11-04-2023, 01:51 PM
This is a good thread. Yes, it is a tad early, as we din't even know the Cap number for 2024 yet, but we do know we will have a significant amount of space. How the team, our impending FA starters play the rest of the way, will determine our direction next season (Higgins, Boyd, Jonah, I Smith, Reader, Chido, & Adomitis). And is some cases, the backups (DJ Turner, Battle, Hudson, Iosivas, Chuck Sizzle, etc).
But having run the numbers, I brlieve we have the space to:
1) Tag or sign Higgins ($23 mil hit for a tag)
2) Sign Reader to a 2-3 year extension ($15 mil cap hit)
And have enough left over to bring back at least one of Jonah, Boyd, or Chido on a $15 mil (Jonah) or $10-ish (Boyd, Chido) cap hit. Or pay for a legit TE1 starter. If things go our way (higher cap or more favorable deals), we could get 2 of those signings done. If thing really break our way (higher cap AND favorable deals), it could be 3.
Things could go a number of different ways. It is a good OT & WR draft class. Some good Day 2 NT types there. TE is a little weak. Etc. But we do know some things.
I. Who We Have signed.
Who we have signed. We have 36 guys who are currently on roster/IR signed for next year. 37 if you count Maxwell, but he was a PS guy. Even counting his salary but not his slot, we have 17 openings. Breakdown is like this.
A. Starters: 18/25 signed. $155,945,450 in cap. $9,616,012 per (O&D only).
Signed: Burrow, Mixon, Chase, O. Brown, Volson, Karras, Cappa; Hendrickson, BJ Hill, Hubbard, Wilson, Pratt, CTB, Hilton, Scott, D. Hill; McPherson, Robbins.
FA: Higgins, Boyd, I. Smith, J. Williams; Reader, Awuzie; Adomitis (ERFA).
B. Reserves: 18/28-29 signed. $23,799,299 in Cap. $1.322 per player.
Signed: C. Brown, Evans, Iosivas, C. Jones, Carman, D. Smith, T. Hill; Ossai, C. Sample, Murphy, Carter, Tufele, Harper, Turner, Ivey, J. Davis, Battle, Anderson.
FAs: Browning, T. Williams, Irwin, I. Smith, D. Sample, Wilcox, Hudson, Ford, Scharping; Tupou, ADG, Bailey, Bachie.
C. Total Cap (36 players): $179,744,749.
-----------------------
II. 2024 NFL Salary Cap Estimates:
A. Spotrac: $240,500,000
B. OTC: $256,000,000
III. Base Cap Space 2024:
A. Spotrac: $60,755,251
B. OTC: $76,255,251
IV. Plus Rollover Minus Dead Money ($12,289,646-$1,775,689)
A. Spotrac: $71,269,208
B: OTC: $86,768,208
That is a LOT of cap room, either way. Of course, we have 17 spots to fill. A rookie draft class to pay. And some big money decisions. But let's start here. Somewhere between $71.3 (Spotrac) and $86.8 (OTC) in space with 17 spots open.
But having run the numbers, I brlieve we have the space to:
1) Tag or sign Higgins ($23 mil hit for a tag)
2) Sign Reader to a 2-3 year extension ($15 mil cap hit)
And have enough left over to bring back at least one of Jonah, Boyd, or Chido on a $15 mil (Jonah) or $10-ish (Boyd, Chido) cap hit. Or pay for a legit TE1 starter. If things go our way (higher cap or more favorable deals), we could get 2 of those signings done. If thing really break our way (higher cap AND favorable deals), it could be 3.
Things could go a number of different ways. It is a good OT & WR draft class. Some good Day 2 NT types there. TE is a little weak. Etc. But we do know some things.
I. Who We Have signed.
Who we have signed. We have 36 guys who are currently on roster/IR signed for next year. 37 if you count Maxwell, but he was a PS guy. Even counting his salary but not his slot, we have 17 openings. Breakdown is like this.
A. Starters: 18/25 signed. $155,945,450 in cap. $9,616,012 per (O&D only).
Signed: Burrow, Mixon, Chase, O. Brown, Volson, Karras, Cappa; Hendrickson, BJ Hill, Hubbard, Wilson, Pratt, CTB, Hilton, Scott, D. Hill; McPherson, Robbins.
FA: Higgins, Boyd, I. Smith, J. Williams; Reader, Awuzie; Adomitis (ERFA).
B. Reserves: 18/28-29 signed. $23,799,299 in Cap. $1.322 per player.
Signed: C. Brown, Evans, Iosivas, C. Jones, Carman, D. Smith, T. Hill; Ossai, C. Sample, Murphy, Carter, Tufele, Harper, Turner, Ivey, J. Davis, Battle, Anderson.
FAs: Browning, T. Williams, Irwin, I. Smith, D. Sample, Wilcox, Hudson, Ford, Scharping; Tupou, ADG, Bailey, Bachie.
C. Total Cap (36 players): $179,744,749.
-----------------------
II. 2024 NFL Salary Cap Estimates:
A. Spotrac: $240,500,000
B. OTC: $256,000,000
III. Base Cap Space 2024:
A. Spotrac: $60,755,251
B. OTC: $76,255,251
IV. Plus Rollover Minus Dead Money ($12,289,646-$1,775,689)
A. Spotrac: $71,269,208
B: OTC: $86,768,208
That is a LOT of cap room, either way. Of course, we have 17 spots to fill. A rookie draft class to pay. And some big money decisions. But let's start here. Somewhere between $71.3 (Spotrac) and $86.8 (OTC) in space with 17 spots open.
