2007 Offseason Cap Spreadsheet and Rules

[Big Deal]

Gambadoro reported on Fox Sports that the Cardinals will only have $20M to spend in FA based on escallators in contracts such as Matt's deal. Where is this number coming from?!?

 

[kerouac9]

Gambadoro reported on Fox Sports that the Cardinals will only have $20M to spend in FA based on escallators in contracts such as Matt's deal. Where is this number coming from?!?

Gambo's an idiot? That's what I'd guess. He's saying that the Cards only have $20 million to spend in free agency because that's what the team reported their budget was. It's in an article in the thread "Cards Plan To Be Busy in Free Agency".

 

[joeshmo]

Gambadoro reported on Fox Sports that the Cardinals will only have $20M to spend in FA based on escallators in contracts such as Matt's deal. Where is this number coming from?!?

Gambo is only mentioning the number that the Cards are saying they will spend in FA. Matts escalator is already accounted for as a bonus check of 10 Mill spread out over a 4 year period.

As for where the Cards are getting their 20 Mill from, they probably took out 5 Mill for rookies, 2 Mill for EFA and RFA tenders, 1 Mill for the practice squad, and their usual saved cap space for the season of 5 Mill or more.

NOTE - The Cards very well could have accelerated incentives and bonuses that were due next offseason into this offseason, saving on cap space for next year. That could be a very real possibility, and a move the Cards do often without making mention of it in the media.

 

[joeshmo]

Here we go I found out a few more items.

The Cards did in fact accelerate some bonuses and or incentives to this season, that is the only explaination for Clayton of ESPN to drop our 36.7 Million figure down to 21 Mill. in one day. I found where some of it came from, but I cant seem to figure out where all of it came from. For example I have on my spreadsheet now that we are down to 27 Mill instead of the 34 Mill we had after the tenders.

But Clayton is reporting that we have 21 Mill in space and I am inclined to believe Claytons report as he is usually dead on. I cannot account for the remaining 6 Mill difference.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2762784

 

[kerouac9]

Cards Cap Management = Enron.

 

[Covert Rain]

Cards Cap Management = Enron.

Some creative accounting going on here.

 

[AntSports Steve]

($830,000 to $3.58 million), quarterback Matt Leinart ($360,000 to $2.76 million) and cornerback Antrel Rolle ($760,000 to $2.43 million) all had their 2007 salaries jump because of escalator clauses that kicked in March 1. Add in a roster bonus like the $3.5 million

Fitz = $2.75 extra
Leinart = $2.40 extra
Rolle = 1.67 extra
Docket = $3.5 extra

$10.32M of the cap taken.

Looks like the spreadsheet has all but Docket's bonus accounted for.
Many counting the bonus, Shipp contract and Milligan signing bonus, the spreadsheet would match Clatons number of $15M left after the Al Johnson signing.

Set aside close to $6M for the rookie pool this year. That leaves $9M for players. Enough for 2 reasonable players or 3-4 backup/depth guys.

 

[WildBB]

Brown and Wells signings last yr. look like steals in this yrs. market.

 

[joeshmo]

Brown and Wells signings last yr. look like steals in this yrs. market.

All of our extensions or UFA signings from last year do.

Boldins deal is out right stealing, just look at the deal Johnson of the Texans just signed.

 

[joeshmo]

Finally Updated as of today.

 

[nurnay]

Finally Updated as of today.

Thanks for the update! I'm guessing at this point that we'll need to keep whatever remaining money we have for rookies, or is that a separate pool?

 

[joeshmo]

Thanks for the update! I'm guessing at this point that we'll need to keep whatever remaining money we have for rookies, or is that a separate pool?

I have not taken out what the rookie pool will be yet.

 

[vinnymac]

Thanks Joe for the update. I still think the Cardinals should release Berry or Okeafor.

 

[Zeno]

Thanks Joe for the update. I still think the Cardinals should release Berry or Okeafor.

For what reason--because we don't need cap space and they both still can play and we'd replace them with who(Smith and Pace aren't starters)?

 

[BullheadCardFan]

NFL Cap Update As Of 4/11

ESPN
From Len Pasquarelli

As of Wednesday evening, there were a dozen teams in the league with more than $10 million each in available salary cap room, and that included three franchises with more than $20 million apiece in spending room. The remaining cap room, by team, from top to bottom:


Minnesota, $25.0 million;
Buffalo, $22.6 million;
Cleveland, $21.8 million;
Tennessee, $19.6 million;
Green Bay, $15.8 million;
San Francisco, $13.7 million;
Jacksonville, $12.9 million;
Dallas, $11.9 million;
St. Louis, $11.2 million;
New Orleans, $11.1 million;
Philadelphia, $10.4 million;
New York Jets, $10.1 million;
Miami, $8.9 million;
Oakland, $8.3 million;
Cincinnati, $7.8 million;
Carolina, $7.0 million;
Seattle, $6.6 million;
San Diego, $6.4 million;
New England, $6.3 million;
New York Giants, $5.8 million;
Chicago, $5.1 million;
Tampa Bay, $4.9 million;
Kansas City, $4.6 million;
Denver, $4.3 million;
Washington, $3.9 million;
Indianapolis, $3.7 million;
Baltimore, $3.6 million;
Detroit, $3.6 million;
Atlanta, $3.1 million;
Arizona, $2.8 million;
Houston, $2.6 million;
Pittsburgh, $1.4 million

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[joeshmo]

Both Somers and Urban have both said it is between 5-6 Mill. I will go with them.

I would have trusted Claytons amounts but not pastabelly.

 

[joeshmo]

ESPN
From Len Pasquarelli

As of Wednesday evening, there were a dozen teams in the league with more than $10 million each in available salary cap room, and that included three franchises with more than $20 million apiece in spending room. The remaining cap room, by team, from top to bottom:


Minnesota, $25.0 million;
Buffalo, $22.6 million;
Cleveland, $21.8 million;
Tennessee, $19.6 million;
Green Bay, $15.8 million;
San Francisco, $13.7 million;
Jacksonville, $12.9 million;
Dallas, $11.9 million;
St. Louis, $11.2 million;
New Orleans, $11.1 million;
Philadelphia, $10.4 million;
New York Jets, $10.1 million;
Miami, $8.9 million;
Oakland, $8.3 million;
Cincinnati, $7.8 million;
Carolina, $7.0 million;
Seattle, $6.6 million;
San Diego, $6.4 million;
New England, $6.3 million;
New York Giants, $5.8 million;
Chicago, $5.1 million;
Tampa Bay, $4.9 million;
Kansas City, $4.6 million;
Denver, $4.3 million;
Washington, $3.9 million;
Indianapolis, $3.7 million;
Baltimore, $3.6 million;
Detroit, $3.6 million;
Atlanta, $3.1 million;
Arizona, $2.8 million;
Houston, $2.6 million;
Pittsburgh, $1.4 million

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Thanks for posting this though.

It just goes to show how much cap dollars are still left this offseason with nothing left to spend it on. And if a FA isnt signed yet with that much cap dollars left on the market it probably means you stink. But it also shows just how many teams have plenty of cap dollars to go into the season to re-sign/extend their own players, which will make the 2008 offseason another crappy FA market once again like I have been saying. In fact it may be worse as the we only know that the cap will go up a minimum of 6%, it could be more. We will not see the free agent market catch up to the cap space until 2009 offseason, minimum, and my guess is we wont see it happen until 2010 offseason. Making every draft pick from top to bottom all the more important, like it hasnt been important in the past but it will be more so now.

 

[vinnymac]

Thanks for posting this though.

It just goes to show how much cap dollars are still left this offseason with nothing left to spend it on. And if a FA isnt signed yet with that much cap dollars left on the market it probably means you stink. But it also shows just how many teams have plenty of cap dollars to go into the season to re-sign/extend their own players, which will make the 2008 offseason another crappy FA market once again like I have been saying. In fact it may be worse as the we only know that the cap will go up a minimum of 6%, it could be more. We will not see the free agent market catch up to the cap space until 2009 offseason, minimum, and my guess is we wont see it happen until 2010 offseason. Making every draft pick from top to bottom all the more important, like it hasnt been important in the past but it will be more so now.

Normally this time of year teams don't add veterans players until after the draft. Free Agentcy should come to a stand still until after the draft.

 

[vinnymac]

As the salary cap goes up so do Free Agent salaries.

 

[joeshmo]

As the salary cap goes up so do Free Agent salaries.

What you stated is what everyone said when the NEW CBA came out and the cap went from 85.5 to 102 Mill, and what every one said this offseason when the cap went from 102 to 109 Mill. Yet just like all offseasons before only a small portion of the free agents got over the top deals and the rest got market value. The players contracts havent begun to reach the level of increase the cap went up and the remaining cap space teams had last offseason to re-sign their own and place franchise tags and the remaining cap space teams have left this offseason is clear cut proof of that. Teams are already starting to extend their own and arent even waiting until the season starts, Cleveland just extended one of their own and thats just off the top of my head because I just read the article on it, but I know that the amount of extensions so far is on pace to break the amount of offseason/midseason extensions teams gave out last year.

Thats not even mentioning that every team in the league knows exactly how to work the cap and not be in cap hell anymore. The Titans are the last team to be in cap hell and they will be the last team for a long time.

People need to stop trying to kid themselves about how the free agent market will play out in up coming offseasons. The free agent market is not going to be anything worth while for another year or 2. The cap went up to much to fast to soon, 27.5% in just 2 years and will go up again a minimum of 6% more in 2008. Its basic economics when you oversaturate the market with to much money. I predict we wont see a even average free agent market until the 2008 offseason, and the other cap guru Antsportsteve doesnt think we will see it until 2009 offseason.

 

[joeshmo]

Normally this time of year teams don't add veterans players until after the draft. Free Agentcy should come to a stand still until after the draft.

Thats was when teams didnt have the glutiny of cap space they do at this present time. that was also before teams didnt sign vets until they made their June 1st cuts, but teams dont have to wait till June 1st anymore to get the June 1st cut cap benefits.

 

[kerouac9]

Joe, I don't think you understand that Rod Graves has a plan, and he's keeping our powder dry so that we can make excuses for why we'll let Dansby reach free agency like we did Leonard Davis.

 

[Shane]

Joe, I don't think you understand that Rod Graves has a plan, and he's keeping our powder dry so that we can make excuses for why we'll let Dansby reach free agency like we did Leonard Davis.

At this point Dansby doesnt deserve an extension. No matter how much you try to make it not so it wont change the fact that this team made the absolute right decision with LD.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

No matter how much you try to make it not so it wont change the fact that this team made the absolute right decision with LD.

How on earth can you make such an assumption? If our O-line is horrendous and that is the major reason why we have a poor 07, then the front office has some 'splainin to do...

 

[Shane]

How on earth can you make such an assumption? If our O-line is horrendous and that is the major reason why we have a poor 07, then the front office has some 'splainin to do...

Thats not an assumption. LD was the anchor of a horrible OL for 3 straight years. He is the epitomy of what that OL stood for with lackluster performances and penalty prone. That is all a fact!

We let him go because he wasnt worth what he wanted in either the FO or Whisnehunts opinions. This team will be better without him in the long run. I would be willing to bet that if we are to land either Thomas or Brown that this line as a whole will be better than it has been with LD.

He is extremly overrtated on this board and league wide. If we would have kept him we would be paying 50+ million for a lackluster player at his position.