How to spend our money?

[skinster]

Originally Posted by GTripp0012

I was fidgeting around with this the other day just to see how far cap dollars would go, so that this could be made into a blog post.

Here's what I actually wrote down:

QB Caleb Hanie (2011 cap: $1.4 mil)
QB Rex Grossman (2011 cap: $1.0 mil) (non-guaranteed)
RB Jerious Norwood (2011 cap: $.7 mil)
FB Vonta Leach (2011 cap: $1 mil)
RG Mike Brisiel (2011 cap: $.9 mil)
RT Ryan Harris (2011 cap: $1.6 mil)
NT Alan Branch (2011 cap: $.6 mil)
DE Cullen Jenkins (2011 cap: $2.5 mil)
LB Chris Wilson (2011 cap: $.7 mil)
LB Matt Roth (2011 cap: $1.3 mil)
LB HB Blades (2011 cap: $.7 mil)
CB William Gay (2011 cap: $.7 mil)
CB Philip Buchanon (2011 cap: $1 mil)
S Reed Doughty (2011 cap ($.9 mil)

Total cap money spent on UFA $13.8 million
Players added: 14

If you want to pencil in Nnamdi, you're going to have to put away about $7 million of 2011 cap space to do so. That would seem to make the Bucs the only team that is actually "likely" to get him. The Raiders and Cowboys are going to be hard pressed to match a best offer, the Lions feel like they're going to be priced out of the market for him, the Texans are going hard after him but if it comes down to best offer, Tampa almost certainly can beat it.

Gtripp, I think your estimates are way off. Next year veterans are slated to make more than ever due to the raised salary floor, salary cap increase, the lowered rookie wage scale, and the shortened time to sign veterans will raise the price in a battle.

Keeping in mind that this years numbers contracts should be significantly larger than in the past, lets take a sample of veteran contracts from last year to compare to.

Kemo made 3.2, Rabach made 2.4, Hicks made 1.8, Golston made 1.8 (tendered), Heyer made 1.7, Wilson made 1.7, Buchanon made 1.5, Montgomery made 1.2, Sellers made 1.1, Daniels made 0.9, and Alexander made 0.9.

I don't see very many of your numbers being accurate considering many of the players you mentioned were significantly more talented than the players I just mentioned, and are making less in their first year of their contract (compare cullen jenkins 1st year of 2.5 to kemos 1st year of 3.2) when they are more talented, which demand a higher price tag, and are participating in a market which will demand significantly higher contracts for veterans.

Look at what comparable veterans have made in the past to the players you mentioned in their first year. Add a minimum of a million on to that and that is what that should be a more accurate indication of what their 2011 cap number should be.

Not to mention we need to hit the salary floor also.

P.S. There is no way Nnamdi is making 7 mil in any year of his contract. I've heard reports that he will be making 18 mil a year, which even if that is not true, it should still be way too high for him to make 7 mil in any year of his contract.