02-28-2024, 03:40 PM
OK, time for an update the functional cap space with the ragging Tee & Tendering Adomitis & Browning news.
Of course, the functional part of this is a hypothetical exercise, not the real numbers for the guys signed, sealed, & delivered.
III. Functional Cap Space Estimate: $44,106,908
A. Starting Point: $83,731,303 with 37 signed.
This includes:
1. Signed Starters (19): Burrow, Mixon, Chase, O. Brown, Cappa, Volson, Karras; Hendrickson, Hubbard, BJ Hill, Wilson, Pratt, CTB, Turner, Hilton, D. Hill, Battle; McPherson, Robbins.
2. Signed Reserves (+10=29): C. Brown, Iosivas, C. Jones; C. Sample, Murphy, Ossai, Carter, Ivey (Inj), J. Davis, Anderson (Inj).
3. Signed Bubble (+8=37): Evans, Carman, D. Smith, T. Hill; Tufele, Bell, Harper, Scott.
Every guy of those 37 was on the 53 last year and is signed for next. All the reserves (save Scott) and a few of the starters do not move the cap space needle if released & replaced (Robbins). And for the moment assume no big ticket releases happen, as that will likely happen after FA signings, or the draft, if at all, save maybe Mixon.
B. Franchise Tag (+1=38): $21,816,000. $61,915,303.
We have tagged Tee. Obviously, a trade or a long term deal could still happen & change the number, but for now, let us assume that this is it.
We now are down to 4 starting spots to fill (WR3, RT, TE, DT). So we will build the roster to 49 now.
C. ERFA's (+2=40): $1,830,000. $60,085,303
These are Adomitis and Browning. We have tendered both as expected. Both guys make the min ($915,000), so $1,830,000 here for both. If we end up negotiating a longet term deal at a higher number, I will revise.
D. Rd1 Pick (+1=41): $2,740,995. $57,344,308
This pick will plug a hole, likely RT. Maybe DT, WR, CB, or TE. We could easily double dip at WR, DT, OL, TE, or DB in FA/draft.
E. Min FAs (+8=49): $8,930,000. $48,414,308
We have another 20 FAs from last year who were on the 53 at some point: Higgins, Reader, Jonah, Boyd, Chido, I. Smith, ADG, Hudson, Irwin, D. Sample, Ford, Scharping, Tupou, T. Williams, Bailey, Bachie, Wilcox, and McCarron. All are UFAs save for possibly 3, who some sites list as RFA's (Hudson, Irwin, Wilcox). ESPN has Hudson as RFA. The tender for an RFA is almost $3 mil. No way Irwin nor Wilcox get that, and Hudson is frankly doubtful.
Regardless, I picked 8 guys I think we could get back for a min deal appropriate to their years of service and plugged that # in ($1,125,000 or $1,055,000) to get $8,930,000 for 8 guys: T. Williams, Irwin, D. Sample, Ford, Scharping, Tupou, Bailey, & Bachie. Which brings us to 49 guys with $48.4 mil in space.
I think Hudson & ADG may be worth slightly more, but perhaps not. If so, not by much. I would love to have both back. Particularly Hudson.
With $48.2 million, I think we can make a reasonable run at filling 4 starting spots. Really 3, as #18 should take care of 1 of them. Heck, if Reader is brought back reasonably, we could be looking at $40 mil, plus our 8 Rd2-7 picks for 2 starting spots + upgrades & depth.
Two more things.
F. Practice Squad: $4,307,400. $44,106,908
In the offseason, the PS does not count vs the cap, as it does not really exist, you just can sign up to 90 guys. They count as min players up to that point (our Future's guys, for instance). But come September, it does.
Guys with less than 2 seasons of accrued service make $12,500 per week on the PS. Times 18 weeks is $225,000. All 9 Future's guys are in this category (Jackson, Lassiter, Pryor, Gilliam, Kirkland, Gunter, D. Davis, Heyward, George), as are Cochran & Maxwell. As would any picks.
Vets on the PS make more (M. Thomas, S. Jimes, etc) and can negotiate between $16,800 and $21,300 per week. Or $302,400 to $383,400 per year.
Say we max out in vet PS guys at 6. Say they make the average of their possible salaries per week ,($19,050). $342,900 per year. Times 6. $2,057,400. Plus 10 guys at $225,000 is $2,250,000. For a total of $4,307,400.
That leaves us $44,106,908 with a full PS & 8 draft picks, & FA to fill out the roster & PS. In the above exercise, I have allotted for a 16 person PS and 48 digned guys plus our pick at $18.
This hypothetical roster would be:
Offense = 21
QB: Burrow, Browning (ERFA)
RB: Mixon, C. Brown, Evans, T. Williams (UFA)
WR: Chase, Highins (tag); Iosivas, C. Jones, Irwin (R/UFA?)
TE: D. Sample (UFA)
OT: O. Brown, Carman, D. Smith, Ford (UFA)
OG: Cappa, Volson, Scharping (UFA)
C: Karras, T. Hill
----------
Defense = 24.
DE: Hendrickson, Hubbard, Murphy, C. Sample, Ossai
DT: BJ Hill; Carter, Tufele, Bell, Tupou (UFA)
LB: Wilson, Pratt, Harper, Bailey (UFA), Bachie (UFA)
CB: CTB, Turner, Hudson, Ivey (Inj), J. Davis
S: Battle, D. Hill, Scott, Anderson (Inj)
----------
Special Teams = 3
PK: McPherson
P: Robbins
LS: Adomitis (ERFA)
--------
Rd1 pick #18 = 1.
Practice Squad/Futures = 11.
1. Jackson, WR (Fut)
2. Lassiter, WR (Fut)
3. Pryor, WR (Fut)
4. Kirkland, OT/OG (Fut)
5. Gilliam, OF/C (Fut)
6. Gunter, DE (Fut)
7. D. Davis, DT (Fut)
8. Heyward, LB (Fut)
9. George, CB (Fut)
10. Cochran, OT
11. Maxwell, DT
Again, the 2 ERFA's are gimmees. Chronologically, the MIN guys probably happen later, or even pkst draft. But all 8 I selected have all demonstrated some ability to be playable for us, and should be relatively easy to sign. And also be prime vet PS candidates if they get bumped by a FA or draft pick.
Our unsigned would be:
1. Reader, DT/NT
2. J. Williams, OT
3. Boyd, WR
4. Awuzie, CB
5. Hudson, TE, RFA
6. ADG, LB
7. Wilcox, TE, RFA?
8. I Smith, TE
9. McCarron, QB, released/waived
I signed 10 of our own FAs in this exercise, who will be added back in the position specific posts that will follow: Browning (ERFA), Adomitis (ERFA), T. Williams (UFA), Irwin (RFA?), D. Sample (UFA), Ford (UFA), Scharping (UFA), Tupou (UFA), Bailey (UFA), and Bachie (UFA).
Last thing is the draft picks. By the time the draft rolls around, the reality is we will be beyond 51 signed players. Cumulatively, the average salarulies for those picks are VERY close to the salaries of the guys they will be replacing on the roster. Very possibly, we could be gaining cap space, depending on who is replaced (Mixon, Scott, Carman, etc). Accordingly, for cap purposes, I am calling Rd2-7 a wash.
Of course, the functional part of this is a hypothetical exercise, not the real numbers for the guys signed, sealed, & delivered.
III. Functional Cap Space Estimate: $44,106,908
A. Starting Point: $83,731,303 with 37 signed.
This includes:
1. Signed Starters (19): Burrow, Mixon, Chase, O. Brown, Cappa, Volson, Karras; Hendrickson, Hubbard, BJ Hill, Wilson, Pratt, CTB, Turner, Hilton, D. Hill, Battle; McPherson, Robbins.
2. Signed Reserves (+10=29): C. Brown, Iosivas, C. Jones; C. Sample, Murphy, Ossai, Carter, Ivey (Inj), J. Davis, Anderson (Inj).
3. Signed Bubble (+8=37): Evans, Carman, D. Smith, T. Hill; Tufele, Bell, Harper, Scott.
Every guy of those 37 was on the 53 last year and is signed for next. All the reserves (save Scott) and a few of the starters do not move the cap space needle if released & replaced (Robbins). And for the moment assume no big ticket releases happen, as that will likely happen after FA signings, or the draft, if at all, save maybe Mixon.
B. Franchise Tag (+1=38): $21,816,000. $61,915,303.
We have tagged Tee. Obviously, a trade or a long term deal could still happen & change the number, but for now, let us assume that this is it.
We now are down to 4 starting spots to fill (WR3, RT, TE, DT). So we will build the roster to 49 now.
C. ERFA's (+2=40): $1,830,000. $60,085,303
These are Adomitis and Browning. We have tendered both as expected. Both guys make the min ($915,000), so $1,830,000 here for both. If we end up negotiating a longet term deal at a higher number, I will revise.
D. Rd1 Pick (+1=41): $2,740,995. $57,344,308
This pick will plug a hole, likely RT. Maybe DT, WR, CB, or TE. We could easily double dip at WR, DT, OL, TE, or DB in FA/draft.
E. Min FAs (+8=49): $8,930,000. $48,414,308
We have another 20 FAs from last year who were on the 53 at some point: Higgins, Reader, Jonah, Boyd, Chido, I. Smith, ADG, Hudson, Irwin, D. Sample, Ford, Scharping, Tupou, T. Williams, Bailey, Bachie, Wilcox, and McCarron. All are UFAs save for possibly 3, who some sites list as RFA's (Hudson, Irwin, Wilcox). ESPN has Hudson as RFA. The tender for an RFA is almost $3 mil. No way Irwin nor Wilcox get that, and Hudson is frankly doubtful.
Regardless, I picked 8 guys I think we could get back for a min deal appropriate to their years of service and plugged that # in ($1,125,000 or $1,055,000) to get $8,930,000 for 8 guys: T. Williams, Irwin, D. Sample, Ford, Scharping, Tupou, Bailey, & Bachie. Which brings us to 49 guys with $48.4 mil in space.
I think Hudson & ADG may be worth slightly more, but perhaps not. If so, not by much. I would love to have both back. Particularly Hudson.
With $48.2 million, I think we can make a reasonable run at filling 4 starting spots. Really 3, as #18 should take care of 1 of them. Heck, if Reader is brought back reasonably, we could be looking at $40 mil, plus our 8 Rd2-7 picks for 2 starting spots + upgrades & depth.
Two more things.
F. Practice Squad: $4,307,400. $44,106,908
In the offseason, the PS does not count vs the cap, as it does not really exist, you just can sign up to 90 guys. They count as min players up to that point (our Future's guys, for instance). But come September, it does.
Guys with less than 2 seasons of accrued service make $12,500 per week on the PS. Times 18 weeks is $225,000. All 9 Future's guys are in this category (Jackson, Lassiter, Pryor, Gilliam, Kirkland, Gunter, D. Davis, Heyward, George), as are Cochran & Maxwell. As would any picks.
Vets on the PS make more (M. Thomas, S. Jimes, etc) and can negotiate between $16,800 and $21,300 per week. Or $302,400 to $383,400 per year.
Say we max out in vet PS guys at 6. Say they make the average of their possible salaries per week ,($19,050). $342,900 per year. Times 6. $2,057,400. Plus 10 guys at $225,000 is $2,250,000. For a total of $4,307,400.
That leaves us $44,106,908 with a full PS & 8 draft picks, & FA to fill out the roster & PS. In the above exercise, I have allotted for a 16 person PS and 48 digned guys plus our pick at $18.
This hypothetical roster would be:
Offense = 21
QB: Burrow, Browning (ERFA)
RB: Mixon, C. Brown, Evans, T. Williams (UFA)
WR: Chase, Highins (tag); Iosivas, C. Jones, Irwin (R/UFA?)
TE: D. Sample (UFA)
OT: O. Brown, Carman, D. Smith, Ford (UFA)
OG: Cappa, Volson, Scharping (UFA)
C: Karras, T. Hill
----------
Defense = 24.
DE: Hendrickson, Hubbard, Murphy, C. Sample, Ossai
DT: BJ Hill; Carter, Tufele, Bell, Tupou (UFA)
LB: Wilson, Pratt, Harper, Bailey (UFA), Bachie (UFA)
CB: CTB, Turner, Hudson, Ivey (Inj), J. Davis
S: Battle, D. Hill, Scott, Anderson (Inj)
----------
Special Teams = 3
PK: McPherson
P: Robbins
LS: Adomitis (ERFA)
--------
Rd1 pick #18 = 1.
Practice Squad/Futures = 11.
1. Jackson, WR (Fut)
2. Lassiter, WR (Fut)
3. Pryor, WR (Fut)
4. Kirkland, OT/OG (Fut)
5. Gilliam, OF/C (Fut)
6. Gunter, DE (Fut)
7. D. Davis, DT (Fut)
8. Heyward, LB (Fut)
9. George, CB (Fut)
10. Cochran, OT
11. Maxwell, DT
Again, the 2 ERFA's are gimmees. Chronologically, the MIN guys probably happen later, or even pkst draft. But all 8 I selected have all demonstrated some ability to be playable for us, and should be relatively easy to sign. And also be prime vet PS candidates if they get bumped by a FA or draft pick.
Our unsigned would be:
1. Reader, DT/NT
2. J. Williams, OT
3. Boyd, WR
4. Awuzie, CB
5. Hudson, TE, RFA
6. ADG, LB
7. Wilcox, TE, RFA?
8. I Smith, TE
9. McCarron, QB, released/waived
I signed 10 of our own FAs in this exercise, who will be added back in the position specific posts that will follow: Browning (ERFA), Adomitis (ERFA), T. Williams (UFA), Irwin (RFA?), D. Sample (UFA), Ford (UFA), Scharping (UFA), Tupou (UFA), Bailey (UFA), and Bachie (UFA).
Last thing is the draft picks. By the time the draft rolls around, the reality is we will be beyond 51 signed players. Cumulatively, the average salarulies for those picks are VERY close to the salaries of the guys they will be replacing on the roster. Very possibly, we could be gaining cap space, depending on who is replaced (Mixon, Scott, Carman, etc). Accordingly, for cap purposes, I am calling Rd2-7 a wash.
