2017 Redskins Salary Cap Status

For the Redskins, the course of action with Thompson is incredibly obvious: assign the 2nd round tender to ensure we retain him at around $2.6M in 2017, and make him prove one more time that he can stay healthy. If he does, then decide in 2018 whether you think he's worth a Darren Sproles type of contract.

You could eliminate the hemming and hawing and commit to him now, if you were convinced he is durable enough, and give him a 3 or 4 year deal similar to that of Sproles. But the cap implications of that wouldn't be much different from the $2.6M tender, so no real incentive to do that.

I'd bet good money he'll get a 2nd round tender and play on it in 2017.

Exclusive-rights free agents
Exclusive-rights free agents (ERFAs) are players with two or fewer seasons of service time and whose contracts have expired. If their team tenders a qualifying offer (a one-year contract usually at league-minimum salary) the player has no negotiating rights with other teams, and must either sign the tender with the team or sit out the season.[5]

Restricted free agents
Restricted free agents (RFAs) are players who have three or fewer accrued seasons of service and whose contracts have expired. RFAs have received qualifying offers from their old clubs and are free to negotiate with any club until a deadline which occurs approximately a week prior to the NFL Draft (for 2010 the deadline was April 15), at which time their rights revert to their original club. If a player accepts an offer from a new club, the old club will have the right to match the offer and retain the player. If the old club elects not to match the offer, it may receive draft-choice compensation depending on the level of the qualifying offer made to the player.[6]

Unrestricted free agents
Unrestricted free agents are players with expired contracts that have completed four or more accrued seasons of service. They are free to sign with any franchise.[6]

Undrafted free agents
Undrafted free agents are players eligible for the NFL Draft but who are not selected; they can negotiate and sign with any team.

So Chris Thompson actually has 4 seasons under his belt, but he only officially accrued three NFL seasons because he was hurt so much for one of them (you have to be on the roster or practice squad for 6+ games in a season to have an accrued season, and not on IR during that time). So Thompson only has 3 accrued seasons right now, making him an RFA instead of a UFA.

Very helpful. Thank you.

What would you do? You can't resign everyone and still expect a free agent bonanza - there will be some choices to make. Want Kawaan Short? You'll probably need to let a WR walk.

Also the numbers shown here next to most player names are educated guesses at cap impact. Feel free to debate those, but they shouldn't be more than a million or two off for each player.

of these guys, i'd like to keep:

Kirk Cousins Franchise Tag ($24.0M)
Pierre Garcon ($8.0M) - is his cap number really going to be $8m, though?!?
Chris Baker ($8.0M)
Vernon Davis ($3.0M)
Junior Galette ($1.5M)
Nick Sundberg ($1.0M)
Ziggy Hood ($2.0M)
Greg Toler ($1.0M)
Chris Thompson ($3.0M)
Will Compton ($4.0M)
Duke Ihenacho ($1.0M)

davis, hood, toler, thompson, and ihenacho can hit the bricks.

of these guys, i'd like to keep:

Kirk Cousins Franchise Tag ($24.0M)
Pierre Garcon ($8.0M) - is his cap number really going to be $8m, though?!?
Chris Baker ($8.0M)
Vernon Davis ($3.0M)
Junior Galette ($1.5M)
Nick Sundberg ($1.0M)
Ziggy Hood ($2.0M)
Greg Toler ($1.0M)
Chris Thompson ($3.0M)
Will Compton ($4.0M)
Duke Ihenacho ($1.0M)

davis, hood, toler, thompson, and ihenacho can hit the bricks.

Surprised no love for Chris Thompson. Blitz pickup is an underappreciated skill it seems, but he threw a lot of blocks that saved Kirk's ass on some of those long-developing downfield routes. For Gruden's offense to work the backs absolutely have to pick up the blitz. Ironically, Clinton Portis would have been the absolute ideal Gruden back. Remember how wicked he was on stoning blitzing LBs?

Anyway, Garcon could be less than $8M but he's a 1000 yard receiver, who could potentially put up more in an offense that featured him more often, like in 2013 when he put up 1,346 as our only WR worth a crap. But he's 30, so if the Skins bring him back I'm assuming it will be on a 2 or 3 year deal, which of course minimizes your ability to spread a signing bonus over the life of the deal.

He's worth $9M a year on the open market in my mind, so $8M cap hit seems reasonable. He just came off a 5 year contract that paid him $8.5M per year, and that was signed 5 years ago. So on one hand you apply some inflation, on the other you shave a little value off because he's 30. So figure he'll get $9M or $10M per year on the open market.

If we gave him $27M over 3 years, the cap hit could be $8M in year 1, $9M in year 2, and $10M in year 3 depending how you structure it.

Surprised no love for Chris Thompson. Blitz pickup is an underappreciated skill it seems, but he threw a lot of blocks that saved Kirk's ass on some of those long-developing downfield routes. For Gruden's offense to work the backs absolutely have to pick up the blitz. Ironically, Clinton Portis would have been the absolute ideal Gruden back. Remember how wicked he was on stoning blitzing LBs?

Anyway, Garcon could be less than $8M but he's a 1000 yard receiver, who could potentially put up more in an offense that featured him more often, like in 2013 when he put up 1,346 as our only WR worth a crap. But he's 30, so if the Skins bring him back I'm assuming it will be on a 2 or 3 year deal, which of course minimizes your ability to spread a signing bonus over the life of the deal.

He's worth $9M a year on the open market in my mind, so $8M cap hit seems reasonable. He just came off a 5 year contract that paid him $8.5M per year, and that was signed 5 years ago. So on one hand you apply some inflation, on the other you shave a little value off because he's 30. So figure he'll get $9M or $10M per year on the open market.

If we gave him $27M over 3 years, the cap hit could be $8M in year 1, $9M in year 2, and $10M in year 3 depending how you structure it.

you're dead on about thompson's blitz pickup.

he's one i could go either way on. i have it in my head that it's a sin to sign or re-sign rbs.

i feel like you can always find them late in the draft or even as undrafted free agents.

^ coming from the guy who wanted us to sign forte or foster this past offseason.

Thompson had several game changing plays this season. He a big time quiet baller...I think he is extension material.

He woulda had another big play last weekend end of game if it wasn't for that damn Snacks Harrison...

you're dead on about thompson's blitz pickup.

he's one i could go either way on. i have it in my head that it's a sin to sign or re-sign rbs.

i feel like you can always find them late in the draft or even as undrafted free agents.

That's a good point. They usually don't come in ready to pick up the blitz, though. Luckily we could keep Thompson without spending much dough. My issue with him is durability. He played all 16 this season, but can he do it again?

That's a good point. They usually don't come in ready to pick up the blitz, though. Luckily we could keep Thompson without spending much dough. My issue with him is durability. He played all 16 this season, but can he do it again?

He did his job and then some this year, whether it was blitz pickups, running the ball, or being Kirk's check down option when plays broke down. He's worth the 2nd round tender at minimum, but if they gave him a longer deal I'd be fine with it. He's not going to break the bank and we know he's capable of being our 3rd down back, which is all we need him to be. It's a no-brainer for me.

He did his job and then some this year, whether it was blitz pickups, running the ball, or being Kirk's check down option when plays broke down. He's worth the 2nd round tender at minimum, but if they gave him a longer deal I'd be fine with it. He's not going to break the bank and we know he's capable of being our 3rd down back, which is all we need him to be. It's a no-brainer for me.

he did let landon collins hurdle him to sack kirk cousins though.