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Denver Native (Carol)
03-03-2016, 06:38 PM
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Another factor in the next move for Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos is that the Broncos currently are over the salary cap with just six days to correct that before free agency opens Wednesday.

When the new league year opens at 4 p.m. ET March 9, teams must be able to fit their top 51 salary cap figures under the $155.27 million salary cap. And after they placed the exclusive-rights franchise tag on linebacker Von Miller, which is expected to bring a salary cap charge of between $14 million and $15 million, the Broncos are about $2 million over the cap.

The charge for an exclusive-rights tag is determined using salary figures at the player’s position for 2016, so the Broncos won’t know the exact charge for Miller’s tag for a few weeks. But by league rules, the Broncos have to fit their top 51 salary cap charges under the cap by the start of new league year, and their current position includes just over $3 million worth of cap room they can roll over from 2015. So it's clear they have work to do beyond Manning's status.

much more - http://espn.go.com/blog/denver-broncos/post/_/id/19213/broncos-over-the-salary-cap-with-free-agency-looming

Davii
03-03-2016, 07:05 PM
much more - http://espn.go.com/blog/denver-broncos/post/_/id/19213/broncos-over-the-salary-cap-with-free-agency-looming

If we're only 2 million over and releasing Manning frees up 19 million then we will be ok with just releasing Manning. That would keep us under by the deadline and we'll just have to stay under while working other contracts.

Joel
03-03-2016, 09:10 PM
If we're only 2 million over and releasing Manning frees up 19 million then we will be ok with just releasing Manning. That would keep us under by the deadline and we'll just have to stay under while working other contracts.
Sure: As long as we can 1) re-sign Oz for $12-15M, 2) re-sign Von to something other than a franchise offer, 3) sign CJ and Marshall to a tender between $5-6M, 4) sign or re-sign the rest of our FAs and 5) sign all our draft picks for <$17M (which is how much we gain by cutting Manning.)

Anyone think we can do all that for the difference between Mannings 2016 salary and the $2M in dead money we get by releasing him?

Where are all those people who kept assuring the rest of us we had just TONS of cap space to re-sign Miller, Oz AND Jackson PLUS everyone else? Reality: Unless we can cut Manning two or three times, Elway has some hard choices to make; the good news is Malik Jackson's making one of them much easier.

MOtorboat
03-03-2016, 09:29 PM
Sure: As long as we can 1) re-sign Oz for $12-15M, 2) re-sign Von to something other than a franchise offer, 3) sign CJ and Marshall to a tender between $5-6M, 4) sign or re-sign the rest of our FAs and 5) sign all our draft picks for <$17M (which is how much we gain by cutting Manning.)

Anyone think we can do all that for the difference between Mannings 2016 salary and the $2M in dead money we get by releasing him?

Where are all those people who kept assuring the rest of us we had just TONS of cap space to re-sign Miller, Oz AND Jackson PLUS everyone else? Reality: Unless we can cut Manning two or three times, Elway has some hard choices to make; the good news is Malik Jackson's making one of them much easier.

Did your head explode when you read that headline?

Joel
03-03-2016, 09:55 PM
Did your head explode when you read that headline?
No, it didn't exactly stun ME. It may have burst a few other peoples' bubbles (or not,) but maybe now we can stop confidently explaining how we can hand out 8-figure salaries like Halloween candy, and start being realistic.

Davii
03-03-2016, 10:55 PM
No, it didn't exactly stun ME. It may have burst a few other peoples' bubbles (or not,) but maybe now we can stop confidently explaining how we can hand out 8-figure salaries like Halloween candy, and start being realistic.

John hasn't needed your help yet. Every team deals with this and we'll be fine. I bet we even win more than 8 games this year.

Joel
03-03-2016, 11:10 PM
John hasn't needed your help yet. Every team deals with this and we'll be fine. I bet we even win more than 8 games this year.
No doubt, but Elway's not the one so sure we can just hand Jackson his $15M/yr, Oz his $15M/yr, Von his $20M/yr, spend another $5-6M tendering CJ and Marshall, re-sign all other FAs we want, sign all our draft picks AND go into 2017 with plenty of cap room to re-sign-replace 30 other players. Probably because his view of the ledger sheet's firsthand and not orange-tinted.

NightTerror218
03-03-2016, 11:43 PM
No doubt, but Elway's not the one so sure we can just hand Jackson his $15M/yr, Oz his $15M/yr, Von his $20M/yr, spend another $5-6M tendering CJ and Marshall, re-sign all other FAs we want, sign all our draft picks AND go into 2017 with plenty of cap room to re-sign-replace 30 other players. Probably because his view of the ledger sheet's firsthand and not orange-tinted.

Over exaggerating again..... but big list

Roster players who will be FA after 2017 are

Miller, ware, vazquez, sanders, webster, stewart, Colquitt, walker, barrett, Williams and juwan Thompson.

The rest are PS or back up to back ups.

Krugan
03-03-2016, 11:52 PM
This isnt a shocker at all.

It is a big part of the game that i utterly dislike, as your team of choice has a very hard time keeping players their entire careers.

It just sucks that the turnover from year to year is as it is. I would love to be able to buy a players jersey and not have to worry about it becoming obsolete in a matter of just a year or two.

My only solution is to stop buying named items(yes i realize this is really irrelevant to where our team is at this point, but never miss a chance to soap box).

A for our situation, its not pretty, but this is the life of building a team that has been this strong for the last few years, its damn hard to sustain this talent level for more than a short window. Its why drafting each year is so very important, misses need to be few and far between.

Joel
03-04-2016, 01:26 AM
Over exaggerating again..... but big list

Roster players who will be FA after 2017 are

Miller, ware, vazquez, sanders, webster, stewart, Colquitt, walker, barrett, Williams and juwan Thompson.

The rest are PS or back up to back ups.
Plus Marshall, CJ, McManus, Paradis, Fowler and Todd Davis: Tendering them now doesn't do squat to keep them on the roster beyond this year, so unless they play so badly we don't WANT them in 2017, we must re-sign or replace them then. Players who AREN'T under contract past this outnumber (by 50%) those who ARE.

It's far from an insoluble problem, especially if we can extend many of them NOW and spread the cap hit over several seasons: But that and the cost of this years tenders, UFAs and draft picks are why I'd gladly help Jackson pack rather than watch Elway pay him $10M+ to stay. This notion we can give Jackson, Oz and Von whatever they like by delaying the cap hit till 2017, when it's "more affordable" is a fantasy that ignores how the cap and rosters work.

Releasing Manning gains almost $20M in cap room: NOTHING like THAT'S on the table in 2017 (though $10M for releasing a 31-year-old speed position player may be.)

Al Wilson 4 Mayor
03-04-2016, 11:06 PM
Plus Marshall, CJ, McManus, Paradis, Fowler and Todd Davis: Tendering them now doesn't do squat to keep them on the roster beyond this year, so unless they play so badly we don't WANT them in 2017, we must re-sign or replace them then. Players who AREN'T under contract past this outnumber (by 50%) those who ARE.

It's far from an insoluble problem, especially if we can extend many of them NOW and spread the cap hit over several seasons: But that and the cost of this years tenders, UFAs and draft picks are why I'd gladly help Jackson pack rather than watch Elway pay him $10M+ to stay. This notion we can give Jackson, Oz and Von whatever they like by delaying the cap hit till 2017, when it's "more affordable" is a fantasy that ignores how the cap and rosters work.

Releasing Manning gains almost $20M in cap room: NOTHING like THAT'S on the table in 2017 (though $10M for releasing a 31-year-old speed position player may be.)

Uh, who's the 31 year old you speak of?

NightTerror218
03-04-2016, 11:12 PM
Plus Marshall, CJ, McManus, Paradis, Fowler and Todd Davis: Tendering them now doesn't do squat to keep them on the roster beyond this year, so unless they play so badly we don't WANT them in 2017, we must re-sign or replace them then. Players who AREN'T under contract past this outnumber (by 50%) those who ARE.

It's far from an insoluble problem, especially if we can extend many of them NOW and spread the cap hit over several seasons: But that and the cost of this years tenders, UFAs and draft picks are why I'd gladly help Jackson pack rather than watch Elway pay him $10M+ to stay. This notion we can give Jackson, Oz and Von whatever they like by delaying the cap hit till 2017, when it's "more affordable" is a fantasy that ignores how the cap and rosters work.

Releasing Manning gains almost $20M in cap room: NOTHING like THAT'S on the table in 2017 (though $10M for releasing a 31-year-old speed position player may be.)

Look at the names I liked those are all big number salary players. It adds up to a lot of you put Manning in there since he is still under contract it's like $60M cap space.

This is why it's critical to hit on draft picks so they can be cheap starters.

Cugel
03-06-2016, 12:50 PM
Sure: As long as we can 1) re-sign Oz for $12-15M, 2) re-sign Von to something other than a franchise offer, 3) sign CJ and Marshall to a tender between $5-6M, 4) sign or re-sign the rest of our FAs and 5) sign all our draft picks for <$17M (which is how much we gain by cutting Manning.)

Anyone think we can do all that for the difference between Mannings 2016 salary and the $2M in dead money we get by releasing him?

Where are all those people who kept assuring the rest of us we had just TONS of cap space to re-sign Miller, Oz AND Jackson PLUS everyone else? Reality: Unless we can cut Manning two or three times, Elway has some hard choices to make; the good news is Malik Jackson's making one of them much easier.

First, the Broncos have to get under the cap by March 9 (league year starts). Then they have to get the Von Miller contract done. That will definitely have a much lower cap hit than $14.4 M. I showed previously how the Chiefs did it with Justin Houston's contract - his cap hit was less than $10 M in 2015 and Von's will be something similar. That will give them another $4M.

But, that's not going to be enough to give Malik Jackson $14M a year or something. And they still have to figure in raises for some other players like Matt Paradis, Brandon Marshall, and others who are restricted FAs. Ryan Clady will have to be re-negotiated soon. That might provide another $5M, but that's still not going to be enough. Elway must have crunched the numbers before offering Malik $11M a year. But that was probably based on some optimistic thinking that he was going to re-sign Osweiler for $12 M a year, when it's now more likely to be $15M a year.

Looks like both Malik and Danny Trevathan are gone. And you're right that Malik is making Elway's job easy by pricing himself into that $14-$15M a year range. They can use the money on Brock then.

I think at this point they pretty much have to let Malik walk and keep the $11 M they were considering paying him for other players.

MOtorboat
03-06-2016, 01:36 PM
Von Miller's contract isn't going to get done anytime soon.

Al Wilson 4 Mayor
03-06-2016, 03:04 PM
Von Miller's contract isn't going to get done anytime soon.

I would think so. Are you guedstimating?

We should be in better can shape now that Manning is retiring.

MOtorboat
03-06-2016, 03:22 PM
I would think so. Are you guedstimating?

We should be in better can shape now that Manning is retiring.

Why?

Last year it took every player on a franchise tag at least until June to sign a long term deal and it was the last day possible for several, including Thomas. Since Miller is under contract, he then becomes the lowest priority for a new deal and his agent will wait until there's more leverage to sign a long term deal.

Al Wilson 4 Mayor
03-06-2016, 03:23 PM
Why?

Last year it took every player on a franchise tag at least until June to sign a long term deal and it was the last day possible for several, including Thomas. Since Miller is under contract, he then becomes the lowest priority for a new deal and his agent will wait until there's more leverage to sign a long term deal.

I'm not sure we're on the same page.

MOtorboat
03-06-2016, 03:24 PM
I'm not sure we're on the same page.

About what?

Al Wilson 4 Mayor
03-06-2016, 04:09 PM
About what?

Exactly. :)

I was just agreeing with you.

Ravage!!!
03-06-2016, 05:51 PM
Exactly. :)

I was just agreeing with you.

wutchoo talkin' 'bout willis?

NightTerror218
03-06-2016, 05:51 PM
Why?

Last year it took every player on a franchise tag at least until June to sign a long term deal and it was the last day possible for several, including Thomas. Since Miller is under contract, he then becomes the lowest priority for a new deal and his agent will wait until there's more leverage to sign a long term deal.

However if Elway is able to do Miller's contract soon since they were close he may be able to lower Miller's 2016 cap hit.

MOtorboat
03-06-2016, 06:10 PM
However if Elway is able to do Miller's contract soon since they were close he may be able to lower Miller's 2016 cap hit.

I forget the deadline, something like June 1, to make his 2016 salary count for his 2016 cap hit instead of the franchise tag. Still not much incentive to get it done before or during free agency. And not much incentive for the agent and player to agree to anything.

I will be shocked if Miller signs a long term deal within the next two, and maybe three, months.

Joel
03-06-2016, 06:47 PM
Lowering Vons 2016 cap hit is much like the E/RFA tenders: None of those things SOLVE any problem, only DELAY it a single year. If people think we have a ton of FAs to re-sign now, just wait till next year: Our players who AREN'T under contract next year (greatly) outnumber those who ARE.

MOtorboat
03-06-2016, 06:51 PM
Lowering Vons 2016 cap hit is much like the E/RFA tenders: None of those things SOLVE any problem, only DELAY it a single year. If people think we have a ton of FAs to re-sign now, just wait till next year: Our players who AREN'T under contract next year (greatly) outnumber those who ARE.

Denver will let most of those free agents go.

Joel
03-06-2016, 07:26 PM
Denver will let most of those free agents go.
Either way, we'll have 30 spots to fill: We get 7 this draft, about that in the next and 16 more by PAYING them. Unless we plan on more SB runs with nothing but warm bodies for depth, that pay will be well above rookie minimum, too. Meanwhile, the full list:

PLAYER (75)
POS.
AGE
EXP.
AVG. SALARY
GUARANTEED
EXPIRES


DeMarcus Ware (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/2457/)
OLB
33
11
$10,000,000
$20,000,000
2017


Louis Vasquez (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/8251/)
G
28
7
$5,875,000
$10,000,000
2017


Emmanuel Sanders (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/6590/)
WR
28
6
$5,000,000
$6,000,000
2017


Britton Colquitt (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/7608/)
P
30
7
$3,892,333
$4,250,000
2017


Sylvester Williams (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/12308/)
DT
27
3
$1,895,438
$6,142,875
2017


Darian Stewart (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/8306/)
FS
27
6
$2,125,000
$2,250,000
2017


Vance Walker (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/5465/)
DE
28
7
$2,000,000
$1,500,000
2017


Kayvon Webster (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/12371/)
CB
25
3
$686,450
$539,800
2017


Shaquil Barrett (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/14689/)
OLB
23
2
$511,167
$3,500
2017


Juwan Thompson (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/14869/)
RB
23
2
$511,167
$3,500
2017


Kenny Anunike (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/14858/)
DE
25
2
$510,833
$2,500
2017


James Ferentz (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/15781/)
C
26
2
$480,000
-
2017


Robert Myers (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/16902/)
G
24

$480,000
-
2017


Richard Gordon (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/7900/)
TE
28
5
$760,000
-
2017


DeVier Posey (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/9878/)
WR
25
4
$675,000
-
2017


Cyrus Gray (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/10003/)
RB
26
4
$675,000
-
2017


Darrion Weems (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/10474/)
RT
27
3
$600,000
-
2017


Nick Kasa (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/12454/)
TE
25
2
$525,000
-
2017


George Uko (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/14719/)
DT
24
1
$525,000
-
2017


Kapri Bibbs (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/14859/)
RB
23
2
$525,000
-
2017


Ryan Murphy (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/16974/)
FS
23

$450,000
-
2017


Jordan Taylor (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/16995/)
WR
24

$450,000
-
2017


Zaire Anderson (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/17104/)
OLB
23

$450,000
-
2017


Dillon Day (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/17159/)
C
24

$450,000
-
2017


Cameron Jefferson (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/17195/)
T
23

$450,000
-
2017


Kyle Roberts (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/17228/)
T
24

$450,000
-
2017


Manasseh Garner (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/17489/)
RB
23

$450,000
-
2017


Will Johnson (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/18585/)
P


$450,000
-
2017


Vernon Davis (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/3356/)
TE
32
10
$7,350,000
$11,112,000
2016


David Bruton (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/5618/)
SS
28
7
$1,500,000
$1,200,000
2016


Brock Osweiler (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/9867/)
QB
25
4
$879,170
$1,937,433
2016


Evan Mathis (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/5072/)
G
34
9
$3,250,000
$1,000,000
2016


Ronnie Hillman (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/9877/)
RB
24
4
$750,208
$690,832
2016


Andre Caldwell (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/4955/)
WR
30
8
$1,350,000
$400,000
2016


Omar Bolden (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/9914/)
FS
27
4
$643,607
$474,428
2016


Malik Jackson (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/9958/)
DE
26
4
$578,403
$213,612
2016


Danny Trevathan (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/10009/)
ILB
25
4
$551,018
$104,072
2016


Antonio Smith (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/996/)
DE
34
12
$2,000,000
$500,000
2016


Lerentee McCray (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/12554/)
OLB
25
3
$500,667
$17,000
2016


C.J. Anderson (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/12553/)
RB
25
3
$499,167
$12,500
2016


Jordan Norwood (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/7594/)
WR
29
6
$695,000
-
2016


Josh Bush (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/10008/)
SS
27
3
$615,000
-
2016


Brandon McManus (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/12797/)
K
24
2
$465,000
-
2016


Todd Davis (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/15352/)
ILB
23
2
$465,000
-
2016


Ryan Harris (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/2508/)
LT
30
9
$920,000
$50,000
2016


Tyler Polumbus (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/3197/)
LT
30
7
$870,000
-
2016


Kyle Williams (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/6714/)
WR
27
5
$745,000
-
2016


Shiloh Keo (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/7863/)
SS
28
4
$745,000
-
2016


Brandon Marshall (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/9963/)
ILB
26
2
$585,000
-
2016


Sam Brenner (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/13487/)
C
25
2
$510,000
-
2016


Matt Paradis (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/14618/)
C
26
1
$435,000
-
2016


Bennie Fowler (http://www.spotrac.com/redirect/player/14864/)
WR
24
1
$435,000
-
2016


Some will retire, and others be cut, but there's still LOTS of guys we'll want to keep, including several expensive ones. Sanders, Sly (team option=/=free,) Stewart, Walker, Webster, Barrett, CJ, McManus, Marshall, Paradis, Fowler; that's almost a DOZEN even if cut all scrubs, replace guys like Colquitt and Vasquez (which still won't be free) and blow off fan faves like Thompson, Bibbs, Davis and Anunike. Note even guys earning rookie minimum are ALREADY getting $435K/yr; even 20 guys like that's still $10M in 2017, but COMPETING will cost far more.

Joel
03-06-2016, 07:30 PM
Bottom line: Our current roster's 75 players, but only 21 under contract past next year. Unless Manning retires 3-4X, we must do far more to get back under the cap.

Cugel
03-06-2016, 08:12 PM
However if Elway is able to do Miller's contract soon since they were close he may be able to lower Miller's 2016 cap hit.

I've already posted this elsewhere but it's informative to see how the Chiefs managed to fit Justin Houston's contract under the cap:

2015 Contract details by year Base Salary: $1,000,000 Signing Bonus: $4,100,000 Workout Bonus: $0 Cap Hit: $5,100,000 Dead-Cap Space:$32,500,000

2016 Contract details by year Base Salary: $14,900,000 Signing Bonus: $4,100,000 Workout Bonus: $100,000 Cap Hit: $19,100,000 Dead-Cap Space:$27,400,000

Notice that his Cap Hit in 2015 was only $5.1 M. That's how you can expect the Broncos to be able to sign FAs, rebuild their OL, pay C.J. Anderson, Brandon Marshall and other RFAs, and sign all their draft picks.

They have to restructure Von's contract so that it's perhaps 1/2 of the franchise tag amount of $14.4 M, (to around $7M) redo Ryan Clady's contract freeing up another $5M or so, and then trim some fat - Evan Mathis, Vernon Davis, etc. (Mathis & Davis counted $8 M against the 2015 cap - there's no room for them in 2016).

That will free up around another $12 M on top of the Manning cap savings of $19M = $31M. After that they have some hard choices to make.

Do they keep some other FAs like Antonio Smith and Vance Walker. Do they try and sign a FA OT?

DO they offer a 1st round RFA tender to Brandon Marshall? C.J. Anderson? That's about another $7M as near as I can find out, based on 2015 RFA #s. Second round tender for C.J. would be enough.

Joel
03-06-2016, 08:49 PM
Notice their 2016 cap hit is almost $20M. And they didn't have a franchise QBs brand new QB to budget on top of that, nor do I believe they were ALREADY over the cap last year (though I honestly don't know about that last one.) Not saying it can't be done as long as we don't give Jackson more than the cost of airfare and don't overpay for Oz, but it won't be easy. Certainly the days of splashy FA multi-signings appear behind us: We need long term starters and depth, and have VERY few now.

Cugel
03-06-2016, 10:07 PM
Notice their 2016 cap hit is almost $20M. And they didn't have a franchise QBs brand new QB to budget on top of that, nor do I believe they were ALREADY over the cap last year (though I honestly don't know about that last one.) Not saying it can't be done as long as we don't give Jackson more than the cost of airfare and don't overpay for Oz, but it won't be easy. Certainly the days of splashy FA multi-signings appear behind us: We need long term starters and depth, and have VERY few now.

If they were offering Malik $11 M and Osweiler around $12 they could offer more to Osweiler once Malik walks off to get a $14/year contract somewhere else. Didn't somebody say he was tweeting about Chicago?

Dude wants to get out of town.

Clearly they had budget amounts for both players, or they wouldn't have made the offer to Malik, but if they lose Malik that would clear up a lot of cash and they wouldn't be quite so tight.

Al Wilson 4 Mayor
03-06-2016, 10:29 PM
wutchoo talkin' 'bout willis?

You just dated yourself homeslice. :laugh:

Denver Native (Carol)
03-07-2016, 10:08 AM
Troy Renck ‏@TroyRenck 11h

#Broncos will place 2nd round tender on ILB restricted free agent Brandon Marshall. #Dolphins, #Seahawks among those could be interested

TXBRONC
03-07-2016, 09:06 PM
Troy Renck ‏@TroyRenck 11h

#Broncos will place 2nd round tender on ILB restricted free agent Brandon Marshall. #Dolphins, #Seahawks among those could be interested

Good, I hope keeps those teams away.

Simple Jaded
03-07-2016, 10:16 PM
Bottom line: Our current roster's 75 players, but only 21 under contract past next year. Unless Manning retires 3-4X, we must do far more to get back under the cap.

The Broncos do this by design.

Also, Cugel, you're under the mistaken impression that Mathis, Vernon Davis and several others are counting against the 2016 cap.

Denver Native (Carol)
03-07-2016, 10:34 PM
The free-agent frenzy has begun. Monday was the start of the NFL's period when teams can start negotiating with other teams' free agents. So how much do they have to spend?

The NFL Players Association released adjusted salary-cap figures Monday morning, listing each team's 2016 cap number. The Broncos have the lowest adjusted number in the NFL, $154,095,041. Seattle is the only other team under the NFL's league-wide salary cap of $155.27 million.

Denver headed into free agency Monday with about $8.7 million in cap space, the second lowest figure, according to Spotrac.

Adjusted salary cap figures are formed by taking the league-wide figure and adding any team carryover from the 2015 salary cap. The number also accounts for any adjustments from the 2015 salary cap, such as incentives and bonuses.

With quarterback Peyton Manning's retirement, the Broncos gained $19 million in cap space to get back under the salary cap. The Broncos will still carry $2.5 million in "dead money" from Manning's 2015 contract restructure into this year's cap. It was an accounting move to save cap space a year ago, pushing it into this season.

rest - http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_29606576/broncos-strapped-salary-cap-space-heading-into-free

Joel
03-08-2016, 12:56 AM
rest - http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_29606576/broncos-strapped-salary-cap-space-heading-into-free
No no: Absent Manning the homers faithfully assure us of PLENTY of cap to sign anyone and everyone at any price. $8.7M?! The Post must've misplaced a decimal. :rolleyes:

MOtorboat
03-08-2016, 03:59 AM
No no: Absent Manning the homers faithfully assure us of PLENTY of cap to sign anyone and everyone at any price. $8.7M?! The Post must've misplaced a decimal. :rolleyes:

I'm sure the Broncos will come in over the cap and the world will die a slow, painful death.

The horror!

Maybe we could be more melodramatic?

Joel
03-08-2016, 04:32 AM
The Broncos do this by design.
True, but that's what worries me: It made a kind of sense when we were just racing to win a SB before Mannings body finally gave it out for good, but replacing over HALF THE TEAM every few years isn't exactly the recipe for "win from now on." We COULD NOT HAVE WON THIS SB WITHOUT ALL OUR ROLE PLAYERS; that "all 53" thing Kubiak preached wasn't just a slogan, but TRUTH. A dozen of those good role players are worth far more long term than a couple All Pros.


Also, Cugel, you're under the mistaken impression that Mathis, Vernon Davis and several others are counting against the 2016 cap.
That should be self-evident in a week, when their contracts end but our cap space doesn't budge. I'd still like Davis back at or near the rookie minimum though; he's barely past 30, still blazing fast and a solid blocker. He was worth little before, and his 2015 season's only reduced that little.


I'm sure the Broncos will come in over the cap and the world will die a slow, painful death.

The horror!

Maybe we could be more melodramatic?
I'm sure the Broncos WON'T come in over the cap and the team will jettison a number of key players to vindicate that certainty.

Far less if Jackson walks though; every day he remains unsigned makes me a little more comfortable. But Von and [your QB here] will eat up close to 5X our post-Manning cap space BY THEMSELVES, plus more for our tenders and draft picks. That doesn't leave much to sign our remaining FAs, and pushing the Von/Oz cap hits into 2017 just means it'll be that much harder to lock up guys we tender now—and everyone else.

Cugel
03-08-2016, 11:54 AM
Quote Originally Posted by Jaded View Post
Also, Cugel, you're under the mistaken impression that Mathis, Vernon Davis and several others are counting against the 2016 cap.

No. Obviously, the Broncos are going to have to release all these players to avoid paying even more money. They have to restructure Ryan Clady because he's due $10 M this year and isn't worth it. Mathis is going to retire or be released because they can't afford to pay him $4 M this year at 35 years old, when they have Max Garcia at $612,000.

My point is that all of these guys give the Broncos "cap relief" in that keeping them would cost even more money.

The important thing to remember is that the salary cap is a moving target. For instance, Peyton's retirement means the Broncos save $19M. So, they're back under the cap. But, they have to sign Brock Osweiler, which will put them right back up near it.

But then they will sign Von Miller to a long term deal, with a big signing bonus that is pro-rated against the lifetime of the deal, which means his cap hit (not the amount they will pay him) will go down from $14.4M, the franchise amount, to maybe $7-$8M this season - which means another $7 M comes off the cap for 2016. And so on. It's constantly changing. And they can even generate more cap room if they want to by extending and re-negotiating some players to a new contract, with a big signing bonus, although this generates the risk of dead-cap space when those players are released/traded/retire.

You can't think of the Salary Cap as some fixed target because it isn't. The NFL has created a lot of ways for teams to "massage" the cap, and create flexibility to get around the restrictions (at least temporarily).

The biggest way is to give out huge signing bonuses which are pro-rated against the lifetime of the contract. The player gets money up front and the team gets cap relief.

Cugel
03-08-2016, 12:01 PM
Far less if Jackson walks though; every day he remains unsigned makes me a little more comfortable. But Von and [your QB here] will eat up close to 5X our post-Manning cap space BY THEMSELVES, plus more for our tenders and draft picks. That doesn't leave much to sign our remaining FAs, and pushing the Von/Oz cap hits into 2017 just means it'll be that much harder to lock up guys we tender now—and everyone else.

No they won't for the exact reasons I explained in my previous post. The amount of money they will be paid will NOT, repeat NOT equal their "cap hit." And it's the cap figure that counts, not the accounting tricks that you use to get there.

$20M is $20M to Von Miller, but it counts as perhaps $8M against the cap if a big chunk is in the form of a signing bonus. Same thing for Brock Osweiler.

Malik isn't coming back anyway. That much is clear. There have been reports that the Broncos are engaged in a bidding war for Osweiler, but none that they will up their $11 M offer to Malik. And we know that multiple teams are calling Malik's agent right now and offering more than that.

He will just have to weigh the $14-15M offers he's getting and choose which team he wants to play for. (I'm assuming you mean that every day he doesn't take the Broncos $11 M offer makes you more comfortable. I agree with that. I don't want to see Malik Jackson back at this point. They are going to need his $11M to sign Osweiler and a bunch of other FAs like Brandon Marshall, C.J. Anderson and others).