Salary Cap Estimate for 2013

[bedlamvr]

Yes I am a Redskins fan - and there is nothing I like to see than another NFCE team in a Salary Cap bind although I have to say I am enjoying the Giants problems much more than your own .

The Cowboys have the same cash creates cap philosophy the skins do you can move money around all the time by restructuring bonuses but what you run the risk of is having a player have too many of these 'restructures'

We had it with Portis, where although we wanted to move on from him we had to hold on to him for 2 seasons more than was wise because he was just too expensive to cut .

The Cowboys have an issue with Free . He was an excellent value LT for you and he got paid - but this last season he has looked well - poor - and out of place at RT .

The problem is he right now costs more to cut than to keep - which takes away leverage . But you can 'restructure' his salary - it makes no difference to him - He gets to keep his money (the $7 million) but it is paid as a bonus check and that can be spread over the remainder of his contract (three years I think ..unless he agrees to add more to his deal which would add cap relief this season but will need to be paid at some point) .

So lets say you reduce Frees salary to $1 million and spread the remaining $6 over 3 years so his cap hit would come down from the current SB left on his contract + $7million base to SB left on his contract + $1base + New Bonus of $2million - a saving of 4 million - but also increases his hit in coming seasons .

BUT Free has done this just last season ... the club reworked Frees deal and reduced his salary to $1.2 million and created a new bonus of $4.8 for the remaining deal . This increased Frees cap hit from $9.574 to $11.175 .. the annual pro rated bonus went up from $2.575 to $4.165 . Doing that again could add $2million or more - all of which would come due when you have no choice to cut the player ...

Having the pro-rated bonus as big as the salary is a big problem - (we the Redskins lived through this) - it is fine while the player is playing well - but sucks when the player sucks and fills up not just a roster space but a big chunk of cap ...

Now I am not a cap guru and Adam is one of the best (and I am sure he will rip me apart on this) - and there are mechanisms to minimize the impact of some of this ... but it looks like you have some big cap problems ...

As I say the Redskins had this (and may have it again in the future but we ate some big money deals and had dead weights on the roster to do so) and it seems nothing you do really makes an impact on the salary cap or the quality of the team .

The point I have i really doubt the $18 million in cap space is accurate - You will have some space but not that much ... you have some tough choices to make ... most notably with Spencer - Do you give him a big deal and hope he can play up to it ... or tag him again (expensive) and hope someone steps up . And you have to look to the future - If Bryant keeps playing the way he did over the last few weeks of the season he is going to be asking for a lot of $$$$$ in a couple of years ..

I think the Cowboys have boxed themselves in ... $5 cap penalty hurts but not insurmountable ... I don't think the cap will kill the Cowboys this year, but it will deplete your depth, where it is too expensive to keep promising young players because you are paying big $$$ to the older players re-worked

[xwalker]

Originally Posted by jterrell

Not trying to argue you down or abuse you in anyway.

This is and has been good work.
I am guarding against going too far in the opposite direction from 20m over to 20m under when that isn't very likely even if it is remotely possible.

You know as well as I we'll have 1000000 posts suggesting we sign the top 5 free agents available as is. Just trying to keep expectations set reasonably.

We already get mock drafts where we select 5 of the top 70 players....

It's all good.

Your feedback was actually helpful. You obviously reviewed the spreadsheet in some detail and provided the type of feedback that I had hoped to receive.

I understand about setting expectations.

My expectations are:
1 expensive Free Agent (could be Spencer)
A few low to mid level Free Agents like Ernie Sims

[CyberB0b]

Originally Posted by xwalker

It's all good.

Your feedback was actually helpful. You obviously reviewed the spreadsheet in some detail and provided the type of feedback that I had hoped to receive.

I understand about setting expectations.

My expectations are:
1 expensive Free Agent (could be Spencer)
A few low to mid level Free Agents like Ernie Sims

I think Spencer is expendable. We need a legit offensive lineman and safety. We could probably draft a pass rushing DE or develop one (Crawford?, Butler?), but he have more pressing needs than paying a guy who has only produced for one season and will be switching positions.

[jazzcat22]

Originally Posted by newnationcb

Why does anyone even engage in this exercise. If they're not Adamjjts numbers then they're only remarkable in the attempt.

I just wait to see who they sign and don't sign.....

[AbeBeta]

Originally Posted by Bluefin

Alex Albright doesn't have the speed that is so coveted in Monte Kiffen's scheme. That goes for Kyle Wilber, too.

Big 3-4 OLBs don't fit the profile for 4-3 Tampa 2 OLBs.

Both would be two down players only and come off the field for passing situations unless also getting tabbed as Nickel rush ends.

I don't know that being a 2 down player is a huge issue though -- a LB comes off when we go nickel. It isn't going to be Carter or Lee leaving the field. Obviously you'd like that 3rd LB to be a guy who can cover, but it isn't essential.

[Bluefin]

This is an update on Tony Romo, a player you will see listed with various cap numbers depending on the site you visit.

Xwalker used $17.228M, which is the amount spotrac.com has assigned to Romo.

I've been using it as well for no other reason than it was bigger than the number the ESPN Dallas guys had (erring on the safe side).

I decided to take a closer look at Romo's contract on Spotrac yesterday just to check their signing bonus numbers.

In 2013, they show Romo with an $11.5M base salary and $5.728M in misc. bonus money to come up with the above $17.228M cap number.

Romo's original $11.5M signing bonus and his 2008 restructure bonus of $5.895M ($1.179M per yr x 5 yrs) are both now off the books.

Romo also restructured in 2009 ($6.38M, pro-rated at $1.276M per yr, end yr is 2013).

2010 was uncapped, so Dallas left his deal alone (adding money would have led to a bigger Mara penalty like the Skins received).

Romo restructured again in 2011 ($8.19M, pro-rated at $1.638M per yr, end yr is 2015).

And again in 2012 ($8.1635M, prorated at $1.635M per yr, end yr is 2016).

Spotrac shows Romo's bonus money in 2013 to be $5.728M, which is the same amount he had in 2012.

That's wrong.

Signing bonuses can only be spread out over 5 seasons.

The $5.728M bonus number consists of the signing bonuses given in 2008 ($1.179M per yr), 2009 ($1.276M per yr), 2011 ($1.638M per yr) and 2012 ($1.635M per yr).

2012 was the final year of the 2008 restructure bonus but Spotrac counted it again in 2013.

The actual bonus amount for 2013 is $4.549M, giving Romo a cap number of $16.049M pending his upcoming extension.

That's another $1.179M in cap space.

[AdamJT13]

Originally Posted by Bluefin

Signing bonuses can only be spread out over 5 seasons.

Under the CBA at the time, bonuses paid in 2008 could be spread over six seasons, so Romo's proration for that bonus extends into 2013.

Also, Spotrac's numbers are almost all wrong. Romo's current cap number for 2013 is $16,818,835, which includes his base salary and the prorations from three different bonuses (2008 renegotiation signing bonus, 2011 renegotiation signing bonus and 2012 option bonus).

[alicetooljam]

So while your on the subject Adam....give us the whole scoop

[GusTheo]

Quick question, I'm on this site a decent amount, but not enough to know people's ties.

Is Adam an employee or something along those lines of the Dallas Cowboys? Or is he just a really big fan who is good with numbers? Because I've seen his reports in the past, and I know people consider it gospel.

Just curious.

[big dog cowboy]

Originally Posted by GusTheo

Is Adam an employee or something along those lines of the Dallas Cowboys? Or is he just a really big fan who is good with numbers? Because I've seen his reports in the past, and I know people consider it gospel.

No, yes and yes.

[burmafrd]

On the cap Adam is GOD. Treat his words on it as if they are carved in stone by a blazing finger.