Dolphins Dollars & Sense- Spending $30-35M in FA | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Dolphins Dollars & Sense- Spending $30-35M in FA

So Be

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We all know Miami has $47M in cap space but, that is not all spendable money to sign our own starters and other FA's.

Phins have to set aside $7M for the draft. Aside from the starters, we have nine other FA's to replace, and one may be a vet backup QB, which should run around $7-8M. Teams also try to keep $3-4M available for injuries during the season.

That leave around $30M to spend. We can add to that by cuts or new cheaper contracts for players like Marshall, Patterson, and the players we draft are gong to replace some of our FA's and/or players under contract. I'm guessing we will end up with about $35M, which is VG but, can't go crazy.

We need to understand that the contracts signed will mostly not affect the cap space by the average of the deal. Normally, any player signed for 4-5 years costs 20-30% less than the average in their first year. The main thing is guaranteed money, and adding incentives.

For example, if I said that I wanted to sign Sean Smith to a 5 year, $40M deal, posters would be up in arms. If the terms were a $5M signing bonus, $5M first year salary (guaranteed), 2nd year at $6M, and the last 3 years at $9M, $10M, and $10M (not guaranteed), it's an entirely different opinion.

Just a little food for thought.
 
The other question is how to spend around $35.
 
Just so you know we don't have to set aside any money for draft picks, that comes out of a different pot of money for every team. Also the only backup QB that makes over $7m is Alex Smith. Most backups make less than 1/2 of what you think.

You did make a good point about the contracts, but odds are most people won't get it.
 
Just so you know we don't have to set aside any money for draft picks, that comes out of a different pot of money for every team. Also the only backup QB that makes over $7m is Alex Smith. Most backups make less than 1/2 of what you think.

You did make a good point about the contracts, but odds are most people won't get it.

Guaranteed that the money for draft picks comes off the same cap. I was talking about replacing 9 players, including a vet QB, for $7-8M.
 
For anyone even thinking about putting the franchise tag on Long, it would cost $15M and all of that comes off this year's cap. He could be signed to a long term deal with not a whole lot this year but, can't see it happening.

Also, next year's cap is expected to go up a good amount. Don't be surprised to see a few contracts low this year, and jumping next year.
 
We all know Miami has $47M in cap space but, that is not all spendable money to sign our own starters and other FA's.

Phins have to set aside $7M for the draft. Aside from the starters, we have nine other FA's to replace, and one may be a vet backup QB, which should run around $7-8M. Teams also try to keep $3-4M available for injuries during the season.

That leave around $30M to spend. We can add to that by cuts or new cheaper contracts for players like Marshall, Patterson, and the players we draft are gong to replace some of our FA's and/or players under contract. I'm guessing we will end up with about $35M, which is VG but, can't go crazy.

We need to understand that the contracts signed will mostly not affect the cap space by the average of the deal. Normally, any player signed for 4-5 years costs 20-30% less than the average in their first year. The main thing is guaranteed money, and adding incentives.

For example, if I said that I wanted to sign Sean Smith to a 5 year, $40M deal, posters would be up in arms. If the terms were a $5M signing bonus, $5M first year salary (guaranteed), 2nd year at $6M, and the last 3 years at $9M, $10M, and $10M (not guaranteed), it's an entirely different opinion.

Just a little food for thought.

No nfl players is going to take a contract structured like that. They want alot of guaranteed money. On a 40 million contract he would want close to 20 guaranteed no less than 12 to 15
 
Guaranteed that the money for draft picks comes off the same cap. I was talking about replacing 9 players, including a vet QB, for $7-8M.

The cap doesn't work that way, please ask someone that works in or around the NFL, like an agent or someone. I get a lot of the info i post here from GM's and agents, so if you look into it you'll see i'm right.

The vet QB part i just misread sorry.
 
No nfl players is going to take a contract structured like that. They want alot of guaranteed money. On a 40 million contract he would want close to 20 guaranteed no less than 12 to 15

I just threw out some numbers for an example for Phans to understand how NFL contracts work. Even so, with the $5M signing bonus and first year $5M both guaranteed, all I have to do is guarantee the second year at $6M to be at $16M, and exceed your no less than. I'm sure you get the point.
 
The cap doesn't work that way, please ask someone that works in or around the NFL, like an agent or someone. I get a lot of the info i post here from GM's and agents, so if you look into it you'll see i'm right.

The vet QB part i just misread sorry.

No need. I can absolutely, positively assure you, beyond any shadow of any doubt that the rookie money counts on the teams salary cap. If any agent or Gm told you differently, they were playing a joke or, were "as drunk as drunk can be. LOL
 
I just threw out some numbers for an example for Phans to understand how NFL contracts work. Even so, with the $5M signing bonus and first year $5M both guaranteed, all I have to do is guarantee the second year at $6M to be at $16M, and exceed your no less than. I'm sure you get the point.

Yea wasnt trying to poo poo your numbers just was saying that guaranteed money is what makes these contracts churn
 
Yea wasnt trying to poo poo your numbers just was saying that guaranteed money is what makes these contracts churn

No problem at all, and agreed. NFL contracts are not guaranteed other than stated in the deal. I was watching ESPN the other day with players saying that a long term contract is nothing more than something to make agents look good, and that very few players, if any, get to see what is scheduled to be paid in year 4 or 5. They either re-negotiate or are cut.

As you say, the only thing that matters is the guaranteed money, and the first 2-3 years of a deal.
 
Opps sorry SouthBeach i was 100% wrong. It comes from a different pool of money, but at the end of the day it's the same money.
 
Opps sorry SouthBeach i was 100% wrong. It comes from a different pool of money, but at the end of the day it's the same money.

LoM I'm trying to figure out what you're suggesting. The salary cap is composed of the top 51 salaries on the roster. $7mil is [allocated] for draft picks, but at least "half" of that $7mil is "estimated" as part of the top 51 salaries on the roster as the 1st round pick and say the 2nd rounders if not the 3rd rounders as well will be part of the top 51 salaries on the roster. So if Jimmy Wilson is still the backup say SS, his vet minimum will count and our 4th round pick won't. But our 1st round pick will definitely make more than the vet minimum of Jimmy Wilson for example.
 
Opps sorry SouthBeach i was 100% wrong. It comes from a different pool of money, but at the end of the day it's the same money.

No problem LOM, but the draft allocation does not come from anywhere other than a teams salary cap, and all teams MUST free up that space for their picks. I'm wondering if you may have been thinking about the practice squad players, which is a different deal.
 
LoM I'm trying to figure out what you're suggesting. The salary cap is composed of the top 51 salaries on the roster. $7mil is [allocated] for draft picks, but at least "half" of that $7mil is "estimated" as part of the top 51 salaries on the roster as the 1st round pick and say the 2nd rounders if not the 3rd rounders as well will be part of the top 51 salaries on the roster. So if Jimmy Wilson is still the backup say SS, his vet minimum will count and our 4th round pick won't. But our 1st round pick will definitely make more than the vet minimum of Jimmy Wilson for example.

Hey ED, I'm not quite clear on what you are saying, aside from the top 51 counting on the cap. Teams have to clear whatever cap space dictated by the NFL for the draft (around $7M here) to sign their picks, which now happens for all before camp begins.

Whatever happens in camp, happens before the final cut down. No way to know who will be on the final 51 before then, and no estimates are used. We may be saying the same thing differently, not sure based on your post.

A side question. I'm curious as to why you have not joined VIP, as I believe you are one of the better posters here.
 
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