Redskins Salary Cap Status - 2020

Given the housecleaning the Redskins have undergone in the football operations and head coaching areas, I’m getting started with this thread earlier this year. This looks at the Redskins salary cap status for 2020. This references OverTheCap’s terrific salary cap data. This year the Redskins find themselves with plenty of available cap space which will go a long way towards molding the team to Ron Rivera’s image. This thread is equal parts a summary of where the cap stands today, and a list of the moves the team is likely to make to manage their cap flexibility.

As the team makes moves throughout the offseason I'll try to keep this updated to reflect the actual impact on the cap. Last updated February 20, 2020 at 5:00pm.

Redskins Cap Space Entering 2019: $35.4M

Moves Made
Extended P Tress Way $0M (goes into effect 2021)
Released CB Josh Norman $12.4M
Released WR Paul Richardson $2.5M
Released TE Jordan Reed $8.5M
Franchise Tagged G Brandon Scherff ($14.8M)
Two Players Added Back to Top 51 ($1.2M)

Redskins Cap Space Current Estimate $42.8M

Moves Expected
Trade OT Trent Williams $12.5M
One Player Added Back to Top 51 ($0.6M)

Expected Redskins Cap Space after Moves $54.7M

Roster Needs:
Backup QB (2?)
G
WR
TE (2)
CB
LB
S

I am assuming those roster needs are based on the glaring and obvious and not just areas where we could upgrade/improve?

A note on the Alex Smith situation since it has such a large impact on our salary cap.

Alex Smith is currently under contract for three more years. His $16M salary this year is guaranteed, and we still have yet to recognize $16.2M of his signing bonus on our cap. This means that if we cut him or trade him before June 1 of this year, it will actually hurt our cap and reduce our available cap space by ($10.8M).

If cut him with a post-June 1 designation, or trade him after June 1, then we save no money against the cap this season, our cap will be entirely unchanged. Because with that $16M salary guaranteed, we'd carry another $5.4M of the prorated bonus in 2020, putting his cap number right back at $21.4M in 2020, where it would be if he were still on the roster. But in 2021 he'd come off the cap and we'd save $13.6M.

The same thing would happen in 2021 if we kept him through this season, and then cut him prior to June 1 of 2021. Our cap space in 2021 would go up $13.6M, the same impact as if we let him go after June 1 of this year.

Due to all this, I'm calling it likely that he remains a Redskin through this season and serves as the backup to Dwayne Haskins. He'll likely continue serving as a mentor while he works his way back - and collects a paycheck.

Despite the likelihood that he sticks with us in 2020, we'll still have the available cap space I list in my original post above, and the Redskins will likely plan for 2021 to say goodbye to Alex, and plan their free agency this year to account for the fact that 2021 will have $13.6M more in cap space than it would with Alex on the roster.

In that sense, it would be wise to push some chips into the table in free agency this year. If Haskins continues to progress, the Redskins have two years to take advantage of the rookie contract window (2021 and 2022). In 2023 they'll either need to execute the 5th year option on Haskins or extend him long term.

I am assuming those roster needs are based on the glaring and obvious and not just areas where we could upgrade/improve?

Right, exactly. I identified the areas where the holes are glaring.

Great summary..... no thoughts on Kerrigans status?

Re Alex Smith, if his salary is part of the gaurantee then doesn't that leave our cap if he is traded so we would only be hit by the bonus he has received so far.... apologies if I have misunderstood your post, genuine question just trying to understand the mechanics of the salary cap

Great summary..... no thoughts on Kerrigans status?

If you release or trade him it would create an additional $11.7M in cap space. I personally wouldn't, so I didn't list it. He's still too valuable a player and even with Chase Young I'd want as much strong depth along the new 4-3 DL as I can get.

But if you want to play armchair GM, getting rid of him would mean $11.7M more in cap space.

Re Alex Smith, if his salary is part of the gaurantee then doesn't that leave our cap if he is traded so we would only be hit by the bonus he has received so far.... apologies if I have misunderstood your post, genuine question just trying to understand the mechanics of the salary cap

Yeah if you can get a team to take on $16M in salary for Alex, then yes you're right, that guaranteed portion of the salary would be borne by the new team, not by us.

But for all practical purposes, who would ever pay $16M for one season of Alex Smith at this point, given what he's trying to come back from? Too many questions about his mobility. Teams might take him on with an incentive laden deal structure, but nobody's paying $16M guaranteed. So I see us as stuck with him.

Yeah that is a great point about Smith, I am sitting on the fence regarding Kerrigan, if we sign him to a new deal for 2-3 years then we should be able to save a little, no?

Yeah that is a great point about Smith, I am sitting on the fence regarding Kerrigan, if we sign him to a new deal for 2-3 years then we should be able to save a little, no?

Yes that seems plausible. There would be a lot of ways to extend him and get the cap number down in 2020.