About that "rookie pool" (1 Viewer)

[WxM]

Folks who pay attention to this sort of thing probably know that the Saints are at around $8.8 million in cap room. A cursory glance would say, "After a few million for the rookie pool, there's not much left for the Saints to do anything." Not so fast, my friend. The folks at OverTheCap ran the numbers for all 32 teams. Long story short, after accounting for our rookies, our cap room goes from about $8.809 million to about $8.341 million. (Caveat: any trades will change these figures.) How can this be? Loomis wizardry? No, not really. Check it out:

https://overthecap.com/the-cap-space-required-to-sign-draft-picks/

One of the perks of trading your picks is not needing any significant cap space for rookies. Does that mean we should just trade all our picks? No. It's better in the long run to have cheap, cost-controlled labor. But if we're not going to do that, then at least we do recoup some of the money back thanks to the CBA.

 

[RaisingTheBar]

I don't understand this.

 

[J.T.]

Very interesting. Basically, because the NFL counts the top 51, the Saints draft choices won't hurt that bad when you figure those numbers into the Salary Cap.

The most interesting point of the story, after the draft, assuming no draft day trades and all drafted players are signed to "average" contracts for their draft position, the projected remaining salary cap after accounting for drafted players for teams in our division is:

Saints: $8,341,211
Panthers: -$197,449
Falcons: -$497,417
Bucs: -$3,911,583

So, not are we the best team in the division, we also have, BY FAR, the best Salary Cap situation. Loomis..................

 

[Meachemdat]

Very interesting. Basically, because the NFL counts the top 51, the Saints draft choices won't hurt that bad when you figure those numbers into the Salar Cap.

The most interesting point of the story, after the draft, assuming no draft day trades and all drafted players are signed to "average" contracts for their draft position, the projected remaining salary cap after accounting for drafted players for teams in our division is:

Saints: $8,341,211
Panthers: -$197,449
Falcons: -$497,417
Bucs: -$3,911,583

So, not are we the best team in the division, we also have, BY FAR, the best Salary Cap situation. Loomis..................

How do the bucs cut 3 mill?
Falcons are supposed to use -500,000 to sign Julio and Jarrett?!

 

[RaisingTheBar]

But the top 51 rule only is in affect until the regular season. Once the season starts all salaries count against the cap, you still need the 3.5mil, or whatever has been projected for our picks, available.

 

[Meachemdat]

But the top 51 rule only is in affect until the regular season. Once the season starts all salaries count against the cap, you still need the 3.5mil, or whatever has been projected for our picks, available.

Unless we trade those picks, which is more than likely what will happen.

I mean last year we used most of our picks and only had 3 of 7 make the team.

I see us trading most of our late rounders to move up into the 3rd or 4th.

I'd rather go after 1-2 prospects that have a better chance of making the team than to draft all these players that end up on another team's rosters anyways.

 

[RaisingTheBar]

Unless we trade those picks, which is more than likely what will happen.

I mean last year we used most of our picks and only had 3 of 7 make the team.

I see us trading most of our late rounders to move up into the 3rd or 4th.

I'd rather go after 1-2 prospects that have a better chance of making the team than to draft all these players that end up on another team's rosters anyways.

Some form of trade involving picks are likely considering the history of SP/Loomis. However I would like to save one of the later round picks for Nick Broussette.

 

[WxM]

But the top 51 rule only is in affect until the regular season. Once the season starts all salaries count against the cap, you still need the 3.5mil, or whatever has been projected for our picks, available.

Not really. Some of the guys in the top 51 today won't make the team and will be replaced with people who make less. For example, this happens any time an undrafted rookie makes the team. Another aspect of it is, if we cut the draft pick, the only part of the cap they hit is a pro-rated portion of their signing bonus.

 

[RaisingTheBar]

Not really. Some of the guys in the top 51 today won't make the team and will be replaced with people who make less. For example, this happens any time an undrafted rookie makes the team. Another aspect of it is, if we cut the draft pick, the only part of the cap they hit is a pro-rated portion of their signing bonus.

Go through our list of top 51 and let me know who gets cut, you may come up with 1 or 2 guys. It won't be many.

 

[Stalwart385]

Folks who pay attention to this sort of thing probably know that the Saints are at around $8.8 million in cap room. A cursory glance would say, "After a few million for the rookie pool, there's not much left for the Saints to do anything." Not so fast, my friend. The folks at OverTheCap ran the numbers for all 32 teams. Long story short, after accounting for our rookies, our cap room goes from about $8.809 million to about $8.341 million. (Caveat: any trades will change these figures.) How can this be? Loomis wizardry? No, not really. Check it out:

https://overthecap.com/the-cap-space-required-to-sign-draft-picks/

One of the perks of trading your picks is not needing any significant cap space for rookies. Does that mean we should just trade all our picks? No. It's better in the long run to have cheap, cost-controlled labor. But if we're not going to do that, then at least we do recoup some of the money back thanks to the CBA.

Keep hearing we need money to sign rookies on radio and podcasts. Funny how many people don't realize that by adding a player you remove another. The cost is the difference.

 

[Stalwart385]

Go through our list of top 51 and let me know who gets cut, you may come up with 1 or 2 guys. It won't be many.

You only have a 53 man roster. Either those guys get cut or the rookies don't make it. Either way you are not paying one of them unless they had dead money.

 

[RaisingTheBar]

You only have a 53 man roster. Either those guys get cut or the rookies don't make it. Either way you are not paying one of them unless they had dead money.

Unfortuatnely whoever we would likely cut there will be dead money. Also any players that go to IR or practice squad still count against the cap.

 

[WxM]

Go through our list of top 51 and let me know who gets cut, you may come up with 1 or 2 guys. It won't be many.

That's a difficult exercise because several players who will be on next year's roster aren't even on the team yet, be they draft picks, undrafted rookies, or veterans still unsigned.

 

[WxM]

Unfortuatnely whoever we would likely cut there will be dead money. Also any players that go to IR or practice squad still count against the cap.

But this is the case anyway. It's entirely separate from the rookie pool. The point of the thread is to say that we don't need much money for the rookies. We will still need to leave room for injuries, just like we do every single year. We have that room, right now, and still have room to maneuver and add other veterans.

 

[Stalwart385]

Unfortuatnely whoever we would likely cut there will be dead money. Also any players that go to IR or practice squad still count against the cap.

The bottom roster guys don't typically have dead money. You don't see significant dead money until you get around the top 40 contracts. One of those dead money guys could get cut but it's not as likely.