Current Salary Cap Situation (1 Viewer)

[gradualprocess]

No really that's how it works? Smith isn't guaranteed anything near the 10.5 million he is getting. It's funny how every year people say things like this: "This is why we simply can't be active in free agency" yet somehow we always are. Remember last season, because of Brees' deal we wouldn't be able to sign anyone else? Then along comes Hawthorne, Lofton, and Bunkley.

and our cap situation is significantly worse thanks to last year's movements — which were arguably ineffective, given our defensive performance. Sure, Smith isn't guaranteed 10.5 mil, but remember that we gave him bonus money last year, which if I recall, is at least 4 mil against the cap, and more if we cut him.

I responded to your statement, which was "So we are a Smith and Vilma away from being fine then." that's simply not true. we're in worse shape than that (or Loomis is going to continue restructuring contracts, which will only make our situation in a few years harder).

 

[RockyMtnSaint]

No, rebuilding means start from zero for offense and defense.

Our defense is not a fixer-upper, it is bad, it has to be rebuilt from the foundation.

So are we rebuilding or not rebuilding? I'm confused.

 

[guillermo]

No really that's how it works? No joke, Smith isn't guaranteed anything near the 10.5 million he is getting. It's funny how every year people say things like this: "This is why we simply can't be active in free agency" yet somehow we always are. Remember last season, because of Brees' deal we wouldn't be able to sign anyone else? Then along comes Hawthorne, Lofton, and Bunkley.

The problem is that Hawthorne, Lofton and Bunkley's contract are heavy on the back side. They had the choice of taking a one year contract elsewhere or a multiyear contract that paid like a one year contract the first year and goes up later.

In a few words, we made our purchases of free agents for this year last season. For that reason we are in cap trouble this and the following years.

Back loaded contracts and renegotiating contracts have consequences: We get older in our roster, and don't have the flexibility to refresh it.

 

[guillermo]

So are we rebuilding or not rebuilding? I'm confused.

If you only see our defense, we are rebuilding. If we are looking at the team as a whole, we are only remodelling.

Our offense will not change much, maybe one guy replacing Devery and or David Thomas and that may be it.

But our defense you have to realize that Bunkley and Herring are 29 years old, Jabari, Harper and Vilma are 30, Will Smith is 31 and Shanle is 33. 5 starters on the wrong side of 30.

And when you look at contracts versus performance, you get my point.

We are switching schemes and coordinator this year, if there is an appropiate moment to start over having the worst defense in history, it is now.

Going younger always has some growing pains, but frankly, with the offense we have, we can gamble on going with players that are having their first chance. Something that happened on Payton's first year, we didn't know what we had in Colston, Evans, and later in Thomas, Moore, Bushrod, Nicks. If we can get at some of the same success in a new defense, then the gamble is more then worthy.

 

[RockyMtnSaint]

And when you look at contracts versus performance, you get my point.

Well no I kinda don't actually, that's why I'm confused. CL said you were suggesting that we rebuild. Then you said no I'm not but proceeded to describe exactly how you'd rebuild. So that's why I was puzzled. I wasn't sure if you were advocating a rebuild or not.

Personally, here's my desire. Cut anybody now that will inflate our cap number without providing the requisite performance. I'm referring to guys like Ellis and Will Smith. They are good players but not worth what we're paying them. If they will restructure to a salary more in line with their value to the team then that's fine as long as it doesn't cause long-term cap problems down the road. However we should take care to not throw the baby out with the bath water. We can sort out the wheat from the chaff come training camp as long as we can get out of cap trouble enough to buy some wheat this off-season.

Maybe that's the same thing you were saying but I didn't understand because you seemed to contradict yourself.

 

[RaisingTheBar]

The problem is that Hawthorne, Lofton and Bunkley's contract are heavy on the back side. They had the choice of taking a one year contract elsewhere or a multiyear contract that paid like a one year contract the first year and goes up later.

In a few words, we made our purchases of free agents for this year last season. For that reason we are in cap trouble this and the following years.

Back loaded contracts and renegotiating contracts have consequences: We get older in our roster, and don't have the flexibility to refresh it.

This happens every year. And everyone always says it will be worse this year than last. Let the GM do his job; there is a reason we gave him a 5 year extension.

 

[Saint_Ward]

The problem is that Hawthorne, Lofton and Bunkley's contract are heavy on the back side. They had the choice of taking a one year contract elsewhere or a multiyear contract that paid like a one year contract the first year and goes up later.

In a few words, we made our purchases of free agents for this year last season. For that reason we are in cap trouble this and the following years.

Back loaded contracts and renegotiating contracts have consequences: We get older in our roster, and don't have the flexibility to refresh it.

Except Loomis was smart with both Hawthrone and Lofton. If you look at the contracts, they didn't get a huge signing bonus. Also, they have a huge roster bonus for this year. So, in a way, he gave them both one year "prove it deals", that takes a risk by giving them 5-6M in signing bonus, but can protect us on the back end if we don't think they'd be a fit for the future.

So, there is a chance, that we unload both of them. I doubt we'd do that. Also depends on what they do with Vilma. Maybe they extend him and lower his cap hit for a year or two? If we keep Vilma, the odds of either Lofton or Hawthorne being released, increase.

Last year we also had a bad cap situation, but we also have 25 UFA's. So, not only did we have to make cap room, we had a ton of contracts to work out, and they brought people from outside.

I think J. Evan's and maybe even Grubb's contract could be looked at to lower a bit of cap space.

Luckily Strief and DLP are pretty cheap, so they're fine.