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Wed Jun 22 09:17pm EDT

Panthers lead list of teams on the hook with new projected salary floor

By Doug Farrar


Before Tuesday's owners meetings, several sources reported that there was a small group of owners opposed to terms in the owners' prospective offer to the players. Whether that was the case, or whether a few hyperactive lawyers tried to get a little clutch of opposing voices together to make things more "interesting" is uncertain, but there is a definite sense that when all 32 owners got together in Chicago to vet the particulars of the newest offer, anyone opposed for financial reasons was going to get steamrolled right out of the process. It's fast approaching the time when all owners stand to lose serious money from an abbreviated or cancelled preseason, which is one reason so many things were crossed off on that one-day meeting before the owners traveled to Boston to meet again with the players and try to finally nail down the parameters of the NFL's next collective bargaining agreement.

Estimates say that when a deal is struck, the 2011 salary cap could be anywhere from $110 to $130 million, depending on who you're reading or listening to. For our purposes, we'll go with an even $124 million, which was the approximate cash commitment per team in 2010, when there wasn't a salary cap. Based on that number, it's very easy to see which teams would be violently opposed to a 90 percent-plus cash guarantee each year, because their cash commitments in recent years have been so far below the average. That new floor would require commitments of at least $110 million with a reasonable cap, and as you're about to see, many teams aren't even in the same zip code right now.

2011 numbers are still variable and non-indicative to a degree, because we don't know what the rookie signings will take up — we don't even know if there will be a rookie pool (though we can assume there will be). Franchise tags and other designations will have to be re-set with a new CBA, because of the high possibility that free agency will revert to a four-year concern after the six-year term in 2010. As such, these numbers are approximate and are not intended to be a 100 percent accurate barometer of what each team has spent. But in adding together six key totals for each team — base salaries, signing bonuses, option bonuses, roster bonuses, workout bonuses, and incentives likely-to-be-earned incentives, we can get a fairly clear picture of who's doing what — and who's not. Not-likely-to-be-earned incentives clauses are one of the primary 'funny-money' machinations in the NFL, and as such, we're not including them here.

So, again, keep in mind that all these numbers are approximate, but close, to a pre-CBA scenario. Thanks to Brian McIntyre of Football Outsiders and Mac's Football Blog for providing the base numbers. Here are the five lowest cash-commitment teams, in reverse order.

Carolina Panthers
2011 Cash: $57.9 million
2011 Cap: $76.8 million
Cash % of Cap: 75.4%
Pct. Of $124 million Cap: 47%

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2011 Cash: $64.4 million
2011 Cap: $64.7 million
Cash % of Cap: 99.5%
Pct. Of $124 million Cap: 52%

Cleveland Browns
2011 Cash: $65.0 million
2011 Cap: $87.8 million
Cash % of Cap: 74.0
Pct. Of $124 million Cap: 52.4%

Indianapolis Colts
2011 Cash: $73.8 million
2011 Cap: $100.7 million
Cash % of Cap: 73.3
Pct. Of $124 million Cap: 59.5%

Buffalo Bills
2011 Cash: $75.3 million
2011 Cap: $89.5 million
Cash % of Cap: 84.1
Pct. Of $124 million Cap: 60.8%

According to the data used for this article, 22 of the NFL's 32 teams would be under 80 percent of cash obligations were there a $124 million salary cap in 2011. Now, of course, many teams will plug those holes with their own roster reclamations -- the Colts will put a high eight-figure total (estimated at over $23 million per prior league rules) into franchising Peyton Manning(notes) unless a long-term deal gets done between team and quarterback. Other franchises, like the Panthers, have a laundry list of players that they would have liked to have re-signed in previous years — under the new rules, they'd be beholden to do so.

In a larger sense, the fact that 14 teams would be under 70 percent of cash obligations in that $124 million scenario might lead you to two conclusions: There are owners using revenue sharing as a cash grab without putting adequate resources back into their player costs, and there are other owners who are very, very tired of that trend. I've said all along that the main reason the owners oppose opening the books to a line-by-line audit is not because they're afraid that the players will find out how much profit they're clearing — anyone with half a brain can deduce that NFL team ownership is a license to print American currency. The real issue is that the NFL doesn't want a script where the big-market owners like Jerry Jones (and say what you will about the Double-J; he does roll serious cash back into his team) would pull revenue sharing off the table because they're sick of paying seven-figure "bonuses" for relatives of other owners.

If you're the ownership group of the Green Bay Packers (a league-leading $115.8 million in 2011 cash obligations), or the New York Jets (second-place with $113.5 million), or the owners of the eight other teams over the $100 million cash floor pre-CBA (the Redskins, 49ers, Falcons, Broncos, Rams, Cowboys, Lions, and Giants), how do you feel about the hoarders right now?

That's why having the mandatory high floor is so crucial for both sides in a new collective bargaining agreement, and why the health of the league would be further affected without it.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdow...?urn=nfl-wp2868

The Browns are big spenders, they just happened to free themselves of a few big contracts recently. Rogers, Edwards, Winslow, Corey Williams are all off the books now. This should allow them to be aggressive in free agency and also look into locking up a few key players long term. Good position to be in.

Your list is almost identical to mine except for Babin. Man we get Whitner, Poz, Kiwi and Free along with resigning Wright lol I know its dreaming but damn this team would be competing.

I agree

I hope this team makes resigning Eric Wright a priorty...he has been one of our better players and consistent performers the last few years along with Cribbs....corners sometimes have a bad year every now and then....it happens....Wright will bounce back.

Actually Wright would have been a two time Pro Bowl corner already if he was on another team....I also think Haden has potentially to be pretty good as well....however Haden will be even better with another good corner like Wright opposite of him.

I love the idea of Wright and Haden as our starting pair...Wright is a prototypical Zone corner and a finnesse guy, Haden is the physical guy...I like the flexibility that gives us in how we can match up our corners....put Wright on the Speedy guys, Put Haden on the bigger more physical receivers...its a match made in heaven for us.

Overall though, i hope we invest a bit more in our D Front 7 in FA and we may be able to get a 7-8 win season...i would consider that progress!

I don't expect the Browns to do a lot of big spending.. they will probably go after a Safety for sure.. maybe a LB or RT.. but I dont see them doing a lot..

If anything, I see them focusing on accomplishing their main goal.. get YOUNGER and FASTER... I see them trying to get more UDFA's than anything.

I'm pulling for..

Chad Spann - HB
Deunta Williams - S
Kendric Burney - CB
Ian Williams - DT
Alex Wujiciak - ILB
Mario Harvey - OLB

Here's a way to put a dent in the cap space....SIGN JOE THOMAS TO AN EXTENSION!!

Add Rubin to that list of names too and don't forget if McCoy pans out, he'll need to make some serious dough....As previous poster said, we're in a good position. The reality is that we don't have a lot of good players to pay that are veterans (home-grown or other) and thus why we are so far under the cap.

The Browns will have to do a lot of spending if there is a salary floor. If the salary cap/floor is determined by annual cash outlay, and no longer using a convoluted signing bonus structure, then the Browns will have to spend ... what ..... $50 million this year alone?

Yeah, they can give raises to some players, but they aren't going to be able to spend that much on just the players they have. They will have to sign a bunch of players to big deals.

The salary floor is going to be around 90-95% of the cap, so we need to spend a lot. And that figure is cash.

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Here's a way to put a dent in the cap space....SIGN JOE THOMAS TO AN EXTENSION!!

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Definitely on the Top 1 Burner...This has gotta be a part of the equation...

If we let JT get to FA next year we're the laughing stock of the NFL...Bar none...

Joe is about to become the highest paid offensive lineman in the history of the NFL. Paying him now would be smart and it will then allow you to focus on other areas.

Hillis does it again, he will have earned the big payday. I would start negotiations soon with him as well, if he is showing last year was no fluke.

Rubin needs to be locked up long term also.

Cribbs has already been taken care of. Mack has a few years left before we have to deal with him, I would guess. That is about it for immediate concerns.

We will have a lot to spend in the next couple of years, so make it count.



That is about all of our immediate needs and impact players.

Good post, D in D! I hope we drop some cash on our vets who have shone (like Thomas) to lock him in and have a stable core. We need to get a big FA LB IMO. But it all will require better in a number of places. Drop the money where it matters. FA and signings will be a whirlwind when the dam breaks.

I've been thinking about the long-term effects of this, won't it tend to stifle free agent movement? Every team will be forced to have very little cap room available to add anybody new.

Maybe this cause players to stay with their original teams longer?

The only way that would happen would be to have an individual cap. Players will simply continue to move from place to place looking for the greatest reward.

Cap jumps to 120 mil this year, Peyton Manning signs 4 year 100 mil contract with 50 mil signing bonus. The process continues and nothing really changes, the best eat up the most money and the rest is looking to move to where they can make the most money.

i'm wondering if they say every team has to spend 90% of their cap, but in reality if a team doesn't then that 'extra' money gets added up and all the players in the entire NFL get a small bonus.

(this is how the NBA does it as they guarantee a certain % to the players)

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Some owners have not tried to be competitive and put the profits in their back pockets

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Steinbach and Fujita both got paid pretty good.

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Cutting Rogers was another large salary dump for this team as we dumped a still valuable player for NOTHING other than to save $$$$$$.

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He had no value to this team because he of the money he was making.

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oh and the latest snippet our new DT has foot problems he is denying shows more due diligence by our front office if this is true.

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Huh?

Top 15 defensive free agents

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/nfl-f...-edwards-062811

Once the new CBA is completed, it’s expected that all players with at least four years of service will become unrestricted free agents, which was the case with the 2009 free agency rules. With last year’s rules, a player needed to have at least six years of service to become an unrestricted free agent


If 2009’s rules are in effect in the new CBA, as many expect will be the case, we could see a record number of free agents, especially from the defensive side of the ball.

Here’s an inside look at the top-15 defensive players with at least four years of service:

1) Nnamdi Asomugha/Cornerback/Oakland Raiders

Possible Suitors: Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles

Analysis: Asomugha got off to a slow start after being selected in the first round of the 2003 draft by the Raiders. In fact, there were whispers that he was going to be a bust, but he showed tremendous improvement by his third season.

Over the years, Asomugha has become perhaps the NFL’s best man coverage cornerback. While he turns 30 on July 6, he’s still at the top of his game. The last three years of his contract will void, thus making him an unrestricted free agent.

The Raiders may make a push to re-sign him, but it’s expected that the veteran defensive back will look to sign with a team that gives him the best chance to win a Super Bowl. Veteran cornerback Chris Johnson figures to start if Asomugha, as expected, signs elsewhere.

While some Cowboys fans are clamoring for Asomugha, it’s doubtful they’ll spend the money needed to sign him. There’s no doubt the Cowboys need more competition and depth at cornerback, but what makes more sense is for them to sign a lower-priced veteran.

The Lions have perhaps the NFL’s worst situation at cornerback, and to have a realistic chance to make the playoffs, they’ll need to sign at least two veterans. Signing Asomugha would immediately upgrade their struggling secondary.

There’s no question that the Eagles will sign a veteran cornerback capable of starting, but don’t look for them to spend huge dollars on the position. The team believes that third-round pick Curtis Marsh should be ready to push for a starting job by year three, and the team remains high on second-year cornerback Trevard Lindley. This team figures to sign a veteran capable of starting for at least a few years while the younger cornerbacks are still being groomed.

2) Charles Johnson/Defensive End/Carolina Panthers

Possible Suitors: Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans

Analysis: The Panthers are in a tough position. Historically, they haven’t spent a lot of money in free agency, but they’ve done a decent job of retaining their own players before they hit the market. However, re-signing Johnson won’t be easy because he’ll likely command a long-term deal. If he signs elsewhere, look for third-year end Everette Brown to start opposite promising second-year end Greg Hardy.

The Falcons are expected to pursue signing a veteran end, so Johnson could wind up being on their radar.

The Browns will be transitioning to a 4-3 defense this season, so they’ll need to sign at least a few veterans capable of playing in that scheme. Johnson, who turns just 25 on July 10, could draw interest from the Browns.

With former Panthers head coach John Fox now coaching in Denver, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if the Broncos made a run at Johnson – especially because they’ll be transitioning to a 4-3 defensive scheme this season.

The Jaguars had an anemic sack total last season (26) and only have one proven pass rusher in veteran Aaron Kampman.

While the Buccaneers addressed their weakness at defensive end in this year’s draft with Adrian Clayborn (first round) and Da’Quan Bowers (second round), both rookies have a lot to prove and were red flagged by some teams because of medical issues. The Buccaneers still need to add a few veterans for depth and competition purposes. However, this team rarely spends big money in free agency, so Johnson could be off their radar.

The Titans not only lost popular defensive line coach Jim Washburn to the Eagles, veteran ends Jason Babin and Dave Ball are unsigned. Fourth-year end William Hayes and 2010 first-round pick Derrick Morgan, who missed 14 games last season due to a torn ACL, are expected to start if neither veteran re-signs.

3) Ray Edwards/Defensive End/Minnesota Vikings

Possible Suitors: Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans

Analysis: The Vikings, by re-signing veteran end Brian Robison before the March transaction deadline, likely won’t be able to re-sign Edwards, who should command big money in free agency

The Falcons are expected to sign a veteran end, so Edwards, because there will be few quality ends that make it to free agency, could be on their radar.

As mentioned above, the Browns will likely be in the market for a few veteran ends, so Edwards could be a target.

The Jaguars, as noted previously, only posted a paltry 26 sacks last season, so they figure to be in the market to sign a proven veteran such as Edwards.

As pointed out previously, the Buccaneers need to add a few veterans, but again, they aren’t likely to spend a lot of money in free agency. So those fans wanting the team to sign Edwards probably will wind up being disappointed.

The Titans, like the Buccaneers, typically don’t spend big money in free agency, so they may not get in the Edwards’ sweepstakes, but they really need to add a few veterans to the mix.

4) Brandon Mebane/Defensive Tackle/Seattle Seahawks

Possible Suitors: Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams

Analysis: The Seahawks have no depth at defensive tackle to begin with, so it would be a surprise if they didn’t make a strong play to re-sign Mebane. Should he sign elsewhere, the Seahawks likely would have to sign another veteran to replace him.

The Rams are probably in worse shape than most teams at defensive tackle, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they made a run at Mebane, whom they know very well from playing in the same division.

5) Barry Cofield/Defensive Tackle/New York Giants

Possible Suitors: New York Giants, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams

Analysis: The Giants prepared for the possible departure of the talented Cofield by selecting Marvin Austin in the second round. They would have good enough depth left on the roster even if Cofield didn’t come back for his sixth season with the team.

Should the Seahawks lose Brandon Mebane in free agency, they almost certainly would be in the market for a veteran defensive tackle, so Cofield could wind up being on their radar.

Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo coached Cofield for a few seasons with the Giants, so he should be more than familiar with his skill set. Cofield could make an immediate impact on their defense.

6) Aubrayo Franklin/Defensive Tackle/San Francisco 49ers

Possible Suitors: Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Washington Redskins

Analysis: The 49ers chose to pass on using their franchise tag on Franklin, so they could choose to move third-year nose tackle Ricky Jean-Francois into his spot this season.

With the Texans’ decision to transition to a 3-4 defensive scheme this season, they need to add a true nose tackle such as Franklin.

If the Chiefs don’t re-sign veteran defensive tackle Ron Edwards, they could turn their attention to the free-agent market to replace him. But whether they would be willing to spend a lot of money on a nose tackle remains to be seen.

Because veteran defensive tackle Ma’ake Kemoeatu’s status with the team is shaky, they could also be in the market for a nose tackle.

7) Paul Posluszny/Inside Linebacker/Buffalo Bills

Possible Suitors: Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars

Analysis: The Bills would be hard-pressed to fill Posluszny’s void if he signed elsewhere, so look for him to be a big priority to re-sign. Third-round pick Kelvin Sheppard figures to eventually replace veteran linebacker Andra Davis in the lineup in a few seasons.

The Jaguars, should they pass on re-signing middle linebacker Kirk Morrison, could try to replace him with a veteran.

8) Johnathan Joseph/Cornerback/Cincinnati Bengals

Possible Suitors: Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Redskins

Analysis: The Bengals could hardly afford to let Joseph walk in free agency because they don’t have anyone left on the roster who would be a viable replacement for him in the starting lineup.

The Cowboys are expected to sign a veteran cornerback who would be capable of challenging veterans Mike Jenkins and Terence Newman for a starting job, so Joseph could be on their radar.

As noted previously, the Lions will be in the market for a few veteran cornerbacks, so Joseph could draw their attention.

The Texans must upgrade at cornerback in order to have a realistic chance to get to the playoffs. However, they typically don’t spend a lot of money in free agency, so they may choose to target a lower-priced veteran cornerback.

It’s believed the Eagles have at least three to four veteran cornerbacks on their free-agent shopping list, so Joseph could be on their radar.

The Buccaneers, with starting cornerback Aqib Talib dealing with major legal issues, are likely to sign a veteran cornerback. But whether they’ll be willing to spend a lot of money on the position remains in question.

The Redskins have one of the worst situations at cornerback in the NFL, so Joseph could garner interest from them.

9) Antonio Cromartie/Cornerback/New York Jets

Possible Suitors: Dallas Cowboys, New York Jets

Analysis: The Jets have a lot of free agents to re-sign, but some team insiders believe they will wind up passing on re-signing Cromartie since they have 2010 first-round pick Kyle Wilson as a possible replacement.

Cromartie has been criticized for a few seasons for not being physical enough, but he’s still capable of playing in man- or zone-based coverages. One personnel source said Cromartie is best playing in man-off coverage.

The Cowboys will be looking for depth at cornerback, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they showed some interest in the flashy defensive back. The Cowboys, according to the source, mix up their coverages, which could fit Cromartie’s skill set well. There were rumors that the Chargers were looking to trade Cromartie prior to trading him to the Jets, but those were shot down because Dallas looked to be in good shape at cornerback coming into last season. However, the secondary regressed in 2010 -- finishing 26th overall -- fueling speculation that the team would be in the market to sign a veteran cornerback once free agency started.

10) Cullen Jenkins/Defensive End/Green Bay Packers

Possible Suitors: Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins

Analysis: Jenkins, 30, should receive a solid amount of interest in free agency if the Packers don’t re-sign him. The Packers don’t have anyone near his talent left on the roster at defensive end, but 2010 second-round pick Mike Neal, who only saw 79 out of a possible 1006 snaps on defense last season, and journeyman Howard Green, would probably take the snaps this year if Jenkins isn’t back for his eighth season with the team.

The Cowboys, if they aren’t successful in re-signing ends Stephen Bowen, Marcus Spears or Jason Hatcher, would have a major depth issue at the position. It’s not out of the question that they could pursue a veteran like Jenkins if at least one of those three defensive linemen don’t re-sign.

It’s not a secret that the Chiefs have gotten inconsistent play from 2009 first-round pick Tyson Jackson. Jenkins could provide competition and badly needed depth at defensive end for this team.

The Redskins are in need of a veteran to play opposite Adam Carriker at end in their 3-4 defensive scheme. Jenkins would be an instant starter for this team.

11) Eric Weddle/Free Safety/San Diego Chargers

Possible Suitors: Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Diego Chargers

Analysis: The athletic Weddle is in an interesting position. The Chargers don’t really have a great potential replacement for him. And the fifth-year defensive back could find significant interest elsewhere because there are a bunch of teams looking to upgrade at free safety.

The Browns have a big opening at safety with the expected departure of Abram Elam. The Browns could give Mike Adams another chance at the job. Weddle, however, would be an upgrade.

The Cowboys have struggled to find consistent play from both safety spots in recent seasons, especially at free safety. Weddle would be an immediate upgrade.

While the Jaguars selected Chris Prosinski in the fourth-round of this year’s draft to possibly take over the free safety position down the line, he might not be ready to compete for that starting job for a while. Weddle could give the team some badly needed stability at the position for years to come.

12) Barrett Ruud/Middle Linebacker/Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Possible Suitors: Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Analysis: The Buccaneers selected linebacker Mason Foster in the third round of this year’s draft, but asking a rookie to start right away at such an important position without having the benefit of working with the coaches before training camp might be a tough task. With a projected relatively low payroll again this season and with more cap space projected, the Buccaneers should be able to find a way to re-sign Ruud.

The Lions are leaning toward leaving third-year linebacker DeAndre Levy inside, but he’s also capable of playing on the weak-side. Teams generally don’t like spending a lot of money for a middle linebacker, but the Lions must upgrade around Levy.

13) Ike Taylor/Cornerback/Pittsburgh Steelers

Possible Suitors: Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers

Analysis: Taylor is coming off of a very solid season. According to a personnel source, Taylor showed a willingness to be physical against wide receivers and is capable of playing in zone or press coverage, which makes him particularly attractive in today’s NFL. Most cornerbacks are only good in one type of coverage. Taylor, despite his age (31), should have at least a few good solid seasons left.

The Steelers, should they lose Taylor in free agency, could move third-year pro Keenan Lewis into the starting lineup.

For the Lions to make a major jump this season and to make the playoffs, they’ll need to improve at the cornerback position. Taylor could give them some badly needed stability in the secondary for the next few seasons.

The Texans, like the Lions, need to find major improvement in the backend this season in order to have a realistic chance to make the playoffs. The Texans have gone through a ton of personnel changes at cornerback over the years, but Taylor would give them a proven talent at the position.

According to multiple sources, the Eagles will show strong interest in Taylor once free agency starts. And with the Eagles possibly playing more zone and less man coverage in the secondary this season based on the adjustment the defensive line is expected to undergo, Taylor would fit in quite well.

14) Michael Huff/Free Safety/Oakland Raiders

Possible Suitors: Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, St. Louis Rams

Analysis: For most of his career, Huff seemed to be yet another great athlete who the Raiders drafted, but not a standout football player. All that changed last season when Huff improved his game immensely in several areas. The final year of Huff’s contract will void because he met minimum playing time requirements, thus making him a free agent. It’s unclear who would replace Huff in the lineup if he signs elsewhere.

The Browns, as noted previously, have an opening at safety with veteran Abram Elam unsigned. Elam was acquired from the Jets to play in former head coach Eric Mangini’s defensive system, so it would seem unlikely that the Browns would re-sign him. Huff would give the Browns some badly needed speed in their secondary.

The Cowboys have not gotten consistently good play from the free safety position, so Huff, who hails from nearby Irving, Texas, could receive interest from his hometown team.

The Jets, with veteran free safeties Eric Smith and Brodney Pool unsigned, could show interest in Huff.

The Rams have had a revolving door at free safety for the past few seasons, so they could have some interest in the athletic and improving Huff.

15) Kirk Morrison/Middle Linebacker/Jacksonville Jaguars

Possible Suitors: Detroit Lions, Jacksonville Jaguars, Philadelphia Eagles

Analysis: The durable linebacker has started 95 straight games, going back to his rookie season with the Oakland Raiders.

If the Jaguars decline to pursue re-signing the veteran defender, veteran linebacker Daryl Smith could get the first crack to start inside. Smith was projected to play in the middle by many teams leading up to the 2004 draft.

As noted earlier, the Lions are leaning toward keeping third-year pro DeAndre Levy in the middle, but he’s also capable of playing on the weak-side. If they decided to move him to the outside, then the team could look to sign a veteran middle defender like Morrison.

The Eagles have dealt with injuries and inconsistency at the linebacker position in recent years. Morrison, 29, could give the team some badly needed stability in the middle. If the team re-signs veteran Stewart Bradley, he could either play inside or on the strong-side. Last year’s pleasant surprise, Jamar Chaney, is expected to play on the weak-side or inside this season.

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We will have a lot to spend in the next couple of years, so make it count.

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We should...There's no way these guys are gonna do this entire thing via Draft alone...U just don't have time with a rebuild in 5 years...We need to bring in guys that are gonna cost some bucks...Difference needs to be YOUNG versus OLDER...

Right now we need to concentrate on the 4 and 5 year guys that are 25-26 years old...They will be here still in their prime when we're ready to roll...Pay em' and sign em' long-term...It will accelerate the process...

Charles Johnson--25---PAY EM'...
Eric Weddle--26--PAY EM'...

I'd stay away from Huff being 28...

The 2012 draft is LB heavy...

Rogers was fat, lazy, never practiced and just rarely played. Why anyone would want to pay him another 7 mil for 16 tackles is beyond me. Rogers, Winslow and Edwards are team cancers.


You have been harping on Taylor for his poor conditioning and now for the rumor of a foot injury which prevented him from missing zero games and he was barely able to play over 50 snaps a game. My God if he isn't careful they may have to amputate.

When it comes to the cap, we just happened to be in one of those periods where we have cap space. No Edwards, Winslow, Rogers, Corey Williams, JJ combined with very few free agents in last years class that was worth anything.

This years class should be loaded. We will be spending.

I really like Babin but he flopped in Seattle with Holmgren and Rhodes and he flopped in Phili when heckert was there so he is out.

Charles Johnson would be major but I dont know if we have anything other than money that could lure him to the Browns. Maybe he and holmgren share the same agent, lol seriously that does help.

Heckert loves defensive backs. I could see the biggest investment going into corner and safety.

Only guy on this list besides the obvious Corner from the Raiders, is Charles Johnson.. He would fit perfect at RE. I'm sure he has his sights on Atlanta though..

If it was me I'd be all for:

Charles Johnson DE or Ray Edwards DE, gotta have a threat at DE and we don't have one.
Eric Weddle S
Aubrayo Franklin DT

Then try to find a RT that is young, resign Yates.

Franklin would be an amazing signing.

a bump since the number of a $140mil cap has been floated around (and a 90% cap floor which is $126mil).

from above:

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Carolina Panthers
2011 Cash: $57.9 million
2011 Cap: $76.8 million
Cash % of Cap: 75.4%
Pct. Of $124 million Cap: 47%

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2011 Cash: $64.4 million
2011 Cap: $64.7 million
Cash % of Cap: 99.5%
Pct. Of $124 million Cap: 52%

Cleveland Browns
2011 Cash: $65.0 million
2011 Cap: $87.8 million
Cash % of Cap: 74.0
Pct. Of $124 million Cap: 52.4%

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This means the NFL CBA may mandate that the Buccaneers spend $61mil before the season starts (rookies + extensions + FAs)

The Browns $38mil if it's pure cap, but the same $61mil if it's cash.

This is going to be a ridiculous pre-training camp frenzy.

140???...Damn...

Alot of these 4 year guys will re-up with their current teams...

No Johnson for us...

Salary cap plan could pose issues

By John Clayton
ESPN.com

For the first time in two years, NFL front offices are putting on their salary caps as owners and players try to pound out a labor agreement.

That's why it's vital to forge an agreement that preserves the preseason. Both sides know the impact on the salary cap if revenues shrink. If all goes well, a deal may be reached in time to save the Pro Football Hall of Fame game and the rest of the preseason. Whatever the outcome of successful talks, the 2011 salary cap will be less than it was in 2009, when teams operated with $127 million of cap room.

The preseason is worth $22 to $25 million to each team. Figuring the cap could be as low as $117 million or as high as $125 million this year, everyone is working on a tight margin.

Just go back a week. According to multiple sources, owners came into a secret meeting in Minneapolis saying they had made a mistake on their revenue models. They said they had included the sales tax paid by personal seat license holders in their revenue projections, and that error should shrink projected NFL revenues from $9.6 billion to $9.2 billion. Players said, "All revenue is all revenue,'' meaning if the PSL holders wrote the checks, that money should still count as revenue.

With the guidance of mediator Arthur Boylan, both sides worked through the issues and came to a resolution on all revenue that carried into this week's meeting. What's left is figuring out the percentage. Players have asked for 50 percent of all revenue but would be willing to accept a lesser amount if they could sell the deal at 48 percent.

With a lower cap all but certain in a 2011 labor deal, some teams already are scrambling to figure out how to make their payrolls work. Some figure the 2011 cap will end up at $120 or $121 million. It could be as low as $117 million, depending on some of the benefits resolutions.

Owners are willing to set the minimum amount of money teams must spend in payroll close to the salary cap number. It's called the "guaranteed spend.'' Both sides are tweaking their formulas. One scenario going around, according to a source, is taking the cap to $125 million to free up more cap room but making the guaranteed spend 95 percent or a little less.

Those numbers could be changing by the hour.

But let's look at a few realities. If the cap is at $120 million, approximately seven teams are over the cap, and some of those teams have some interesting issues.

Dallas Cowboys -- The late Gene Upshaw used to say in times of labor trouble, no one protects his team's talent base better than Jerry Jones. Jones has always locked up his best players to give his team the best chance of winning. But the Cowboys are roughly $18.9 million over a $120 million cap, and they will have to make some player sacrifices. Cutting wide receiver Roy Williams, right tackle Marc Colombo and running back Marion Barber would be easy decisions, but not so fast. Their combined salaries are $12.259 million, but those three players have more than $27 million in signing bonus proration. They might create too much dead money against the cap to get under.
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Oakland Raiders -- Depending on how much dead money is created by the voiding of Nnamdi Asomugha's contract, the Raiders are more than $10 million over the cap. They can save $2.1 million by cutting guard Cooper Carlisle, but they have only six players with salaries of more than $1 million that can be used to restructure contracts to free up cap room. Remember they gave extensions to defensive end Richard Seymour and defensive tackle John Henderson and made Kamerion Wimbley a franchise player.

New York Giants -- Even though the Giants are $11.34 million over a $120 million cap, they can save $7.5 million if they don't bring back offensive lineman Shawn Andrews. The Giants have plenty of contracts they can restructure, so getting under the cap won't be a problem. The difficulty might be not having too much free cap room for getting into free agency after re-signing key veterans such as Ahmad Bradshaw.

Pittsburgh Steelers -- The Steelers are $10.51 million over, but a $5 million savings comes from not bringing back tackle Flozell Adams. Defensive end Aaron Smith is in the final year of his contract and has a salary of $4.5 million. He might have to restructure his deal or be released. The Steelers have to make sure they have enough room to re-sign cornerback Ike Taylor.

Minnesota Vikings -- The Vikings are $5.148 million over, which will make it tough for them to keep Bernard Berrian. Releasing him would save around $3.7 million. Adrian Peterson is in the final year on his contract with a salary of $10.72 million. He wants a long-term deal, and if the Vikings accommodate it would free up a lot of cap room.

Indianapolis Colts -- The Colts are $2.77 million over. That's not the big problem. The problem is finding cap room. They have $35.5 million tied up in base salaries for Peyton Manning and Dwight Freeney. With Manning's $23 million franchise tag, the Colts have incentive to sign him to a contract extension and get some cap room. After those two players, though, the Colts have only eight other players with salaries above $2 million to consider for cap-friendly restructures or possible release.

Green Bay Packers -- The Packers really don't have a cap problem, particularly if they move linebacker Nick Barnett. Cutting or trading him saves the team about $4.4 million. They can save close to $4.5 million if right tackle Mark Tauscher doesn't come back. The Packers are $62,000 under the cap.

Lower cap number is really HUGE for the Browns. It will be a buyers market and the Browns have the buying power with possibly as much as 65 mil to spend.

This pretty much guarantees that Doug Free will be testing the market. Also Roy Williams was terrific with Mooch in Detroit. He will be looking to get back into a wco.

As bad as I disliked much of what Mangini brought to the Browns, his decision to remove Winslow and Edwards will pay huge dividends. Dumping Rogers was huge. Giving Delhomme the axe adds to the check book as well.

Heckert and Holmgren must now be able to sell themselves and the Browns to the quality free agent. This type of opportunity doesn't come around to often. There isn't going to be a lot of money out there in the deepest free agent class we have ever seen and the Browns have a boatload of cash to spend.

i agree a lower cap helps. wish every report that goes out didn't keep drastically changing the number (you'd think that one should be pretty solid by this point)

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Heckert and Holmgren must now be able to sell themselves and the Browns to the quality free agent. This type of opportunity doesn't come around to often. There isn't going to be a lot of money out there in the deepest free agent class we have ever seen and the Browns have a boatload of cash to spend.

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We can only hope that they will Mourgrym.

I'm not a big fan of over paying for over aged FA, but I'm all in favor of paying for FA who have proven themselves and still have time on their side.

Some Timeline and Rules stuff here...League year etc...


Sources: Sides eye July 21 ratification

By Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter
ESPN

There is a growing belief inside league circles that the NFL and NFL Players Association will have an agreement in place that can be ratified during the July 21 league meetings in Atlanta, according to sources familiar with the state of negotiations.

As one NFL owner said this weekend, there's "no reason to believe it won't get done."

Other people familiar with the talks now think an agreement in principle will be put in place in the next seven to 10 days, a handshake deal that would allow each side to ratify the deal to start the 2011 season.

While a rookie wage system has been identified as the most complex issue still to be resolved between the owners and players as they return to the negotiating table this week in New York, the level of overall confidence in reaching an agreement also is evident in a document known as "The Transition Rules" that NFL teams would follow if and when both players and owners ratify a new labor agreement.

The Transition Rules spell out an actual timeline for roster transactions under the July 21 deal scenario, including the start of the new league year during which free agents would become eligible for the open market on July 28.

With the tight timeline, teams will be scrambling to fill rosters that must be set at 90 players on roughly Aug. 3 -- but all training camps would be able to open on time.

If the deal were to be ratified July 21, it would assure that almost all preseason games would be played, according to sources.

The one game in danger would be the Aug. 7 Hall of Fame matchup between the Bears vs. the Rams. There are still mixed opinions and thoughts as to whether that game could or would be played.

The Transition Rules also would include a designated period for teams to sign undrafted free agent rookies, a pool that routinely provides productive and even star players.

If and when the final issues are resolved, the two sides will have closed enough ground in other key areas to have an agreement in principle that the courts, players and owners must ratify. But those steps are expected to occur in the days leading up to, and during, the July 21 owners meetings in Atlanta.

Once it is done, The Transition Rules will kick in. During the lockout, the NFL's Chief Executive Committee, or CEC, have selected a group of team executives to compile a timeline for how the offseason would operate from the moment a labor deal was done. The group produced plans for the lockout ending in March, June, July and October.

The one now dated July 1 is likely to be applied to any deal done by July 21, and it would spell out how and when roster moves could and would be made. It doesn't mean the new league year will unfold exactly like this; but it won't be far off, either.

Here is how the outlined plan for a July 1 deal could be adjusted for a potential July 21 deal with what would be the corresponding dates, according to sources familiar with the document, which many teams in the league have not yet seen:

• July 1 (July 21): Educate the clubs on the news league rules and allow voluntary training for teams and agents.

• July 5 (July 25): Sign undrafted rookies, as well as give free agents a chance to re-sign with their teams.

• July 8 (July 28) -- League year starts and free agency begins.

• July 13 (Aug. 2) -- Rosters must be set at 90 players.

• July 14 (Aug. 3) -- Deadline for restricted free agents to sign offer sheets.

• July 18 (Aug. 7 ) -- A four-day match period for teams to match restricted free-agent offer sheets.

• July 23 (Aug 12) -- Deadline for rookies to sign contracts (not yet agreed upon).

• July 27 (Aug. 16) -- Signing period for restricted free agents ends, as does the signing period for franchise and transition tenders.

• Aug. 9 (Aug. 29) -- Deadline for players to report to earned credit for an accrued season toward free agency.

Of the dates, the most significant is July 28, which would be the start of the league year and the multitude of roster moves that teams have been waiting and planning for months.

The most intriguing is the deadline for rookies to sign their contracts. The NFL and NFLPA have discussed the idea of placing a deadline on rookies to sign to reduce the number of holdouts. Teams have expressed concern that the longer a rookie holds out, the higher his frequency for injury and failure are.

The two sides still must figure out this issue, as well as how much rookies will be paid and how long their contracts will be. Just as the NFL has insisted that there cannot be federal oversight in the next labor deal, the NFLPA feels just as strongly that all rookie deals be four years, according to sources.

But as one person close to the talks said this weekend, "We're at the 10-, maybe the 15-yard line, and we're marching down the field, and both sides want to score and I think we will."

Yet the disagreement over a rookie wage system for those who were drafted in late April is now the darkest cloud hanging over negotiations that are nearly complete on most major issues.

"The rookie wage scale is the only part I'm worried about," one source involved in the talks said this weekend. "They've finished the other important parts. The only issue left that can cause a problem is the rookie wage scale."

Owner and management sources maintain that the rookie wage system the players have proposed does not represent the anticipated dramatic reduction in salaries -- most notably for the top eight players chosen in the draft -- which would result in redistributed money to veteran players and retirees.

Player sources countered by saying their proposed system provides considerable reduction to the 2010 rookie salaries and that the dispute is based on owners desire to not only cut salaries drastically but control players for five years, morphing into "a dramatic veteran wage scale, not a rookie scale."

Aside from the rookie wage scale, the owners and players also have been stuck on a proposal by management that for the 2011 transition period, teams can exercise the right of first refusal on three free agents, in addition to their franchise-tag designees.

The players have rejected the proposal, which means teams could match any contract offer and retain their free agent player.

The two sides appear comfortable with a split of an all-revenue model in which players will receive about 48 percent of the money at the outset, and never less than approximately 46.5 percent as revenues are expected to grow significantly from $9.6 billion in 2011 over the term of an agreement that will be no less than seven years and could go as long as 10.

But just as there is a roadmap for how this summer will work, there also is a roadmap for completing a deal that has taken football as hostage since March 11.

Looks like we might just see some football come August 13th or whenever Green Bay comes to town...

And that's all we ever wanted!!!!!!!!!!!

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Owner and management sources maintain that the rookie wage system the players have proposed does not represent the anticipated dramatic reduction in salaries -- most notably for the top eight players chosen in the draft -- which would result in redistributed money to veteran players and retirees.

Player sources countered by saying their proposed system provides considerable reduction to the 2010 rookie salaries and that the dispute is based on owners desire to not only cut salaries drastically but control players for five years, morphing into "a dramatic veteran wage scale, not a rookie scale."

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Good point.

Agreed. If the owners want a rookie wage scale, they are going to have to give in to a 4-year maximum length for a rookie contract, IMO. Owners will say "well, if a player starts to outperform his rookie contract, we can always negotiate a new agreement." While that's true, the leverage remains with ownership and five years is a LONG time in this league. In the vast majority of cases, four years is long enough to know what you have (or don't have) in a player.

Yeah... particularly if all the other tags are still in place (which it sounds like they currently are).