Subscriber Andres Crespo asked on Twitter: Which players would give the Patriots more cap space if cut before the season starts?
Well, here you go:
[table id=113 /]
Answering some logical follow-up questions:
Question: When is the deadline for NFL teams to get down to 53 active players?
Answer: 4 p.m., Saturday, September 1.
Question: Why do some players have zero cap savings if released?
Answer: Because their salaries are currently not counting against the Patriots salary cap because of the Top 51 rule. While the Top 51 rule is in effect (from the start of league year to the day of the first regular season game) only the salaries of the players with the 51-highest cap numbers count against the cap. Example: Cole Croston's $555,000 salary is not currently counting against the Patriots salary cap because Croston's cap number is the 68th highest on the Patriots.
Question: Why do some players have negative cap savings if released?
Answer: Because they have fully guaranteed salaries. When a player with future guaranteed salaries (Sony Michel, Isaiah Wynn, and Duke Dawson) are released, those salaries hit this year's cap. These are the Patriots whose 2018 salaries are fully guaranteed -
- Tom Brady
- Stephon Gilmore
- Dont'a Hightower
- Marcus Cannon
- Kyle Van Noy
- Isaiah Wynn
- Danny Shelton
- Sony Michel
- Duke Dawson