The NFL limits the amount of money
teams can spend on players each season. Teams must then balance short and long
term needs to succeed. Manage the cap correctly and you can win year after year
(Hi New England Patriots!). Mismanage the cap and you have to cut valuable
players and wallow in mediocrity (step on up Jerry Jones and the Dallas
Cowboys!). Teams have to decide the relative value of players compared to their
salaries and production. This offseason, the New Orleans Saints have had to cut
players whose cap value outweighed their on-field production. They have used
their new cap room to prepare for another Super Bowl run.
Since February, the Saints have
released, traded, or let go six players who played in their Super Bowl XLIV
victory over the Indianapolis Colts. These transactions all served to get the
Saints under the 133 million dollar salary cap. From the Saints’ perspective,
these players production no longer matched their salaries. Defensive end Will
Smith counted 11.5 million dollars against the cap and missed last season with
a knee injury. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma played one game last year. Defensive
backs Roman Harper and Jabari Greer each saw their playing time dwindle due to
injuries and ineffectiveness. Wide receiver Lance Moore lost snaps to rookie
Kenny Stills. Running back Darren Sproles failed to replicate his pass catching
prowess of past seasons. Additionally the Saints have younger and cheaper
players at those positions. The
Saints saved themselves approximately 24 million dollars against the cap by
letting these players go.
New Saints safety
Jairus Byrd
Releasing these players allowed the
Saints to improve their team for next season. They placed the franchise tag on
tight end Jimmy Graham and signed safety Jairus Byrd. By tagging Graham, the
Saints locked him into a one year contract worth just over 7 million dollars
for next season. The team remains stalemated with Graham over a long term
contract, but they will enjoy his services for another year. On Tuesday, the
Saints signed safety Jairus Byrd to a 6 year, 54 million dollar contract with
28 million dollars in guaranteed salary. Byrd will count only 3.5 million
against this year’s cap, with cap figures of 10.3 and 9.7 million in 2015 and
2016. Byrd, a 3 time Pro Bowler, represents an upgrade over departed safeties
Harper and Malcolm Jenkins. Both of these players significantly improve the
Saints’ chances of winning next season.
Saints All-Pro Tight
End Jimmy Graham
The Saints, however, finances remain
tight because of enormous salary of quarterback Drew Brees. For the next three
seasons, Brees will count 18.4, 26.4, and 27.4 million dollars against the cap.
Coupled with Byrd’s contract, the Saints have a significant portion of their
cap tied into their top two players. In order to sign Graham to an extension,
the Saints will need to restructure or renegotiate Brees’ contract. A contract
for Graham would likely mirror Byrd’s deal—averaging about 9 million per year.
But the team may need that money to fill the other 51 spots on the roster.
So when looking at the Saints
offseason, remember the salary cap rules all.
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