Dalton Draft Pick Trade Bait

[TJHoushmandzadeh's Shiny Shoes]

(04-14-2020, 09:29 AM)ochocincos Wrote: No they don't.
The estimated cost for the draft picks is expected to be about $12 mill, which is about $3 mill higher than their current salary cap.
They could keep Dalton and still sign all those picks, but they would need to cut/restructure someone else then.

Whilst the draft picks may count for $12m, with the exception of the first round pick those draft picks invariably push off more expensive players from the back of the roster so it's usually a cost-neutral exercise, if not an actual saving.

e.g. If they sign a 4th round guard ($750k) that pushes out Alex Redmond and saves $1.3m net.
If they sign a 6th round TE ($660k) who pushes out Cethan Carter that saves $1.4m net.
If they sign a UDFA LB on a rookie minimum who pushes out Jordan Evans that saves about $0.2m, even after his dead cap hit ($39,000).

They can upgrade the team and save money in the process. This is why draft picks are so valuable and why teams like Patriots hoard them.