Joel Corry On Worst Salary Cap Situations
On Christmas Eve, Joel Corry of CBS Sports took a look at a few NFL teams who have the worst salary cap situations going into 2015. He picked out the five organizations stuck deepest in salary cap hell:
- New Orleans Saints – $23.07MM over the cap
- Arizona Cardinals – $6.44MM
- Pittsburgh Steelers – $2.901MM
- New England Patriots – $1.945MM
- San Francisco 49ers – $928,000
Here are some of the highlights of actions Corry suggests that would help them get under the cap in order to have a successful offseason:
Saints
- Pass rusher Junior Galette could see his contract restructured to open up $10MM, despite signing the extension this past offseason.
- Another contract doled off last offseason that can be restructured is of prized free agent Jairus Byrd, which could open up $5.6MM in cap space.
- A third contract from last offseason that can be restructured is that of tight end Jimmy Graham. That move could save $4.77MM in cap space.
- Both of their Pro Bowl guards are suddenly highly paid luxuries as they have seen their performance drop, and Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs are candidates for release. If cut, they will free up $6.6MM and $3.6MM, respectively.
- Veteran receiver Marques Colston holds a $9.7MM cap number, and has seen a sharp decline in his play. It will be a tougher cut, but is a candidate to be released.
- The team could restructure Drew Brees‘ contract again, although they will only push their cap problems into the future in exchange for immediate relief.
- Releasing linebacker David Hawthorne will free up $2.99MM in cap space if he is released before his $2.5MM roster bonus on the third day of the 2015 league year.
Cardinals
- If the team is not going to release Larry Fitzgerald, it could hope that he takes a modest pay cut. A deal that would see him reduce his salary to $10MM per season would create enormous cap relief.
- Daryl Washington has not seen the field during his suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, and he could be a cap casualty this offseason.
- Carson Palmer‘s recent extension could be restructured despite him being out with injury, freeing up to $7.125MM in cap space.
- The team may have to pass on retaining Antonio Cromartie, despite getting a very good year from the cornerback on a one-year deal.
Steelers
- Ben Roethlisberger is in line for a new deal to keep him steady as the team’s franchise quarterback, but signing a new deal would likely bring less than $5MM in cap room.
- Longtime Steeler and likely Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu may be a cap casualty if he does not retire, which would save the team $3.7MM in cap space.
- Corry writes that is unusual for a team to admit a mistake so quickly, but Cortez Allen was terrible after receiving his extension in September. The team could open up a little cap space by releasing him after one season.
- The team is unlikely to place the transition tag on Jason Worilds again, and could mitigate the loss of the outside linebacker if James Harrison suits up for another season with the team.
Patriots
- The obvious move for the Patriots would be signing Darrelle Revis to a long-term deal, which would create substantial cap space. The team is unlikely to keep him in 2015 at his current number. They will open $20MM in cap space if they do not keep him on the roster.
- The Patriots could open up $4MM in cap space by restructuring Tom Brady‘s contract.
- The team will likely ask linebacker Jerod Mayo to take a pay cut, or they may release him. Corry writes that his $4.5MM injury guarantee will be the only thing that potentially saves him from being released.
- Danny Amendola will be expendable, and cutting him will free up $2.1MM in cap room or $4.5MM if he is designated a post June 1st cut.
- Vince Wilfork could also become a cap casualty, as the team will have to decide whether to guarantee his contract for 2015 and 2016. Releasing him will free up $7.566MM in cap room.
- The team could also recoup some money from Aaron Hernandez‘ signing bonus if the grievance ruling comes back favorable for the Patriots.
49ers
- The 49ers could restructure Colin Kaepernick‘s contract to lower his 2015 cap number.
- Linebacker Ahmad Brooks may be released, freeing up a little over $4MM in cap room.
- Another staple of the team, Vernon Davis, could be released as performance has dropped. The team would gain $4.95MM from releasing him.
- If Aldon Smith‘s off-field troubles are too much for the 49ers, the team could decline his 2015 option and pick up $9.754MM in cap space.
- The team could pass on re-signing Michael Crabtree, and will likely cut Stevie Johnson and save just over $6MM unless they lose Crabtree and replace him with Johnson.
- The team will most likely not seek to bring Frank Gore back to the team, unless it is at an extremely reasonable number.
Extra Points: Barkley, Raiders, Wagner
Let’s take a look at some assorted notes from around the league as we wrap up this Christmas Eve…
- As Todd Archer of ESPNDallas.com points out, the Cowboys owe the Ravens a sixth round pick to complete the Rolando McClain trade. Since the linebacker played more than 50 percent of his team’s defensive snaps, the Cowboys will send off their pick and receive a seventh-rounder in return.
- Chip Kelly told reports that he believes quarterback Matt Barkley has a future with the Eagles, and Zach Berman of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that this would be a good weekend for the 24-year-old to prove his coach right.
- Raiders quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo could be a “strong candidate” to become the next offensive coordinator for the University of Pittsburgh, according to Fox Sports (via ESPN.com’s Bill Williamson).
- Cardinals coach Bruce Arians is among those questioning the 49ers for wanting to move on from Jim Harbaugh. “It’s very shocking to me,” Arians said (via Matt Maiocco CSNBayArea.com). “Jimmy’s done an unbelievable job. The fact that one bad season shouldn’t deter from what they’ve built there. And I think they have had pretty much everything you want culture-wise in place there. And the wins and losses speak for themselves.”
- Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner drew interest from the Rams during the 2012 draft, and the third-year pro revealed that he was expecting to call St. Louis home. “I remember everything was great,” Wagner said (via ESPN.com’s Nick Wagoner). “I talked to them before I knew they were very interested and I felt like if I wasn’t going to be in Seattle or whoever had the pick before that I was going to end there. I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I could definitely tell through the conversations that we were having and just the vibe that they really wanted me to be there. I actually got a text right before I got drafted by the Seahawks from the (Rams) linebackers coach, but I’m happy where I’m at.”
Cardinals Will Not Cut Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Fitzgerald‘s contract will take up an enormous amount of cap space in 2015, eating up $23.6MM of valuable cap dollars that could go to making improvements elsewhere on the roster. Because of that number, Fitzgerald has long been thought of as a candidate to be cut this offseason. Ideally, the team would be able to trade the former All-Pro receiver, although it would be difficult to find a team willing to accept Fitzgerald’s cap number.
Although his contract looms large, the team will not cut the face of their franchise, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. The team may explore trading him, restructuring his deal, or signing him to an extension. Florio’s sources made it clear that the Cardinals would not cut him.
General manager Steve Keim noted that there have been ongoing talks with Fitzgerald’s agent about his future with the team, according to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com. “We have to make good business decisions,” said Keim. “I don’t think it’s any secret that we said all along that it is our intent to have Larry Fitzgerald retire a Cardinal. I don’t want to get into it too deep, but with planning purposes and financially, from a cap standpoint and all those sort of things, we have Larry’s (cap) number already baked into our numbers.”
“Now, any kind of business decisions moving forward, renegotiations with Larry and that sort of thing, we’ve had ongoing talks with (agent) Eugene Parker and we will continue to have ongoing talks,” added Keim. “But again, the best I can tell you is that it is our intent to keep Larry and make sure he stays a Cardinal the rest of his career.”
Urban also writes that if the Cardinals are serious about not releasing the veteran wideout, Fitzgerald will have no reason to accept a paycut to stay with the team.
NFC Links: Cutler, Fitzgerald, Giants
We heard about a month ago that Vikings fullback Jerome Felton was considering opting out of his restructured contract. The 28-year-old can accept a 2015 deal worth $2.45MM (plus a $50K workout bonus), but a reduced role may force him to pursue other opportunities.
The former fifth-round pick addressed the subject on Friday (via Mark Craig of the Star Tribune):
“I’d like to come back, but I know the reality. I know they have Zach [Line] on the roster, even though I’m not getting many snaps. My salary, the number of reps I’ve gotten this year, all of that plays into it. But I’ve taken advantage of every opportunity, and I know there is a lot of good film on me out there.”
After having played at least 400 snaps the previous two seasons, the veteran has only seen the field on 148 snaps in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Understandably, Felton isn’t happy about the lighter workload:
“I’m not happy about it, but I refuse to be a negative person. I’ve stayed positive and kept working hard. It’s frustrating because I do feel I’ve played at a high level. I thought there would be a good role for me on the team, but obviously it was impacted by Adrian’s situation.”
Let’s take a look at some more notes from the NFC…
- ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggests that the Bears could make history if they decide to trade Jay Cutler. According to Schefter, a team has never had to give up extra compensation to get rid of a player, but plenty of league executives believe that will be Chicago’s only hope of ridding themselves of the embattled quarterback.
- Kent Somers of AZCentral.com says there’s a 50-50 chances that wideout Larry Fitzgerald will be with the Cardinals next season. Meanwhile, the writer believes quarterback Carson Palmer will return.
- If the Cardinals don’t keep Palmer, they may be seeking a veteran quarterback. However, Somers can’t imagine the team pursuing Jay Cutler.
- The Giants could undergo some drastic change this offseason, but ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano believes at least two members of the organization will be back: wideout Rueben Randle and head coach Tom Coughlin. The writer mentions that defensive coordinator Perry Fewell could potentially be on his way out.
Workout Notes: Wednesday
Today’s workouts, auditions, visits, pow-wows, get togethers, tryouts, and pop-ins..
- The Raiders worked out former Saints wide receiver Joe Morgan, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
- The Saints worked out offensive lineman Will Simmons and Andre Miller, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (on Twitter).
- The Buccaneers worked out linebacker Brandon Denmark, safety M.D. Jennings, and defensive back Jocquel Skinner , Wilson tweets. The Bucs also tried out defensive end Lawrence Sidbury, who wound up being signed to the active roster, and defensive back Varmah Sonie, who has joined their taxi squad.
- Defensive end Sammy Brown visited the Buccaneers, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
- The Seahawks worked out former Memphis defensive linemen Johnnie Farms, Marcus Forston, Rufus Johnson, Zach Minter, Brandon Moore, Will Pericak, Andru Pulu, and Jared Wheeler, according to Wilson (via Twitter).
- The Cardinals tried out defensive end Shawn Lemon, wide receiver Jalil Carter, and defensive back Delvin Breaux, according to Wilson (on Twitter).
West Notes: 49ers, Harbaugh, Allen, Borland
Even though the 49ers have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, GM Trent Baalke said on 95.7 The Game that a decision on the status of Jim Harbaugh won’t be made until the team has finished its 2014 schedule. “When the season ends, decisions are going to be made,” Baalke said, via Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. “And that’s when that conversation is going to take place. Jim and I sat here this morning and we basically talked about just that, and we talked about what we needed to do from a roster standpoint to get ready to play Saturday.”
- While there are rumors linking Harbaugh to Michigan, Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News (on Twitter) firmly believes that the 49ers coach wants to stay in the NFL.
- Chargers wide receiver Keenan Allen suffered a broken collarbone along with an ankle injury in Sunday’s loss to the Broncos, as Ricky Henne of Chargers.com writes. Allen won’t suit up on Saturday, but he also won’t be heading to the IR, according to Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego (on Twitter). There’s no surgery planned for Allen’s broken collarbone at this time.
- 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio today said “it would be a stretch” if Chris Borland, who injured his ankle Sunday in Seattle, were able to play again this season, writes Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee. It’s disappointing news for Borland, who leads SF in tackles and was a legitimate candidate for rookie defensive player of the year.
- With two quarterbacks sidelined, Ryan Lindley is scheduled to start for the Cardinals when they face Seattle on Sunday. The Seahawks studied Lindley before drafting Russell Wilson in 2012, as Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times writes.
Minor Moves: Tuesday
With contending teams vying for playoff spots and fighting for higher seeds, and non-contenders perhaps taking a longer look at younger players down the stretch, we can expect teams to make plenty of minor tweaks to their 53-man rosters this week. Here are Tuesday’s minor transactions, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- According to the league transaction wire, quarterback Chandler Harnish has been released by the Vikings, tweets Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. Harnish was under an injured designation with a foot injury.
- The Browns have made room for the addition of Andrew McDonald (noted below) by waiving linebacker Zac Diles, the club announced today (Twitter link).
- The Buccaneers have released cornerback Crezdon Butler, and will likely announce more moves on Wednesday, according to Scott Smith of Buccaneers.com (Twitter link). One possible replacement for Butler could be former safety Mistral Raymond — a source tells Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun (Twitter link) that the former Viking worked out for Tampa Bay today.
- The Raiders have plucked a player from across the bay, signing cornerback Chance Casey from off the 49ers’ practice squad, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- A day after being cut by the Colts, offensive tackle Andrew McDonald has been claimed off waivers by the Browns, according to agent Brett Tessler (Twitter link). It’s not clear yet who is coming off Cleveland’s roster to make room for the new addition.
- Cornerback Josh Thomas, who apparently lost his playbook recently, won’t be needing it back now — he was released by the Jets today, according to the team (Twitter link). New York called up safety Rontez Miles from the practice squad to take Thomas’ place on the roster.
- Offensive tackle J’Marcus Webb has been cut by the Vikings, the team announced today (Twitter link). Webb’s release comes on the heels of his missed block that led to a blocked field goal during Sunday’s loss to the Lions.
- Having already made multiple roster moves today, the Ravens completed a couple more, placing running back Lorenzo Taliaferro on the injured reserve list and signed former defensive tackle Casey Walker off the Patriots’ practice squad, the club announced in a press release. Baltimore still has an open spot on its 53-man roster.
- The Titans have swapped tight ends on their active roster, signing Matthew Mulligan and placing Brett Brackett on injured reserve, says Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (Twitter links). Brackett’s season comes to a premature end due to a knee issue.
- The Cardinals have placed defensive tackle Ed Stinson on injured reserve, ending his season, per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter). Taking Stinson’s place on the roster is wide receiver Brittan Golden, promoted from Arizona’s practice squad.
- The Falcons cleared a roster spot by placing cornerback Robert Alford on injured reserve yesterday with a wrist issue, and will fill that spot today by promoting cornerback Ricardo Allen from their practice squad, a source tells Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The team has since confirmed the move (via Twitter).
- Agent Mike McCartney indicated today (via Twitter) that his client, offensive lineman Ryan Jensen, has received a promotion from the Ravens‘ practice squad to the team’s 53-man roster. It’s not clear yet whose spot Jensen is taking, but defensive backs Asa Jackson and Terrence Brooks are both expected to be placed on IR this week.
Cardinals Sign Zach Bauman To PS
TUESDAY, 11:04am: Per Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter), Bauman has been signed to the Cardinals’ practice squad, rather than the team’s active roster.
MONDAY, 7:52pm: The Cardinals are set to sign running back Zach Bauman, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (via Twitter).
Bauman, an undrafted free agent out of Northern Arizona, was dropped from the Cardinals’ roster just before the 53-man cutdown over the offseason. He had a stint on the Cardinals’ taxi squad later on, but he has been without an NFL home since being dropped on November 12th. With the Cardinals reeling from Andre Elllington‘s injury, Bauman has been brought aboard to add additional depth to the backfield.
Cardinals coach Bruce Arians claimed that Stepfan Taylor would be the Cards’ starter in Ellington’s absence, but it was mostly Kerwynn Williams in Week 14 and something of a split between Williams and Taylor in Week 15.
Minor Moves: Monday
Here are Monday’s minor transactions from around the NFL, including practice squad signings and cuts, with the latest moves added to the top of the list throughout the day:
- Washington cut Chase Minnifield from injured reserve, according to Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post (via Twitter). Minnifield had been on IR ever since suffering a concussion in November.
- Tight end Gerell Robinson has received a promotion in Miami, as the Dolphins added him to their 53-man roster from the practice squad (Twitter link). To accommodate the move, tight end Gator Hoskins has been cut.
- The Rams have filled one of their two practice squad openings by signing defensive lineman Doug Worthington, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link).
- The Colts have promoted cornerback Sheldon Price from their practice squad to their active roster, the team announced today in a press release. To make room for Price, the club waived tackle Andrew McDonald.
Earlier updates:
- Although it appeared last month that cornerback Robert Alford would return this season after suffering a broken wrist, Falcons head coach Mike Smith confirmed today that Alford will have surgery on that wrist and is being placed on the team’s injured reserve list, tweets D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
- The Panthers have made a change on their defensive line, parting ways with defensive tackle Micanor Regis and signing fellow defensive tackle Kyle Love to take his place on their 53-man roster, according to the team (Twitter link). Carolina also re-added defensive end Frank Alexander to its roster following his suspension — the club receives a week-long roster exemption for Alexander, so nobody needs to be cut to accommodate him quite yet (Twitter link).
- As expected, in the wake of Drew Stanton‘s knee injury, the Cardinals have added a quarterback to their practice squad for emergency purposes. According to Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com (via Twitter), the team has added former Cornell signal-caller Jeff Mathews to its taxi squad, cutting linebacker Kion Wilson to create space.
NFC Notes: Cardinals, Garrett, Buccaneers
The NFL playoff picture cleared up in some ways in Week 15, with teams like the 49ers and Vikings officially falling out of contention. But with just two games left on the schedule for each team after tonight, several clubs remain in the hunt for the conference’s No. 1 seed and homefield advantage. Intra-divisional showdowns will be key over the next two weeks, with the Cardinals preparing to host the Seahawks in Week 16, and the Lions and Packers gearing up for a Week 17 game at Lambeau Field.
While we wait to see how the NFC standings shake out, and which contender is left out of the postseason, let’s check in on a few items from around the conference….
- Appearing on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM today, Cardinals general manager Steve Keim indicated that his team will add a quarterback to its practice squad “for emergency purposes” (Twitter link via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com). The club intends to stick with Ryan Lindley and Logan Thomas on its active roster, while Drew Stanton recovers from his knee injury.
- While Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stopped short of publicly announcing that Jason Garrett would return for next season, an extension for the head coach seems like something of a formality at this point, writes Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “It’s very obvious that he is doing very well and his hard work is paying off,” Jones said of Garrett.
- The Buccaneers are in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 overall pick for the 2015 draft, which would give them the opportunity to select a quarterback like Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston. However, Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk suggests that Tampa Bay should focus on building a roster with a great defense and a strong running game rather than continuing to search for a franchise quarterback. Smith argues that allocating money and resources to areas that other teams aren’t necessarily prioritizing, rather than playing catch-up at QB, could give the club a competitive edge.
- With six sacks and 13 solo tackles in his last three games, Giants defender Jason Pierre-Paul is finishing strong as he approaches potential free agency, writes Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com. Pierre-Paul and Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant top Fitzgerald’s list of players in contract years who improved their stocks this week.