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The 2006 free agency class, as assembled on Feb. 20, lacks the luster of years past.
There are no absolutes. No player who is the right fit for every team regardless of existing personnel and/or system.
Given this and the other significant factors at play — divided negotiations in talks to reach a new CBA have NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw using words like “lockout” — expect the number of spenders to be critically low. Only the few teams with an excess of salary-cap space can afford to enter the free-agent pool without lightly dipping their toes into the water to gauge the temperature.
To find out which teams will be the players when the free agency frenzy begins on March 3, we asked an NFL personnel director where each of the league’s 32 teams stand with regard to the projected 2006 salary cap of $93.25 million. At this writing, there was a sliver of hope held by the league’s owners — and salary-cap experts — that free agency could be pushed back to April 1 in an effort to put in place a new CBA. The reason cap gurus want the new deal? The rolling wake of the new TV deal is about $7 million-$9 million more per team beneath the salary cap, meaning each team could have a payroll of just above $100 million if a CBA is stamped and approved before March 3. Operating under the assumption that, as Upshaw put it, a new deal was “doubtful,” here are the current players and bystanders based on up-to-date salary-cap data provided by an NFL club. (Team, amount under the projected cap)
1. Cleveland Browns: $25 million
2. Arizona Cardinals: $24.5 million
3. Minnesota Vikings: $24 million
4. Green Bay Packers $22 million
5. Seattle Seahawks: $20 million
6. San Francisco 49ers: $18 million
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: $17 million
Chicago Bears: $17 million
Cincinnati Bengals: $17 million
8. San Diego Chargers: $16.5 million
9. Baltimore Ravens: $16 million
10. St. Louis Rams: $14 million
11. Houston Texans: $14 million
12. Buffalo Bills: $11 million
13. New Orleans Saints: $10 million
14. Detroit Lions: $9 million
15. Philadelphia: $6.5 million
16. New York Giants: $3.5 million
17. Dallas Cowboys: $3 million
18. New England Patriots: $500,000
19. Indianapolis Colts: Even at $93.25 million
20. Carolina Panthers: $2 million over
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: $4.5 million over
22. Miami Dolphins: $5 million over
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $9 million over
24. Atlanta Falcons: $10 million over
25. Tennessee Titans: $14.7 million over
26. Washington Commanders: $19 million over
27. Kansas City Chiefs: $19 million over
28. Denver Broncos: $23 million over
29. New York Jets: $26 million over
30. Oakland Raiders: $27 million over
As each team balances its own checkbook in the next two weeks, a few marquee names may become available. Drew Brees, Chad Pennington, Kerry Collins, Curtis Martin, Eric Moulds, Derrick Brooks, Simeon Rice, La’Roi Glover … all have brimming cap figures that could render them expendable. By dropping these high-paid players, teams get their own cap situations in order, and might even create enough room to make an addition or two. For example, when Jerome Bettis’ retirement becomes official, Pittsburgh will be right at the cap limit.
Cleveland won’t spend for the sake of breaking a $100 bill. The Browns will make a run at Jets DE-OLB John Abraham if he’s not a franchise player, could have a deal in mind for 49ers OLB Julian Peterson and should make an offer to a top back such as Jamal Lewis, whom GM Phil Savage endorsed when the Ravens drafted him. But in a class that is very heavy at the top and light on impact players, they’ll have to strike early.
Minnesota and Arizona could be competing for Colts RB Edgerrin James. Inevitably, the Colts were going to have to squeeze a star out of the budget to continue making improvements elsewhere with limited turnover, and James is on the verge of hiring the moving truck. Winning seems to matter to James, and the Vikings could give him the chance to play much the same role as he did with the Colts.
Shaun Alexander could shake loose from Seattle, which has the money to keep him around but might look to fill other needs rather than invest a $15 million guarantee in one soon-to-be 29-year-old back.
Being a year short of 30 makes Alexander anything but a safe hire. But in this market, there are zero absolutes.
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/Commentary/Columns/2006/reynolds022006.htm
There are no absolutes. No player who is the right fit for every team regardless of existing personnel and/or system.
Given this and the other significant factors at play — divided negotiations in talks to reach a new CBA have NFLPA executive director Gene Upshaw using words like “lockout” — expect the number of spenders to be critically low. Only the few teams with an excess of salary-cap space can afford to enter the free-agent pool without lightly dipping their toes into the water to gauge the temperature.
To find out which teams will be the players when the free agency frenzy begins on March 3, we asked an NFL personnel director where each of the league’s 32 teams stand with regard to the projected 2006 salary cap of $93.25 million. At this writing, there was a sliver of hope held by the league’s owners — and salary-cap experts — that free agency could be pushed back to April 1 in an effort to put in place a new CBA. The reason cap gurus want the new deal? The rolling wake of the new TV deal is about $7 million-$9 million more per team beneath the salary cap, meaning each team could have a payroll of just above $100 million if a CBA is stamped and approved before March 3. Operating under the assumption that, as Upshaw put it, a new deal was “doubtful,” here are the current players and bystanders based on up-to-date salary-cap data provided by an NFL club. (Team, amount under the projected cap)
1. Cleveland Browns: $25 million
2. Arizona Cardinals: $24.5 million
3. Minnesota Vikings: $24 million
4. Green Bay Packers $22 million
5. Seattle Seahawks: $20 million
6. San Francisco 49ers: $18 million
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: $17 million
Chicago Bears: $17 million
Cincinnati Bengals: $17 million
8. San Diego Chargers: $16.5 million
9. Baltimore Ravens: $16 million
10. St. Louis Rams: $14 million
11. Houston Texans: $14 million
12. Buffalo Bills: $11 million
13. New Orleans Saints: $10 million
14. Detroit Lions: $9 million
15. Philadelphia: $6.5 million
16. New York Giants: $3.5 million
17. Dallas Cowboys: $3 million
18. New England Patriots: $500,000
19. Indianapolis Colts: Even at $93.25 million
20. Carolina Panthers: $2 million over
21. Pittsburgh Steelers: $4.5 million over
22. Miami Dolphins: $5 million over
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: $9 million over
24. Atlanta Falcons: $10 million over
25. Tennessee Titans: $14.7 million over
26. Washington Commanders: $19 million over
27. Kansas City Chiefs: $19 million over
28. Denver Broncos: $23 million over
29. New York Jets: $26 million over
30. Oakland Raiders: $27 million over
As each team balances its own checkbook in the next two weeks, a few marquee names may become available. Drew Brees, Chad Pennington, Kerry Collins, Curtis Martin, Eric Moulds, Derrick Brooks, Simeon Rice, La’Roi Glover … all have brimming cap figures that could render them expendable. By dropping these high-paid players, teams get their own cap situations in order, and might even create enough room to make an addition or two. For example, when Jerome Bettis’ retirement becomes official, Pittsburgh will be right at the cap limit.
Cleveland won’t spend for the sake of breaking a $100 bill. The Browns will make a run at Jets DE-OLB John Abraham if he’s not a franchise player, could have a deal in mind for 49ers OLB Julian Peterson and should make an offer to a top back such as Jamal Lewis, whom GM Phil Savage endorsed when the Ravens drafted him. But in a class that is very heavy at the top and light on impact players, they’ll have to strike early.
Minnesota and Arizona could be competing for Colts RB Edgerrin James. Inevitably, the Colts were going to have to squeeze a star out of the budget to continue making improvements elsewhere with limited turnover, and James is on the verge of hiring the moving truck. Winning seems to matter to James, and the Vikings could give him the chance to play much the same role as he did with the Colts.
Shaun Alexander could shake loose from Seattle, which has the money to keep him around but might look to fill other needs rather than invest a $15 million guarantee in one soon-to-be 29-year-old back.
Being a year short of 30 makes Alexander anything but a safe hire. But in this market, there are zero absolutes.