Albert Breer: How the new salary cap will impact teams' free agents and players' contracts

[Hawkeye0202]

https://www.si.com/nfl/2024/02/26/takeaways-harrison-draft-combine-free-agency-franchise-tag

Also, that salary cap isn’t just a little higher than teams expected. To be sure, teams generally work off of conservative estimates for future caps, for obvious reasons. But the numbers I’d heard over the last couple months are dwarfed by the $255.4 million figure teams got Friday. When I checked in on that back in December, I can remember hearing some were working with numbers under $240 million and, really, no one was past (or even at) $245 million.

So obviously this will change things for the NFL’s 32 franchises, as the new league year approaches.

“It’s an enormous difference from what we were all expecting,” says a chief negotiator from an NFC team.

Here’s where a couple people I talked to over the weekend see that difference coming through in the next few weeks.

• It’ll entitle any agent who was, perhaps, looking at different ideas for contract demands to shoot for the moon and draw harder lines, because these deals are always seen as pieces of the larger pie that is the cap. So the bigger the pie, the bigger, theoretically, the pieces.

• It’ll allow for teams facing difficult cap decisions to either kick the can down the road more effectively, or keep a player or two it may have cut on an existing deal.

• It’ll make older players perhaps a bit less willing to take pay cuts, since they’ll know that (a) their teams have more room to compromise, and (b) there’s more money out there to be spent.

 

[Creeper]

I fully expect to see a noticeable bump in contracts this year when free agents begin to sign.

 

[VaqueroTD]

https://www.si.com/nfl/2024/02/26/takeaways-harrison-draft-combine-free-agency-franchise-tag

Also, that salary cap isn’t just a little higher than teams expected. To be sure, teams generally work off of conservative estimates for future caps, for obvious reasons. But the numbers I’d heard over the last couple months are dwarfed by the $255.4 million figure teams got Friday. When I checked in on that back in December, I can remember hearing some were working with numbers under $240 million and, really, no one was past (or even at) $245 million.

So obviously this will change things for the NFL’s 32 franchises, as the new league year approaches.

“It’s an enormous difference from what we were all expecting,” says a chief negotiator from an NFC team.

Here’s where a couple people I talked to over the weekend see that difference coming through in the next few weeks.

• It’ll entitle any agent who was, perhaps, looking at different ideas for contract demands to shoot for the moon and draw harder lines, because these deals are always seen as pieces of the larger pie that is the cap. So the bigger the pie, the bigger, theoretically, the pieces.

• It’ll allow for teams facing difficult cap decisions to either kick the can down the road more effectively, or keep a player or two it may have cut on an existing deal.

• It’ll make older players perhaps a bit less willing to take pay cuts, since they’ll know that (a) their teams have more room to compromise, and (b) there’s more money out there to be spent.

Aikman always tried to make his contract as cap friendly as possible and would do whatever it took to bring in new talent. Brady stopped worrying about giant contracts and gave the teams more room. Rodgers just re-did his for the Jets. The great ones don’t just win on the field, they also win with the cap and their teammates. Dak is blessed that he’s actually getting an extension on the same team he started with considering a decade of playoff failure. His agent needs to come back down to reality, give the Cowboys a contract that allows them to use this cap to go buck wild in free agency. Dak can get Steven’s cheap butt out there signing some big names, if there is an understanding why he is taking a discount. Dude has probably already probably grossed $300 million+ in salary and endorsements, give some love to the other positions.

 

[CowboysFaninHouston]

https://www.si.com/nfl/2024/02/26/takeaways-harrison-draft-combine-free-agency-franchise-tag

Also, that salary cap isn’t just a little higher than teams expected. To be sure, teams generally work off of conservative estimates for future caps, for obvious reasons. But the numbers I’d heard over the last couple months are dwarfed by the $255.4 million figure teams got Friday. When I checked in on that back in December, I can remember hearing some were working with numbers under $240 million and, really, no one was past (or even at) $245 million.

So obviously this will change things for the NFL’s 32 franchises, as the new league year approaches.

“It’s an enormous difference from what we were all expecting,” says a chief negotiator from an NFC team.

Here’s where a couple people I talked to over the weekend see that difference coming through in the next few weeks.

• It’ll entitle any agent who was, perhaps, looking at different ideas for contract demands to shoot for the moon and draw harder lines, because these deals are always seen as pieces of the larger pie that is the cap. So the bigger the pie, the bigger, theoretically, the pieces.

• It’ll allow for teams facing difficult cap decisions to either kick the can down the road more effectively, or keep a player or two it may have cut on an existing deal.

• It’ll make older players perhaps a bit less willing to take pay cuts, since they’ll know that (a) their teams have more room to compromise, and (b) there’s more money out there to be spent.

it only means some teams redo of existing contracts will be slightly different. and that salaries will get bumped up more than expected. everybody is going to want a bigger piece of the pie.

 

[jterrell]

Thanks for sharing. Breer is no nonsense except when he talks about his Buckeyes, lol.

He and Sturm were the best to come through DMN since the old warhorses of the pre 2000 era all left.

This bump does seem to offer Dallas quite a relief.
Only being 8m over the cap right now before any restructures is pretty awesome.
Pretty much best-case scenario for an All-In run.

 

[fivetwos]

Aikman always tried to make his contract as cap friendly as possible and would do whatever it took to bring in new talent. Brady stopped worrying about giant contracts and gave the teams more room. Rodgers just re-did his for the Jets. The great ones don’t just win on the field, they also win with the cap and their teammates. Dak is blessed that he’s actually getting an extension on the same team he started with considering a decade of playoff failure. His agent needs to come back down to reality, give the Cowboys a contract that allows them to use this cap to go buck wild in free agency. Dak can get Steven’s cheap butt out there signing some big names, if there is an understanding why he is taking a discount. Dude has probably already probably grossed $300 million+ in salary and endorsements, give some love to the other positions.

I agree, but agents typically don’t want to hear about discounts, even when it makes full sense for the player to consider it.

Yes the player calls the shots but when they are hit with things like…”you hired me to advise you, now take my advice,” there’s no discount.

From team Daks perspective, I’d be skeptical about whether or not the cap savings would be invested back into the team considering they haven’t signed a major free agent in a decade and a half.

 

[VaqueroTD]

I agree, but agents typically don’t want to hear about discounts, even when it makes full sense for the player to consider it.

Yes the player calls the shots but when they are hit with things like…”you hired me to advise you, now take my advice,” there’s no discount.

From team Daks perspective, I’d be skeptical about whether or not the cap savings would be invested back into the team considering they haven’t signed a major free agent in a decade and a half.

Trying to think who is the last big name FA in his prime that we signed to a long-term contract? TO? Laroi Glover?

Jones Boys need to wake up and realize that they don’t have as good a draft or roster as they think they do. They still need to be a major player in Free Agency and Trades. Getting Gilmore and Cooks at that end of their contract and playing days, and not trading for anyone at the deadline, won’t cut it.

 

[jterrell]

Aikman always tried to make his contract as cap friendly as possible and would do whatever it took to bring in new talent. Brady stopped worrying about giant contracts and gave the teams more room. Rodgers just re-did his for the Jets. The great ones don’t just win on the field, they also win with the cap and their teammates. Dak is blessed that he’s actually getting an extension on the same team he started with considering a decade of playoff failure. His agent needs to come back down to reality, give the Cowboys a contract that allows them to use this cap to go buck wild in free agency. Dak can get Steven’s cheap butt out there signing some big names, if there is an understanding why he is taking a discount. Dude has probably already probably grossed $300 million+ in salary and endorsements, give some love to the other positions.

Bruh, hard stop on all that.
Brady was paid for 50 cents on the dollar, yes! He was married to a BILLIONAIRE... so he took FAR less money to win rings. Bill used that to get other players to also take less as part of the Patriot Way.

Aikman made the going rate and was not a big issue; his concussions and back were.
Rodgers is in fact a total teamkiller who crushed his teams with the mandatory highest paid title in every deal.
His demands caused them trade off his best weapon.
Then he cried more until he was traded.
He gets big applause for the restructure with NYJ but he pocketed a 75M bonus and hits free agency after this season.
So, he gave up about 35M in GTD future cash to gain free agency 2 years earlier.
Had he not restructured his cap hit was going to be over 100M.

Dak has restructured his deal almost yearly. The years he didn't he was tagged or heinously underpaid.

I am hopeful that Dak will be team-friendly now that he is negotiating for the first time as a wealthy person; but there has been no sign that will be the case. And there is zero shade he deserves for past negotiations.

There is only one person in recent NFL history who was really team-friendly and left cash on the table. Brady.

 

[fivetwos]

Trying to think who is the last big name FA in his prime that we signed to a long-term contract? TO? Laroi Glover?

Jones Boys need to wake up and realize that they don’t have as good a draft or roster as they think they do. They still need to be a major player in Free Agency and Trades. Getting Gilmore and Cooks at that end of their contract and playing days, and not trading for anyone at the deadline, won’t cut it.

Hard to believe but they’ve actually had reasonable success with ignoring free agency.

It’s both frustrating and maddening to think of what could have been with an additional 2-3 key players on some of those teams.

Yet they sit there with those grins as if the rest of the league is dumb and they are way ahead of the game.

 

[Coogiguy03]

I fully expect to see a noticeable bump in contracts this year when free agents begin to sign.

OUT THE DOOR: dorrance Armstrong 4 year deal $132 million
85 million guaranteed!!

 

[fivetwos]

OUT THE DOOR: dorrance Armstrong 4 year deal $132 million
85 million guaranteed!!

That’s the guy Quinn is gonna snag for way more money than we would ever pay, and he will thrive with that inside DL.

Hope we find a way to keep him but it seems doubtful.

Hey…Sam Williams is a second round pick and needs to step up. Problem is you can’t fix stupid and he is the man when it comes to that.

 

[FVSTONE]

https://www.si.com/nfl/2024/02/26/takeaways-harrison-draft-combine-free-agency-franchise-tag

Also, that salary cap isn’t just a little higher than teams expected. To be sure, teams generally work off of conservative estimates for future caps, for obvious reasons. But the numbers I’d heard over the last couple months are dwarfed by the $255.4 million figure teams got Friday. When I checked in on that back in December, I can remember hearing some were working with numbers under $240 million and, really, no one was past (or even at) $245 million.

So obviously this will change things for the NFL’s 32 franchises, as the new league year approaches.

“It’s an enormous difference from what we were all expecting,” says a chief negotiator from an NFC team.

Here’s where a couple people I talked to over the weekend see that difference coming through in the next few weeks.

• It’ll entitle any agent who was, perhaps, looking at different ideas for contract demands to shoot for the moon and draw harder lines, because these deals are always seen as pieces of the larger pie that is the cap. So the bigger the pie, the bigger, theoretically, the pieces.

• It’ll allow for teams facing difficult cap decisions to either kick the can down the road more effectively, or keep a player or two it may have cut on an existing deal.

• It’ll make older players perhaps a bit less willing to take pay cuts, since they’ll know that (a) their teams have more room to compromise, and (b) there’s more money out there to be spent.

I'm sure Prescot is licking his chops! But JJ has to toe the line and hold off on any extension talks with Prescot and his agents. The Cowboys have to realize that Prescot doesn't have the ability to get the team deep into the playoffs and throwing away another 100 million or two on the untrustful QB is about as dumb as a GM can do to try and fix a god-awful problem that is staring the Cowboys straight in the face. Pull back, trade up and draft a high 1st rd QB in the 2024 NFL Draft.

 

[big dog cowboy]

That’s the guy Quinn is gonna snag for way more money than we would ever pay, and he will thrive with that inside DL.

Hope we find a way to keep him but it seems doubtful.

Take the comp pick.

 

[fivetwos]

Take the comp pick.

I stopped paying attention to those when the best one they could ever possibly get (for Byron Jones), was spent on Nashon Wright.

They are hideous at the Friday portion of the draft.

 

[DuncanIso]

Cowboys cap at -$9.8 million as of this morning, per Spotrac.

Dudes are gonna get cut.