Quote:
Originally Posted by Schneed10
Yes, but not at any incremental amount beyond what the bottom of the current 51 is counting.
Rookies make less than anybody else. 1st and 2nd round picks are the only exception to that. So when a rookie makes the team it will kick someone out of the cap total who's making more than a rookie.
So we have $3.6M or so to spend on the rookies, but when cut-down day arrives we'll kick $3.6M out of the cap number. Net impact will be minimal.
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What does any of that have to do with 51 people are counted against the cap in the offseason, and 53 are counted during the season (actually more than 53 if we have someone put on injured reserve).
While the overall premise may be true, there are exceptions. You are not taking into account that rookie contracts are now guaranteed. If a rookie from this year supplants a rookie from last year, we are still paying both contracts. Given how guarantees come due early, you could actually go up in cap space cutting a younger player on the new 4 year guaranteed contracts. As we get 4 years into the new CBA, meaning all 1st through 4th year players are operating under guaranteed contracts, you could be kicking off a year three or four player, and still be paying both contracts.
Rookies may make less than everyone else, but that doesnt mean paying for 5 guaranteed contracts when you only have 2 of those players remaining on your team has saved you cap space. If any player that we drafted and signed last year is cut, we are still paying for him this year. So adding a 7th rounder and cutting Josh Leribues will actually cost us cap space, not save it.
One other thing, kicking out a vet for a rookie is not instant cap space saving if the vet still has plenty of guaranteed money on a multiple year contract. There are plenty of ways to cut someone for a rookie, yet it cost cap space and not save it.