Bills still have about $15 mil in cap space

[Ed]

They're estimating the cap hits for our free agent signings, but they're probably not far off. Assuming the Bills need $6 mil for rookies and will save at least a couple mil for late signings, I expect us to to still sign another couple "dust settlers".

So which players that are still available could we see for a 2-4 mil cap hit?

http://www.buffalorumblings.com/buffalo-bills-news/2014/3/13/5503752/bills-free-agency-2014-remaining-cap-space

[better days]

I want to see Spikes signed & the Bills have the money to do that.

[SpikedLemonade]

"Sure we do...."
-- signed Ralph's Wallet

[justasportsfan]

I want to see Spikes signed & the Bills have the money to do that.

Pepper Johnson must not be high on Spikes or he would've been on the same plane as Carpenter.

[Mahdi]

Sign Dareus. One smart move please.

[gebobs]

Unreal. How in the hell do you have this crap roster and not have $50 cap left?

[SpikedLemonade]

Unreal. How in the hell do you have this crap roster and not have $50 cap left?

You don't make any effort whatsoever to reduce the cap hit like turning base salary into bonuses, taking dead money in years you have cap space, etc.

It was that progressive bullpoop they came out with over 5 years called Cash to Crap -- a propaganda lie to explain away why Ralph isn't signing big signing bonus cheques like the rest of the league does unless they fit into this year's cap. Basically, the opposite of what the Broncos, Saints and Patriots just did.

[better days]

You don't make any effort whatsoever to reduce the cap hit like turning base salary into bonuses, taking dead money in years you have cap space, etc.

It was that progressive bullpoop they came out with over 5 years called Cash to Crap -- a propaganda lie to explain away why Ralph isn't signing big signing bonus cheques like the rest of the league does unless they fit into this year's cap. Basically, the opposite of what the Broncos, Saints and Patriots just did.

It is like paying with cash or a credit card.

Eventually the bill comes due.

The Bills pay up front with cash while teams like the Cowboys & Redskins pay with a credit card.

BOTH the Cowboys & Skins are up against it this year because of their spending habits.

[THATHURMANATOR]

Pepper Johnson must not be high on Spikes or he would've been on the same plane as Carpenter.

Like Pepper Johnson has any say on anything.

[jimmifli]

Unreal. How in the hell do you have this crap roster and not have $50 cap left?
Here's what I don't get.

We were supposed to have $15 million heading into free agency (http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2014/03/11/bills-cap-room-less-than-previously-reported/), and we rolled over $18 million from last season (http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/bills-have-cap-space-to-make-big-moves-20140302).

So what happened to the $18 million rollover? Would we really have been over the cap this season without that? That seems impossible.

[SpikedLemonade]

Here's what I don't get.

We were supposed to have $15 million heading into free agency (http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2014/03/11/bills-cap-room-less-than-previously-reported/), and we rolled over $18 million from last season (http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/bills-have-cap-space-to-make-big-moves-20140302).

So what happened to the $18 million rollover? Would we really have been over the cap this season without that? That seems impossible.

The Bills are artificially keeping the cap hit high through their Cap to Crap "policy".

[justasportsfan]

Like Pepper Johnson has any say on anything.

he would have some input since he had inside knowledge. Like Scwhartz had with the hiring of the qb coach.

[jimmifli]

The Bills are artificially keeping the cap hit high through their Cap to Crap "policy".
We've had this argument before. Cash to cap isn't a problem. The NFL salary cap is a closed system, so all money is eventually counted. It doesn't matter what year you count it in, as long as you spend it.

[Uncle Jesse]

So what happened to the $18 million rollover? Would we really have been over the cap this season without that? That seems impossible.

I would assume players cap hits are different year to year.

[JoeMama]

If we're only $15 mil under, that means we've spent $118 mil of the $133 mil salary cap for 2014.

Which is 88.7% of the cap.

Under the new CBA, the league mandates that a team spend an average of 89% over a 4 year period.

I have no idea how a team this bad can command such a high percentage of the cap. We don't have anything to show for it. Especially for a team without a franchise QB, which is usually the #1 reason teams have cap issues.

[Buffalogic]

Lets get Nicks, Oher, Vick. Draft LB in round one, another receiver round two.

[Mr. Pink]

Lets get Nicks, Oher, Vick. Draft LB in round one, another receiver round two.

If they're 15M under the cap, allegedly, there isn't enough room for all those moves.

Plus you need about 10M to stay in Ralphies pocket, so I'm thinking FA is done as it's gonna take 6 for all the rookies.

[JoeMama]

Here's what I don't get.

We were supposed to have $15 million heading into free agency (http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2014/03/11/bills-cap-room-less-than-previously-reported/), and we rolled over $18 million from last season (http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/bills-have-cap-space-to-make-big-moves-20140302).

So what happened to the $18 million rollover? Would we really have been over the cap this season without that? That seems impossible.

This is the best I could find.


Can a team carry excess/unused cap space into the next year?

Yes. Unused cap space from a team's previous year cap can be added to the following year. The team must notify the league of their intent to rollover cap money at least 14 days prior to the start of the next season's league year.

Does it continue to rollover like cellphone minutes?

No. Rollover money from 2012 into 2013 is treated as "adjusted cap". Any unused "adjusted" money in 2013 cannot be rolled over again into 2014.

http://www.spotrac.com/terms/nfl/

[SpikedLemonade]

Somebody keep me posted for when the Bills "notify the NFL of their intent" to use rollover space from a previous year to increase spending in a current year.

Somehow I don't see that being exercised.

I remember reading an article recently that the Bills did the proper notification. Whether they spend the money is a different story.

[Strongman]

Unreal. How in the hell do you have this crap roster and not have $50 cap left?

It's what happens when you run your team like a dimestore instead of sports franchise that wants to win a championship.

[Mr. Pink]

Here's what I don't get.

We were supposed to have $15 million heading into free agency (http://blogs.buffalobills.com/2014/03/11/bills-cap-room-less-than-previously-reported/), and we rolled over $18 million from last season (http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/bills-have-cap-space-to-make-big-moves-20140302).

So what happened to the $18 million rollover? Would we really have been over the cap this season without that? That seems impossible.

Aaron Williams extension, Corey Graham, Chris Williams, Keith Rivers.

I'm thinking Williams is at least a 5M bump, Graham 4M, Williams 3M, Rivers 3M.

There's about 19.

[JoeMama]

I remember reading an article recently that the Bills did the proper notification. Whether they spend the money is a different story.

Yeah I took that part out of my post few seconds after I posted. It apparently did happen.

I read elsewhere that $12 mil of the $18 mil rollover is dead money from previous contracts, like Fitz's deal ($7 mil in dead space). So basically the rollover nets us $6 mil in actual cap space.

These cap numbers are never as nice as they appear.

[GingerP]

If we're only $15 mil under, that means we've spent $118 mil of the $133 mil salary cap for 2014.

Which is 88.7% of the cap.

Under the new CBA, the league mandates that a team spend an average of 89% over a 4 year period.

Teh 88.7 is cap room, the 89% has to due to with cash. The team has to spend 89% of the cap from 2013-2016 in actual cash.

[YardRat]

Teh 88.7 is cap room, the 89% has to due to with cash. The team has to spend 89% of the cap from 2013-2016 in actual cash.

Signing bonuses and incentive bonuses can add up quick.

[better days]

Signing bonuses and incentive bonuses can add up quick.

Except bonus money is spread over the life of the contract.

[jimmifli]

If we're only $15 mil under, that means we've spent $118 mil of the $133 mil salary cap for 2014.

Which is 88.7% of the cap.

Under the new CBA, the league mandates that a team spend an average of 89% over a 4 year period.

I have no idea how a team this bad can command such a high percentage of the cap. We don't have anything to show for it. Especially for a team without a franchise QB, which is usually the #1 reason teams have cap issues.
Our cap was $152 million because of the rollover from last season.

[jimmifli]

Yeah I took that part out of my post few seconds after I posted. It apparently did happen.

I read elsewhere that $12 mil of the $18 mil rollover is dead money from previous contracts, like Fitz's deal ($7 mil in dead space). So basically the rollover nets us $6 mil in actual cap space.

These cap numbers are never as nice as they appear.

I don't see how dead money changes anything. There's only to categories money that gets charged to the cap, and how much cap space is left over. If we had an $18 million rollover, then that's $18 million added to this years cap. We've already accounted for Fitz' contract as dead money from a June 1st contract (as an aside, it wouldn't really matter if we allocated him as June 1st or not since we rolled over all the cap space).

[X-Era]

Like Yardie said, it looks like about 9 mill to spend after keeping 6 mill in reserve for rookies.I'd be fine with signing just one more player but of the starting variety... Like Strief or Spikes maybe Oher. Invest 4-6 mill and I'm happy until the draft.

[YardRat]

Except bonus money is spread over the life of the contract.

I'm aware of that, my comment was relative to cash-to-the-cap and the spending floor, neither of which are amortized.

[Thief]

It is like paying with cash or a credit card.

Eventually the bill comes due.

The Bills pay up front with cash while teams like the Cowboys & Redskins pay with a credit card.

BOTH the Cowboys & Skins are up against it this year because of their spending habits.SO yeah, instead of being awesome for three years then sucking for three years we stay just below average every damn year.

[BillsFever21]

It is like paying with cash or a credit card.

Eventually the bill comes due.

The Bills pay up front with cash while teams like the Cowboys & Redskins pay with a credit card.

BOTH the Cowboys & Skins are up against it this year because of their spending habits.

In the NFL eventually you need to use the "credit card" if you want to build and keep a team around. You eventually have to make your run for it instead of just going cash to cap all the time. The Bills do it to save money and look like they are spending more of their cap money.

Just last season the Ravens were in a bad cap situation and had to get rid of many players. Even after signing Flacco to the big contract they still ended up with 20+ million in cap space for this year. It can be done with proper cap management if you're willing to spend the money to put and keep a team together for a title run.

Teams can get by for years with re-working contracts, spreading out signing bonuses and other tactics so they can spend more money. Eventually some of them players get old, their contract runs out or they redo them to free up cap space. When the time comes when you actually do need to bite the bullet you can be out of cap hell in a relatively short period of time like a couple years.

If you ask me that is a much better option then the Bills cheap way out to make their cap spending look better. They even manufacture a higher salary cap figure this way by not spreading out bonuses. If you're willing to spend the money then you can keep and build a team for a while before biting the bullet for a short period of time.

The Bills hardly have any big contracts yet other teams still had the same amount of cap space as us give or take. All we heard was how the Dolphins would be in cap hell this season and letting everyone go after the money they spent last season and they still well over 20 million in cap space going into the offseason and even signed more players this year. I don't agree with the way they are doing it and believe in keeping your own players first and then using the credit card to add to it to try and get over the hump. It's just proof that it can be done.

Hell the Broncos are paying Manning 20 million a year along with other players yet they still had money to sign Talib, Ware and TJ Ward. They are doing it to try and put them over the hump. Eventually every good team has their window of opportunity and needs to go for it. The Bills never do because of poor drafting and then not signing most of their top players when the time comes.

The Bills cap looks higher then it is because they always have so many average players on short term contracts for 3-5 million a year. Some of them come off the books each year or are released and then the Bills just shift the money around to some more average players. I made a post last year about the huge number of players the Bills have in this salary range compared to other teams and especially the top teams. It was alarming how many players we had signed for this kind of money but the lack of high price players because we let them walk.

They are too cheap to seriously make a run at it and keep their good players to build continuity and use their draft picks for other players. They keep signing these average players on short term deals so they can consistently stay 15-20 million under the cap every year. That leaves us with a bunch of average players which keeps leading to average results. They don't want them long term deals with a huge signing bonus because they are too cheap to pay it. That's one of the reasons why we're the worse team in the league over the past 14 seasons.

For how little amount of talent and big contracts the Bills have it's amazing we never have a huge amount of space going into every offseason. It's because of the reasons already stated. Spending money can be done for a while to build and keep a team together. The Bills just refuse to do so because of their internal cash spending cap that eventually goes back into Ralph's wallet. With this strategy we will never have the money to keep a good number of high priced top players around and/or add to the team for an extended run towards a championship.

[SpikedLemonade]

Well said.