Tag: salary cap

Report: Saints ‘monitoring’ Davante Adams trade situation

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports the New Orleans Saints are ‘monitoring’ the trade buzz surrounding Davante Adams:

Here’s the latest scoop on the Davante Adams front, courtesy of ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Trade rumors still surround the Las Vegas Raiders as they consider their options with the star wide receiver, who is currently dealing with a minor (and convenient) hamstring injury. And the New Orleans Saints have been linked to him.

While the widespread expectation is for Aaron Rodgers to push the New York Jets into pursuing Adams, Fowler reports that it’s no sure thing he’ll end up joining them. Other teams are in the mix, and, “I’m told the Saints are monitoring. You have the Derek Carr connection there.”

Fowler adds that the key issue will be Adams’ salary, and how much of it the Raiders are willing to pay to facilitate a trade. Teams running tight against the salary cap like the Saints are going to need that help, and it could spur  them into offering a sweeter deal than the Jets.

Let’s say the Jets offer a third-round pick while asking the Raiders to pay $5 million of Adams’ remaining salary. What if the Saints pony up a second rounder in exchange for Las Vegas covering $8 million? That’s what this could come down to, and it all hinges on how much urgency the Raiders feel to get Adams out of the building. But this is just speculation. The trade deadline is a month away on Nov. 5 and there’s plenty of time for this situation to develop further.

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Alvin Kamara is doing his part to earn a new contract with the Saints

Alvin Kamara is doing his part to earn a new contract with the Saints by playing at a high level — while injured. But will his efforts be rewarded?

Alvin Kamara is doing his part to earn a new contract with the New Orleans Saints by playing at a high level — while injured with a couple of broken ribs. But will his efforts be rewarded with a new deal?

They should be, but it’s tough to say if that’s how this story ends. Kamara has done everything the right way throughout this process. He didn’t hold out at training camp or demand a trade to a team willing to pay him what he wants. He’s worked hard and been a good mentor to his younger teammates. His bargained in good faith and made it clear what he wants and why he wants it. And his stats speak for themselves. After four weeks, Kamara leads the league in yards from scrimmage (536), and he’s tied for the most touchdowns scored (6).

It’s just too soon to say whether he’ll get what he’s seeking. Kamara didn’t want these contract talks to become a distraction during the season, so he chose to table them until the spring. And things could look radically different at that time. No running back has stepped up to take touches from him through the first four games. He’s looked exactly as dynamic in Klint Kubiak’s offense as everyone hoped. There’s a very strong likelihood that Kamara will own the team’s rushing yards title by the time he sits back down at the negotiating table.

And that might make it more difficult for the Saints to draw up a fair contract offer. If Mickey Loomis is determined to stand on what he’s already offered, even after a successful season for Kamara, he could make the call to cut Kamara and move on with a younger running back (like Boise State’s Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty). But you hope it doesn’t come to that.

Hope is really what it’s all about. Kamara is hoping his efforts result in a new deal too keep him in New Orleans until he’s finished playing football. Loomis and the Saints are hoping an extension won’t wreck their already-stressed salary cap. Kamara’s strong September has created a lot of hope in Saints fans that he’ll be able to keep it up. We’ll just have to wait and see whether that hope was warranted.

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If Saints are serious about getting more firepower, trade for Davante Adams

Trade rumors are swirling around Davante Adams. He wouldn’t be easy to acquire, but if the Saints are serious, they should make a run at reuniting him with Derek Carr:

Dennis Allen has already publicly challenged his backups to do more to fire up the New Orleans Saints offense. But if he’s serious about wanting more firepower, it would be worth looking into all of these trade rumors surrounding Las Vegas Raiders star wideout Davante Adams. His history with Derek Carr on the Raiders and in college at Fresno state speaks for itself.

On Tuesday, Vinny Bonsignore reported for the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the Raiders “are growing open to the idea of trading Davante Adams. The source said the club has begun reaching out to teams to gauge interest in the veteran wide receiver.”

This followed comments from Adams himself, speaking with Kay Adams’ “Up and Adams” show, where his response to trade speculation was that he was focusing on the things within his control. He added that he hadn’t heard a word about his future with the Raiders from head coach Antonio Pierce, who had fueled speculation about a potential trade on social media.

But what could it cost? Before we even look at the trade compensation we’ve got to tackle the salary cap perspective. Any team trading for Adams right now would have to come up with $13.5 million for his remaining salary in 2024. If they wait until the Nov. 5 trade deadline, the acquiring team only pays $8.6 million. That’s after the Saints would play their next five games. Could they wait that long?

They might not have a choice. New Orleans is under the salary cap by just $2.7 million right now, so unless a player is going back their options are really limited. Trading more-valuable draft picks to Las Vegas could get the Raiders to pay part of Adams’ salary would be an option. Their easiest lever to pull would be restructuring Alvin Kamara’s contract, saving up to $8.1 million, but he’s tabled contract extension talks until the spring, so you have to wonder how willing the Saints would be to go that route.

Let’s say they get that done. As for the trade compensation? It would probably have to be at least a future first-round pick, and the Saints have gotten burned by trading those recently (just look at the disastrous Trevor Penning trade in 2022). Adams ranks third in career touchdowns scored (96) among active players. He’s built a career that’s given him a shot at the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday.

Getting him won’t be easy, but it might save the Saints’ season. Adams would give them a physical presence at wide receiver they currently lack. Neither Chris Olave nor Rashid Shaheed, talented as they are, play above the rim and fight for contested catches as effectively as Adams does. He’s a rare tone-setter at the position, and the Saints know him well. Beyond Carr he’s got his former college receivers coach Keith Williams on staff in New Orleans. There could be both interest from the Saints and appeal to Adams here. Stay tuned.

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Broncos added void years to Courtland Sutton’s restructured contract

The Broncos added three void years to Courtland Sutton’s contract. He will have a $7.125 million cap hit in 2026 even if he’s off the team.

Just before the 2024 NFL season started on Sept. 4, the Denver Broncos restructured wide receiver Courtland Sutton’s contract to get under the salary cap. By converting $11.875 million of Sutton’s $13 million salary into a bonus, Denver created $9.5 million in 2024 cap space.

Sutton has two years left on his contract — 2024 and 2025 — and the Broncos added on three void years to push his cap hits down the road. Sutton is now scheduled to have a $7.125 million cap hit in 2026 when his contract expires, according to OverTheCap.com.

Sutton will also have void years in 2027 and 2028, but they will not impact the team’s salary cap space. There’s no downside to the void years for Sutton — he’ll be paid the same amount regardless. The upside for Denver is instant cap relief, but the team will have to eat some of his cap hit in 2026 even if Sutton is no longer on the team.

Elsewhere on the contract front, fullback Michael Burton received a one-year, $1.21 million contract when he was promoted to the 53-man roster last week. Thanks to the NFL’s Veteran Salary Benefit rule, Burton’s cap hit this season will be $930,278.

The Broncos have about $6.85 million in remaining salary cap space.

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Report: Alvin Kamara, Saints did not reach a new deal before Week 1 deadline

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Saints didn’t make enough progress on a new deal with Alvin Kamara before Week 1’s deadline:

Alvin Kamara’s contract talks with the New Orleans Saints were a major storyline this summer, but the two sides didn’t make enough progress on a new deal before their Week 1 deadline. Now those conversations are expected to be shelved until 2025, avoiding a distraction during the regular season.

Here’s the latest on Kamara from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler:

I’m told the Saints and running back Alvin Kamara will not be reaching a new contract by Week 1. Kamara missed a minicamp day in June because of lack of progress on a new deal. He has two years left on a deal that pays him $11.8 million in 2024 cash and $25 million in 2025, the latter of which is not tenable for either side. So this could be a situation where Kamara plays the season out, then both sides make a decision on the future. Kamara is set to put up big numbers in Klint Kubiak’s offense, an iteration of the San Francisco system that catapulted Christian McCaffrey into a new stratosphere.

This lines up with what Kamara said last week — he wanted this to be settled, one way or another, before Sept. 8’s kickoff game with the Carolina Panther. That didn’t come to pass. So we’ll have to wait until next spring to learn whether or not Kamara will finish his playing career with the black and gold.

It’s disappointing that things reached this point, but it isn’t surprising. Kamara is a salary cap cuts candidate next year because his $25 million is non-guaranteed. If he doesn’t perform as well as hoped in Kubiak’s system, the Saints can choose to let him go. That’s why he initiated talks to try and negotiate a new deal with enough guarantees to avoid being cut next offseason.

Finding a number that makes sense for both sides is difficult. Kamara hasn’t played well enough in recent years to demand top dollar like McCaffrey, and other older running backs (like Derrick Henry) have had to settle for much less on the open market. At the same time, other star talents he likely feels he compares to are still getting paid (like Saquon Barkley), and clearly he and the Saints failed to meet in the middle.

This now becomes one of the big-ticket items for the Saints to cross off their 2025 offseason to-do list, but we’ll just have to wait and see how they go about it. If this is Kamara’s last run, be sure to enjoy it.

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Broncos salary cap update after Pat Surtain extension

After giving Pat Surtain an extension and restructuring Courtland Sutton’s contract, the Broncos have about $6.7M in remaining cap space.

After giving a massive contract extension to cornerback Pat Surtain earlier this week, the Denver Broncos have $6,760,584 in remaining salary cap space, according to an estimate from OverTheCap.com. Spotrac.com lists a slighter higher number ($7,551,316), but the websites are in a similar ballpark.

The Broncos would have been over the cap going into the season if they did not restructure wide receiver Courtland Sutton’s contract on Wednesday. Denver converted most of Sutton’s salary into a bonus, saving $9.5 million in 2024 cap space (the team was a few million over the cap before that).

With somewhere between $6.7 million and $7.5 million in cap space, the Broncos now have room for potential in-season signings. If players go on injured reserve, they also count against the cap, so Denver needed to have a cushion going into the season.

The Broncos rank 20th in the NFL in available cap space, third in the AFC West behind the Los Angeles Chargers ($9 million) and Las Vegas Raiders ($28.7 million). The Kansas City Chiefs are last in the division with $5.4 million in remaining cap space.

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Broncos revise Courtland Sutton’s contract to save salary cap space

The Broncos have converted most of Courtland Sutton’s salary into a bonus to create $9.5 million in salary cap space this season.

On the eve of the NFL’s season opener, OverTheCap.com projected that the Denver Broncos had about $200,000 in remaining salary cap space. With in-season signings and potential injured reserve additions on deck this fall, the Broncos needed more breathing room going into the season.

So the team restructured wide receiver Courtland Sutton’s contract to create an additional $9.5 million in salary cap space, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. Denver took $11.875 million of Sutton’s $13 million salary and converted into into a bonus, according to KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

There’s no downside for Sutton because he’ll still get paid the same total amount, and now most of it has been paid upfront. The upside for the Broncos is that they can spread the bonus over more than one year for cap flexibility. The cash has already been paid, but the cap hit is being kicked down the road.

Denver is now presumably cap compliant going into the 2024 season.

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Saints restructure Juwan Johnson’s contract to open up some cap space

The Saints restructured Juwan Johnson’s contract to open up some cap space before the regular season starts:

https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1831452392011002098

The NFL regular season is upon us, and some teams are completing last-minute moves to cut new deals and work around the salary cap — including the New Orleans Saints. ESPN’s Field Yates reports that the Saints restructured their contract with tight end Juwan Johnson to free up $3.5 million in salary cap space.

Remember, this isn’t a raise or a pay cut. Johnson is just getting money he was already owed paid out in a different way. For the Saints, the goal was to save $3.5 million against the salary cap. The consequence? If Johnson does not sign an extension next year and leave in free agency, it’ll leave behind about $6 million in dead money. That’s nothing compared to the hefty cap hits left behind for departed free agents like Andrus Peat ($13.6 million), Michael Thomas ($11.1 million), David Onyemata ($10.1 million) and Marcus Davenport ($7.6 million), but it’s still something you’d like to avoid.

Hopefully Johnson performs well in Klint Kubiak’s offense and earns a new deal. Getting him under contract for the foreseeable future as a playmaking tight end and reliable weapon for Derek Carr (or whoever is under center in New Orleans by 2025) would be nice. But those are questions to be answered tomorrow. For today, the Saints are happy to have a little more financial flexibility, while Johnson is happy to have a little more financial security.

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Broncos have 2 best players signed for duration of Bo Nix’s rookie contract

After Pat Surtain and Quinn Meinerz extensions, the Broncos now have their two best players signed for the duration of Bo Nix’s rookie deal.

The Denver Broncos made a splash on Wednesday by giving star cornerback Pat Surtain a four-year, $96 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history. Surtain still had two years left on his existing deal, so he is now signed through the 2029 season.

Denver also gave a four-year, $80 million extension to offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz this summer, making him the third-highest-paid guard in the league. Meinerz had one year left on his old deal, so he is now signed through the 2028 season.

In a three-month span, the Broncos secured their two best players on deals that will keep them under contract together for the next five years. Coincidentally — or perhaps intentionally — that is also how long rookie quarterback Bo Nix is under contract in Denver.

As a first-round draft pick, Nix received a four-year, $18.6 million deal that includes a fifth-year option for the 2028 season.

So the Broncos will have their two best players under contract for the duration of Nix’s team-friendly rookie deal. Denver now has a window to make some noise early in Nix’s career. Let’s see if they can take advantage of it.

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Broncos are right up against salary cap going into 2024 season

With the active roster and practice squad now set, the Broncos have just under half a million in cap space going into the 2024 season.

After setting their 53-man roster and 17-player practice squad, the Denver Broncos are right up against the salary cap going into the 2024 NFL season.

The Broncos have $485,584 in remaining salary cap space, according to an estimate from OverTheCap.com. A competing website, Spotrac.com, lists Denver’s cap space at $1,119,316. Either way, the team doesn’t have much wiggle room going into the season.

That cap space accounts for the team’s active roster, practice squad, injured reserve and dead money salary cap hits this fall. The team’s biggest dead money cap hit, of course, is former quarterback Russell Wilson. The Broncos took on the largest dead money hit in NFL history — $53 million — when they released Wilson in March.

Denver now has the sixth-least cap room in the NFL, only above the Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens and Carolina Panthers. Things will get better for the Broncos in 2025 when they are projected to have more than $43 million in cap space, but things will be tight this fall.

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