Uh this is how I think about it. Cruz is a restricted free agent...he has no leverage in the contract negotiations they can offer him the highest tender and no one is going to give up a 1st and 3rd round pick for him...nobody. So he'll play for the tender or he'll sign a new contract so he'll never hit the free agent market this year.
Hakeem Nicks is their big play WR, he's going to get paid but it will be an incentive laden contract because of his injury history and the fact that he's missed a lot of games. So you give him incentives of playing 16 games, going to the pro bowl, etc. and the cap hit is minimal because of it.
Kenny Phillips is a bit different...him they might let walk although he has played well for them but they might not see him as worth the money.
Now, here's my question for you. Where do you think we're going to get all this money? Where is your common sense? We're going to be roughly $50 million under the cap with roughly 27 players signed next year. We're going to have to spend money on at least 15 free agents just to fill the roster (not counting our 9 draft picks or so)...if you average that out it's a little over $3.3 million per player....Jake Long is one of those free agents and he's making roughly $11 million a season so now you're down to $39 million for 14 free agents and 9 draft picks....less than $2 million per player. So we re-sign Sean Smith at 5 years for $40 million...now your down to $31 million for 13 free agents and 9 draft picks...less than $1.5 million per player...do you see how quickly the money disappears? That was just two of our own free agents...and people are expecting us to go after other teams free agents which more often than not results in overspending.
The NFL has already said that teams need to expect the salary cap to remain flat (about $121 million) through the 2015 season. Next year we have Jake Long, Sean Smith, Anthony Fasano, Brian Hartline, Reggie Bush, Chris Clemons, Pat Devlin (RFA) and Randy Starks as our own key free agents. 7 starters...do you really think we have enough money to sign our own and bring in other free agents? And if that's not enough we also have a list of 2014 free agents on this team that include Davone Bess, Dan Carpenter, Nolan Carroll, John Denney (ask Oakland if the long snapper's not important), Richie Incognito, John Jerry, Reshad Jones, Koa Misi and Paul Soliai.
It would be extremely short sighted to think we could go out and spend money on a bunch of free agents given our cap space next year when we have 14 starters over the next two years set to be free agents. You cannot overspend in free agency and expect to get the same return. One free agent from another team will cost you at least one and half times what one of our own free agents would cost and I'm being conservative. For example, we overpaid for Dansby at 5 years for $43 million in 2010...we re-signed Cam Wake in 2012 for 5 years and $34.5 million and that's a huge difference.
You act like our free agents that we have our must keeps smart guy, truth be told the only ones that staying are Starks, bush and long, NO WAY SMITH GETS 5 years 40 you're out your mind, I would pay Dominique Rodgers cromortie that money since hues a free agent. Dansbys contract will for sure get restructed!! And we will have over 50 mill in space and that's not even considering the dead money from past players that will account to that! Oh yeah and you do realize if we resign jake long it would be cheap against the cap, all this Nolan Carroll will be cheap to resign, and all the rest off the bum free agents will e replace in the draft! You act like we're handing out big phat contracts to everyone! And anthony fassano was overpaid, no way he comes back unless if it's a reasonable offer, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets replaced in draft. Oh yeah one more thing to smart guy, just cause someone signs a big contract, it's not always way it seems and is never really worth that much!!!! You think Calvin's Johnson's contract is really 132 mill, no its not the way it was structured it was very cap friendly! And another thing to smart guy, 2015 IS THE YEAR WHEN THE NEW TV CONTRACT COMES IN AFFECT AND TGE CAP SPACE IS GONNA JUMP ENORMOUSLY. Here's a link if you don't believe me and in there should help you understand a little bit about contracts!!!
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/03/16/details-of-johnsons-contract-revealed/
Mans here's mmy thought on the 2013 of season that I posted before.
If philbin wants to put his own stamp on this team and overhaul some off the roster, due to all the free agents that we have. Reggie, hartline, Starks, fasano, smith, long, Clemons. Now let's say philbin only wants to keep Starks Reggie and long. Now we could have anywhere near 70 plus in CAPSPACE. Fasano could be replaced in the draft, smith maybe by dominque rogers cromortie (instead of paying smith the contract, I'd rather DRC, unless smith takes a reasonable offer!) hartline by either bowe-Wallace-or draft hunter (AJ green like) or Kennan Allen) And Clemons could be easily replaced or maybe keep him for cheap as a great back up. Our o-nline looks set to me unless you wanna pick up a athletic guard in the late rounds, now as far as dansby goes I can see his contract being restructured, but I also see us drafting a Lb in either round 2 or 3 since we've double up in both! Running back position is set, and for those who's wondering about a pass rush and think they can find it in free agency is DEAD WRONG, best choice would be anthony spencer who's going on 30 and I'll pass. The draft is flooded with all types of pass rushers like dion jordon 6"7 250, mingo, jarvis jones, Montgomery, wernier from Fl st.and there other de, Jeff coat, this draft is hella deep in pass rushers and majority of them are freaks, might be best pass rush draft in awhile as said by all the draft experts! All our needs will be tended to people, trust and believe, have you ever thought that be maybe there setting there selfs up for 2013, most iimportant and crucial year for us, what we do in 2013 ofseason with defy this team for next decade FACT, just like RICKY WILLIMS SET THIS FRANCHISE BACK a decade FACT!!!! I don't mean to digress but if Ricky's crap never happened, than no Ronnie brown and that could have ment so many things as far as we could have picked in that draft, that also means no parcells!!! Any ways lol, please chime in and let me know how you feel about this please!!!
