Good questions this week on a number of topics. Let's get started:
A question from BSJ subscriber BruceMount Miguel, is it typical that a rookie QB like Jarrett Stidham only makes the minimum salary for 4 years? We always think of the QB market as being a premium market.
Answer: With the rookie slotting system, the only time we will see the QB premium take effect is within the deals for third-round selections. Will Grier will earn $3,852.996 over the four years of his rookie deal. Yodny Cajuste who was drafted one spot later, will get $3,482.180. The player drafted after Cajuste – running back Alexander Matison -- will make $3,471,170. All three were compensatory picks and received the same signing bonus, and will have the same 2019 salary. When a quarterback is drafted after the third round, as was Stidham, it is usual they make only the minimum salaries.
Answer: No. Expect Stidman to be a healthy inactive most of the time if he does make the roster.
Answer:
- Extending Tom Brady will create cap space. I showed the numbers in this post from February. I detailed one possible extension in my last mailbag. Cutting or trading him would create more cap space, but those two options are simply not happening.
- Releasing or trading Devin McCourty during roster cutdown weekend would create $9,005,000 in cap space.
- Trading Dont'a Hightower during roster cutdown weekend would create $7,950,313 in cap space.
- Releasing Hightower during roster cutdown weekend would create $5,950,313 in cap space, since the Patriots would be responsible for paying the fully guaranteed amount of $2 million.
- Releasing or trading Marcus Cannon during roster cutdown weekend would create $5,411,250 in cap space.
Answer: No. Ellington would be listed on the Patriots salary cap team report twice, once as released and once as active.
Answer: Usually between $3 million and $5 million. Last year was a notable exception.
Answer: If Gronk decides to un-retire during the regular season, his cap number would be $9 million divided by 17 times the number of weeks remaining in the season plus $46,875 times the remaining number of games. (Per Mike Reiss, the deadline for him to un-retire is Week 13.)
Week 1 - $9,609,375
Week 2 - $9,079,963
Week 3 - $8,550,551
Week 4 - $8,021,140
Week 5 – $7,444,853
Week 6 – $6,868,566
Week 7 – $6,292,279
Week 8 – $5,715,993
Week 9 – $5,139,706
Week 10 – $4,610,294
Week 11 – $4,034,007
Week 12 – $3,457,721
Week 13 – $2,881,434
Answer: Before practicing with the Patriots, players sign a "rookie participation agreement" assuring them if injured during minicamps, offseason workouts or the rookie development program, they will receive the same contract as if healthy.
Answer: Once the league year begins, a team cannot go over its adjusted cap number. That's why Brady had to convert most of his 2007 salary into a signing bonus before Patriots traded for Randy Moss.
Answer: Bailey beating out Allen will create $905,000 in cap space for the Patriots created, since his $495,000 salary will be replacing Allen's $900,000 salary and $500,000 in 46-man active roster bonuses.
Answer: Winovich received a $997,312 signing bonus that will be prorated $249,328 annually over the four years of his deal. His cap numbers will be:
Answer: Comfortable. Look for a piece later this month explaining why.
Answer: Since Veldheer retired before the day he was supposed to receive the $750,000, there was no need to recover it.
Answer: Yes, they did to the tune of $50,000. Releasing ASJ created $12,500 (his 46-man active roster bonus money) in cap space for the Patriots.
Answer: The incentives that were in Edelman's old contract were indeed replaced by new ones.
Answer: Actual numbers have to be used.
Answer: Correct. The league does not care about the number of games played in the prior year when it comes to the number of receptions incentive.
Answer: Gordon does not currently count against precisely because he is on the Commissioners/Suspended list. His $2,025,000 salary does NOT count against the Patriots salary cap.
Answer: No. Most recent Patriots extensions have either increased the player's current cap number or kept the same. Note the extensions of Edelman and Brandon King increased their 2019 cap numbers.
Answer: Nate Ebner. Expect Patriots to have on their Week 1 roster five core special-teamers. There are currently seven on the Patriots roster (Matthew Slater, Ebner, Brandon Bolden, Terrence Brooks, Brandon King, Obi Melifonwu and Keion Crossen.
Answer: I expect a total of five current Patriots to be either claimed on waivers or traded to another team between now and September 8.
Answer: Teams get credit for unearned LTBE incentives right before the start of the following league year.
Answer: A thousand times, no. It was a great suggestion by a follower. It has prevented countless "How much cap space do the Patriots now have?" questions. I prefer this to the alternative. I wish I had taken up this practice much sooner.
Answer:[table id=132 /]
The 92 players include 17 of 22 SB LIII starters, 41 of 53 SB LIII active players, and 6 of 13 players who were on IR/NFI.