Injured player Andrew Jelks is helping Patriots' cap space each week

Today I saw on the NFLPA public salary cap page that the Patriots' salary cap space increased by $20,153. This increase confirmed for me what a source had previously confided in me about Andrew Jelks' 2017 cap number: he's helping the Patriots' cap space with each passing week.

How?

Jelks, an undrafted free agent, was signed by the Patriots on May 5. On July 24, he was placed on the Active Non-Football Injury (NFI) List. On Sept. 2, Jelks was placed on the Reserve NFI list. Jelks and the Patriots agreed that while Jelks was on the NFI list, he would be paid the same as a practice squad player ($7,200 a week) rather than the rookie salary ($27,352.94 a week). Sometime after roster cutdowns, Jelks' cap number decreased from $465,000 to $344,082. $344,082 is six weeks of practice squad pay plus 11 weeks of rookie salary pay.

$7,200 times 6 weeks = $43,200
+ $27,352.94 times 11 weeks = $300,882
============================
$344,082

Jelks just completed his seventh week on the NFI list so his cap number decreased from $344,082 to $323,929 (the $20,153 decrease being the difference between the practice squad weekly pay of $7,200 and the rookie weekly salary of $27,352.94. After each week Jelks completes on the NFI list, the Patriots salary cap space number will increase by $20,153. If Jelks spends the entire season on the NFI list, his 2017 cap number will end up being $122,400.

Answering some logical follow-up questions:

Q: When can Jelks start practicing?
A: Any day now. The first day that he could have practiced was October 16. Jelks had to remain on the NFI list for the first six weeks of the season.

Q: How long can Jelks practice?
A: For three weeks.

Q: Can Jelks return to the roster?
A: Yes. If he begins practicing, he is treated just as a regular player in that he would have to be placed on the active roster, injured reserve (if he has a setback), or released when the three weeks are up.

Q: Why was Jelks placed on NFI?
A: I have not been unable to learn the nature of the injury that caused Jelks to be placed on NFI.

Q: Are the Patriots obligated to pay Jelks while he was on NFI?
A: No. Teams are not required to pay players while they are on the NFI list but if they do the player's salary will count against the team's cap.

Q: How much cap space do the Patriots currently have?
A: Using my numbers, $4,905,837

Q: Did Jelks received any guaranteed money?
A: No, he did not. Jelks was one of only two UDFAs (Sam Cotton being the other) not to receive any guaranteed money in their rookie deals.

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