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.
Among the questions I've received the most this offseason is whether or not the Patriots can afford to go after a top free agent. The answer? The chances are good.
Right now, I have the Patriots salary cap space number as $16.1 million. If they release Martellus Bennett, Mike Gillislee, Dwayne Allen and Shea McClellin while not picking their 2018 options on Alan Branch and Kenny Britt, they'll increase their 2018 cap space number to $34.1 million while getting rid of six players who played a total of two snaps on offense, zero snaps on defense and nine snaps on special teams in the Super Bowl. That $34.1 million should be more than enough cap space for the rest of the 2018 season. Please note the Patriots can create even more cap space by extending any one of the following players:
- Tom Brady
- Rob Gronkowski
- Stephen Gostkowski
- Brandin Cooks
- Chris Hogan
- $8,000,000 salary
- $250,000 offseason workout bonus money
- $656,250 in 46-man active roster bonuses ($46,875 per active game). If Gronk is active for all 16 regular-season games, his 2018 cap number will then be $11 million.
- $800,000 proration from his 2015 $4,000,000 signing bonus
- $1,200,000 proration from his 2016 $6,000,000 signing bonus
- $9,000,000 salary
- $250,000 offseason workout bonus money
- $750,000 in 46-man active roster bonuses ($46,875 per active game).
- $800,000 proration from his 2015 $4,000,000 signing bonus
- $1,200,000 proration from his 2016 $6,000,000 signing bonus
