A team's adjusted cap consists of three numbers:
- League cap number
- Prior year carryover adjustments for Likely To Be Earned (LTBE)/Not Likely To Be Earned (NLTBE) incentives
- Adjustments for Likely To Be Earned (LTBE)/Not Likely To Be Earned (NLTBE) incentives. In 2017, the Patriots were debited a total of $1,006,553 against their 2017 adjusted cap number because of LTBE/NTLBE calculations.
Vince Wilfork
Background
Earned LTBE incentives:
Unearned LTBE incentives:
Earned NTLBE incentives:
Unearned NLTBE incentives:
not
(The changes in likelihood from last week are italicized.)
Matthew Slater
Dont'a Hightower
Patrick Chung
Patrick Chung
Earned (See above for reason)
Patrick Chung
Probable since Chung has played in 87.4 percent of the snaps AND it is possible for the Pats to go 2-0 the rest of the year.
Patrick Chung
Patrick Chung
Dont'a Hightower
James Develin
James Develin
David Harris
Harris
David Harris
Alan Branch
Impossible. If the Patriots defense continues to average 67 snaps a game and even if Branch were to play in 100 percent of them going forward, his playing-time percentage for the year would be 38.14 percent.
Alan Branch
Impossible. (See above for reasons.)
Julian Edelman
Impossible
Probable: $900,000
Earned: $700,000
$3,200,000
italicized
Ryan Allen
Nate Solder
Nate Ebner
Shea McClellin
Johnson Bademosi
Dont'a Hightower
Johnson Bademosi
Johnson Bademosi
Impossible because the Patriots defense would have to play 190 snaps in their last two games AND Bademosi would have to play 100 percent of them to bring up his percentage to 35 percent for the year.
LaAdrian Waddle
LaAdrian Waddle
Impossible, even if the Patriots offense continues to average 71 snaps a game. Even if Waddle were to play in 100 percent of
going forward, his playing-time percentage for the year would be 41.5 percent.
Dion Lewis
Dion Lewis
Impossible since if the Patriots offense continues to average 71 snaps a game. Even if Lewis were to play in 100 percent of them going forward, his playing-time percentage for the year would be 39.3 percent.
Dion Lewis
Lawrence Guy
Lawrence Guy
Duron Harmon
Duron Harmon
Possible since Harmon has played in 66.2 percent of the defensive snaps.
Duron Harmon
Impossible. If the Patriots defense continues to average 67 snaps a game and even if Harmon were to play in 100 percent of them going forward his playing-time percentage for the year would be 74.13 percent.
* Alan Branch's 65 percent playing time incentive: $375,000. Impossible. If the Patriots defense continues to average 67 snaps a game and even if Branch were to play in 100 percent of them going forward his playing-time percentage for the year would be 38.14 percent.
* Dont'a Hightower's playing-time incentives that would kick in at 70, 75 and 80 percent ($250,000 each). Impossible because he's on IR.
* Shea McClellin's playing-time incentives that would kick in at 60 and 70 percent ($250,000 each). Impossible because McClellin is on IR.
* Alan Branch's 65 percent playing time incentive: $375,000. Impossible. If the Patriots defense continues to average 67 snaps a game and even if Branch were to play in 100 percent of them going forward his playing-time percentage for the year would be 38.14 percent.
* Dont'a Hightower's playing-time incentives that would kick in at 70, 75 and 80 percent ($250,000 each). Impossible because he's on IR.
* Shea McClellin's playing-time incentives that would kick in at 60 and 70 percent ($250,000 each). Impossible because McClellin is on IR.
* Rob Gronkowski's $1 million incentive could have been earned in one of the following four ways:
- Scores 10 touchdowns
- Catches 60 passes
- Has 800 receiving yards
- 70 percent playing-time
Earned since Gronkowski has 1,017 receiving yards for the season but now superseded by Gronkowski reaching the next tier.
* Rob Gronkowski's $3 million incentive could have been earned in one of the following four ways
- 80 percent playing-time
- Scores 12 touchdowns
- Catches 70 passes
- Has 1,000 receiving yards
Earned since Gronkowski has 1,017 receiving yards for the season.
* Rob Gronkowski's $5.5 million incentive could have been earned in one of the following five ways
90 percent playing-time- Scores 14 touchdowns
- Catches 80 passes
- Has 1,200 receiving yards
- Named first-team All-Pro
3.5 touchdowns a game
8 receptions a game
91.5 receiving yards a game for three games
AND

do
Summary
Impossible: $4,300,000
Unlikely: $1,850,000
Possible: $750,000
Probable: $3,650,000
Earned: $3,000,000
Rex Burkhead
Stephon Gilmore
Austin Carr:
D.J. Killings:
Cody Hollister:
Brooks Ellis:
Jason King:
David Jones:
Kenny Moore:
LeShun Daniels:
Jason Thompson:
Credits:
Unearned LTBE incentives:
Unearned LTBE 46-man active roster bonuses:
Guaranteed Salary Offset Credit:
Total Credits:
plus
minus
League Cap:
Prior Year Carryover:
Adjustment:
Patriots Adjusted Cap:
2018 Cap Commitment:
Ted Karras
2018 Cap Space
Q: Your cap space number is currently around $3.3 million. Why do you think that they will end up with $3 million?
Q: Who are those five players?
Q: What would happen to a player's 2018 cap number if he reaches a NLTBE incentive in 2017?
Q: Can Gronkowski earn $9.5 (1+3+5.5) million in incentives this year?
Q: Will rushing for a touchdown, however unlikely, help Gronkowski reach his incentives?
Q: Some reports of Gronkowski's incentives do not mention scoring 14 touchdowns as part of his top tier?

Q: Besides the already mentioned players what Patriots have incentives for the 2018 season whose likeliness to be earned classification will be determined by how they do in 2017?
- David Andrews has two playing-time incentives that commence in 2018. He will earn $250,000 if he plays in at least 65 percent of the snaps next year. He will earn another $450,000 if he plays in 85 percent. If he continues to average playing 85 percent of the snaps in the 2017 season, the lower incentive will be considered LTBE for the 2018 season increasing his 2018 cap number by $700,000.
- James White has four incentives that commence in the 2018 season. He will earn $250,000 if he plays in at least 50 percent of the snaps in 2018, and will earn another $250,000 if he plays in 60 percent. He will earn $250,000 if he has 1,000 total yards from scrimmage and another $250,000 if he has 1,200 total yards from scrimmage. White has played in 41.2 percent of the snaps in the 2017 season, and is on pace for 686 yards from scrimmage, so none of his four incentives would be considered LTBE for the 2018 season.
Q: How else can playing-time affect the Patriots cap?
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