Colts Cap Update - 28 Mar 2017

[omahacolt]

Originally Posted by VeveJones007

If they don't make heavy investments in UFA next offseason, I'll completely agree. I can see several justifications for not doing it this offseason, though.

just one dude though. one clear and definite upgrade. one really good player and i would have liked it better.


aside from getting raped from the pats in a trade

[YDFL Commish]

Originally Posted by VeveJones007

The answer to your first question is "signing true difference-makers." Teams like Denver and NYG have shown that you can be effective targeting high-end free agents who make a real difference for your team.

Keep in mind that some of my desire to do that is because of the "use it or lose it" nature of the cap. They don't have to save much cap space to re-sign guys on expiring rookie deals over the next two years, so they will have a lot of money to spend...otherwise it's gone and a lost opportunity.

To maximize this mini rebuild, Ballard needs to

1) Hit on draft picks
2) Make smart mid- to low-tier UFA signings to stabilize the roster and create depth
3) Utilize his excess cap space in 2018-2019 to sign a couple real difference makers via UFA

#3 is pretty simple: either Ballard allocates that cap space via UFA, or it's money in Irsay's pockets. There are only so many guys you can sign to $3-5MM deals when your roster is bereft of expensive contracts.

Good post!

An example of what you're saying is the early to mid 2000 Eagles. They were always a contender, with $20 to $30 million in spare cap space, but were always one or two players away from winning it all. What a waste!

For some strange reason though, they would never go out and get the difference makers they needed in free agency.

The Colts cannot duplicate this strategy. I get Ballard not getting difference makers this off-season. But from here on out he's got to hone in on the 1 to guys in free agency that can put this team over the top.

[VeveJones007]

Originally Posted by omahacolt

just one dude though. one clear and definite upgrade. one really good player and i would have liked it better.


aside from getting raped from the pats in a trade

I can see where you're coming from, but that cap space will still be there next offseason. It's not like they signed a guy like Osweiler to a bad deal and that is going to limit them moving forward.

[VeveJones007]

Originally Posted by sherck

Good answer. Much truth in this but I still think that Ballard will avoid signing the "big" free agents from other teams. Why?

2018 = Vontae Davis (turns 30 before 2018 season), Donte Moncrief (turns 25 before 2018 season), Jack Mewhort (turns 27 before 2018 season). Clear cut starters all of whom will probably be somewhere between "above average NFL starter" to "superstar" on the NFL talent spectrum. All will demand contracts north of $5m a year average who will require "big money" to retain.

2019 = Henry Anderson, Clayton Geathers, Denzell Good, David Parry. Who knows if these guys will be starters or not but they have all shown the ability to be so.

Depending on how the next 2 years go, we could have a lot of guys that the team wants to re-sign. This also does not count folks who, I think, could emerge in 2017 like Rashaan Melvin, Brian Schwenke or Kamar Aiken.

We will see but I think there are a lot of guys whom Ballard could end up wanting to retain that are going to take bigger contracts to do so.

Cheers,

I don't think anyone on that list will command more than $5-7MM per, so that's part of the calculation I'm considering that leads me to my prior points. Very loosely:

$50MM in space
-$8MM draft/UDFA
-$21MM re-signing of some of those players

That leaves $21MM for UFAs. You can sign a couple really solid players with that money who can make a difference. That's the kind of "heavy investment" I'm talking about.

[VeveJones007]

Originally Posted by YDFL Commish

Good post!

An example of what you're saying is the early to mid 2000 Eagles. They were always a contender, with $20 to $30 million in spare cap space, but were always one or two players away from winning it all. What a waste!

For some strange reason though, they would never go out and get the difference makers they needed in free agency.

The Colts cannot duplicate this strategy. I get Ballard not getting difference makers this off-season. But from here on out he's got to hone in on the 1 to guys in free agency that can put this team over the top.

I get it if you need to maintain space for re-signing guys down the line, but Grigson was such a bad drafter that we realistically don't have to worry about any re-signs being very expensive until 2021. That leaves a few years where they can afford to sign a couple higher-priced free agents.

[Puck]

The problem that Ballard had is that he needed a lot of replacements. This goes back the the 2013 draft. The players from that draft should have been starters by now. Not all of them but a few. That would have eliminated the numerous holes that this team had. Because there was no one stepping up from that draft class to replace FA's from last yr and the yr before we had too many holes to fill this yr.

I can see what Ballard did. He got as many decent guys as he could to fill as many holes as he could. Knowing that he has to hit in the draft so that they are ready to replace these newly signed FA's in a yr or two. Once he gets the draft going in the right direction he will be able to sign one or two big difference makers in the future and draft for luxury picks like RB's and WR's with 1st round picks.

If you look at the players he has signed, who would you have rather he didn't sign? Who would you have to replace that player?


If anyone thinks he didn't upgrade this D already you're nuts. At least on paper that is.

The draft and cuts are coming. There will be more players added after cuts. I am glad he hasn't spent everything he has to spend yet.


And I still want Lamp in round 1!

[sherck]

Originally Posted by Puck

The problem that Ballard had is that he needed a lot of replacements. This goes back the the 2013 draft. The players from that draft should have been starters by now. Not all of them but a few. That would have eliminated the numerous holes that this team had. Because there was no one stepping up from that draft class to replace FA's from last yr and the yr before we had too many holes to fill this yr.

I can see what Ballard did. He got as many decent guys as he could to fill as many holes as he could. Knowing that he has to hit in the draft so that they are ready to replace these newly signed FA's in a yr or two. Once he gets the draft going in the right direction he will be able to sign one or two big difference makers in the future and draft for luxury picks like RB's and WR's with 1st round picks.

If you look at the players he has signed, who would you have rather he didn't sign? Who would you have to replace that player?


If anyone thinks he didn't upgrade this D already you're nuts. At least on paper that is.

The draft and cuts are coming. There will be more players added after cuts. I am glad he hasn't spent everything he has to spend yet.


And I still want Lamp in round 1!

I thanked it for everything prior to wanting to draft Lamp.

Defense, defense, defense my friend.

Cheers,

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Puck]

Originally Posted by sherck

I thanked it for everything prior to wanting to draft Lamp.

Defense, defense, defense my friend.

Cheers,

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Save Luck Save Luck Save Luck my friend!!!!!

[nate505]

How much of that $18 million can be rolled into next year? All of it? Can unlimited money keep getting rolled into the the next seasons (like say could the Colts roll 10 million a year and in three years have $30 million in extra cap space) or at some point does it have to be spent?

[sherck]

Originally Posted by nate505

How much of that $18 million can be rolled into next year? All of it? Can unlimited money keep getting rolled into the the next seasons (like say could the Colts roll 10 million a year and in three years have $30 million in extra cap space) or at some point does it have to be spent?

Sort of.

Over a rolling 5 year period, teams have to spend at least 90% of their cap.

That means that you can roll small amounts (10% or $16m and under) forever and larger amount ever now and then as long as you stay above 90% average.

Which is why you saw CLE and JAX go crazy in free agency because they were way under and needed to spend near 100% of their cap to bring their rolling average up.

So, it is not "use or lose" except in opportunity cost.

Cheers,

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk