I am not sure how well this franchise would do without a hard cap, but the reality is it makes the draft less valuable to me.
Say a team drafts well and hits on 5 productive players, it would be lucky to keep 2 of them when it is time to pay them.
I know I am not exactly saying anything new, but the sobering reality takes away from the anticipation of the draft for me.
The Pats have been very fortunate for a variety of reasons and perhaps the best reason is Tom Brady being the 12th highest paid QB. The fact that he is basically the MVP of the league every year and his salary not counting all that much, what an advantage. To have player like that who is more interested in fulfilling a legacy than needing to be the highest paid player.
I know, sounds like I am whining. However, Elway's concerns about avoiding overpaying is just as important or even more so than any other aspect of the team.
I personally wish (won't ever happen) there would be some sort of Larry Bird rule. I think that is a rule anyway. Where a players salary does not count against the cap number if they were drafted by that team. Some kind of variation of that rule. I know basketball franchises have 9 players on the roster compared to 53.
It just frustrates me to think if the Broncos do draft well, that it really causes other problems.