With Geno And Dunlap Signed, Will We Go For O-Line FAs?

[Shake n Blake]

(08-29-2018, 10:29 PM)Millhouse Wrote: https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/cap/
https://overthecap.com/salary-cap-space/

Still hovering at around $16-17 mil in space per those two sites, for top 51 players currently. However Dunlap's 3 yr/$45 million deal doesnt kick in until next year, as he is due $7 million this season (per link).  Then it will jump to $15 mil next season.

So short term, as in just for this season, they could still sign someone significant if they had to I am assuming. But I am no salary cap guru either.

So it's not so much that we're up against the cap now, as it is we'll be up against it next year.

So we could've afforded both Andre and Michael Johnson this year, but we would've had to cut one of them next year (or someone else - theoretically).

(08-30-2018, 08:24 AM)Au165 Wrote: LaFell is unsigned still with no real interest. Illoka signed a vet minimum deal. If we bring in someone on the O line who is jobless a monthly after cuts or someone for vet minimum I am going to venture to say neither are better than what we currently have. People continue to miss the fact that for the last couple years college football has not been producing startable O linemen. This has led to the current state of NFL O line play (Overall not good) and the lack of any depth for almost all teams. 

The deals Iloka and Pacman signed isn't the point. The point is that those 2 will likely see significant playing time - if not start. So they were upgrades for those teams. I'm not sure why you're talking like decent players never get cut at this time of year. Anyone who has followed the NFL for awhile knows that sometimes you'll see some decent guys get the axe in August.

It's not always about talent level. Teams often have younger cheaper options and decide to roll with those guys and save some $$$.

And of course Iloka signed a small deal. The timing of his release had a little something to do with that. Had he been available in March, I'd almost guarantee he wouldn't be signing a vet minimum deal. His options and leverage were very limited this close to the season.

It's far from a guarantee that someone of decent quality - at the exact position we need - will hit the market. That said, it can and has happened. We just don't often sign guys off the cut list (maybe this is why some people think there isn't anybody worth looking at?) I gotta say again, it wouldn't take much to upgrade that right side. 

To your last point, I think the recent o-line issues are more related to the NFL's rule changes as far as offseason training and no more 2 a days. Lines are struggling to form cohesion. Obviously many teams are handling that better than we have.