Patscap Mailbag: Questions on Brady, Gronkowski and some fearless forecasts for free agency taken at BSJ Headquarters (Patriots)

(David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports)

Hi everyone! Thanks for submitting excellent questions for this week's BSJ Patscap mailbag! Would love to hear from you for future editions, so make sure you check out the contact information at the bottom of the page.



@PatsFanGarb: Curious as to what you say about the Brady/contract/OTA situation?  What is Brady's current contract compensation anyway?

This whole story seemed off from the beginning. Why would Tom Brady start to demand to be paid market-value after taking below market-deals in 2013 and in 2016? Brady's 2018 and 2019 cap numbers are $22 million:


  • $14 million salary

  • $7 million signing bonus proration

  • $1 million in 46-man active roster bonuses ($62,500 per game).


@DonJumpsuit: So you are saying that Tom Brady makes an average of $22 million a year right now, instead of the $15 million figure that every Sports Radio Announcer loves to reference?




@hashbrowndore: Now can we stop hearing "why didn't the Pats keep both"?


Jimmy Garoppolo


@strife1013: Can Patriots start resigning their players before free agency such as Lewis, Solder, Burkhead?




@Freddy_Mites: Is the salary cap for 2018 already set or is it projected?




@NEP4L: What ramifications salary cap wise if Gostkowski is released ?


Stephen Gostkowski


@bruman87: what's Bennett's contract situation? Any chance he comes back?


Martellus Bennett


@alexdsilvia93: my football cap knowledge is a little rusty but in your opinion do the pats have enough flexibility with ways to create more space & be players in free agency to fill some holes on defense?




  1. Do not pick Alan Branch's 2018 option: Creates $3.07 million in cap space.

  2. Release David Harris: Creates $1.645 million in cap space. Certain that this is going to happen.

  3. Release Mike Gillislee: Creates $1,626,250 in cap space. Confident that this is going to happen.

  4. Dwayne Allen: While I am certain that he will not be on the Patriots Week 1 roster at his current $5 million cap hit am not confident on how that will happen. Does he get released, creating $4.52 million in cap space, or does he agree to a restructure that significantly lowers his 2018 cap number?

  5. Bennett: While I'm certain that he will not be on the Patriots Week 1 roster at his current $6,187,500 cap hit, I'm not confident on how that will happen. Does he get released creating $5,707,500 in cap space, or does he agree to a restructure that significantly lowers his 2018 cap number? If Bennett is cut with an injured or failed physical designation, then he would become eligible for the injury protection benefit, which would pay $1.15 million starting on Week 1 of the regular season.

  6. Release Shea McClellin: Creates $1.87 million in cap space. I can see this happening, but the Pats may wait until he passes a physical to release him to limit their injury protection liability. If he's cut with an injured or failed physical designation, then he would become eligible for the injury protection benefit, which would pay $1.15 million starting on Week 1 of the regular season.

  7. Release Kenny Britt: Creates $973,125 in cap space. Doubtful that this will happen in the spring. Can see this happening during roster cutdowns.

  8. Release Phillip Dorsett: Creates $1,064,373 in cap space. Doubtful that this will happen in the spring. Can see this happening during roster cutdowns.

  9. Extend Brandin Cooks: Would create cap space by lowering his current cap hit of $8.459 million.




@cj7james: Historically, when do the Patriots begin extending/re-signing/or any contract manipulation after the season ends? When are you expecting these moves and with who?


Andrew Brandt
Matthew Slater
Nate Ebner
Brandon King
Johnson Bademosi
Brandon Bolden


@shusterAdam: What do you think that Trevor Reilly's name not being on the transaction wire for the 3rd straight day after the Patriots announced his signing?




@nepatriotas: Miguel, is Ted Karras a free agent in 2018? Saw some place saying that his rookie contract (2016) is for 4 years.




@millburyshoe: What is Gronk’s current contract situation?


Rob Gronkowski


Derek Kania (@derekFunny12):  So of the free agents, who do you think resigns? I think they Let Burkhead, one of the OL go, and Butler. Hope to keep Lewis and DA.



Brandon Bolden

Cameron Fleming

Danny Amendola

Dion Lewis

James Harrison

Johnson Bademosi

LaAdrian Waddle

Malcolm Butler

Marquis Flowers

Matthew Slater

Nate Ebner

Nate Solder

Rex Burkhead

Ricky Jean Francois

Brandon King

Chase Farris


Does your salary cap number include the 2017 carry over?




Question: What is your current Patriots salary cap number?


Projected League cap

Prior year carryover

Adjustment

Patriots adjusted cap

2018 cap commitment

2018 CAP SPACE: $13,286,219


Have a question for a future PatsCap mailbag? You can send those to him at any time via email (patscap@bostonsportsjournal.com), or you can Tweet them to him here.

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