St. PJ
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Thanks to "The People's GM" - Pat Kirwin - I'd like to summarize a conversation I heard on Moving The Chains today. Save for a few offensive tackles and a guy named Elvis, the big $ deals are over. The conclusion of the owner's meetings offers a line of demarcation. From this point forward, the near 300 veteran free agents will be getting much less than they feel entitled to making.
The draft has just over 250 rookies who are young, healthy, and cheap. The salary cap has remained the same with less than 2% increase per year over the last three years and looks to remain stagnant until 2015. The TV revenue doubles in 2014, and while the owners will see that increase in cash flow, the players (salary cap) won't see it until 2015 because each year's salary cap is figured on the final numbers from the PREVIOUS league year's revenue.
The point? Simply put, there isn't any money to go around and it will be a buyers market from here on out. It will be much more economic to go with younger players than to continue to give veteran players money they are worth- perceived or actual. Once the draft is concluded, watch the amount of veteran players who are released. The end result will see many teams signing numerous veterans for very cheap 1-3 year deals.
The market has dried up. There just isn't money to go around. Sure, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees and Peyton and Tom and Joe will get $20+ million annually, but the middle class will suffer for it. Good veteran players will be forced to choose between early retirement or playing for substantially less money. In the old CBA, this was what would happen to players in their mid to late 30's with maybe a year or two left-- their ego would have to accept that their market value isn't what they thought. All of the deals drafted under the previous CBA were built under the assumption that the salary cap would increase 6 to 9 million per year-- as it had every year since it's inception 20 or so year ago.
The age has changed. Unless you are 28 or younger, you are no longer getting big money. Hell, you are no longer getting what you are worth. That's why we see players with name recognition linger on the market. Can we guess what it means that Charles Woodson, Nnamdi, Freeney, Harrison, on down the line aren't signing contracts? Sure-- it means slowly but surely, their asking price is going down. They are beginning to reconcile the fact that 1) they have very little market value; 2) the market is flooded; and 3) with the draft looming, there will be less market value and less job openings come May.
The Saints do not have very much cap space to work with. Guess what, most teams are in the same boat. If the remaining 300 or so free agents want a job, they will have to sign for not much over minimum. For a team with needs to fill and very little cap space, this is the perfect remedy. For a fan wanting to know "why haven't we signed this position or that player", the answer is that at this moment your unsigned veteran's price is dropping.
In summation, stay patient. The Saints will be able to add a handful more quality veteran players who will improve their depth, fill a starting role or two, all for a bargain rack price.
The draft has just over 250 rookies who are young, healthy, and cheap. The salary cap has remained the same with less than 2% increase per year over the last three years and looks to remain stagnant until 2015. The TV revenue doubles in 2014, and while the owners will see that increase in cash flow, the players (salary cap) won't see it until 2015 because each year's salary cap is figured on the final numbers from the PREVIOUS league year's revenue.
The point? Simply put, there isn't any money to go around and it will be a buyers market from here on out. It will be much more economic to go with younger players than to continue to give veteran players money they are worth- perceived or actual. Once the draft is concluded, watch the amount of veteran players who are released. The end result will see many teams signing numerous veterans for very cheap 1-3 year deals.
The market has dried up. There just isn't money to go around. Sure, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees and Peyton and Tom and Joe will get $20+ million annually, but the middle class will suffer for it. Good veteran players will be forced to choose between early retirement or playing for substantially less money. In the old CBA, this was what would happen to players in their mid to late 30's with maybe a year or two left-- their ego would have to accept that their market value isn't what they thought. All of the deals drafted under the previous CBA were built under the assumption that the salary cap would increase 6 to 9 million per year-- as it had every year since it's inception 20 or so year ago.
The age has changed. Unless you are 28 or younger, you are no longer getting big money. Hell, you are no longer getting what you are worth. That's why we see players with name recognition linger on the market. Can we guess what it means that Charles Woodson, Nnamdi, Freeney, Harrison, on down the line aren't signing contracts? Sure-- it means slowly but surely, their asking price is going down. They are beginning to reconcile the fact that 1) they have very little market value; 2) the market is flooded; and 3) with the draft looming, there will be less market value and less job openings come May.
The Saints do not have very much cap space to work with. Guess what, most teams are in the same boat. If the remaining 300 or so free agents want a job, they will have to sign for not much over minimum. For a team with needs to fill and very little cap space, this is the perfect remedy. For a fan wanting to know "why haven't we signed this position or that player", the answer is that at this moment your unsigned veteran's price is dropping.
In summation, stay patient. The Saints will be able to add a handful more quality veteran players who will improve their depth, fill a starting role or two, all for a bargain rack price.