FanPost

My 53 with Cap Implications


As Salary Cap obsessed as I might be, I can only find one casualty (Hundley, who is not clearly worse than Kizer) and arguably 2 more cap casualties. I don't think the last 2 are cap casualties because I cut them due to terrible play rather than trying to save money and because there was someone perhaps better anyway.

2 QBs ($21.252,428) AR, Kizer

4 RBs: ($2,913,720) Jones, Williams, Monty, Rip (Mays or another RB for first two games.)

9 OL: ($31,588,219) Bakh, Bulaga, Linsley, Taylor, McCray, Spriggs, Murphy, Patrick, Day

3 TEs: (10,241,666) Graham, Lewis, Kendricks

7 WRs: ($26,003,330) Adams, Cobb, Allison, MVS, ESB, Moore, Kumerow

25 Offense ($91,999,363)

6 DL: ($19,288,574) Daniels, Clark, Wilkerson, Lowry, Adams, Looney

5 OLB: $24,132,949) Perry, CM3, Gilbert, Biegel, Fackrell

3 ILB: (1,891,037) Martinez, Burks, Martini (or Thomas - no difference in cap space)

6 CBs ($9,814,465) Twill, King, Alexander, Jackson, House, Pipken

5 S ($8,734,807) HHCD, Brice, Josh Jones, Evans, Whitehead

25 defense ($63,861,832)

3 STs ($6,283,755) Crosby, Scott, Bradley

The total cost of the 53 Man Roster - $162,144, 950

IR: ($2,385,735) Jake Ryan ($2.021M), CJ Johnson ($364,166)

Cuts: ($1,093,365) Bell ($550K), Rollins ($245,466) T. Davis ($113,588) Donnerson ($70,952), D. Mays ($56,283), Hundley ($55,908), Hawkins ($1,168)

Dead $ ($8,026,067)

Total Liabilities:

53: $162,144,950, IR $2,385,735, Cuts: $1,093,365, Dead Money $8,026,067, PS $1.29M = $174,940,117.

$177.2 cap t + $3,934,518 roll over = $181,134,518

minus Total Liabilities noted above of $174,940,117 = $6,194,401 in salary cap space.

I have one more roster spot for the first two games with Jones suspended. GB could carry Mays, Judd, or Bouagnon for the first two games. The difference between Mays and Aaron Jones in cap space is small. Both have $555K base salaries so the deduction for Jones missing 2 games is offset by paying Mays for 2 games. [It may be that the NFL requires GB to seek a forfeiture of Jones' signing bonus - 2/17ths of $50.5K., roughly about $6,000.] Or instead, GB could carry Donnerson, 4 TEs, 4 ILBs, an 8th WR, 7th CB, etc. Also, GB will probably pay some members of the PS more than the $129K minimum and Madison's signing bonus proration probably counts in 2018.

QB Options:

1. Carry AR, Kizer, and Hundley. Decreases cap space by about $225K. Assumes a UDFA is cut to make room.

2. Carry AR, Kizer, and Boyle. Drop Looney/Kumerow? No change

RB Options:

1. Keep Devante Mays for 2 games. No change

2. Keep Judd, Bouagnon, some other RB for 2 games. Increases cap space by just under $10K.

3. Cut Ripkowski, keep Kerridge. Increases cap space by 75K.

4. Go without a fullback, keep a player elsewhere. Adds $225K to our cap space.

5. Keep 4 RBs, 1 FB all season. Probably add Mays or Judd, so a cheap UDFA is cut elsewhere. Depends on who is cut. No change in most cases.

OL Options:

I cut Bell because I am satisfied that he can't play RT. Maybe he can play RG, but he will have to show me that his ability as a backup OG is worth $662,500 to $732,500 in decreased cap space. Day looks like he can backup OC, and his guard play has drawn favorable comment for improvement. OT Pankey and OG Alex Light have made some noise lately. Light probably is playing for a spot on the PS.

Option 1: Add Pankey ($555K cap #). No change if GB cuts Patrick. A decrease of $75K if they cut Day for Pankey.

Option 2: Add Pankey, cut Spriggs. Decreases cap space by $110K. Cutting Spriggs always decreases cap space.

Option 3: Add Bell. Decreases cap space by $662K if Patrick is cut and by $732K if Day/UDFA is cut.

WR Options:

There are seemingly a lot of possibilities here. For me, not so many. I have no interest in Yancey, Lewis or Jennings. I would not mind keeping Davis, but I've already got 7 WRs. Above I cut Davis, but to keep him someone has to go, and it is either Allison or Kumerow. Both have practice squad eligibility, but I take leave to doubt that Allison would get through waivers, or that he'd sign back with GB's practice squad.

Option 1: Add Davis. Cut Kumerow. Decreases our cap space by $93K.

Option 2: Add Davis and cut Allison. Increases our cap space by $57K.

Option 3. Cut Allison, don't add Davis, keep the rest. Kumerow replaces Allison. Adds $150K to GB's cap space. This means keeping 6 WRs.

TE Options:

Lance Kendricks is a tempting target given his $2.225 cap number and $1.625M cap savings (minus the cap number for whichever player replaces him). Tonyan, Byrd, Rader, and Smith have not yet impressed me sufficiently, however. They have time, but as far as I know, none of them can block (or function as an HB), and I like the notion of having two TEs who can block in Lewis and to a lesser extent, Kendricks. It would be difficult for Kendricks to play himself off my 53-man roster.

Option 1: Cut Kendricks, add one of the UDFA TEs (all have cap #s of $480K). Increases GB's cap space by $1.145M.

DL Options:

Looney or Mbu come to mind. GB could go with 5 and cut Looney and add some other player. Cutting Looney costs $89K.

OLB Options:

It looks like Fackrell could be cut, but he still has $347K in dead money if he is cut, and he has special teams value. If he is replaced by a person playing for the minimum of $480K, cutting Fackrell saves $10K. It seems much too early to give up on Biegel, which seems a pity to me since I did not like the pick from the moment it was made Gilbert, Perry, and CM3 are locks, but 5 OLBs seems advisable.

Option 1: Cut Fackrell, add Odom. Decreases GB's cap by $65K.

Option 2: Cut Fackrell, add Donnerson. This decreases GB's cap by $63,202.

ILB Options:

Martinez and Burks are locks, and it would seem advisable to carry at least one more. Admad Thomas and Martini have the same cap number, so it makes no difference which one makes it.

Option 1: Carry 4 ILBs. Change in cap depends on which player doesn't make it. It is likely the difference is small.

CB Options:

Lots of possibilities here, but King, Twill, Alexander, and Jackson are locks. GB probably keeps 2 or 3 more. House and Pipkens are extremely good bets. Waters, Brown probably have some chance. I refuse to believe that Goodson or Rollins has any chance. Cutting House increases our cap by $150K and cutting Pipkens increases our cap space by $73K if done in favor of Waters or Brown.

Safety Options:

HHCD, Jones, and apparently Brice are locks. Evans and Brice have a cap hits of $630K and Whitehead of $555K. I can't work up much interest in which of them sucks the least, to use Ramsey's vernacular. Do the math yourself if one of them doesn't make it.

Option 1: Keep Rollins as a safety and cut Brice or Evans. That decreases our cap by $315K.

Option 2: Keep Rollins as a safety and cut Whitehead. That decreases our cap by $390K.

*Cole Madison is on the Did Not Report list and has an exemption as to the 90 and 53-man rosters. I believe that Madison's base salaries do not count against the cap. However, I believe his signing bonus proration does count unless and until GB seeks forfeiture. If GB is successful in seeking forfeiture, the amount forfeited is added to the 2019 cap. GB can also issue heavy fines to Madison for missing practice. Should Madison report to camp during TC or the regular season, GB can seek a 2-week exemption from the Commissioner. That would be awkward having 2 weeks to decide about a player who missed all of camp. For now, fans should reduce our cap space by $81K, Madison's 2018 signing bonus proration. This is actually a bit murky, and I am relying on a 2013 OTC article involving Mike Goodson of the Jets.


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