There has been a lot of speculation about the Jets salary cap situation in '09, so I dug some info up. This excellent site, http://www.nyjetscap.com/salary09.html, made it pretty easy. In my searches I also found that the NFL salary cap is going up by at least 6% for '09. That number could very well be higher. NFL '09 Projected Salary Cap: $123,000,000 NYJ '09 Projected Cap: $131,249,485 source NYJ Dead Money: $3,312,204 Current Projected Cap Balance: ($8,249,475) Players with significant savings if cut/traded: Code: Name Base Salary Prorated Bonus Roster Bonus Other Bonus Cap Value Dead Money if Cut Cap Savings if Cut Favre, Brett $13,000,000 $0 $0 $0 $13,000,000 $0 $13,000,000 Moore, Brandon $620,000 $225,479 $5,000,000 $0 $5,845,479 $384,292 $5,461,187 Ellis, Shaun $4,650,000 $2,225,000 $0 $0 $6,875,000 $2,225,000 $4,650,000 Barrett, David $3,710,000 $842,000 $0 $0 $4,552,000 $842,000 $3,710,000 Bowens, David $2,000,000 $133,334 $500,000 $100,000 $2,733,334 $133,334 $2,600,000 Baker, Chris $2,100,000 $250,000 $0 $0 $2,350,000 $250,000 $2,100,000 Jenkins, Kris $750,000 $900,000 $4,000,000 $750,000 $6,400,000 $4,350,000 $2,050,000 Let’s look at them on a case by case basis. Favre: IMO he is likely retiring. That would immediately put us back in the black. If Favre does decide to come back I think it is reasonable to consider a pay cut for him. Yes, he’s a legend, but his play this year didn’t exactly show it. I think it’s reasonable to try and rework his deal over a couple of years and pay him somewhere in the neighborhood of $7-$10 million for ’09. That would save us $3-$6 million off the cap. Bottom Line: Favre will retire saving us $13 million in cap space. Moore: Moore has been a good soldier and played well for us, especially in ’08. He was a big part of our running success on the right side of the line. His salary should stay as is. Bottom Line: No Change. Ellis: Shaun has been an above average DE for us, and is the longest tenured Jet. We don’t want him to go anywhere. He hasn’t exactly been dominant though, and he’s probably overpaid in ’09 at nearly $7 million. We can probably cut his base salary by about $1.5 million. Bottom Line: Restructure contract to save $1.5 million. Barrett: There probably isn’t an easier cut on the roster. Barrett barely made the field for a below average secondary and is being paid too much. We save nearly $4 million on the cap by releasing him. Bottom Line: Cutting Barrett saves $3.71 million. Bowens: Bowens has provided nice depth for our 3-4 lining up at OLB, ILB and DE. While his $2.6 million isn’t a huge figure, it’s too much to pay an aging depth player. We should be able to chop that figure in half. Bottom Line: Restructure contract to save $1.3 million Baker: With the emergence of Keller, Baker is paid too much to be the occasional 6th lineman with hands. We all know he’s not taking any pay cuts. Bottom Line: Cutting Baker saves $2.1 million. Jenkins: Baker is a beast when healthy and the key to our 3-4 being successful. Bottom Line: No Change. Favre retiring: Savings: $21.61 million Sub-Total: $13.37 million Favre restructuring to $8.5 million in ’09 instead of retiring: Savings: $13.11 million Sub-Total: $4.91 million Other players of note: Code: Name Base Salary Prorated Bonus Roster Bonus Other Bonus Cap Value Coles, Laveranues $6,000,000 $1,000,000 $0 $0 $7,000,000 Rhodes, Kerry $700,000 $666,666 $5,000,000 $20,000 $6,386,666 Coleman, Kenyon $3,000,000 $1,250,588 $250,000 $150,000 $4,650,588 Thomas, Bryan $1,900,000 $1,600,000 $0 $250,000 $3,750,000 Coles: Unfortunately we made a bad deal with Coles and are stuck with his $7 million unless he wants to be a nice guy and take a cut for the good of the team. We’re on the hook for the $7 million regardless of whether we keep him, cut him or trade him and he knows it. Note to Tanny, don’t ever guarantee a contract again. I’m a Coles fan but $7 million is a bit much at this point in his career. Bottom Line: No Change. Rhodes: I’m probably going to take flak for this, but Rhodes hasn’t looked like a guy that makes $6 million+ this year. We should try and talk him down on that $5 million roster bonus. Bottom Line: Reduce Roster Bonus $1 million. K. Coleman: Coleman is an average 3-4 DE. We need to try and shave at least $1 million off that ’09 salary. Bottom Line: Reduce Base Salary $1 million. B. Thomas: Not much to say here, he’s over paid. Shave $1 million off that salary. Bottom Line: Reduce Base Salary $1 million. We should be able to work another $3 million or so from these guys based on performance. Favre retiring: Savings: $24.61 million Adjusted Projected Cap: $16.37 million Favre restructuring to $8.5 million in ’09 instead of retiring: Savings: $16.11 million Adjusted Projected Cap: $7.91 million
OMG! Get rid of Favre, David Bowens, and Chris Baker. They are useless! Why jets pay so much money to players that they don't live up to it. It's like New York Knicks. Jets needs young players! Screw those old fart players!
I'd really like to keep Bowens, he's provided great depth for us. He is a bit over paid though, so hopefully they can rework that contract.
Leave Bowens alone (in Brittney guy voice)...paycut wouldn't hurt though 2.6 mil is still cheap for a vet that can play any of the front 7 minus NT.
I havent looked at the Jets cap situation yet so i'll just talk about some of the guys you mentioned. 1. I feel it is imperative to get David Barret, Bryan Thomas, and Kenyon Coleman out of here. Coleman is not a bad player but he makes to much money and doesnt produce enough to warrant getting paid what he is getting. 2. I think Favre will retire. That will help free up a lot of cap space. 3. I feel the best thing to do with Coles is to try and move him. Trades dont happen a lot in the NFL though and his contract doesnt help.
We're on the hook for Coles' $7 million regardless of what we do with him though. I'd rather keep him here than see him go to Miami.
If the cap situation is as you say, it should be a relative lay-up for Tannenbaum. I am not worried at all. We definitely should lock Leon up though.
I like what you say about B. Moore. He was perhaps the most improved player this year. He did a very solid job and at times, was excellent.
LMAOOOOOOOOOO. Yo, that dude is HILARIOUS. But I know not to many people got what you were getting at. However, if we get Cowher, we need to get rid of who needs getting rid of, or rework who ever's contract needs it, in order to get the people here to make this team competitive. And not just a playoff team, but a SB contender. How do we have 7 Pro Bowl selections and are not in the playoffs. There is enough talent on this team to have mad a run for the SB. So the bottom line was the coaching or lack there of. I pray we get Cowher and if so he's going to want his own people here and getting under the cap will make that easier for him to do.
Actually our cap balance next year is not ($4,937,271). You have to include the dead money $3,312,204, from cutting players this past year. So the Jets are right now $8,249,475 over the cap. That may change if the jets get their cap increased based on incentive credits, but really it looks like it will be ($8,249,475) in the red. Still if favre retires the jets cap situation should be ok. Plus cutting barrett and baker will help
Ok yes Favre has to go. the thing though is that Ellis had a resurgence so it might be hard to reduce the contract, Obviously you might have to move this money so that we take the hit latter on. Id rather trade Baker to get some value for him. Keller is clearly the man at the moment. We can always get a more blocking TE if we really need him. I agree with Barrett and Moore as well
You're right, thanks. On his '08 cap page he has "$5,052,789 credit from 2007" in his calculation, any idea where that came from??
Rhodes had a lousy year because he was never put in as position by sutton to do anything--how can a key guy be an impact player when you send him 20 yards from the line of scrimmage??? rhodes is still a stud and will be worth every penny with the right DC
Favre and Barrett are the only ones on that list I'd really like to see gone. K Coleman, B Thomas, and Moore are also expendable but we'd need to find replacements first.
IMO Cuts FAVRE COLES Bowens Barrett Coleman Re-Structure ELLIS Thats probably the best the Jets could do. Also why would the Jets be on the hook for Coles' base salary?