Cap Reality

No worries.

In relation to Vince, his cap charge is 7 mil rather than his salary, he has already been paid a lot of that $7m in the form of a signing bonus and a previous restructure.

 

Yes his salary is 4 mil and his signing bonus is 3.031m.

 

Having looked at it again you are right, he is due a $3m roster bonus in March and his base salary is around $900k then. They could technically restructure him but it would make it impossible to cut him next season when they have to look at extensions for Watt and whoever else from the 2017 class they are keeping. My guess is that they leave him as is.

 

No he had a 3 mil roster bonus in 2019 the 3 mil this year and next year is the signing bonus, either way making it almost impossible(financially) to let him go. I am not sure how the whole restructure officially works but it is the best option for us on VW.

 

Yeah I was looking at 2019. The 6m fully guaranteed that he has left on the cap sheet is 3.2m in his original signing bonus and 2.8m from a restructure in 2019.

Restructuring again might be an option but it will increase his 2021 cap charge thus tying you to him once again for that season. If they plan on drafting somebody cheaper this year or next it might not be a wise thing to do.

 

We are tied to him this year and next year no matter what...well they will have to eat money next year as well but not as much as this year. That is why I am saying restructure only because we are stuck anyways. I agree don't want to add to next year but like I said we are stuck anyways......

 

Lamar and Mahomes are still playing under their rookie contracts. They wont get the big money until their next contract. Lamar's total contract he is playing under is 9.47mil for 4yrs with a 4.97 signing bonus. Mahomes's current rookie contract is 16.42 for 4yrs with a 10.08 signing bonus

 

The name of this thread is Cap Reality and the OP did a really nice job summarizing our situation. We’ve talked about a lot of things. Point is we are in cap hell but that is what happens when you have Great talent and are pushing for a Super Bowl!

The Reality is 2020 is our last Great Chance for a SB and 2021 has a legit chance but it’ll take aging vets playing Solid and Young guys taking the next step and reallly producing.

IF the Cap goes up as predicted we’ll have less than 2 mil.... ERFA (S) M. Allen, (DL) Hooks & (C) Hassenauer will be signed and kept. RFA Hilton, Feiler, Banner & Dangerfield will be a Tendered and Probably all resigned. Our Small Draft Class will be signed. We don’t have the Money on the Books for this so Players will be cut and Maybe an extension and/or Restructure will take place.

Here’s our UFA lists and either we PAY them or lose them!!! Dupree , Finney, Hargrave, S. Davis, Burns , Dirty Red, LS Canaday, N. Vannett!!! Burns is gone!!! Canaday is probably resigned.. We Should try to keep Davis and start him over Edmunds Beside Fitz But can we afford him? Vannett should be kept if McDonald is released but can we also afford him? Same with Dirty Red. Finney is gone as is Hargrave, too expensive for our cap and a shame to loose really good young talent. Then there is Dupree who may be tagged for a one year rental at a High Costs!!!

Here’s a Lists of Players in their Final year!! We can debate who should be extended, cut or let play out final year.
Heyward, AV, Barron, Chickillo, Foster, Alualu, Watt, Berry, Big Dan, JuJu, Sutton, Connor, Switzer, Holton, QB Lynch, Ola Adeniyi,

Cajun
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You are correct and I’m aware of this. My point is Not all SB contending teams have super expensive QBs. A real strong argument can be made that the best way to be a great SB contending team is to find a Franchise QB and while on that rookie contract spend your Cap on a lot of good to great FA. This of course is not guaranteed as proven by the Browns.

Cajun
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Since we are talking cap numbers just want to throw this out there as we head into the draft and free agency. The Steelers top 51 which is what the cap goes by is 199m. The offense makes up 100.8 mil and the defense makes up 98.5 mil special teams is 5.7 mil. That 98 mil is without Buds numbers, but when you have guys like Chick scheduled to make 6.097, Barron 8.125 and Alualu 3.625 all part time players that is a lot of coin.

Chick has to go and we have replacements already on the roster in Ola and Skipper and then draft a guy to take one of their spots. Barron has been ok but not at this number. I know TE has been brought in to be the hybrid type let him step into Barrons role and lets get another starting safety. Alualu has been excellent however this is a numbers game. If we bring back Digger then why have Tuitt, Heyward and Digger making big money and this guy sitting back with a 3.6m cap hit......just can't do it with our current situation. Buggs is sitting here let him step in and draft another.

With the defensive side of the ball's cap number so him without Digger and/or Bud moves will need to be made for sure. These are just the cold hard facts, I don't want to see some of these guys go but every team has players they would like to keep and pay but can't, we are no different.

 

I do not see either Watt or Mahomes playing under their rookie contracts next year. (My OFF & DEF player of the year picks)

Watt will be doing exactly what his brother did by signing an extension; JJ signed for 6yrs 100million his 4th year.

No way Mahomes plays for $735,000 in Salary and a roster bonus of $1,969,905; when some old guy is making 33 million next year.

 

I don't let alualu go anywhere. We have low baller the guy for years. He has stepped in and been a good starter twice for tuitt. Tuitt and Vince cost us about 22 million dollars a year plus the cost of two guys that have to play for them. Pizz poor contract by colbert that are tying our hands. Those two and the guys that play for them leave us with about 64 million of the 98 we account for on defense.

 

What's really crazy is that this team is ALWAYS pressed up against the cap. Always. Restructures. Bad contracts. I bet behind the scenes they are regretting the contract they gave Ben.

So now we live on the edge hoping that Ben can come back after a major injury to his throwing arm. Restructure, restructure. The team will be in cap hell for years to come when Ben steps away and then the process will start on retooling this team. Get ready for some lean years. I have lived through them. But might not be alive to see another Super Bowl run.

 

There is nothing we can do about VW and Tuitt the contracts are done do I like it heck no but the facts are the facts we can't cut them without eating just about all of their money. We can get relief from Alualu who I don't disagree with has stepped in nicely. However he is a back and should get back up money especially when we are so tight on the cap. I guess I am confused some here want to keep Digger because he stepped in for Tuitt then other say Alualu stepped in, which is it. Tuitt's contract is terrible and his healthy is terrible but there is nothing we can do about it since we get no relief from cutting him we can only deal with what is front of us........

 

Agree. 3 million is peanuts for what Alualu provides us. If we lose Hargrave and Tuitt gets hurt then what? You have to rely on Buggs in a expanded role. I understand trying to save money but I don’t think Alualu is the guy you go after. He’s earning his 3 mil. Heyward is looking for a extension as well so that should factor into the Dupree decision. How could you deny Heyward?

 

Hilton, hargraves, alualu, buggs are critical as is dupree.

Buggs in year two gives you a guy that can play various spots. even some at NT. some in our two down linemen sets.

Alualu can do the same. He can play the nose as well as DE.

hilton plays the slot. He had the second most passes defended behind haden. I think he is a critical keep for all he can do. FS as well if we are in a pinch.

Hargraves was very productive last year. Contract year as well.

Dupree was productive. Last year and this coming year his salary has exploded from his original. 7 mil. Last year and probably 7 more this year. Will we get 7 million more worth of jump in stats? Probably not. His production has increased at about 1 million dollars per sack and tackle from his previous play. That is pretty expensive. He plays the run pretty well.

where do you want to spend? All three levels have players we should keep.

fading with age.

Foster. Gray
Pouncey. Finney
AV. Chuks
chickillo. Ola- skipper
McDonald ???? Vannett??
berry some h s kid
holton
switzer
Edmunds rb
Alualu buggs
Mccullers a big traffic cone.
Barron UG3
Vince spillane

there could be money to be had.

 

I agree with what Alualu brings to the table and what his production is all I am saying it cap savings and like what was pointed out the guys ahead of him are taking up a lot of salary.

 

The guys ahead of him are Hargrave who’s probably out the door and Tuitt who is always hurt. IMO 3 mil. is a worthy investment for what Alualu brings. The cost to value rating is clearly in his favor. We actually need more guys where that’s the case. We would have to pay a back up anyway. Maybe not 3 mil but you know what Alu brings....

 

Listen I am not beating on Alualu but the fact that he is counting as 3.6m of cap space and we can save 2.75 is very appealing to me. I would rather take that 3.6 and add it to a top starter be it Digger or someone else and let Buggs step in as this is his 3rd year and showed progress last year. I am not asking for some guy off our practice squad to take his place I am asking one of our draft picks who has shown he is improving to step up. It isn't like we have the luxury to pay a pack up almost 4 mill when we have 2 guys already on the dline accounting for 29 mil. jmo

 

He’s no longer a back up when Tuitt inevitably gets hurt....

 

True but this is why we have Buggs...................

 

Alualu offers reliable cover if anybody on the defensive line goes down. I’d keep him one more year and let him play out his contract at the very least. They will have a better idea of how much they can depend on Buggs by then

 

You and I are gonna have to disagree on this one. I thin Alualu value is at least on par with his salary. As long as MCCullers is making more than 100$ bucks a game I won’t complain about Alualu...jmo

Now if you tell me keeping Alu is stopping us from resigning Hargrave I would get letting him go. He’s a quality backup and a starter when called upon. His versatility at NT and DE is not easily replaced...not with 2.75 mil. to spend.

 

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.c...-correctly-steelers-bud-dupree-javon-hargrave

 

I'm wondering what the team would have looked like if they were able to keep Bell ($10-15M) and non-crazy Brown ($15-20M) on the roster.