Salary Cap ‘Hell’ has Come and Gone for the New Orleans Saints (1 Viewer)

mrwhodat

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Awesome stuff here:

Salary Cap

it’s likely the Saints will enter free agency in 2017 with something in the neighborhood of $40 million to spend. With a stout class of veterans from around the league looming, this is the greatest opportunity they’ve had in years to bring experienced talent to a team in desperate need of it.
 
We were never in cap hell. Cap hell is having to cut players to get even with the cap and not being able to sign players due to those limitations. We took on dead money to open more cap space. Therefore, we were never unable to retain the players we wanted and/or sign FAs. It is not an ideal situation. I understand that we would rather see the signings workout for us instead of having to take on dead money to move on from some players, but the continued claims of "the Saints are in cap hell" is a overly parroted liberal use of a term that does not fit the Saints. Something like "sins against the cap" would probably be more applicable.
 
That's all fine and dandy, but it really comes down to do you have confidence that this team can bring in the right guys? Given what we've seen as of late, I don't know how anyone could.
 
We were never in cap hell. Cap hell is having to cut players to get even with the cap and not being able to sign players due to those limitations. We took on dead money to open more cap space. Therefore, we were never unable to retain the players we wanted and/or sign FAs. It is not an ideal situation. I understand that we would rather see the signings workout for us instead of having to take on dead money to move on from some players, but the continued claims of "the Saints are in cap hell" is a overly parroted liberal use of a term that does not fit the Saints. Something like "sins against the cap" would probably be more applicable.

Nuts. Strongly disagree. We may be out of cap hell but we are in a "lack of talent hell" now because of the cuts we have made it the past and substandard FA signings.
 
Nuts. Strongly disagree. We may be out of cap hell but we are in a "lack of talent hell" now because of the cuts we have made it the past and substandard FA signings.

We're so desperate for playmakers that we keep Ellerbe around hoping for a miracle.
 
Nuts. Strongly disagree. We may be out of cap hell but we are in a "lack of talent hell" now because of the cuts we have made it the past and substandard FA signings.

I don't see it.

We have Brees. We have the best group of WRs we've ever had. We have a top 10 TE. We have good RBs. With Evans back, the OL looks to once again be top 10.

On defense we have as much DL talent as we've had (on paper, but injuries have cost us) since 2009. We have the best LBing Corp we've had since 2009. We have decent safeties. CB is thin, but it's entirely due to injuries, not an inability to sign people.

I'm trying to see this massive lack of talent we have. We are young, but you have to be young at some point before you can grow into a mature team.

The problem with this team is that being so young, they've got to learn to play a full 60 minutes, namely on defense. That's a big monkey on their backs. The talent is there.
 
"Linebacker Dannell Ellerbe’s contract voids out if he plays less than 80 percent of snaps, which would turn into $3.2 million in savings."
 
"Linebacker Dannell Ellerbe’s contract voids out if he plays less than 80 percent of snaps, which would turn into $3.2 million in savings."

After he misses this week, it'll already be basically assured to be void. He isn't gonna play 90+% of the snaps going forward.
 
I don't see it.

We have Brees. We have the best group of WRs we've ever had. We have a top 10 TE. We have good RBs. With Evans back, the OL looks to once again be top 10.

On defense we have as much DL talent as we've had (on paper, but injuries have cost us) since 2009. We have the best LBing Corp we've had since 2009. We have decent safeties. CB is thin, but it's entirely due to injuries, not an inability to sign people.

I'm trying to see this massive lack of talent we have. We are young, but you have to be young at some point before you can grow into a mature team.

This. Glass half full.

And,,, we're in better shape cap-wise than many if not most teams.
 
I don't see it.

We have Brees. We have the best group of WRs we've ever had. We have a top 10 TE. We have good RBs. With Evans back, the OL looks to once again be top 10.

On defense we have as much DL talent as we've had (on paper, but injuries have cost us) since 2009. We have the best LBing Corp we've had since 2009. We have decent safeties. CB is thin, but it's entirely due to injuries, not an inability to sign people.

I'm trying to see this massive lack of talent we have. We are young, but you have to be young at some point before you can grow into a mature team.

Decent WRs; below average running backs; average at best OL; below average TE as a group. DE are way below average; DT average; LBs average at best; secondary was going to be a strength will now be a liability and I have never been a KV fan. Byrd is a waste. Without Brees, this would equate to an expansion team in terms of talent. With Brees, we are comparable to the Hank Stram teams when he with the coach of the Saints, i.e. all offense and no defense.
 
That's all fine and dandy, but it really comes down to do you have confidence that this team can bring in the right guys? Given what we've seen as of late, I don't know how anyone could.

A great example of the issues we face as a fan base, and even as a society. We see our opinions as absolute, and concrete. And we can't imagine how any other person on the planet could see things any differently than we do.

To be completely honest, I can see where you're coming from. They missed on several players they brought in recently. But they also overhauled the scouting department, brought in some very good picks recently in the draft, several lower-profile, high upside free agents, and have made it through a salary cap period that every expert out there declared would be the end of the franchise.

Yes, it's easy to look at it from and negative stance, but it's just as easy to look at the positives, and see a very hopeful future for the team.
 
Decent WRs; below average running backs; average at best OL; below average TE as a group. DE are way below average; DT average; LBs average at best; secondary was going to be a strength will now be a liability and I have never been a KV fan. Byrd is a waste. Without Brees, this would equate to an expansion team in terms of talent. With Brees, we are comparable to the Hank Stram teams when he with the coach of the Saints, i.e. all offense and no defense.

Disagreements with your total sandbagging of our talent aside, that's just a stupidly ridiculous thing to say.
 
We'll see how the team handles the current contracts before we say it is gone. We still have Byrd who likely will be cut next year creating over $8 million in dead money, Spiller's dead money, potential for more dead money if Strief goes, Brees' $18 million in planned dead money that will either come due in 2018 or be spread over the 3 future years. The key is having the players to show for deferring all the cap space. Thus far, we have not done a good job with that. Hopefully, we do better going forward.
 
Decent WRs; below average running backs; average at best OL; below average TE as a group. DE are way below average; DT average; LBs average at best; secondary was going to be a strength will now be a liability and I have never been a KV fan. Byrd is a waste. Without Brees, this would equate to an expansion team in terms of talent. With Brees, we are comparable to the Hank Stram teams when he with the coach of the Saints, i.e. all offense and no defense.

The wide receiver group is, at minimum, a top 10 unit in the league.

Mark Ingram was one of the top two performing running backs in the league last year prior to his injury. Hightower is a very capable backup.

Honestly no clue what's going on with the tight ends. Fleener was called to block a lot last week, and we don't know what Manhertz will bring yet.

Offensive line did an amazing job against the Raiders. Amazing.

Defensive tackle is probably average. Defensive ends are slightly above-average, pretty much solely based on Cam Jordan's inclusion. But I'm still hopeful on Kruger.

Linebackers actually look pretty good, although it would be nice to have Ellerbe uninjured.

Secondary is a challenge at the moment, but again it's only been one game. There's talent there with the young guys, and they just really need time to adjust to the game.

Is this the best team in the NFL? No. But it's also not the unmitigated disaster this some are trying to sell to the board.
 

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