Managing the Cap
 

This is all conjecture and for fun, so all you "Dan Synder knows best" folks need not apply. Also, I know they are renegotiating the collective bargaining agreement after the 2006 season and the cap will inevitably increase at that point in time.

In the mean time though, I was just wondering what you guys thought we should do to best manage the cap.

I think that we need to do the following:

1. Trade Gardner before the draft or cut him after June 1st. This saves us 2 million dollars next year.
2. Trade Samuels before the draft of cut him after June 1st (if he doesn't renegotiate). This would create around a 4 million dollar cap hit, but save us about 5 million dollars in cap room next year.
3. Cut Barrow after June 1st. This would save us 2 million in room in 2005, and cost us around a 2.25 million dollar hit in 2006.
4. Keep Brunell for one year, and then cut him after June 1, 2006. (I really hope he renegotiates) This would save us 5.4 million dollars in 2006 (which we will desperately need) and cost us about 4 million in dead cap room the following year.
5. Cut Wynn after June 1st 2005 (if he doesn't renegotiate). This will save us about 4.5 million dollars in 2006 and the cap hit for 2007 will be less than 1 million dollars.

Of the players above, the only thing I really hope is that Samuels smartens up and renegotiates for a cap number that is closer to 6-7 million because there is no way he is worth in the 9 million dollar range. That is the sort of number that hurts a team. I'd hate to see him go, but fuck it.

I forgot to add - I think we need to make resigning but Smoot and Pierce a priority. The cuts to Barrow and Gardner would really help do this.

i would try to keep everyone except Barrow. I would renegoitiate as much as possible but I would try to fill wholes through the draft, I would only worry about signing our 1st rounds contract becasue former TE, turned DE Marcus Spears of LSU may want a big contract.

plus we dont have a 2nd rounder this year...so building through the draft isnt quite as easy

We may not be in such bad shape with the cap after all, given that players may well renegotiate to stay with the team.

Mark Brunell is someone who I believe will renegotiate. That hadn't occurred to me that he could do that. I think he will dig us out of the situation we are in and yes, stay on as a veteran backup. He does have great respect for Joe Gibbs and I would be shocked if he didn't cut a new deal given the cap straits we are in. If we could get him some protection he could even settle down back there and revive his play - if needed as a backup to next year's starter, Tim Hasselbeck. (Ramsey fanatics, I hope you have insurance in case you have a stroke) :laughing- .

I do think that Rod Gardner is someone we could consider trading, given our depth at receiver, but he is too good to cut for 2 million in my opinion. I wouldn't like to see him go, because I think his best days are ahead of him and he can be special. Still we have [I]too much [/I] talent at receiver, (at least if Coles can recover from his injury by next year) and it would be good to trade [I]one [/I] of them, for their benefit and for the team.

Samuels is one of the bedrock Redskins and I would do everything possible to encourage him to renegotiate reasonably, and with Joe Gibbs here, I bet he will do that.

Barrow, yes - he is a good player but the emergence of Pierce gives our defense the quarterback it needs to be the best in the NFL.

Wynn - I hope he renegotiates. It isn't often you can be a part of a Joe Gibbs team, and one with the number one defense in the NFL at that. Hopefully, he will stay on.

Can someone tell me how Ramsey did over the last 7 games, I didn't realize the season was over already, damn it went by quick!

;)

The #1 way to help with the cap room is to have Danny boy hold on to his money alittle tighter. He has given huge contracts to players who are good and not great. He gave Coles a better contract than TO received in Philly (for example). You would think with his business background he could do a better job negotiating contracts that would bennift the team as well as the players.

[QUOTE=Mattyk72]Can someone tell me how Ramsey did over the last 7 games, I didn't realize the season was over already, damn it went by quick!

;)[/QUOTE]

Yeah, we missed you at the Super Bowl Victory Party. Can't believe we finished 10-6, then swept through the playoffs and Super Bowl. :D

[QUOTE=Drift Reality]
1. Trade Gardner before the draft or cut him after June 1st. This saves us 2 million dollars next year.
[/QUOTE]
A trade is certainly an option but they won't cut him. Rangy WRs who will go over the middle are in short supply. He isn't a superstar but replacing his value would be difficult to do and basically eat any cap room cerated by this. It might even cost more.
[QUOTE=Drift Reality]
2. Trade Samuels before the draft of cut him after June 1st (if he doesn't renegotiate). This would create around a 4 million dollar cap hit, but save us about 5 million dollars in cap room next year.
[/QUOTE]
This is the biggie. Samuels HAS to renegotiate or he's gone. They will never keep him with his crazy cap number next year and the super crazy number after that. It's like 7 million or more isn't it? I would be very suprised if they cut him since he is in the prime of his career but a trade maybe. This is a toughie.
[QUOTE=Drift Reality]
3. Cut Barrow after June 1st. This would save us 2 million in room in 2005, and cost us around a 2.25 million dollar hit in 2006.[/QUOTE]
I think Barrow is gone. Unless he comes back this year and shows some pop. He'll absolutly need to renegotiate either way as the Skins won't keep him for the money and no ther tem will pay him what we are paying him.
[QUOTE=Drift Reality]
4. Keep Brunell for one year, and then cut him after June 1, 2006. (I really hope he renegotiates) This would save us 5.4 million dollars in 2006 (which we will desperately need) and cost us about 4 million in dead cap room the following year.
[/QUOTE]
I think Brunell is a stand up guy and all but I would be stunned if he renegotiated. There would be no benefit to him at all and honestly you'd have to be a damn saint to give up money. His deal is for 7 years with a big old bonos. To make it worthwhile to the team to renegotiate the skins would need to lower the base salary(unguranteed). To do this though Brunell would want to get more in siging bonus(guranteed). To give more in bonus they'd have to lengthen the deal to spread out and hopefully lower the yearly prorated bonus. He'll have 6 left after this year and if anyone sees them extending the deal you're looney. For anything to work they have to keep Brunell playing for at least two more years so the remaining bonus money becomes managable as a cap hit. Sorry guys but he isn't going anywhere and if he does then our cap is in trouble.
[QUOTE=Drift Reality]
5. Cut Wynn after June 1st 2005 (if he doesn't renegotiate). This will save us about 4.5 million dollars in 2006 and the cap hit for 2007 will be less than 1 million dollars.
[/QUOTE]
They'll renegotiate this or he's gone. No way they pay Winn 4.5 next year. He'll probably want to renegotiate.

One thing that might help us is having a good defense and keeping williams around. Players may want to stick around a little more with a stud defense and good coordinator. This may help aleviate the money situation a bit.

[QUOTE=diehardskin2982]i would try to keep everyone except Barrow. I would renegoitiate as much as possible but I would try to fill wholes through the draft, I would only worry about signing our 1st rounds contract becasue former TE, turned DE Marcus Spears of LSU may want a big contract.[/QUOTE]


Forget Spears....if Erasmus James is still on the board that should be our man!!!

[QUOTE=Mattyk72]Can someone tell me how Ramsey did over the last 7 games, I didn't realize the season was over already, damn it went by quick!

;)[/QUOTE]Ramsey put up 3600 yards for 23 td's, we won out and cliton portis rushed for 2300 yards.

How much would we save in cap space if we cut ramsey after June 1st?

[QUOTE=joethiesmanfan]How much would we save in cap space if we cut ramsey after June 1st?[/QUOTE]
not much at all, why would we do that anyway?

[QUOTE=diehardskin2982]i would try to keep everyone except Barrow. I would renegoitiate as much as possible but I would try to fill wholes through the draft, I would only worry about signing our 1st rounds contract becasue former TE, turned DE Marcus Spears of LSU may want a big contract.[/QUOTE]
no way, i want that DE from Boston College, Mathias Kiwanuka. Spears is garbage compared to him.

They aren't cutting Ramsey.

Cutting Ramsey would be pretty foolish considering he does have some trade value.

Speaking of cutting a QB, who thinks Brunell will be gone after June 1?

[QUOTE=Mattyk72]Cutting Ramsey would be pretty foolish considering he does have some trade value.

Speaking of cutting a QB, who thinks Brunell will be gone after June 1?[/QUOT ]Redskins home page had a news artical titled For Burnell The End Isn't Near. The artical quotes Gibbs saying "he envisioned Burnell being part of the team for years". What will happen only time will tell.

"I disagree with the fact that it hasn't worked out," Gibbs said of Brunell. "We have a long ways to go here. His role in what he does here for the Redskins, we're going to find out over the next several years."

Asked if Brunell had a defined role with the team next year, Gibbs said, "I would say for several years."

Well I guess Brunell is here to stay. However, he is scheduled to be paid starter's money. Ramsey is now the starter and Brunell is at least a backup until we can get enough protection for him to revivify himself as a quarterback.

If it becomes clear that Brunell is going to be a backup, would he insist on getting the money, straining our cap, and forcing the release of other players? Could he look himself in the mirror and would he do that to Coach Gibbs and the fans? (Well maybe to the fans given the boos.) I don't think a straight up guy like Brunell would do that. Contract renegotiation is part of the deal these days. Contracts are signed that are understood to be more PR than things that are going to be honored. He could do it, but if hes a backup, he will take a pay cut.

The team might have [i]some[/i] leverage with him in getting him to restructure.

After all, with the way he's played this year if we cut him who's going to pick him up to be a starter??

I have no problem with him staying as a backup. Let's just hope Ramsey can win the job with these last 7 games and leave no doubt in Gibbs' mind who should be the guy behind center next year and beyond.

[QUOTE=Drift Reality]1. Trade Gardner before the draft or cut him after June 1st.[/QUOTE]
Trading or cutting him will save us $1.5M on the 2005 cap ($2.1M minus $660K dead cap). But I don't think there's any way we'd cut him and get nothing back in return. He's too valuable. I do agree he'll probably be traded. I was happy to see McCants last game, but was a little surprised it was at the expense of Gardner. Hopefully Rod hasn't moved down the depth chart. While I'd like our young guys to get more experience, it makes more sense to showcase Gardner's talents the rest of the season to boost his trade value. I think we could potentially get a 1st rounder for him, am I crazy? And while I agree trading him is probably the right move, I'd be sad to see him go just as he seems to be coming into his own.

[QUOTE=Drift Reality]2. Trade Samuels before the draft of cut him after June 1st (if he doesn't renegotiate). This would create around a 4 million dollar cap hit, but save us about 5 million dollars in cap room next year.[/QUOTE]
Samuels is a $9.6M cap hit in 2005, and $11.3M in 2006. He's got $5.8M of dead cap left after this year. I think keeping him in 2006 without a restructure would be impossible (plus he can void the year if he wants). There are a few options, but his situation is complicated. I think I'll start another thread on Samuels soon.

[QUOTE=Drift Reality]3. Cut Barrow after June 1st. This would save us 2 million in room in 2005, and cost us around a 2.25 million dollar hit in 2006.[/QUOTE]
Barrow's 2005 cap hit is $2.1M. Cutting/trading Barrow will create $2.1M in dead cap. As long as the guy can play, doesn't make much sense to cut him. Agreed, doing it after June 1 will push $1.7M onto 2006, but 2006 is our trouble year. My guess is that Barrow's back in 2005, assuming he can play.

[QUOTE=Drift Reality]4. Keep Brunell for one year, and then cut him after June 1, 2006. (I really hope he renegotiates) This would save us 5.4 million dollars in 2006 (which we will desperately need) and cost us about 4 million in dead cap room the following year.[/QUOTE]
Agreed.

[QUOTE=Drift Reality]5. Cut Wynn after June 1st 2005 (if he doesn't renegotiate). This will save us about 4.5 million dollars in 2006 and the cap hit for 2007 will be less than 1 million dollars.[/QUOTE]
Wynn is a $4.1M cap hit in 2005, and I agree he'll probably be gone. He'll create $1.7M in dead cap, $1.2M of which can be pushed to 2006. Again I think we'll just eat it all in 2005.

Thanks CC! Nice work....

Can we curb our irrational exuberance - to use Alan Greenspan's phrase - just a bit about the humongous trade value that we think might be there for Rod Gardner.

Here is a benchmark:

Terrell Owens cost the Eagles a second round draft pick and their #6 depth chart defensive end.

Can we agree that Owens is ever so slightly better than Gardner?

Can we agree that Owens with food poisoning and puking his guts out is Gardner's equivalent?

OK, so [B]maybe[/B] Gardner can fetch the Skins a 5th round pick? Maybe a 4th if some team really - really - wants him? And you might get someone from the other team's practice squad too.

There you go. We trade Gardner to Tampa. They need a big WR now that Keyshawn is gone and we get their 4th round pick and Sultan McCullough back. Yeah. That's the missing piece to the puzzle... :stop:

SC,

I think we'd be able to fetch a 2nd rounder for Gardner.

TO isn't the best example of how much WRs are worth on the open market. His deal was all screwed up. We paid a 1st rounder for Coles. I don't think TO is worth less than LC.

Also, remember that the Fins traded Ogunleye for Marty Booker and 3rd rounder. The Dolphins were expected to fetch a 1st rounder (and possibly a player) for Ogunleye. Marty Booker is a better wideout than Gardner, but he wasn't some fantasy stud - he was just a solid #1 wideout.

[QUOTE=sportscurmudgeon]Terrell Owens cost the Eagles a second round draft pick and their #6 depth chart defensive end.[/QUOTE]

Agreed, but the sellers were more desperate than we would be.

[QUOTE=sportscurmudgeon]Can we agree that Owens is ever so slightly better than Gardner?

Can we agree that Owens with food poisoning and puking his guts out is Gardner's equivalent?[/QUOTE]

Agreed.

Agreed.

[QUOTE=sportscurmudgeon]OK, so [B]maybe[/B] Gardner can fetch the Skins a 5th round pick?[/QUOTE]

I would think we could get more than a 5th round pick, in fact I'd rather keep him if that's all we could get. But you may be right SC, hoping for a 1st rounder might be a bit much. Guess I was wearing my burgundy-colored glasses. :cool:

CrazyCanuck,

Thanks again for posting information about possible roster moves and their impact on the cap. The posts really help us see what is (not) feasible.

I think Gardner has proven to Gibbs that he is a "Redskin" and will stick around. He is a very hard worker and has worked very hard to stop his drops. Yeah, he's still dropping some passes, but he's really not dropping any more than the other receivers have been. The entire offense has been out of synch. and hopefully, Ramsey can help get them out of the funk....even against the 8-1 PA teams...
But of course, if McCants get more playing time and looks good as the big posession WR, who knows....