Cap update 4/6/16

[jobberone]

Stay as tight to the cap limit as possible, and only create space if you need it. That's the best policy.

The truth is, Dallas could create $20 million if they want to. But that would just push back money later.

Have to leave enough for unexpected opportunities and in season emergent signings

 

[jobberone]

Their MO is to never have enough Cap room? Cmon. Their MO the last 4 years or so is to get things under control. The ONLY way to really do that is to NOT spend big and stop pushing things into tomorrow. We do NOT have a overly talented roster so where is all the money? Obviously being spent on people that arent big enough producers. By and large, you can say that the roster is over paid. That is as much a mismanagement of the cap as anything else.

You have a point. In the end the vast majority of teams spend much of their cap leaving a reserve. Those that play well are getting their monies worth and vice versa.

 

[jobberone]

No, the best policy is to create as much space as possible and only use it if you need it.

No the best is to get maximum production for your investment and win. Some have huge kitties and others are always restructuring to fit under the cap. And neither guarantee success. But you're right about handling the cap space. You're advocating spending wisely and that is what good teams do.

Teams that have huge surpluses aren't using their wealth wisely. They might as well be stuffing it in mattresses. Those who overspend generally don't get what they paid for.

 

[CowboyRoy]

You have a point. In the end the vast majority of teams spend much of their cap leaving a reserve. Those that play well are getting their monies worth and vice versa.

If Romo is really as competitive as he says he is and he wants to win so badly he needs to take a pay cut. What is he making these days? 25 million a year?

 

[CowboyRoy]

You have a point. In the end the vast majority of teams spend much of their cap leaving a reserve. Those that play well are getting their monies worth and vice versa.

You have to think also that their poor management of the cap, or overpaying of players lead to things such as the release of Demarcus Ware. They either couldnt afford him because of cap space or because they overpaid him. IF I recall it was because they kept restructuring and pushing his salary into the future. He was going to be getting 15 million the year we cut him.

 

[AdamJT13]

Then answer the question as to why there isn't a single team that frees as much space as possible every offseason.

Why isn't there a single team that waits until they need the cap room to create it? Why did we restructure Tyron Smith's contract last month instead of waiting until we needed the cap room? Don't we know that it's bad to create cap room before we need it?

In reality, teams never exercise the optimal strategy in anything, on or off the field. That doesn't change what the optimal strategy is, it just means that teams aren't willing or able to use it. The point is that there is no downside to creating cap room that you don't end up using, because it all carries over anyway.

 

[Nightman]

If Romo is really as competitive as he says he is and he wants to win so badly he needs to take a pay cut. What is he making these days? 25 million a year?

Romo has a salary of 8.5m this year and averages 17m with his signing bonus, both are way below the going rate for a Franchise QB. He has done his part.

 

[Nightman]

That's not what I said. I said the only real risk I saw was underestimating the value of a top free agent. I don't believe any team would be caught so far off guard with the price of 2nd or 3rd tier free agents that they couldn't sign them. More to the point, any team that can't afford a 2nd or 3rd tier free agent outright is undoubtedly near the bottom of the league in terms of available cap space, which is likely a result of poor cap management in the first place. Almost 3/4ths of the league could acquire any player signed after week 1 of free agency right now. How many restructured every contract possible to get there?



So cut down on the base salary to maintain your space. Minimum salary and roster bonus a week later. Even with a $20M signing bonus, the cap charge would be at absolute most $5M if you applied a minimum salary for the short term. Restructure as needed and a roster bonus of whatever size doesn't hurt.

Teams already have plenty of flexibility to make things work in the short term. You don't need to prepare for something under the guise of flexibility when you already possess all the flexibility you need to operate.



Then answer the question as to why there isn't a single team that frees as much space as possible every offseason.

Signing a player you traded for or getting snaked by another team when it comes to signing a player......these would be exceptions, at best. The majority of the league could accommodate either move right now and they didn't get there through restructuring. This is beside the fact that the league offices actually close and all contracts must be league approved. Cap calculations aren't made the minute a player signs a contract, not officially anyway. Do you think league officials answer their phone in the middle of the night to look over transactions and give the okay? Additionally, what do you think, "agreement in principle", means to the NFL? Do they start calculating cap numbers with an agreement in principle even though the contract hasn't officially been submitted to the league and numbers are not available?

You're building barriers that simply don't exist. Like a doomsday prepper, you may as well be safeguarding against a giant solar flare that knocks out all electronic capabilities.

What if the fax machines I never knew were used were suddenly unavailable due to a giant solar storm? Then what would a team do?

And you have never presented a good reason not to restructure. Your chicken little doom prophecies have never materialized even when the cap stayed flat for 5 seasons from 2009 to 2013.

 

[Nightman]

Creating cap space, aside from cutting players, almost always involves pushing cap dollars to future years so why would you ever just do that when the cap room isn't needed? You create the room you need and a little extra as a cushion that can be carried over to the next year.

If you could get a 2nd round draft pick this year and pay back with a 5th round pick in 2020 would you do it?

That is what restructuring is. You get 2-4 years of benefits and when you have to pay off the balance of the debt, the cap is 30-50m higher.

You still have to spend the money wisely but that is the same with the draft. But I have never heard anyone say to stop using the draft because we have drafted poorly in the past.

That would be as idiotic as not using FA because we made a bad signing 5 years ago.

 

[Common Sense]

I imagine that creating too much cap space can potentially hurt you in player negotiations. If you do a Craigslist deal and the other guy sees how much money you've got in your wallet, he's going to be less likely to come down on price. It's human nature, and it's been this way for probably thousands of years. Business contracts are no different.

Team: "Sorry, we can only afford to sign your for $3.5M / year."
Agent: "You've got $40M in cap space. We're getting on a plane to Oakland."

Sometimes we get too caught up in thinking about this stuff like it's accounting when a good chunk of it is just poker.

There's also the player motivational side. Someone is less likely to get "lazy" if they know there's a net gain in cutting them. Or more likely to take a pay cut, for example, if they weren't restructured the year before.

 

[Hoofbite]

And you have never presented a good reason not to restructure. Your chicken little doom prophecies have never materialized even when the cap stayed flat for 5 seasons from 2009 to 2013.

Not in this thread, but in other threads I have done so countless times.

Dallas is a perennial bottom dweller in terms of available cap space, and yet they barely meet the cash spending floor. Brandon Carr is getting his 3rd stay of execution.

They spend less cash than other teams and shackle themselves to underachieving players. Somehow this is good business.

 

[Hoofbite]

Why isn't there a single team that waits until they need the cap room to create it? Why did we restructure Tyron Smith's contract last month instead of waiting until we needed the cap room? Don't we know that it's bad to create cap room before we need it?

Perhaps they anticipated what they would need. Turns out, they were pretty spot on. Freed up $7.2M and currently have $7.9M available.

In reality, teams never exercise the optimal strategy in anything, on or off the field. That doesn't change what the optimal strategy is, it just means that teams aren't willing or able to use it. The point is that there is no downside to creating cap room that you don't end up using, because it all carries over anyway.

Teams may not be willing to do what's best? Not a single team? Rather than redefining how teams operate, I think it might be a little more rational to redefine what is, "best".

And the counterpoint is that there is no advantage if you aren't going to use it.

 

[AdamJT13]

Perhaps they anticipated what they would need. Turns out, they were pretty spot on. Freed up $7.2M and currently have $7.9M available.

Yep, all of that cap space just sitting there when we haven't spent it. Don't we know that it's better to avoid creating cap space until we have an agreement in principle to spend it?

Teams may not be willing to do what's best? Not a single team?

No, teams are not willing (or able) to follow optimal strategies all of the time (or even some of the time, in some cases). We see it on and off the field, in every sport.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Brandon Carr is getting his 3rd stay of execution.

Seems like more.

 

[CowboyRoy]

Romo has a salary of 8.5m this year and averages 17m with his signing bonus, both are way below the going rate for a Franchise QB. He has done his part.

That is a great contract.

 

[Hoofbite]

Yep, all of that cap space just sitting there when we haven't spent it. Don't we know that it's better to avoid creating cap space until we have an agreement in principle to spend it?

No, teams are not willing (or able) to follow optimal strategies any part of the time (or even some of the time, in some cases). We see it on and off the field, in every sport.

Fixed that for ya. Not a single team has been willing or able to follow the optimal strategy.

1 team is all I ask for. Can you not give me a single team that operates in this fashion?

 

[jobberone]

Teams shouldn't restructure etc until they need cap space for 1 or more specific contracts. Having cap space from 'normal' closures is not inherently good or bad as long as there is enough space for rookies and reserve.