NFL Offseason/Free Agency Thread

[Frozen Tundra]

Continually cooking the cap can lead to a team not being able to offer an UFA the same amount of money when that bill comes due. That's where it hurts. For instance, there were players we couldn't go after this year because the bill finally came due on AR. Same next year with what's left of Bakh's contract. Again, these bills DO come due and it will make it so you can't offer someone new the same amount of money that another team can at that given time.

I can't believe this still needs to be explained to people. It's like people think that as long as they have checks in the checkbook, they can just keep writing checks.

[NewsBruin]

Continually cooking the cap can lead to a team not being able to offer an UFA the same amount of money when that bill comes due.

And since you're trading unguaranteed money (future seasons' salary) for spread-out guaranteed money (prorated bonuses), you can't cut or trade that player without getting an anvil dropped on your salary-cap plans. So if you "cook the books" or "kick the can" or whatever metaphor (It's easy! Any team can do it!), you're hoping that this is a dude who can play the whole term of his contract, who won't change for the worse when a huge bonus is dropped in his lap, and who won't be a big cloud of stink in the lockerroom.

My local team, the Saints, had their head coach leave for the Rockies once he saw that his retirement-postponing QB wasn't postponing it anymore and years of his prorated salaries were gonna come due -- causing them to cut more players to clear cap space. Now that I write it out, I'm thrilled he's got a Russel Wilson-sized hole in the 2023 and 2024 salary caps.

Personally, I don't subscribe to the "If we spend a lot of money and make it to the Conference Championship, I'll be okay as the division's doormat for seasons to come!" THAT is what I think of as true credit-card mentality.

[sharpe1027]

If everything goes absolutely perfect, pushing money into the future is an even trade-off, now vs later. A real problem, as noted multiple times, is when things don't go perfectly with the players for which you pushed cap into the future.

[Fritz]

I am hoping the Packers will, as they often did under Thompson, let some of the big names get snatched and overpaid, then see who's out there who can help at a more reasonable price.

I'm thinking about '25 as THE season.

[run pMc]

They can get a Jordan Fuller or Julian Blackmon type of S for less than they paid Savage last year, and get better production. Savage missed almost 14% of his tackle attempts, that's not good.
The FA safety market might be the area they strike. I don't see them signing a vet RB in FA. Maybe a LB?

They can cut DeVondre and get 2.6M cap space, do the same with Royce Newman and get about the same number and put together sign someone who can help.

[texaspackerbacker]

I can't believe this still needs to be explained to people. It's like people think that as long as they have checks in the checkbook, they can just keep writing checks.

Did you (or would you) postpone buying a house or a car until you had enough money to pay cash for it? Or would you "cook" the limit of your finances with a mortgage or car loan? THAT's what needs to be explained to people. You are anticipating that you will have more money (or cap space) in the future, so you kick the can down the road and benefit in the meantime.

[texaspackerbacker]

I'm kinda hoping the Packers can sign Xavier McKinney from the Giants. He would be a step upward IMO from Savage. The total money might be more, but likely, you could fix it so the cap hit is no worse.

[jklowan]

I'm kinda hoping the Packers can sign Xavier McKinney from the Giants. He would be a step upward IMO from Savage. The total money might be more, but likely, you could fix it so the cap hit is no worse.

Xavier McKinney comments on potentially signing with Packers in free agency

If the Packers make a deal with McKinney, they can give an assist to Kay Adams. On a recent episode of Up & Adams, she brought up the possibility of McKinney reuniting with former defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley in Green Bay.
McKinney said that he was "intrigued" when he heard the news of the Packers hiring Ansley.
"I didn't know that he was there. I thought he was still with the Chargers," said McKinney. "So when I heard that news, I was kind of intrigued a little bit."
Ansley was the lead recruiter and defensive backs coach at Alabama during McKinney's time there. The Packers hired Ansley as their new defensive pass game coordinator this offseason, having spent last year as the Los Angeles Chargers' defensive coordinator.
Reuniting McKinney with Ansley makes a lot of sense, and the former second-round pick could play various roles in Jeff Hafley's defense.
"I'm very versatile," said McKinney. "I've proven I can play the deep part of the field. I can play half the field, quarters coverage, I can blitz. I'm able to play man to man, I'm able to play zone, I can play in the slot."

[Frozen Tundra]

They can get a Jordan Fuller or Julian Blackmon type of S for less than they paid Savage last year, and get better production. Savage missed almost 14% of his tackle attempts, that's not good.
The FA safety market might be the area they strike. I don't see them signing a vet RB in FA. Maybe a LB?

They can cut DeVondre and get 2.6M cap space, do the same with Royce Newman and get about the same number and put together sign someone who can help.

It's quite possible that we can solve our immediate safety problem (2 quality starting safeties) in free agency, and go into the draft totally focused on other needs - OL, DL (which is one the fans don't seem to be thinking about, but I promise you Hafley sure is), RB, LB, secondary depth.

[Frozen Tundra]

Did you (or would you) postpone buying a house or a car until you had enough money to pay cash for it? Or would you "cook" the limit of your finances with a mortgage or car loan? THAT's what needs to be explained to people. You are anticipating that you will have more money (or cap space) in the future, so you kick the can down the road and benefit in the meantime.

When I buy a house or a car, I usually expect to keep them for several years - not buy one or two more houses and cars every single year for the indefinite future. So the payment becomes a fixed, one-time part of my yearly budget, and stays constant for years or even decades.

[Fritz]

I dunno about signing two guys, but I think, given how many safeties have been let go now, that they ought to be able to get someone who'll be an upgrade from what they put out there last year. After all the releases, it's hard to imagine Savage getting some big contract somewhere.

If they can sign a safety and either a running back or a linebacker, then they'd go into the draft with fewer pressing needs.

I'm still hoping they re-sign Kesean Nixon.

[red]

I dunno about signing two guys, but I think, given how many safeties have been let go now, that they ought to be able to get someone who'll be an upgrade from what they put out there last year. After all the releases, it's hard to imagine Savage getting some big contract somewhere.

If they can sign a safety and either a running back or a linebacker, then they'd go into the draft with fewer pressing needs.

I'm still hoping they re-sign Kesean Nixon.

i like the idea of signing a safety , then drafting another one high

with so many vet safeties hitting free agencies, that should drive the price down for them. you might be able to sign a second vet for dirt cheap to be a backup/ possible starter

[Joemailman]

Ian Rapoport
@RapSheet

Sources: The #Broncos are in the process of trading star WR Jerry Jeudy to the #Browns, as Denver tries to stockpile draft picks & Cleveland adds a weapon.

[ThunderDan]

Ian Rapoport
@RapSheet

Sources: The #Broncos are in the process of trading star WR Jerry Jeudy to the #Browns, as Denver tries to stockpile draft picks & Cleveland adds a weapon.

Not surprising. The Broncos are fucked for the next couple of years while they get Russel off their salary cap. They aren't going to be able to sign contracts and have the time to wait for their new QB to develop. Their window isn't even going to start to open for 2-3 years.

Might as well get as much good young talent as possible and let it develop over the next couple of years.

[red]

Ian Rapoport
@RapSheet

Sources: The #Broncos are in the process of trading star WR Jerry Jeudy to the #Browns, as Denver tries to stockpile draft picks & Cleveland adds a weapon.

only getting a 5th and 6th round pick in return

broncos are a shit show