FearTheBeard
FearTheBurke
Alright so with all this talk about Suh and what he could bring to this football team and if he could even be fit under the salary cap I've crafted something. In this current salary cap era it's surprising how much you're able to accomplish front loading contracts. It's common practice, something you often see the Dolphins FO do and it is the recipe for building a team. With the salary crap growing every year this is a smart practice, and this is what I've done here. Keep in mind there's going to be a lot of teams that go after Suh, but there's only so many teams who are able to find enough wiggle room to bring a guy like that in.
Without further a due:
Cutting the dead weight
June 1st Designations:
Phillip Wheeler: Just a useless waste of space. What a catastrophe as a signing. Savings are basically zero as a regular cut. As a june 1st designation it's $3 million. This is a no brainer.
Savings: $3M
Dannell Ellerbe: Miscast as a 4-3 ILB, Ellerbe hardly saw the field last year and when he saw it the year prior was awful. Even with the holes we have in the linebacking core this is a no brainer. The rest of the June 1st designations have equal savings, so whether it's Ellerbe or a handful of other guys we will use a second designation regardless.
Savings: $8.45m
Regular Cuts:
Brian Hartline: His thousand yard seasons are a thing of the past, if only we could be so lucky that he joins the Pats. No YAC ability and can't gain any separation. As far as I'm concerned Matthews would put up similar receiving #'s.
Savings: $3.15M
Cortland Finnegan: For as idiotic as the contract we signed him to was, it was essentially a 1 year pact. He might retire, but if he doesn't he's getting his walking papers.
Savings: $5.475M
Randy Starks: I like Randy, I think we misused him last year as a 1-tech. I'd bring him back at a reduced rate, but with Suh in the fold we need the cap savings and don't really need him.
Savings: $5M
Brandon Gibson: Overpaid for his role, and all ready has been stated that he will be cut.
Savings: $3.26M
Brandon Fields: With a big signing like Suh, some borderline cuts become must cuts. Fields play has slipped and we can't afford to pay his salary. I personally like the Portland St. punter in the draft as a 7th rounder.
Savings: $3.113M
Nate Garner: Limited overall skillset, time to look elsewhere.
Savings: $1.65M
Overall Savings: $33.098M
Resign
Derrick Shelby: Shelby is a key rotational DL. He's extremely valuable as Wake continues to decline as a run defender. He won't command a big salary, and the whole z-pak extravaganza probably won't help him get a ton of guaranteed money elsewhere. He's also an RFA, now's a good time to lock him up cheap.
Sign: 3 years @ 7.5M , 2M GTD , $1.5M 2015 Hit
Knowshon Moreno: A bit of a luxury, but we need a veteran presence in the backfield and he won't have much of a market. When healthy he's the type of talent you take a chance on.
Sign 1 year @ $1M + Incentives
Michael Thomas: A valuable component of our secondary who's season was cut short due to injury. He will assume the Jimmy Wilson role without being a piece of ****. Would sign him for a multi-year deal as well.
Sign ERFA Tender: $585,000 Fully GTD
AJ Francis:Young guy needed for 1-tech depth.
Sign ERFA Tender: $585,000 Fully GTD
Likely the guy who we'd lose with the big money going to Suh is Clay. He could potentially get fit in but it's tight and I think there may be better value on the market.
Overall 2015 Costs: $3.67M
Signings
Ndamukong Suh: The big ticket signing. I don't like paying premium on the market but this guy is the top DT in the league and loves the game. He'll go to the highest bidder. He'll make our LBers lives easier and be a consistent, 3-down disruptor. I used the Mario Williams contract as a framework, but I slapped him with the most GTD money for a non-QB in league history.
Sign 6 years @ $96M , 55 GTD , $9M 2015 Hit
Chris Culliver: Culliver is an ascending player. He's suffered a torn ACL but came back strong last season and gives up a very low completion % when thrown at. If him and Jamar Taylor can put solid seasons together, they have the youth and talent to move on from Grimes next offseason. I used Keenan Lewis as the framework for his deal.
Sign 4 years @ $20M , $6 GTD, $2.5M 2015 Hit
Clint Boling: Signing Suh and creating a well rounded team is a challenge. That challenge makes me look away from Orlando Franklin and just try to get a solid starter. Boling is a leader and a solid all around player. He'd be a great get and is a Florida native. Used Jon Asamoah's contract as a framework.
Sign 4 years @ 19M , $6M GTD, $3M 2015 Hit
Antrel Rolle: Declined a bit last year, but is a great leader and still a fantastic cover safety. Very proud Florida native, sure he'd love to come here if the money's right.
Sign 2 years @ $9M, $5M GTD, $3M 2015 Hit
Rey Maualuga: We aren't going to solve MIKE in FA, but it's a must we get competent play there. Maualuga came on strong at the end of last year and might be finally realizing his potential. Would allow us to move Misi to SAM, with Dion and McCain as sub-package players.
Sign 2 years @ $7M , $2.5M GTD, $2.5M 2015 Hit
Lance Kendricks: Need a replacement for Clay, think Kendricks has some upside and can fill that role. Sims is poised for a larger role next season.
Sign 2 years @ $6M , $2M GTD, $2M 2015 Hit
Ryan Harris: Harris is a swing tackle who played a lot last year for the Chiefs. I wanted him last year and he has experience in a zone. Great cheap signing to give our OL depth and coverage against an Albert injury.
Sign 1 year @ $900K, $200K GTD
Leonard Hankerson: A cheap upside signing for depth. Went to the U, has a productive season under his belt.
Sign: 1 year @ $745K, $150K GTD
AQ Shipley: Reserve center who has starting experience at both guard and center. Scheme fit.
Sign: 1 year @ 750K, $100K GTD
Overall 2015 Costs: $24.395M
Extend:
Mike Pouncey: Lukewarm on this idea, but with a cheaper option like Boling there's more money to throw at the OL and he's coming off a down season. Used Max Unger as framework for his deal, extra year and slight bump. Lowers 2015 Cap Hit.
Extend: 5 years @ $32.5M, $14M GTD, $4M 2015 Hit
Ryan Tannehill: Our franchise's future, locking him up now would be wise for the future. Give him an Andy Dalton level deal with more GTD money.
Extend: 6 years @ $96M, $24M GTD, $7.030887 2015 Hit
2015 Cap Space pre-draft: $8,687,058
2016 Cap space: $16,086,239 - Wallace
Depth Chart
QB: Tannehill
RB: Miller | Moreno | Williams
WR1: Wallace
WR2: Matthews | Hankerson
WR3: Landry | Hazel
TE: Sims | Kendricks
LT: Albert | James
LG: Turner | Smith
C: Pouncey | Shipley
RG: Boling | Dallas
RT: James | Harris
DE: Wake | Shelby
NT: Mitchell | Francis
DT: Suh | Johnson
DE: Vernon | Fede
WLB: Jenkins | Tripp
MLB: Maualuga
SLB: Misi | Jordan | McCain
CB1: Grimes, Davis
CB2: Culliver
Slot: Taylor, Thomas
FS: Rolle, Thomas, Aikens
SS: Jones
K: Hocker
P:
LS: Denney
Without further a due:
Cutting the dead weight
June 1st Designations:
Phillip Wheeler: Just a useless waste of space. What a catastrophe as a signing. Savings are basically zero as a regular cut. As a june 1st designation it's $3 million. This is a no brainer.
Savings: $3M
Dannell Ellerbe: Miscast as a 4-3 ILB, Ellerbe hardly saw the field last year and when he saw it the year prior was awful. Even with the holes we have in the linebacking core this is a no brainer. The rest of the June 1st designations have equal savings, so whether it's Ellerbe or a handful of other guys we will use a second designation regardless.
Savings: $8.45m
Regular Cuts:
Brian Hartline: His thousand yard seasons are a thing of the past, if only we could be so lucky that he joins the Pats. No YAC ability and can't gain any separation. As far as I'm concerned Matthews would put up similar receiving #'s.
Savings: $3.15M
Cortland Finnegan: For as idiotic as the contract we signed him to was, it was essentially a 1 year pact. He might retire, but if he doesn't he's getting his walking papers.
Savings: $5.475M
Randy Starks: I like Randy, I think we misused him last year as a 1-tech. I'd bring him back at a reduced rate, but with Suh in the fold we need the cap savings and don't really need him.
Savings: $5M
Brandon Gibson: Overpaid for his role, and all ready has been stated that he will be cut.
Savings: $3.26M
Brandon Fields: With a big signing like Suh, some borderline cuts become must cuts. Fields play has slipped and we can't afford to pay his salary. I personally like the Portland St. punter in the draft as a 7th rounder.
Savings: $3.113M
Nate Garner: Limited overall skillset, time to look elsewhere.
Savings: $1.65M
Overall Savings: $33.098M
Resign
Derrick Shelby: Shelby is a key rotational DL. He's extremely valuable as Wake continues to decline as a run defender. He won't command a big salary, and the whole z-pak extravaganza probably won't help him get a ton of guaranteed money elsewhere. He's also an RFA, now's a good time to lock him up cheap.
Sign: 3 years @ 7.5M , 2M GTD , $1.5M 2015 Hit
Knowshon Moreno: A bit of a luxury, but we need a veteran presence in the backfield and he won't have much of a market. When healthy he's the type of talent you take a chance on.
Sign 1 year @ $1M + Incentives
Michael Thomas: A valuable component of our secondary who's season was cut short due to injury. He will assume the Jimmy Wilson role without being a piece of ****. Would sign him for a multi-year deal as well.
Sign ERFA Tender: $585,000 Fully GTD
AJ Francis:Young guy needed for 1-tech depth.
Sign ERFA Tender: $585,000 Fully GTD
Likely the guy who we'd lose with the big money going to Suh is Clay. He could potentially get fit in but it's tight and I think there may be better value on the market.
Overall 2015 Costs: $3.67M
Signings
Ndamukong Suh: The big ticket signing. I don't like paying premium on the market but this guy is the top DT in the league and loves the game. He'll go to the highest bidder. He'll make our LBers lives easier and be a consistent, 3-down disruptor. I used the Mario Williams contract as a framework, but I slapped him with the most GTD money for a non-QB in league history.
Sign 6 years @ $96M , 55 GTD , $9M 2015 Hit
Chris Culliver: Culliver is an ascending player. He's suffered a torn ACL but came back strong last season and gives up a very low completion % when thrown at. If him and Jamar Taylor can put solid seasons together, they have the youth and talent to move on from Grimes next offseason. I used Keenan Lewis as the framework for his deal.
Sign 4 years @ $20M , $6 GTD, $2.5M 2015 Hit
Clint Boling: Signing Suh and creating a well rounded team is a challenge. That challenge makes me look away from Orlando Franklin and just try to get a solid starter. Boling is a leader and a solid all around player. He'd be a great get and is a Florida native. Used Jon Asamoah's contract as a framework.
Sign 4 years @ 19M , $6M GTD, $3M 2015 Hit
Antrel Rolle: Declined a bit last year, but is a great leader and still a fantastic cover safety. Very proud Florida native, sure he'd love to come here if the money's right.
Sign 2 years @ $9M, $5M GTD, $3M 2015 Hit
Rey Maualuga: We aren't going to solve MIKE in FA, but it's a must we get competent play there. Maualuga came on strong at the end of last year and might be finally realizing his potential. Would allow us to move Misi to SAM, with Dion and McCain as sub-package players.
Sign 2 years @ $7M , $2.5M GTD, $2.5M 2015 Hit
Lance Kendricks: Need a replacement for Clay, think Kendricks has some upside and can fill that role. Sims is poised for a larger role next season.
Sign 2 years @ $6M , $2M GTD, $2M 2015 Hit
Ryan Harris: Harris is a swing tackle who played a lot last year for the Chiefs. I wanted him last year and he has experience in a zone. Great cheap signing to give our OL depth and coverage against an Albert injury.
Sign 1 year @ $900K, $200K GTD
Leonard Hankerson: A cheap upside signing for depth. Went to the U, has a productive season under his belt.
Sign: 1 year @ $745K, $150K GTD
AQ Shipley: Reserve center who has starting experience at both guard and center. Scheme fit.
Sign: 1 year @ 750K, $100K GTD
Overall 2015 Costs: $24.395M
Extend:
Mike Pouncey: Lukewarm on this idea, but with a cheaper option like Boling there's more money to throw at the OL and he's coming off a down season. Used Max Unger as framework for his deal, extra year and slight bump. Lowers 2015 Cap Hit.
Extend: 5 years @ $32.5M, $14M GTD, $4M 2015 Hit
Ryan Tannehill: Our franchise's future, locking him up now would be wise for the future. Give him an Andy Dalton level deal with more GTD money.
Extend: 6 years @ $96M, $24M GTD, $7.030887 2015 Hit
2015 Cap Space pre-draft: $8,687,058
2016 Cap space: $16,086,239 - Wallace
Depth Chart
QB: Tannehill
RB: Miller | Moreno | Williams
WR1: Wallace
WR2: Matthews | Hankerson
WR3: Landry | Hazel
TE: Sims | Kendricks
LT: Albert | James
LG: Turner | Smith
C: Pouncey | Shipley
RG: Boling | Dallas
RT: James | Harris
DE: Wake | Shelby
NT: Mitchell | Francis
DT: Suh | Johnson
DE: Vernon | Fede
WLB: Jenkins | Tripp
MLB: Maualuga
SLB: Misi | Jordan | McCain
CB1: Grimes, Davis
CB2: Culliver
Slot: Taylor, Thomas
FS: Rolle, Thomas, Aikens
SS: Jones
K: Hocker
P:
LS: Denney
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