Dwindling cap space. Gas tank on Empty

[Inigo Montoya]

According to Sportrac, https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/cap/  the Bills have $33,299,716 left in the kitty right now.  That number does not include the contracts for Quinton Jefferson, Taiwan Jones, Dean Marlowe, or Tyler Matakevich.  I have no idea how much their contracts will count against the cap.  The Jefferson signing alone is reported to be a 2 year deal worth $13.5 MM. I have no idea how that breaks down into the cap, but I think it's probably safe to say that will bring the cap number down to at least $29MM.

 

We need to have some money in the till to sign our draft picks.  Last year people threw around the number $8 MM to get that done.  This year we have no 1st rounder so maybe we can cut that number in half and say $4 mm for draft picks and that brings us down to $25 MM.

 

Most GMs like to carry about $8-10 MM into the regular season to deal with injuries and other opportunities that arise.  Not sure how much Beane likes to keep in his back pocket.  We also have several players that we all anticipated that the team would tender new contracts to this off season like Dawkins and Milano that have not been resigned yet.  I'm sure Beane would also like to carry some of this year's cap forward into next year (he carried $22 MM over in cap space from last year).

 

Put it all together and it looks like we are sitting at $25MM right now and still some of our own young players to sign, we need an emergency fund for the season, and will probably want to carry some cap forward into next year.   It looks to me that we are likely done in free agency this year.  Any big signings would require that we dump some significant contracts to make space. 

 

I think Beane followed his successful free agency strategy from last year.  Expend some capital and grab one big name free agent at our position of greatest need, Morse/Diggs, and then shop for mid range free agents who provide a good possibility of an upgrade at their positions.

 

Edited March 22, 2020 by Inigo Montoya

[DBilz2500]

If you really want a player there’s always a way to get creative with cap space and sign him. Wouldn’t surprise me if try to add one more pass rusher either in trade or free agency 

[CaptnCoke11]

I fully expect them to either cut or restructure Murphy’s contract.  The way the cap goes up around 10m every year that alone will pretty much pay for a Milano deal.   Spend it all 

Edited March 22, 2020 by CaptnCoke11

[IgotBILLStopay]

1 hour ago, Inigo Montoya said:

According to Sportrac, https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/cap/  the Bills have $33,299,716 left in the kitty right now.  That number does not include the contracts for Quinton Jefferson, Taiwan Jones, Dean Marlowe, or Tyler Matakevich.  I have no idea how much their contracts will count against the cap.  The Jefferson signing alone is reported to be a 2 year deal worth $13.5 MM. I have no idea how that breaks down into the cap, but I think it's probably safe to say that will bring the cap number down to about $29MM.

 

We need to have some money in the till to sign our draft picks.  Last year people threw around the number $8 MM to get that done.  This year we have no 1st rounder so maybe we can cut that number in half and say $4 mm for draft picks and that brings us down to $25 MM.

 

Most GMs like to carry about $8-10 MM into the regular season to deal with injuries and other opportunities that arise.  Not sure how much Beane likes to keep in his back pocket.  We also have several players that we all anticipated that the team would tender new contracts to this off season like Dawkins and Milano that have not been resigned yet.  I'm sure Beane would also like to carry some of this year's cap forward into next year (he carried $22 MM over in cap space from last year).

 

Put it all together and it looks like we are sitting at $25MM right now and still some of our own young players to sign, we need an emergency fund for the season, and will probably want to carry some cap forward into next year.   It looks to me that we are likely done in free agency this year.  Any big signings would require that we dump some significant contracts to make space. 

 

I think Beane followed his successful free agency pattern from last year.  Expend some capital and grab one big name free agent at our position of greatest need, Morse/Diggs, and then shop for mid range free agents who provide the possibility of an upgrade at their positions.

can easily release / restructure Murphy if Beane wishes to break the bank for Ngakoue or Clowney. our cap situation is pretty solid.

[Big C]

At this point we are going all-in on this season and next season. We won't be doing much in free agency next season, rather focusing on extending our guys like Milano and Dawkins. No need to carry a ton of cap and I'm not worried about these guys finding a way to work things out.

[GunnerBill]

Looking at the numbers for the contracts that are in.... looks like AJ Klein is here for 2 years, Addison there is some benefit to cutting after 1 if he is not productive (he will be 34 by the time the 2021 season commences) but there would be $4m in dead cap left behind. Vernon Butler's is a 1 year deal masquerading as a two year deal. Unless he balls out he is gone after this season. 

[Mountain Man]

People moan if they create space and don't spend, people moan if they use. 

 

They can't win 

[KGun12TD]

You ever head of BEANE? How about “The Process”? No? Well you need to know that Beane ‘s got it under control and you need to trust “The Process”. 
 

?

[N.Y. Orangeman]

We are in good shape with what we need to do in the coming years.  To an earlier point, next year will be the year of the roster bonus in advance of Josh's LT deal.  Unless you are the Cowboys or Rams and don't understand the cap, continuity has never been easier in the NFL.

[CSBill]

16 hours ago, Inigo Montoya said:

I think Beane followed his successful free agency strategy from last year.  Expend some capital and grab one big name free agent at our position of greatest need, Morse/Diggs, and then shop for mid range free agents who provide a good possibility of an upgrade at their positions.

 

Yuuup! And I think that has been a very wise and successful approach.

 

I think they still add a "mid range" RB and O-lineman, and a few fillers. The rest of the money will be draftees and reworked contracts

Edited March 22, 2020 by CSBill

[WideRightRevenge]

Don't worry whatsoever about our "Beane Counter" as it relates to Cap Management .. especially as we had ZERO cap a few years ago ... now we actually have one to manage.

 

[TPS]

Spotrac has the estimates for the draft picks, Andy currently the top 51 salary cut off is $675k, which means the draft picks will raise the cap by about $300k. Essentially, no impact.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

Thread title sounds like a line from

’Life in Wartime’. 
*
This ain’t no foolin’ around

[Hardhatharry]

A little tip from someone who knows.... Don't worry about the Cap.

 

No first round draft pick which takes up all that money.

Edited March 22, 2020 by Hardhatharry

[Cripple Creek]

6 hours ago, Mountain Man said:

People moan if they create space and don't spend, people moan if they use. 

 

They can't win 

You're the first in this thread.

[Ya Digg?]

So I’m confused, do the Bills have enough money to get every top free agent or do they have no money at all?

[Hebert19]

8 hours ago, CaptnCoke11 said:

I fully expect them to either cut or restructure Murphy’s contract.  The way the cap goes up around 10m every year that alone will pretty much pay for a Milano deal.   Spend it all 

Not to mention we have structured a ton of contracts to have little cap hit to cut them next year.  

 

Murphy will play for 5 million or be gone 

[Hardhatharry]

3 minutes ago, Ya Digg? said:

So I’m confused, do the Bills have enough money to get every top free agent or do they have no money at all?

The answer is to stop worrying about it.

[BarleyNY]

11 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

Thread title sounds like a line from

’Life in Wartime’. 
*
This ain’t no foolin’ around

Stop making sense

[BarleyNY]

5 minutes ago, Ya Digg? said:

So I’m confused, do the Bills have enough money to get every top free agent or do they have no money at all?

They’re fine as of now.  People worry about the wrong things with the cap - using it, not using it, blah, blah, blah.  Just look to see if they’re using it wisely because cap space only does a team good if it’s used well.