Quote Originally Posted by Fritz View Post
Here's the link:

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packe...280391362.html

And here's the confusing passage, for me:

"A personnel director for an NFL team said he considered Hayward as the more appealing player. He said the Packers figured to aim for the second-round pick they have invested in Hayward.

As a fourth-round selection, House might not fetch more than a conditional pick in the fourth round that would improve maybe to the third round based on criteria such as playing time and interceptions.

Hyde, a fifth-round choice, won't become unrestricted until March 2017. His 40-yard dash time of 4.57, compared with House's 4.41 and Hayward's 4.52, make him less marketable, but his versatility could interest a different cluster of teams."
I found more than that confusing. For example, McGinn states:

Sam Shields hasn't played quite up to his standards, but he's not going anywhere. The Packers regard Shields, 26, as an ascending player. Trading his recent four-year contract that averages $9.75 million also would blast their salary cap.
I don't see how it would "blast" their salary cap either this year or next. As I see it:

2014 - this year, they would save half his salary, or $750,000. He also has a performance bonus of $450Kthis year. I don't know what happens with it, but even if they have to pay it, it was something they would have had anyway. So, at worst, they gain $750,000 in cap minus the salary of the player that replaces him on the roster. Probably a minimum wage type guy. Net effect in 2014 would be an increase in salary cap.

2015- the cap cost to keep Shields in 2015 is $9,125,000. The cap hit for accelerating his signing bonus if they trade him is $9,375,00. Net effect in 2015 is a decrease in cap of $250,000 + the salary of the guy who replaces him (again, probably a young guy at minimal cost. This would be offset by any carryover from the cap increase realized in 2014.

Salary cap implications would not influence a trade decision, in my opinion.