Official Salary Cap Thread

[BengalszoneBilly]

Wasnt he in the same draft with Jerome Simpson?

Nope.

[HoosierCat]

Wasnt he in the same draft with Jerome Simpson?

Nope.

Actually, he was. Pitt took Sweed a few picks after the Bengals took Simpson in '08.

He was a washout in Pitt. No interest on my part.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Wasnt he in the same draft with Jerome Simpson?

Nope.

Actually, he was. Pitt took Sweed a few picks after the Bengals took Simpson in '08.

He was a washout in Pitt. No interest on my part.

Really? I thought he was there before Jerome.

[HoosierCat]

Nah, he was part of the same sucky WR draft.

Interesting cap point brought up by Florio: under the new CBA, teams can cary over any unused cap space from one year to the next. The twist is that they have to actively say they are doing it in a notice to the league office, otherwise it does NOT automatically roll over.

The last time PFT updated the numbers (Nov. 20) the Bengals were $19.2 million under the 2011 cap. That figure probably went down some when they made the playoffs and guys hit PT incentives and all that kind of stuff. But I doubt that ate up anywhere near $19 million.

Sooooo...anyone think the team will carry over any of that money into 2012?

[jjakq27]

Probably most of it unless they are going to sign several bigtime FAs. Even with the two firsts they probably have a good idea of what this draft will cost them. With so many young guys on the team I can see how they are that far below the cap too.

But from a fans perspective they have no excuses. This is a make or break year for winning the fans back. Spend some money and fill up the place with that nice home schedule.

[ArmyBengal]

I wanted Limas Sweed in that draft and couldn't believe it when he was sitting there. I couldn't believe it more when we passed on him to take Jerome. Turns out Jerome had a better career than Sweed, but that's not saying much. I think Desean Jackson was there as well in the 2nd.

Anyway, I really am hoping this year will be different than others when it comes to how they spend FA money. I'm not counting on it, just hoping.

Like already mentioned, that would be a good way to bring fans back to the stadium. Show they want to win and continue to build and improve a young team. Not just be content with mediocre talent.

[HoosierCat]

Probably most of it unless they are going to sign several bigtime FAs. Even with the two firsts they probably have a good idea of what this draft will cost them. With so many young guys on the team I can see how they are that far below the cap too.

But from a fans perspective they have no excuses. This is a make or break year for winning the fans back. Spend some money and fill up the place with that nice home schedule.

Yeah, my guess is that the FO will do what it always does with leftover space, which is to accelerate bonus amortization. If they just count all the bonus they paid to Hall this year instead of stretching it out over the next five years, that will add $7 million to the 2011 cap number.

I can't help but think that business as usual is a mistake this year, though. They don't have many big-money players. Hall, Whit, Peko, maybe you count Flesh Zeppelin, too. The new CBA locks their star rookies into crap deals for the next couple years, so they don't have to pay Dalton or Green until 2014. The only real concerns with guys in-house are Atkins and Dunlap (both of who will be FAs in 2014) and possibly Smith, who'll be a FA now after 2012.

So this strikes me as the best year to go all in. Next year they will have guys in-house who need to be paid. This year they could push a bunch of space forward and use it to go after someone like Nicks without screwing up the future, since they could dump a lot of the hit into 2012.

[ArmyBengal]

That's my whole point. It would only take one high tier FA to make an absolute HUGE impact on this team overall.

Get a guy like Nicks, like Mario Williams, or even a Finnegan or Lynch that starts immediately at a position of need all the while freeing up the draft to take a player they probably weren't thinking about due to being locked into a position. Like I said before, CB and OG are almost must haves with our first round picks and it sure would be nice to be able to go after the BPA or address another position they thought would have had to wait.

[HoosierCat]

That's my whole point. It would only take one high tier FA to make an absolute HUGE impact on this team overall.

Get a guy like Nicks, like Mario Williams, or even a Finnegan or Lynch that starts immediately at a position of need all the while freeing up the draft to take a player they probably weren't thinking about due to being locked into a position.

Absof*ckinlootley.

[cHaD711Johnson]

That's my whole point. It would only take one high tier FA to make an absolute HUGE impact on this team overall.

Get a guy like Nicks, like Mario Williams, or even a Finnegan or Lynch that starts immediately at a position of need all the while freeing up the draft to take a player they probably weren't thinking about due to being locked into a position. Like I said before, CB and OG are almost must haves with our first round picks and it sure would be nice to be able to go after the BPA or address another position they thought would have had to wait.

Well, Nick isn't FA. Manningham is.

As expected, Wines Hard is on his way out in Pitt. That will shave another $4 million off of Pitt's cap.

Awesome that just might solve the Bengal's #2 WR problems.

I hope that was just a really bad joke.

[ArmyBengal]

That's my whole point. It would only take one high tier FA to make an absolute HUGE impact on this team overall.

Get a guy like Nicks, like Mario Williams, or even a Finnegan or Lynch that starts immediately at a position of need all the while freeing up the draft to take a player they probably weren't thinking about due to being locked into a position. Like I said before, CB and OG are almost must haves with our first round picks and it sure would be nice to be able to go after the BPA or address another position they thought would have had to wait.

Well, Nick isn't FA. Manningham is.

Ok.... just another Giants WR I want nothing to do with.

However, I was referring to Carl Nicks, the starting Guard of the Saints that probably will hit the FA market. With them needing to do Brees, Colston, and others, his sure to be 8 million+ per year contract would be hard for them to handle.

[cHaD711Johnson]

My mistake. I guess that I don't even consider Nicks a realistic possibility with the payday that he's about to get so I am thinking about the hole at WR.

[ArmyBengal]

My mistake. I guess that I don't even consider Nicks a realistic possibility with the payday that he's about to get so I am thinking about the hole at WR.

No issue, and I agree about him getting a payday, but with the Saints needing to work Brees, Colston, and others, I simply don't see how they can keep him. On the flip side, there is one team who is under the salary cap capable of giving him the pay day he deserves and happens to have a HUGE, GLARING hole at that position.

DING DING DING.

[HoosierCat]

Well dip me in sh*t and call me stinky: according to the Cryptkeeper, the Bengals have carried over $15 million in unused cap space from 2011 into 2012, giving them a cool $60 million in cap space for this year.

The Bengals also no longer have the most space. No. 1 is now the Chiefs, who have nearly $63 million.

Other teams, per Clayton:

The Houston Texans and San Diego Chargers didn't have enough remaining room to push money over into 2012, so Houston has $3.3 million of cap space and San Diego has $9.2 million.

The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't spend $31 million of cap room in 2011, so they now have $45 million of room. The Kansas City Chiefs have $62.995 million after budgeting $24.014 million from the 2011 season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, thanks to $23.519 million of carryover cap money, have the second-most cap space with $60.496 million. The Cincinnati Bengals moved over $15 million from last year and have $60 million to spend. Dan Snyder of the Washington Redskins has plenty of room to get quarterback and receiver help, thanks to $47.56 million of cap space. The 2011 playoff teams in good shape are the Denver Broncos ($50.735 million of cap room), San Francisco 49ers ($39.33 million), Atlanta Falcons ($30.6 million) and New England Patriots ($20 million). To get to the $50 million mark, the Broncos carried over $26 million of unused cap.

Four teams still have to get under the salary cap by March 13. They are the Pittsburgh Steelers, who have redone three contracts to be $11.7 million over, the Oakland Raiders ($11 million over), the Carolina Panthers ($9.6 million over) and the New York Giants ($7.3 million over).

[Spor_tees]

My mistake. I guess that I don't even consider Nicks a realistic possibility with the payday that he's about to get so I am thinking about the hole at WR.

No issue, and I agree about him getting a payday, but with the Saints needing to work Brees, Colston, and others, I simply don't see how they can keep him. On the flip side, there is one team who is under the salary cap capable of giving him the pay day he deserves and happens to have a HUGE, GLARING hole at that position.

DING DING DING.

Huge, Glaring position? What does salary cap room have to do with finding a new Head Coach?

[ArmyBengal]

Touche'

[ArmyBengal]

The whole Carl Nicks thought led me to another. Anthony Collins. That's right I said it, Anthony Collins.

It's payday for him as well and i'm curious the line of thought out there about him.

I always liked Collins and felt he should get a shot at a starters role, but he won't get that here. The coaches have already said time and time again that he won't be moved to Guard, although I always thought that would be a good idea. If the coaches say that won't be happening here, how are we going to pay him what he will get on the FA market to remain a backup ?? Wouldn't that coin, along with the gazillion dollars we are under the cap be better used to being in a starter at another position on the line (see Guard) ??

I don't know why but he just jumped in my head as one of our own that was going to cost the organization more than they probably want to pay for a backup and how all the talk about taking care of our own may not (see this situation) be the best case moving forward. While I wish to hell they could have found a way to work him into the Guard position, it doesn't appear to be happening.

Draft OT in the 3rd or 4th maybe ??

Thoughts ??

[Spor_tees]

The whole Carl Nicks thought led me to another. Anthony Collins. That's right I said it, Anthony Collins.

It's payday for him as well and i'm curious the line of thought out there about him.

I always liked Collins and felt he should get a shot at a starters role, but he won't get that here. The coaches have already said time and time again that he won't be moved to Guard, although I always thought that would be a good idea. If the coaches say that won't be happening here, how are we going to pay him what he will get on the FA market to remain a backup ?? Wouldn't that coin, along with the gazillion dollars we are under the cap be better used to being in a starter at another position on the line (see Guard) ??

I don't know why but he just jumped in my head as one of our own that was going to cost the organization more than they probably want to pay for a backup and how all the talk about taking care of our own may not (see this situation) be the best case moving forward. While I wish to hell they could have found a way to work him into the Guard position, it doesn't appear to be happening.

Draft OT in the 3rd or 4th maybe ??

Thoughts ??

Well the Bengals always seem to find those tweener guys that can multiple positions on the line in the mid to late rounds. Even though he didn't get charged in the incident with Simpson, I think Collins is going to suffer from it. I doubt the Bengals bring him back.

[HoosierCat]

I like Collins, always have, and would be happy to see them keep him -- IF he's going to play. But if they aren't going to put him at RG and they aren't going to move Smith from RT, I don't know what you do with him. Ideally I would like to keep him as at least insurance in case Smith is gone/leaves after 2012. But you can't pay big bucks for a backup.

I think the Bengals can probably (note: PROBABLY) slide w/o spending a high or mid-round pick on OT this year. They can find quality backups in FA. BUT depending on how things go with Smith next year it's an issue. And of course Whit ain't getting any younger...

[ArmyBengal]

That's my point as well (with paying a backup that kind of money) and why I don't think he returns.

The whole thought to bringing him up specifically is that the argument has been made that by the time we resign all our own, pay incentives and so forth that we won't be able to afford anything big in FA. I simply say that I disagree with that.

Some of the big dollar guys we have (Collins, Benson, etc.) probably won't or shouldn't be brought back. Nelson is someone I would like to see them get done along with Sims, but I don't see Sims as a "breaking the bank" type of player. Anyway, with guys like Collins and Benson more than likely not coming back, who exactly are we spending all the 60 million in cap space on ?? Nugent might be the most expensive FA we have to pay in the grand scheme of things.

Anyway, maybe i'm just trying to will them into making a splash in FA, but the more I look at it, I don't see how they DON'T do something in that area. Even if they take care of the RFA of ours (Skuta, Hayden, and Pressley) that's not big coin and I want Pressley to stay.

[ArmyBengal]

Ok, here's another situation I was wondering about and PFT did it for me in regards to RFA's and who was out there.

Foster is a restricted free agent, but the new CBA makes it easier for other teams to go after him. Interested teams “only” have to give up a first round pick and a contract to sign Foster. The Steelers are in a very similar situation with Mike Wallace, and they are considering using the tag on Wallace.

The Texans want to sign Foster long-term, but what if a deal isn’t worked out by March 5?

John McClain of the Houston Chronicle wrote earlier this offseason the team’s plan is to tender Foster at the highest level and match any possible competing offer. That’s a risky move. A team like the Patriots or Bengals could try to sign Foster to a front-loaded contract that is difficult to match.

Ultimately, Houston may have to choose between Williams and Foster. (And we don’t think Houston will let Foster get away.) Getting a long-term contract done quickly with Foster looks a lot more realistic. The Texans could use the tag — expected to be around $8 million — as a way to buy time while they work on a contract with Foster.

In the meantime, Williams may become the highest paid defensive player in the league for another team.

/>http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/14/texans-face-tough-decision-with-foster/

[HoosierCat]

Hmmm. Good call, Army. The idea of chasing a top-tendered RFA hadn't occurred to me...but the Bengals do have 2 first round picks, and if I recall the RFA rules correctly they would be giving up their own pick, 21, and still keep 17. There's certainly an argument to be made that spending that pick on a proven player would be a smart move.

Foster would certainly be a catch. And a nice bit of tit-for-tat after Houston took Joseph away from us last year.

Meanwhile, over at espn, Hensley mulls the team's options if they decide to really use that big hunk of cap space:

If the Bengals do decide to spend, they could come away with several notable free agents, such as Raiders running back Michael Bush (if he isn't given the franchise tag), Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem and Ravens guard Ben Grubbs. Cincinnati also has the cap room to re-sign kicker Mike Nugent (or put the tag on him), safety Reggie Nelson and defensive end Frostee Rucker. All signs point to the Bengals building on last season's surprising success.

Bush + Meacham + Grubbs? Now that would be a haul.

[ArmyBengal]

I'm telling you Hoosier, there's not another season I can recall where things seem to lining up for the Bengals to make a play in FA.

Tons of cap space ?? Check.

No huge FA's of our own to resign ?? Check.

Top end FA's available that fill a position of need ?? Check.

Extra picks to get creative with other teams RFA's ?? Check.

When they carried over last years cap savings that was a real indicator to me, but there is still a part of me that still feels that i'm hoping against hope. The front office also HAS TO find a way to get people back to the stadium and getting a big name in FA would certainly not hurt that situation in the least.

I still haven't bothered to look at the rest of the RFA's out there, but it is worth taking a look at.

[Sea Ray]

I seriously doubt that Mike Brown will part with any significant draft pick in order to sign a FA. I don't see that happening and I don't see a 5th, 6th or 7th rd pick being enough to sway another team from parting with a RFA that they'd like to keep

[jjakq27]

Dumb question, but when does Free Agency start this year?