cap space to acquire more high-priced player contracts backloaded and having void years. The dead cap problem can be delayed six seasons or more. The Eagle starting lineup player contracts have almost $300M of cap assigned to void years (See Jalen Hurts contract- $98M alone).
Winners of the 2023 salary cap shell game starting the season:
the Bills have player contracts of $289 APY, the Browns $287, and the Eagles $277 (Through 10/30 - 14W - 6L).
Losers of the salary cap shell game-
The Rams are lowest at player contracts worth $182M, followed by the Patriots at $184M and the Bears at $187 (7 wins- 15 losses).
If you are OK with artificially manipulated contracts to gain a competitive advantage over other clubs - then the current system is the system for you.