(11-18-2024, 05:53 PM)JagFan81 Wrote: There's lots of depressing stuff to talk about with us right now so let's focus on a different aspect, our Cap space and salaries for next season. 

So let's start cap space. Using overthecap, right now we have $61.5m free cap for next season (who knows if they'll increase the cap budget again). That's a pretty healthy figure to make some moves in FA and improve the roster.

Looking at potential free agents, there's not a lot to worry about. Cisco and Walker Little are the only names that stand out but neither is having a great contract year. The 12 players are

Mac Jones
Walker Little
Jeremiah Ledbetter 
Caleb Johnson
Andre Cisco
D'Ernest Johnson
Luke Farrell
De'Shaan Dixon
Esezi Otomewo
Cole Van Lanen
Tim Jones
Patrick Murtaugh

I don't see Little getting overpaid like most FA OL players. Cisco has been poor this year but has been a solid starter for us. Maybe a new HC/DC will see him have a bounce back year.

Now looking at salaries, there's good and bad news. So let's just look at next year's top 5 earners and their dead money.

1- Kirk- $24.3m ($13.6m dead money, $10.7m cap)
2- Engram- $19.75m ($13.5m dead money, $6.25m cap)
3- Trevor- $17m ($133m dead money)
4- Josh- $15.4m ($68.1m dead money)
5- Scherff- $14m ($14m dead money)

I feel bad adding this one but it stings

Hamilton- $10.8m ($12m dead money)

Looking at the contracts, the bad news is there is very little cap savings to be made from cuts this year. Nearly every contract situation is a dead money hit with little to no cap savings. On one hand it's a settled roster, on another the roster has been hot garbage this year! 

Let me prove the point. Here's our top 5 cap savings from cuts

1- Kirk-$24.3m ($13.6m dead money, $10.7m cap)
2- Engram- $19.75m ($13.5m dead money, $6.25m cap)
3- Logan Cooke- $3.5m (600k dead money, $2.9m cap)
4-Duverney- $4m ($1.2m dead money, $2.8m cap)
5- Dewey- $3.7m ($1m dead money, 2.7m cap)
6- Darby- $5m ($2.75m dead money, $2.25 cap)

So as you can see there's not much to make big chunks back. It's a few million here or there (and there's no way we're cutting Cooke). We have a good chunk of cap to use to strengthen but the new GM will have to hit on his FA and draft picks. 

It's frustrating as we have a very settled roster for next year which is a good thing to have, sadly the way this year has gone I don't know if it's going to be a positive with how things are going. It will be a big task for the next GM and HC to get this roster producing and finding the key players to bring in.

What do you all think?

Thoughts on players under contract:

Kirk - It's a tough call, but I'm inclined to keep him.  When we're comfortably under the salary cap and already have many holes to fill, I don't like creating new holes.  I'm not 100% sold yet on Parker Washington as a starter.  I would like see Washington do more prior to moving on from Kirk.

Engram - Keep.  He's too valuable to this team.  

Cooke -  Keep.  He's one of the best punters in the game and we definitely use our punter.  

Duvernay - Cut.  I haven't been impressed with him.

Dewey - Keep.  He's good depth and great special teams and a leader in the locker room.  The price isn't unreasonable.

Darby - Don't let the door hit you on the way out.  He sucks.

Scherff - Can someone explain Scherff's contract to me?  Spotrac is showing him as having a "void" year.  There's a $13.8 million cap hit, but no base salary.  Does that mean he plays for $13.8 million or is that $13.8 essentially dead money?  

Thoughts on free agents:

Little - I would take him for the right price.  I think he's a good swing tackle.  However, I think someone is going to pay him good money to be a starter.  As such, I think we let him go, move Harrison to left tackle and then acquire a right tackle which is much easier to find.  I could easily see our second round pick going to a right tackle.

Cisco - This is tough.  I thought he played well for most of his career, but he has struggled this year.  It's probably the system.  As such, I'd resign him if the price is right.  If the price gets too high, let him walk.  Safeties are one of the easier positions to find.

Johnson - I like him as depth, but it's a non-premium position, so don't break the bank for him.

Farrell - Ditto.

I feel the rest are just competition for backup spots.  I only bring them back if there is little guaranteed money in their contract.

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