Current NFL Salary Cap Figures

[Frizzy350]

i think the saints are in worse shape, mainly because they have so many players that need to be re-signed in the next year or two.

this year the biggest deal is jermon bushrod...but they are also up against the wall because their center hits FA this year as well so they have to secure their LT and OC...which won't be inexpensive.

they've got several other "issues" to deal with in re-signing guys and dealing with players who are getting a pretty significant upward tick contractually this year, but they've also got to face the reality that jimmy graham is heading into the last year of his contract and despite being their best/most reliable/most targeted receiver, is only scheduled to make just under $1.5mill (iirc). he's looking at other predominately pass catching TEs who are getting/demanding WR contract treatment so they've got to work out something with him soon. i've heard rumors that he might hold out this year, and i can't say i wouldn't blame him...in fact i encourage it (mainly because it would screw with the saints).

and then they are looking at their defense which was the worst ever. you've got to know that they are wanting to upgrade everywhere. so far all they've done is change DCs but that's essentially putting lipstick on a piglet.

they need more help than we do and have more people to sign with barely more space than we have. they might be able to re-sign a few key people, but they won't be able to do much to upgrade that defense in FA and they don't have a 2nd round pick to help out this year so there's more pressure on them to use FA.

given a choice between the two contract situations...i'd rather have ours.

Its almost a curse to have an elite QB. Giving up 1/6th of your cap annually to 1/53 of your roster results in significant holes elsewhere.

[carpanfan96]

i think the saints are in worse shape, mainly because they have so many players that need to be re-signed in the next year or two.

this year the biggest deal is jermon bushrod...but they are also up against the wall because their center hits FA this year as well so they have to secure their LT and OC...which won't be inexpensive.

they've got several other "issues" to deal with in re-signing guys and dealing with players who are getting a pretty significant upward tick contractually this year, but they've also got to face the reality that jimmy graham is heading into the last year of his contract and despite being their best/most reliable/most targeted receiver, is only scheduled to make just under $1.5mill (iirc). he's looking at other predominately pass catching TEs who are getting/demanding WR contract treatment so they've got to work out something with him soon. i've heard rumors that he might hold out this year, and i can't say i wouldn't blame him...in fact i encourage it (mainly because it would screw with the saints).

and then they are looking at their defense which was the worst ever. you've got to know that they are wanting to upgrade everywhere. so far all they've done is change DCs but that's essentially putting lipstick on a piglet.

they need more help than we do and have more people to sign with barely more space than we have. they might be able to re-sign a few key people, but they won't be able to do much to upgrade that defense in FA and they don't have a 2nd round pick to help out this year so there's more pressure on them to use FA.

given a choice between the two contract situations...i'd rather have ours.

I agree somewhat, but then I think about future years. The Saints have their QB signed long term, Carolina doesn't. Plus Carolina has Hardy (going to get a massive deal similar to CJ) and Newton coming up in the next few years with horrible cap numbers.

The saint's made a move the other day by restructuring Brinkley that put them at 2.9 million over the cap, If the Saints cut Vilma, Smith and Herring and they are 12 million under the cap.

[Cam2Ligit2Quit]

When do teams have to get below the CAP

[carpanfan96]

When do teams have to get below the CAP

March 12th is the first date in the NFL Calendar that requires teams to be under the cap. It's for the top 51 players on the team.

[Sod]

Don't understand. Kept seeing Dallas was way, way over, even last week I saw a report they were $26M over. I know they restructured Ware and a couple of other moves but stuff like that and what Philly did, I just don't get.

[rayzor]

I agree somewhat, but then I think about future years. The Saints have their QB signed long term, Carolina doesn't. Plus Carolina has Hardy (going to get a massive deal similar to CJ) and Newton coming up in the next few years with horrible cap numbers.

The saint's made a move the other day by restructuring Brinkley that put them at 2.9 million over the cap, If the Saints cut Vilma, Smith and Herring and they are 12 million under the cap.

yes, they'll save cap money...but those will be additional holes that need to be filled and the money they make available for the cap from cutting those guys will have to go towards LT and OC. they won't have much money left over for other re-signings, draft picks, and FA.

[Marguide]

We're ok, no reason to panic.

No significant rookie deal will be signed before late July giving us time to make some moves post June 1st. We only have to clear extra cap room now if there is a targeted free agent to chase. We could cut or trade Gamble and re-do Gross reasonably and have plenty to go after whatever FA we want.

[Snake]

Whats going to be diffrent this year than from past years where we signed no FAs and had to build threw the draft? This is year one of the cut. Next year will be the same and then maybe we will have enough money left over from resigning Cam to build a team.

[CatMan72]

It's funny how everyone freaks out about our cap situation every year.

[Ruff]

Does that include the rookie contracts?

Nah. We have to be under the cap with our current roster (top 51) by next week.

Then we will also have to be under again when the final roster is set in August.

That isn't how rookie contracts work. Rookie wages come from a separate pool of money that is different from the wages that go against the salary cap.

[Doc Holiday]

i think it's probably safe to assume that they are with him and a few others as well. with gamble and beason the goal on our part would probably be to scrap and re-write the contracts, but i don't see that being successful with gamble.

last resort would be cutting him, but if their goal is to have $8-11mil in cap space (which is the number i think i remember being the target) it would either have to be a significant restructure/re-done contract or just releasing him. he's got to know that it's going to be a flooded market with talent and not much cap money to go around for any team that his best chance is to work something out here.

I'm not understanding the whole wont get done with Gamble mentality, from my current understanding I think we can keep Gamble if we restructure/extend his contract. He's is set to make $10.9 million next season, we can cut him and save $7.9m and we could theoretically tell him hey we just don't have the cap space to keep you, we can cut you and you will only get $3m or you can restructure and get $4.5m this season all guaranteed. that would save us 6.5m putting us under the cap by $3m with Beason and Gross still to go in renegotiations.

the fact that Gamble is still on the team and we have not cut him yet means the Panthers are trying to restructure Gamble to keep him.

[SauceBoss]

What's worse, being in our situation, or Cleveland's, which refuses to field a winning team with that much space?

[Udogg]

It's funny how everyone freaks out about our cap situation every year.

It's off season. Nothing else to do.

Every year.

Phase 1: Complain about why we lost game/season because of coach/player/etc.

Phase 2: Freak out about the cap that only a few of us truly understand.

Phase 3: Talk about draft and who we can get to replace overpriced vet we just cut because we think we understand how the cap works.

Phase 4: Watch team get under the cap by a few million then talk about what free agent we can get.

Phase 5: Complain about free agent we didn't pursue even though he is paid 3 times the amount we were able to pay. Then do Phase 3 again.

[Happy Panther]

That isn't how rookie contracts work. Rookie wages come from a separate pool of money that is different from the wages that go against the salary cap.

I was thinking about 2013 rookies not 2012.

But either way your statement is not correct either for last year or prospective rookies.

Here is how it works.

Rule of 51...

http://www.eagles24x...alary-Cap-Works

Once the season starts, however, the entire Cap Numbers of the rookies who make the team must be fit under the team’s overall Cap. The impact of that, though, actually operates to save the team a little bit of Salary Cap space, since the rookies are making the rookie minimum base salary and replacing players on the roster who were making more in base salary.