Article: 2007 and the Cap

I'm worried that Sean Taylor will want to renegotiate his contract.

At least on paper it looks like he doesnt make that much, but I don't know much about any incentives that he might be getting.

I know he's been injured a lot, but David Patten's contract is ridiculous.

On Taylor, I actually hope they go ahead and take the opportunity to extend his contract. He hasn't made a pro bowl yet so nobody in the market is going to pay him tip top dollar. Now would be a good time to lock him up. Trouble is, since Archuleta is on this team, he might ask for more than Arch got.

On Patten, the Redskins just don't have leverage. If they cut him he'd cost us $5.2 million in deadcap in 2007. If he were on the roster he'd only cost us $3.0 million in cap space. And his base salary in 2007 is only $1.1 million, so it's not like you can come down much from there. They're just not in a position to get a paycut out of him. He's just a guy we have to live with for one more season. We could try a post June 1 cut, but the benefit would only be about $1.4 million or so in 2007. We're likely just stuck with him.

Is Drew Rosenhaus still Taylor's agent?

Dosen't Rosenhaus have a good relationship with Snyder and the Skins?

I'd look for the following moves:

Cut: John Hall, Christian Fauria, Mike Rumph (save $3.5 million)

Cut: Adam Archuleta as a Post June 1 move, (save $600K in 2007, absorb a $7 million deadcap hit in 2008)

Forced Paycuts: Mark Brunell and Reynaldo Wynn, if they don't accept, cut them to save $4.8 million in FY 2007 between the two of them)

Restructured Contracts (no pay reduction, just restructure): Jon Jansen, Randy Thomas, Shawn Springs, Cornelius Griffin, Marcus Washington, Clinton Portis, Casey Rabach. This could generate $10-15 million in cap space.

Resign: Derrick Dockery to a long term deal

They'll have the flexibility to keep it all together and make another free agency run, if they want to.

Nice breakdown, I think you're pretty much dead on with what will probably happen for real.

How would you all think about the following changes to the NFL salary cap rules:

1.) Implementing like the NBA a Larry Bird exemption and thus creating a hard cap and soft cap. This would cut down on the constant players cuts and keep teams together longer and in my opinion improve play. As players stay together longer they build better continuity and as fans we see 2 well oiled machines playing against eachother instead of a new collection of players trying to get familar with one another.
The NFL should allow teams to use the Larry Bird Rule on restricted and unrestricted free agents that weren't cut. This would eliminate the balloon bonus payments that teams have been using in order to circumvent the cap. So the small market teams could still compete with the likes of Synder and Jerry Jones.
2.) In addition why not allow teams to trade players by allowing in the soft portion of the cap an exemption as long as the salaries are within 10 percent of each other? Why should teams incur cap penalties for simply swapping players? If the Redskins have lets say 3 really good running backs and another team has extra CB's why not allow the teams to make a trade without having to destroy their cap situation.

How would you all think about the following changes to the NFL salary cap rules:

1.) Implementing like the NBA a Larry Bird exemption and thus creating a hard cap and soft cap. This would cut down on the constant players cuts and keep teams together longer and in my opinion improve play. As players stay together longer they build better continuity and as fans we see 2 well oiled machines playing against eachother instead of a new collection of players trying to get familar with one another.
The NFL should allow teams to use the Larry Bird Rule on restricted and unrestricted free agents that weren't cut. This would eliminate the balloon bonus payments that teams have been using in order to circumvent the cap. So the small market teams could still compete with the likes of Synder and Jerry Jones.
2.) In addition why not allow teams to trade players by allowing in the soft portion of the cap an exemption as long as the salaries are within 10 percent of each other? Why should teams incur cap penalties for simply swapping players? If the Redskins have lets say 3 really good running backs and another team has extra CB's why not allow the teams to make a trade without having to destroy their cap situation.

I'm having a tough time figuring out what this post means. But I do like the current system a lot. Teams do have the ability to keep players together if they want.

I like the NFL's system because contracts aren't guaranteed. You don't play up to your ability, the team isn't stuck with you.

I'm having a tough time figuring out what this post means. But I do like the current system a lot. Teams do have the ability to keep players together if they want.

I like the NFL's system because contracts aren't guaranteed. You don't play up to your ability, the team isn't stuck with you.

Sorry for the confusion - I guess what I am getting at is having a hard cap like the NFL currently has at $107 million or so, and than having a soft cap that allows teams to resign their own players and go over the hard cap. The soft cap would have a luxury tax similar to what NBA teams pay - which is 100% for every dollar over.
So looking at the future when Chris Cooley's contract expires next year the Redskins could resign him at any rate they seem fit without regard to whether it would push them over the hard cap number (which I believe in that year will be $116 million). Now with the Redskins doing this they would have to pay whatever amount over the $116 in a luxury tax to a league wide pool which I assume would be distributed to smaller market teams.

I completely agree with you on keeping contracts non-guranteed. So if you sign someone to a long term deal and the contract is backloaded than you can still cut him and not be on the hook for anything. I would leave the bonus penalty as they are so yu would cut players before or after June 1st to comply with the cap.

Also, if you could find players with similar salaries the second part would allow you to trade them and get an exemption. Right now most trades are really hard because teams can afford to take both the cap hit of the player they are trading and the cap hit of the player they have coming in.

On Taylor, I actually hope they go ahead and take the opportunity to extend his contract. He hasn't made a pro bowl yet so nobody in the market is going to pay him tip top dollar. Now would be a good time to lock him up. Trouble is, since Archuleta is on this team, he might ask for more than Arch got.

On Patten, the Redskins just don't have leverage. If they cut him he'd cost us $5.2 million in deadcap in 2007. If he were on the roster he'd only cost us $3.0 million in cap space. And his base salary in 2007 is only $1.1 million, so it's not like you can come down much from there. They're just not in a position to get a paycut out of him. He's just a guy we have to live with for one more season. We could try a post June 1 cut, but the benefit would only be about $1.4 million or so in 2007. We're likely just stuck with him.


We must lock up Sean Taylor. He needs to be a Redskin for life! I disagree, any team would throw tons of money his way. He has not even come close to his playmaker potential. LOCK HIM UP PLEASE SNYDER!!!!!

On Patten, the Redskins just don't have leverage. If they cut him he'd cost us $5.2 million in deadcap in 2007. If he were on the roster he'd only cost us $3.0 million in cap space. And his base salary in 2007 is only $1.1 million, so it's not like you can come down much from there. They're just not in a position to get a paycut out of him. He's just a guy we have to live with for one more season. We could try a post June 1 cut, but the benefit would only be about $1.4 million or so in 2007. We're likely just stuck with him.

Take a look at these numbers:

Patten in '05 (remember he spent a good portion of the year on IR)

22 catches, 217 yards.

Lloyd in '06 (playing in every single game, and being a starter for most the year)

23 catches 365 yards.

Obviously Lloyd is more of a deep threat, and Patten has been banged up this year a lot, but not that big a difference in terms of overall production.

Sure would be nice to have those 3rd and 4th round picks though.

I'd look for the following moves:

Cut: John Hall, Christian Fauria, Mike Rumph (save $3.5 million)

Cut: Adam Archuleta as a Post June 1 move, (save $600K in 2007, absorb a $7 million deadcap hit in 2008)

Forced Paycuts: Mark Brunell and Reynaldo Wynn, if they don't accept, cut them to save $4.8 million in FY 2007 between the two of them)

Restructured Contracts (no pay reduction, just restructure): Jon Jansen, Randy Thomas, Shawn Springs, Cornelius Griffin, Marcus Washington, Clinton Portis, Casey Rabach. This could generate $10-15 million in cap space.

Resign: Derrick Dockery to a long term deal

They'll have the flexibility to keep it all together and make another free agency run, if they want to.
I frankly don't want to see another big free agency spree. For once, let's show a little restraint and use cap relief gained through restructuring to resign core Redskins coming to the end of current contracts (Dockery this season, Cooley and Sellers next season). Perhaps target one key free agent to help the D and use the first round pick on Defense as well. I believe the pieces are already in place for the offense to be scary good if Campbell continues to progress. I love that he put the ball downfield at least a half dozen times last week. That was a months worth of deep balls for Brunell, and will keep opposing safeties from crowding the line to stop Portis/Betts.

Take a look at these numbers:

Patten in '05 (remember he spent a good portion of the year on IR)

22 catches, 217 yards.

Lloyd in '06 (playing in every single game, and being a starter for most the year)

23 catches 365 yards.

Obviously Lloyd is more of a deep threat, and Patten has been banged up this year a lot, but not that big a difference in terms of overall production.

Sure would be nice to have those 3rd and 4th round picks though.


I don't think you can compare these two.

Patten is in his 11th year Lloyd is in his 4th.

LLoyd can block and go deep. Patten is the 5th reciever on this team.

And Patten by the way is going to make more next year than Lloyd.