2015 Cap Situation

[iRobot]

With projected salary cap $144,250,620 per overthecap.com -- the Cardinals appear to sit at a -$6,847,875 OVER the cap projection.

How that can be fixed:

1) Larry Fitzgerald -- if he is designated a June 1st cut (unlikely since they wouldnt be able to use those dollars until after June 1st) -- the Cards are then $9M under the cap. More likely, he is given a new deal or trade/cut. If traded/cut -- the team is $2.3M under the cap.

2) Darnell Dockett -- He is a leader, unquestioned. However, his production even before injury had fallen a bit. He's been good against the run but his pass rushing productivity has been lacking. It would be nice if he took less money, but he may not. I wont speculate what his deal could be if he restructured or took less money, but if he's traded or cut... team saves $6.8M and is now $9.1M under the cap with the Fitz option above.

3) Daryl Washington -- A lot of commotion about what the team will do with DWash. Cutting or trading him would hit the cap for -$2M. Not likely with such little cap $ projected if any.. I think he stays.

4) Ted Ginn -- scheduled to make $4M ... he's a candidate to get cut. Cutting Ginn saves $2.5M and would put us at $11.6M under the cap.

5) Misc. savings -- there could be more. You save give or take $1M or so for making decisions on people like Lorenzo Alexander, Ted Larsen, John Carlson... so there could be more moves to help the situation.

Anyone who wants to play GM can do so, which is quite fun actually restructuring deals lol -- http://overthecap.com/calculator/arizona-cardinals/

 

[kerouac9]

iRobot, as I understand it, the Cards can't avoid paying Fitzgerald the $8M roster bonus if they designate him a June 1 cut. They'd also have to carry the $24M cap number through June 1, when they'd suddenly open up $8M or more in cap room.

 

[iRobot]

iRobot, as I understand it, the Cards can't avoid paying Fitzgerald the $8M roster bonus if they designate him a June 1 cut. They'd also have to carry the $24M cap number through June 1, when they'd suddenly open up $8M or more in cap room.

Yea, that's 100% true. I didn't think of that aspect and I don't know if OverTheCap reflects that.

I wonder if making the decision to cut him before the roster bonus is due would allow them to not pay him the $8M roster bonus though as long as the decision is made regardless of June 1 or not.

I can see why it wouldn't since technically he doesn't come off the books until after June 1st.

The scenario I give for his $ though is with trade/cut.

 

[BillsCarnage]

iRobot, as I understand it, the Cards can't avoid paying Fitzgerald the $8M roster bonus if they designate him a June 1 cut. They'd also have to carry the $24M cap number through June 1, when they'd suddenly open up $8M or more in cap room.

Which is why, if he's going to get cut, it'll happen March 15th, I believe - the 5th day of the league new year. They need to decide by then if he's going to be on the roster and get the roster bonus.

 

[kerouac9]

Yea, that's 100% true. I didn't think of that aspect and I don't know if OverTheCap reflects that.

I wonder if making the decision to cut him before the roster bonus is due would allow them to not pay him the $8M roster bonus though as long as the decision is made regardless of June 1 or not.

I can see why it wouldn't since technically he doesn't come off the books until after June 1st.

The scenario I give for his $ though is with trade/cut.

The intention of the June 1 cut designation is to allow a team to get a player off the roster while still maintaining the cap flexibility that the June 1 designation carries. Conceptually and from a payment perspective, the contract remains in effect until June 1, when the cap accounting changes.

If the contract is in effect after the 5th day of the league year, you have to pay him the bonus and account for it. If you cut him before then, you don't have to pay the bonus, but you can't spread the remaining cap charge over 2 years.

 

[BillsCarnage]

I really believe Dockett will restructure and stay a few (2-3) more years.

DWash - I think he'll stay too. There's a lot of talk about the possible suspension for the DV case. But, that all occurred prior to the new policies and if Goodell tries to suspend him for more than 6gms the union will have a field day. I think he'll get 4gms, but don't be surprised if he manages to scoot by w/o a suspension with union support.

Ginn - I don't see any scenario he's back. Honestly, if he is I'll question the mental capacity of the FO.

 

[BigRedRage]

I really believe Dockett will restructure and stay a few (2-3) more years.

DWash - I think he'll stay too. There's a lot of talk about the possible suspension for the DV case. But, that all occurred prior to the new policies and if Goodell tries to suspend him for more than 6gms the union will have a field day. I think he'll get 4gms, but don't be surprised if he manages to scoot by w/o a suspension with union support.

Ginn - I don't see any scenario he's back. Honestly, if he is I'll question the mental capacity of the FO.

I think Dwash gets the new 6 game, appeals it and it goes down to 2-4 games.

Also think Dwash does a new deal full of escalators so he can make tons of money if he plays but doesnt get to steal money anymore.

 

[kerouac9]

I think Dwash gets the new 6 game, appeals it and it goes down to 2-4 games.

Also think Dwash does a new deal full of escalators so he can make tons of money if he plays but doesnt get to steal money anymore.

Why in the world would he do this? Because he's a good guy? I think our last two years' experience aptly illustrates that Daryl Washington is not a good guy.

The reality is that Washington's already gotten most of the money that he was going to get when the Cards paid his option bonus last March. His base salaries the next three years are relatively small.

 

[iRobot]

Why in the world would he do this? Because he's a good guy? I think our last two years' experience aptly illustrates that Daryl Washington is not a good guy.

The reality is that Washington's already gotten most of the money that he was going to get when the Cards paid his option bonus last March. His base salaries the next three years are relatively small.

This.. this.. this.

DWash will not be given any new deal until he shows good years with no issues. Even then, he's hurt any future deals he may get from this team at least.

 

[TJ]

I really believe Dockett will restructure and stay a few (2-3) more years.

DWash - I think he'll stay too. There's a lot of talk about the possible suspension for the DV case. But, that all occurred prior to the new policies and if Goodell tries to suspend him for more than 6gms the union will have a field day. I think he'll get 4gms, but don't be surprised if he manages to scoot by w/o a suspension with union support.

Ginn - I don't see any scenario he's back. Honestly, if he is I'll question the mental capacity of the FO.

I HIGHLY doubt with the public scrutiny that Washington gets out of the DV suspension. I do, however, think he has a chance to get only 4 games based on the old DV policy, if the NFLPA successfully argues that his crime occurred during the old rules/regulations for personal conduct.

 

[Ohcrap75]

Is there any money from 2014 cap that can be rolled over to this years?

 

[iRobot]

Is there any money from 2014 cap that can be rolled over to this years?

Yes, there should be. OverTheCap says AZ had somewhere near $14M in cap room in 2014 and I believe most/all of that is eligible for rollover.

 

[GatorAZ]

Yes, there should be. OverTheCap says AZ had somewhere near $14M in cap room in 2014 and I believe most/all of that is eligible for rollover.

So then we're not over the cap?

 

[iRobot]

So then we're not over the cap?

By all accounts right now, we are over the projected cap. Until any money is elected to be rolled over. Not every team will roll over all of their money either.

 

[kerouac9]

I'm trying to find out via twitter whether Stanton hit his $4M playing time incentive. If that's the case, it's going to go on his 2015 cap number, raising it to a little over $7.8M.

I don't know if they have to deal with Fitzgerald's contract before the start of the league year or not--that's when you have to be under the cap. It's possible that you can wait until you actually have to pay that bonus, which would give them a little bit of additional time. For all the good feelings about Fitzgerald's conversations with the Cards, they haven't started talking about money yet. We'll see where that ends up.

Another real key is to do something with Jerraud Powers. He has one year left on his deal at $4.25M in salary ($5.25M against the cap). He's only 27 years old, and he can play in this league. I wonder if the Cards might extend him as well, guaranteeing maybe $5M and reducing his cap number and locking him up for the long term.

The only other sources of relief are Ted Ginn, Jr. and Dockett. Fitz has the Cards' balls in a vise for another season. Good grief.

 

[MadCardDisease]

Another real key is to do something with Jerraud Powers. He has one year left on his deal at $4.25M in salary ($5.25M against the cap). He's only 27 years old, and he can play in this league. I wonder if the Cards might extend him as well, guaranteeing maybe $5M and reducing his cap number and locking him up for the long term.

Yeah Mitch brought this up in another thread and I hadn't thought about it. Extending Powers seems like a no brainer as he has performed well and is still in his prime. That move could easily free up a couple million this year. Plus it would keep an important piece of the defensive backfield on the team for a few more years.

 

[kerouac9]

Yeah Mitch brought this up in another thread and I hadn't thought about it. Extending Powers seems like a no brainer as he has performed well and is still in his prime. That move could easily free up a couple million this year. Plus it would keep an important piece of the defensive backfield on the team for a few more years.

Yeah. Powers is a great hedge against not finding a better corner in free agency at a discount. I know that Chopper doesn't think much of him, but I'm comfortable having him as a #2 because I think it gives Matheiu more opportunities to play his natural position in nickel packages.

 

[jeeperaz]

So what I take from all of this is we won't have the money to sign Tamba Hali.

 

[Goldfield]

I am all for extending powers to reduce cap hit. He is solid.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

This site says Cards are 12 mill over right now:
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/arizona-cardinals/cap/2015/

 

[daves]

For all the good feelings about Fitzgerald's conversations with the Cards, they haven't started talking about money yet

Wait, what?! What the heck have they been discussing that led Jurecki to report that "There has been positive movement in BOTH parties regarding the @LarryFitzgerald situation."?

...dbs

Edit: Here's a reference to Somers saying just that: "No new deal is imminent, as the sides have not even discussed money."

Sheesh, that takes a lot of steam out of Jurecki's optimistic tweet.