Tag: NFL salary cap

Contract figures for P Ryan Allen, K Younghoe Koo

The Atlanta Falcons announced on Tuesday that they had given kicker Younghoe Koo and punter Ryan Allen one-year extensions.

Earlier this week, the Atlanta Falcons announced they had given kicker Younghoe Koo and punter Ryan Allen one-year contract extensions.

As reported by ESPN’s Vaughn McClure below, Koo’s deal is worth $660,000, while Allen’s is worth $945,000:

The Falcons now have a little over $4.3 million in cap space according to Over The Cap’s updated projecton, and can free up another $3.5 million if the team chooses to move on from running back Devonta Freeman.

Atlanta isn’t currently in position to re-sign either tight end Austin Hooper or linebacker De’Vondre Campbell without making a few cuts. Ideally, finding enough space to keep Hooper would be considered a success given the current cap constraints.

On the bright side, the team does hold the No. 16 pick, along with two second-round picks in the upcoming draft, so we’ll have to hold off judgement until the NFL’s long offseason is completely said and done. For now, the Falcons are looking towards the scouting combine, where they’ll get a first-hand look at over 300 college players.

Don’t forget to check out our 11 EDGE prospects for Atlanta to watch at the combine.

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Matthew Stafford’s contract: Making sense of the latest reports and conditions

Matthew Stafford’s contract: Making sense of the latest reports and conditions

Matthew Stafford’s contract and all the minutiae of the languages, bonuses and implications of the recent restructuring have led to some confusion and dispute about what the Lions quarterback is being paid and how it impacts the NFL salary cap. It all stems from the uncertainty about the restructure and how the Lions handled the movement of money from salary to bonus.

A recent report from Pro Football Talk casts some doubt upon the actual facts and figures involved in Stafford’s contract for 2020.

Here’s what Pro Football Talk reported over the weekend,

Per a league source with knowledge of the deal, the numbers posted by both contract-information websites ($8.3 million, $21.3 million, and $32 million, respectively) are not correct. Instead, the cash payout is $21.5 million, the cap number is $21.3 million, and the dead-cap money if Stafford were to be traded is $24.8 million.

One of the sites PFT cited, Over The Cap, offered a rebuttal on Monday. It’s a wordy piece that points some fingers, but it states what has been generally accepted across the landscape: Stafford’s contract reworking pushed a lot of the burden from 2020 back into the 2019 salary cap.

Stafford was to earn $21.5 million on his original contract in 2020 and have a $31.5 million cap charge. What the Lions did was guarantee a $6 million roster bonus that is paid early in 2020 (the 5th day of the league year) causing it to prorate starting in 2019. They then converted part of Stafford’s salary into an option bonus which the team does not have to exercise for quite some time (basically the start of the regular season) which prorates starting in 2020. This brought his cap number down to $21.3 million.

But it’s a little more complex than that, too. The part of Stafford’s 2020 contract converted to an option is $7.2 million of his $15 million base salary, per Justin Rogers of the Detroit News. But that money was already guaranteed for 2020 either way, so it doesn’t change any cap hit for the Lions.

It does change the calculus for any team acquiring Stafford in any (nearly impossible and hypothetical) trade, because it means the new team is obligated that additional $7.2 million on their own salary cap, not the Lions’ cap. It’s not “dead money” on the Lions cap any longer, unless they choose it to be by picking up the option before any (hypothetical and extremely unlikely) trade. And picking it up prior to any trade makes absolutely zero sense from a financial standpoint.

What that clarification changes for 2020 is the dead money Detroit would eat by trading Stafford. It drops to $24.8 million instead of $32 million, once again presuming the Lions would not pick up an option that costs them the $7.2 million and then trade Stafford. That appears to be the sticking point of the dispute between Pro Football Talk and Over The Cap.

It’s all almost certainly moot because the Lions are not trading Matthew Stafford.

How cutting Tony Jefferson affects Ravens salary cap

The Baltimore Ravens freed up a good chunk of money by cutting veteran safety Tony Jefferson.

The NFL can be a tough business sometimes. Though he was well respected by his teammates, coaches and the Baltimore Ravens’ front office, safety Tony Jefferson was cut this offseason. It ends Jefferson’s tenure after three years in Baltimore.

The writing was on the wall when Jefferson suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 5. With backup Chuck Clark performing well and ultimately earning a three-year contract extension this offseason, it was just a matter of when the Ravens would pull the trigger on Jefferson’s contract in order to save a little money on their 2020 salary cap.

But just how much does cutting Jefferson help Baltimore’s salary cap?

According to Over The Cap, Jefferson had an $11.66 million cap hit for the 2020 season — the final year of his four-year, $34 million contract. Cutting Jefferson freed up $7 million, meaning the team will carry $4.66 million in dead money for this season.

With Clark having a $3.42 million cap hit in 2020, Baltimore effectively saved a little more than $3.5 million by extending Clark and cutting Jefferson this offseason.

Though the formal 2020 NFL salary cap figures haven’t been released, the Ravens are now expected to have $31.4 million available to them.

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Darius Slay: Predicting his next contract, his future with the Lions and beyond

Darius Slay: Predicting his next contract, his future with the Detroit Lions and beyond

Don’t blame Darius Slay for believing he should be the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. And certainly don’t blame Slay for trying to get that in his next contract.

Don’t expect that type of contract offer to come from the Detroit Lions, either.

Slay is entering the final year of his 4-year, $48,150,000 contract extension he inked in July of 2016. His salary of just over $12 million a year currently ranks 14th among NFL cornerbacks.

The eye test will tell anyone that Slay is better than the 14th-best CB in the NFL over the last four years. That’s even true coming off a down season where he scored his lowest Pro Football Focus grades across the board since his rookie campaign back in 2013.

Slay has earned the “Big Play” nickname as one of the best playmaking and coverage corners in the NFL over the past few seasons. He’s a better player than Xavien Howard of the Dolphins, who is the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL at $15.05 million per year. He’s a more reliable player than Josh Norman of the Redskins, owner of the richest overall CB contract at $75 million. He’s certainly better than Trumaine Johnson, who makes $14.5 million a year and $72.5 million overall on a deal he signed in 2018.

But the Lions need to know better than to pay for what he’s done. That’s what the Redskins did in paying Norman, and they surely regret it. Heck, Washington benched Norman during their loss to the Lions this past season.

Slay’s next contract is only about what he will do during the life of that new contract, not the great play he’s provided for several seasons. That’s the reality of NFL economics. It’s a concept the Lions should know and have proven to practice in the past. See: Ndamukong Suh and Golden Tate. And the Lions were right on both fronts.

Is Slay worth $16 million a year (or more) after 2020, when he’ll be beyond 30 years old? It’s possible. I certainly don’t fault him for asking for that much. Slay, like all NFL players, is trying to maximize his earnings while he still can. If he doesn’t ask for it, he’ll never get it from the Lions or anyone else. Good for him for going after every last penny he can get.

But Slay needs to understand the Lions aren’t going to be the team that gives it to him. Nor should they, even though he’s been the team’s best defensive player for the last half of a decade and across multiple schemes and different coaches. The odds are extremely slim that Slay is going to get better at his age, and the Lions cannot afford to risk that kind of cap room and cash betting on 23 in a one-spin roulette wheel.

If it means trading him to get back some appreciable return, so be it. The return has to be higher, no, much higher than the compensatory pick — if those will even still exist under any new collective bargaining agreement — the Lions would get for letting Slay walk after the season and signing a huge deal elsewhere.

Just as Slay is right for asking for the most return he can get, the Lions would need to do the same. A first-round pick in 2020 must be the minimum price tag right now. My belief is that a motivated Slay playing for his last big payday is worth more in one year than a 3rd-round compensatory pick would ever deliver over the life of what the 98th player drafted in 2022 would contribute. I believe the Lions will feel the same, but that’s just my guess.

My prediction: the Lions shop Slay but don’t get the desired asking price. Slay plays the entire 2020 season in Detroit and does so without being a distraction. I strongly suspect he’ll get back to the All-Pro caliber player he was in 2017-2018, and then cash in with a lucrative contract (best guess: 2 years, $30.8 million fully guaranteed with a team option) somewhere else as a free agent in the winter of 2021. I’ll wish him well and still root for Slay, too.

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NFL’s salary cap expected to make sizable jump in 2020, which is good news for Bucs

The NFL announced the expected salary cap for 2020 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look like they’ll have money to spend.

Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the NFL informed teams on Tuesday that the league projects the 2020 salary cap to fall in the range of $196.8 million to $201.2 million, which would mark a 40 percent increase from five years ago when the cap was $143.3 million.

That’s great news for the Buccaneers, who according to Over the Cap are projected to have over $90 million in cap space. With linebacker Shaq Barrett slated to become a free agent, and quarterback Jameis Winston playing on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, Tampa Bay will have money to spend, but will need to be wise about their investments.

Working out a multi-year deal with Barrett seems like the best course of action for the team, while giving Winston a short term deal (possibly even the franchise tag) would be the best approach for a quarterback who has yet to lead the Bucs to the postseason in any of his five seasons.

Tampa Bay was officially eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday when the Detroit Lions lost to the Minnesota Vikings. The Bucs haven’t made the postseason since 2007, and haven’t won a playoff game since their victory in Super Bowl XXXVII.

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NFL sets projected salary cap for 2020, giving Chargers extra spending money

The Chargers are projected to have between $55.6 and $60 million in available cap space next year.

The Los Angeles Chargers, as well as the other 31 teams in the league, will have some extra spending money thanks to an increase in the expected salary cap for next season.

According the NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, the league has informed every team that the salary cap is projected to be between $196.8 million and $201.2 million.

That’s an increase from the current cap of $188.2 million, which means it will rise by $8-13 million next year.

The Chargers were expected to have a little over $58 million in cap space before the increase and with the news from the NFL, Los Angeles could start the offseason with about $55.6 million-$60 million in available cap space, per Over The Cap.

The Bolts will have quite a bit more spending money than previous years, but they also have a handful of notable soon-to-be unrestricted free agents they will decide on, as well as extending players like defensive end Joey Bosa.

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NFL salary cap for 2020 expected to be near $200 million range

The salary cap is expected to rise again for the NFL, but the Jags still have a lot of decisions to make to free up more space.

The Jacksonville Jaguars may stink now and could be rebuilding next year, but at least the salary cap will be increasing in 2020. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the league has informed all 32 teams that the salary cap is projected to be in the range of $196.8 million to $201.2 million next season.

The increase would mark a rise of $8-13 million, as the cap for 2019 was set at $188.2 million. It also marks a 40% increase from the 2015 season when the cap was set at $143.3 million.

As of now, Over the Cap is projecting the Jags to have just over $1.5 million available in cap space with the cap projected at $200 million, which would give them the third-least amount of cap space in the NFL next season. The only teams that are projected to have less will be over the cap in the Atlanta Falcons (by just under $1 million) and the Minnesota Vikings (by just over $1.5 million). However, when adding in the new figures mentioned by Rapoport, the Jags could have anywhere from roughly $2.7 million available, or they could be over the cap (a.k.a. in the negative) by roughly $1.7 million.

Most predict the Jags to clean house and have a new front office, and if so, that’s not a lot of money for the next regime to work with. Of course, much of that is due to how the current regime has recklessly spent in free-agency. They will be dealing with a cap number of slightly under $22 million from quarterback Nick Foles, who isn’t even starting at the moment.

Luckily, there are several other veterans they can move on from (or restructure their deals) like Brandon Linder, Marcell Dareus, Calais Campbell and A.J. Bouye, which would help their salary cap tremendously.

The biggest name the Jags have to focus on re-signing is defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. In guessing, he will probably be looking for a deal like that of DeMarcus Lawrence, which is a five-year deal that guarantees $65 million. They also have the option to franchise him, too. Based off last year’s tag figures, that would cost upwards of $17 million.

2020 NFL salary cap: Ravens projected to have over $48 million in cap space

The Baltimore Ravens were already set to have a good deal of cap space in 2020 but with another large projected increase, it could be more

The NFL is set to see yet another massive increase in the salary cap for next season. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the NFL’s 2020 salary cap is projected to be between $196.8 million and $201.2 million. That would be an increase of at least $8.6 million up to $13 million from the 2019 salary cap.

While projections are far from the final number, it gives the Baltimore Ravens and the rest of the league a good foundation of where to base their offseason strategies.

After transforming their roster over the last few seasons to get younger and cheaper, Baltimore will enter the offseason with a good deal of cap space at this rate. If the upper projection holds true, the Ravens will have an estimated $52.7 million in 2020 salary cap space, according to Over The Cap.

This is a huge positive for general manager Eric DeCosta, who has done great work this season with far less available funds. In spite of entering the season with an estimated $13.3 million in cap space, DeCosta has been able to extend several players (Marshal Yanda, Justin Tucker, Willie Snead and others), sign impact free agents during the season and pull off a trade for cornerback Marcus Peters. The Ravens are doing so well, largely thanks to the work DeCosta has done to bolster the roster without breaking the bank.

However, Baltimore has a handful of key free agents they’ll be attempting to re-sign this offseason. Outside linebacker Matthew Judon, center Matt Skura and Peters will likely all command near top dollar for their respective positions, which will eat into some of the Ravens salary cap space. But with the magic DeCosta has pulled off on a budget, it’ll be interesting to see what he can make work with a fuller wallet.

NFL provides expected projections for 2020 cap: Eagles will have money to spend in free agency

NFL provides expected projections for 2020 cap: Eagles will have money to spend in free agency

The Philadelphia Eagles have some glaring holes in their roster and thanks to an increase in the expected salary cap for next season, Howie Roseman should have room to maneuver.

Ian Rapoport just reported that the 2020 NFL Salary Cap is projected to increase somewhere between the range of $196.8 million to $201.2 million.

The Eagles were expected to have about $40 million in cap space before the increase and with the news from the NFL, Philadelphia could start the offseason with about $48m-$55m in available cap space per Over The Cap.
Salaries continue to rise across the NFL at key positions, and the Eagles have made three of their players among the highest-paid at their positions.

The Eagles made guard Brandon Brooks and tackle Lane Johnson the highest-paid at their respective positions with contract extensions agreed to during this season, and Carson Wentz got the most guaranteed in NFL history also.

The Eagles could look to extend Malcolm Jenkins or take cap space into next season when quarterback Carson Wentz’s cap number goes from $8.4 million to more than $18.6 million under the terms of his four-year, $128 million extension he signed.

NFL sets projected salary cap for 2020, giving Rams extra spending money

The Rams are projected to have between $22.8 and $27.2 million in cap space next year.

The Los Angeles Rams (and the other 31 teams) will have some extra spending money next year thanks to the ever-rising salary cap. According to Ian Rapoport, the NFL has informed every team that the salary cap is projected to be between $196.8 million and $201.2 million.

That’s a rise from the current cap of $188.2 million, meaning it will increase by $8-13 million next year. As Rapoport points out, the cap has risen by 40% since 2015 when it was just $143.3 million.

Over The Cap projects the Rams to have $26 million in cap space next year, which is the ninth-fewest in the NFL. That’s with the cap projected at $200 million, so based on the new information released by the league, the Rams will have between $22.8 million and $27.2 million in cap space next year.

Obviously, that’s not much in comparison to the Colts, who are projected to have more than $105 million in cap space. The Dolphins are also expected to have over $100 million to spend next year. The Rams have players they need to pay, too, led by Cory Littleton.

He’ll be a free agent in 2020, and after seeing the contract Carolina gave Shaq Thompson – four years, $54 million – it’s reasonable to think Littleton’s deal will surpass that. Then there’s Jalen Ramsey, who’s undoubtedly seeking a contract extension, as well as Dante Fowler Jr., who will hit free agency after this season.

The Rams don’t have much money to work with, but with the cap rising and money rolling over after trading away Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, the team has some added flexibility.

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