Dolphins rule the roost on salary cap space
I know a lot of you have been wondering about what the Dolphins are likely to do in free agency when it begins Feb. 29.
Well, I can report they can do just about anything they want.
That's because the Dolphins have the most cap space of any NFL team, according to figures acquired from the NFL Players Association and other sources. The Dolphins are a whopping $44 million under the salary cap as of this writing. The salary cap is set at $116 when the new league year starts Feb. 29.
Only one other team -- Jacksonville -- is even close. The Jaguars are $41.995 million under the cap.
Obviously, the Dolphins have been helped by the fact they cleared between $13-$15 million in cap space last week. And some of that space will be eaten up when the team starts re-signing its own free agents.
For example the signing of cornerback Michael Lehan on Wednesday will take a nibble out of that $44 million once the contract is reported to the NFLPA. But the biggest item the Dolphins must budget for their cap is the signing of their first overall draft pick.
The first overall selection, if the Dolphins keep the pick, will get a contract anywhere in the neighborhood of $33-$35 guaranteed. Of course, it will be less if the Dolphins trade the pick, which they will try to do. And whatever they do the first pick will be expensive because it's doubtful the Dolphins will drop out of the top 10 even if they do trade.
But the fact Miami has more room than anyone else is interesting. Do the Dolphins go out and spend to the cap? Do they sign a bunch of veterans? They do have to spend pretty close to the cap because the collective bargaining agreement stipulates teams can no longer spend just 60 or 70 percent of the cap as happened in the past.
So you heard it here first (actually I wrote this months ago and am going to repeat it): The Dolphins will very likely chase Pittsburgh guard Alan Faneca. Faneca is a Pro Bowl player and a winner. He is also the guy Bill Parcells told the New York Jets they should sign when he talked to that team's braintrust at times during the 2007 season.
Parcells told the Jets that taking Faneca would bring stability to their offensive line and help turn young tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and young center Nick Mangold into better players. So now I think Parcells will take his own advice because the Dolphins need a fine guard to bring stability to their young center Samson Satele and their left tackle (whoever that will be).
So Alan Faneca is on Miami's radar for sure.
The Buffalo Bills (39.4 million), Tennessee Titans (39.24 million), and New Orleans Saints (39.2 million), round out the top five teams with the most cap space.
By the way, this is my second post today. Check back often because this is a busy time of year around the league and I will try to bring you the latest, which sometimes means multiple updates on the same day. Yeah, it also helps increase the number of hits on the blog, which I know you guys hate when I mention it.
Well, I can report they can do just about anything they want.
That's because the Dolphins have the most cap space of any NFL team, according to figures acquired from the NFL Players Association and other sources. The Dolphins are a whopping $44 million under the salary cap as of this writing. The salary cap is set at $116 when the new league year starts Feb. 29.
Only one other team -- Jacksonville -- is even close. The Jaguars are $41.995 million under the cap.
Obviously, the Dolphins have been helped by the fact they cleared between $13-$15 million in cap space last week. And some of that space will be eaten up when the team starts re-signing its own free agents.
For example the signing of cornerback Michael Lehan on Wednesday will take a nibble out of that $44 million once the contract is reported to the NFLPA. But the biggest item the Dolphins must budget for their cap is the signing of their first overall draft pick.
The first overall selection, if the Dolphins keep the pick, will get a contract anywhere in the neighborhood of $33-$35 guaranteed. Of course, it will be less if the Dolphins trade the pick, which they will try to do. And whatever they do the first pick will be expensive because it's doubtful the Dolphins will drop out of the top 10 even if they do trade.
But the fact Miami has more room than anyone else is interesting. Do the Dolphins go out and spend to the cap? Do they sign a bunch of veterans? They do have to spend pretty close to the cap because the collective bargaining agreement stipulates teams can no longer spend just 60 or 70 percent of the cap as happened in the past.
So you heard it here first (actually I wrote this months ago and am going to repeat it): The Dolphins will very likely chase Pittsburgh guard Alan Faneca. Faneca is a Pro Bowl player and a winner. He is also the guy Bill Parcells told the New York Jets they should sign when he talked to that team's braintrust at times during the 2007 season.
Parcells told the Jets that taking Faneca would bring stability to their offensive line and help turn young tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson and young center Nick Mangold into better players. So now I think Parcells will take his own advice because the Dolphins need a fine guard to bring stability to their young center Samson Satele and their left tackle (whoever that will be).
So Alan Faneca is on Miami's radar for sure.
The Buffalo Bills (39.4 million), Tennessee Titans (39.24 million), and New Orleans Saints (39.2 million), round out the top five teams with the most cap space.
By the way, this is my second post today. Check back often because this is a busy time of year around the league and I will try to bring you the latest, which sometimes means multiple updates on the same day. Yeah, it also helps increase the number of hits on the blog, which I know you guys hate when I mention it.
posted by Armando Salguero at 3:28 PM
Get our feeds
40 Comments:
Great information. Finally, we're No. 1!
Compare your lives to mine then kill yourselves. Game over losers.
Good stuff, Armando. I think the Dolphins sign some mid-level free agents. I don't expect a huge free agency period with lots of big and sexy names. A lot of that cap money is going to go towards the number one overall pick if the team cannot trade out of that slot.
If we do stay at number one, hopefully Virginia DE Chris Long is the recipient of that money. That dude is a straight up beast!
I plan to spend all of the cap money on comfortable slacks, hair dye and signing Vinny Testaverde and Me-shawn Johnson to long term contracts.
Tom Brady is a homo.
Mando, Im in VA. and I have said it before on your blog I check every hour on the hour...keep up the great work.. oh and by the way u and I know it wont be Ryan it will be one of the Longs...
Hey A.S....thanks for the update. I was one of the people wondering that! It will be interesting to see what Bill and Jeff do with all that space.
Have you heard of any potential visits once FA opens on the 29th?
~JinVA
Lets draft Dorsey and Jake Long and Chris Long. Finally we could add Matt Ryan. Why not? That would clearly make the most sense and give us an invincible team of beasts. I like saying beast. Plus I like saying beast.
Hi Armando. Your number 1 fan here. Excellent information. Keep up the good work - gotta run, again take care - number 1 fan. Oh and by the way- I love how you do that thing that you do - you are clearly the best. Anyway once again, # 1 fan here- keep up the great work.
Sincerely, # 1 fan
Does anyone know what kind of hair product Mel Kiper uses? I'd love to sport a thick mane like that on my back.
Who thinks Beck is toast? I say we draft some teamates for him before we start talking about how terrible he is. Everyone was on his side then we throw him in against some pretty good defenses with no talent around him and suddenly he stinks? You stink!
Whats wrong with this picture?
Hey Mando,
Go buy me some beer. I'll pay you tomorrow bro' .
I just pooped in my pants after reading your column - it was so good. Write some more because I like the feeling.
Mando, I did the some research and Atlanta has 2 second round picks (Texans), how about #1 for their #1 and both their 2's this year?
Finz rule the NFL next year.
Here's why:
Cap space +
draft picks +
Parcells +
hot cheerleaders =
_______________________
Greatest turnaround in NFL history
Parcells will rule with an iron fist covered by a latex glove which is then (not) lubricated by a generous sheen of KY Jelly. Watch the change in attitude on this team next year. Nuff said.
I'm with you Johnny, Beck was thrown to the wolves by a desperate coach last year. Not a fair shot. Give him someone to throw to. I still think the man in the "comfortable slacks and hair dye" will try to make a double deal with Atlanta(M.Ryan) and Dallas(D.McFadden). I also agree with Mr. Kennedy on the mid-level free agents deal. We could use short-term or expiring contracts this year then re-evaluate next year and still have some dough to blow! Done.
Hey MisterX...let's not forget...Cam DIDN'T want to play Beck, but was pressured by fans, media, and possibly insiders to do so.
I'll say it again...sign F. Adams, and A. Crumpler!
JinVA
Theres not a whole lot out there though. A little bit at OL but everybody thats good gets slapped with a tag.
Dom Capers hired by pats...I scooped Armando...ha ha.
4:33 pm pacific
The Finz should resign Lekkerkerker....regardless of cost!
SIGN FANECA NOWWWWWW......THEN GET MID LEVEL FA"S...AND TRADE 4 MOST DRAFT PICKS YOU CAN GET !!!WE NEED A LOT OF YOUNG PLAYERS TO STEP UP NEXT YEAR....I HAVE FAITH IN PARCELLS TALENT EVALUATION....
I TOO LOVE MANDO...
SEXY !
SMART
FAT !
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM......
Armando ain't fat. He's phat!!!
FUNNY! The Pats even hired Dom Capers tonight.
Irony.
One free agent I would like to see the Dolphins get is Karlos Dansby. He can play inside and out, he's big, fast, and young. He'd be a great replacement for Zack Thomas.
come on people! how old is faneca ? so much for the future. new policy - lets not sign old quarterbacks - lets sign an old lineman. pittsburgh knew about porter last year , this year they know its faneca. ah what the heck lets keeping getting overpriced , way past their prime players. new players seem to make us delerious until halfway into next season when we tear the guy up after our ( new player smell wears off ).
The Dolphins should sign Todd Collins. He can compete with Beck for the starting job. Collins is a smart vet and he showed he could play at the end of last year.
Forget Faneca- he's a short term solution on a team with 2-3 years needed to be great. Let's get Flozell Adams- Dallas didn't tag him!. He''' be the LT, move Vernon Carey back to RT. There are other OG's available, including bringing Hadnot back.
Trade with ATL (after telling everyone at the combine how much we love Matt Ryan) and take one of the Longs with the ATL pick. Then pick up a big receiver and more linemen (offensive and defensive).
We need to address OLB. I think free agency may be the best place to do that. Lance Briggs? Joey isn't quick enough. Spragan and Pope are just not good enough. MLB cannot be making sideline to sideline stops. OLB should be turning the play back to the MLB.
And I'd stay away from Asante Samuel-too much for a player who looked vulnerable at time last season.
Go Dolphins!
"Forget Faneca- he's a short term solution on a team with 2-3 years needed to be great. Let's get Flozell Adams- Dallas didn't tag him!. He''' be the LT, move Vernon Carey back to RT."
Adams is like 126 years old but you say "Forget Faneca- he's a short term solution on a team with 2-3 years needed to be great."??????????
Youre simply talking out both sides of your mouth arent you?
I say we pick them both up for 2 or 3 years and they can make us better NOW plus groom the younger guys which makes us better in the future.
At OLB we need to pick up Pace from AZ because it was either franchise Dansby or Pace and they chose Dansby but Pace is a great player.
Sopoaga,Adams,Faneca,Pace,Hall and Atl's. pick and use that pick for either of the Long's,Dorsey or Ellis then get WR Hardy and TE Davis in the second add some more depth and were a Top 10 team NEXT year.
Someone we could consider for our linebacker needs would be Jonathan Volma. The Jets will probably ask for way too much for him and he isn't very good in the 3-4, but if we decide to go to the 4-3 he could play middle and crowder could play outside where i think he's more valuable. i heard they were shopping him, but like i said since theyre a division rival theyll prob ask for something ridiculous. Other options could be someone like Boss Bailey who is very talented but always hurt. Of course we could possibly pick up Dan Conner with the 32nd pick and he'll be very good right away i think. Pick up Bryant Johnson maybe Algae Crumpler draft Jake Long pick up a couple more guards draft Antoine Cason in the draft then we'd have a halfway decent nucleus to build around. I like the idea of keeping Taylor and using Roth and Moses on the other side. I also like Rodrique Wright on the outside in the 3-4 or the weak side dt in the 4-3. Still, we need a big run stuffer. Solia was supposed to be that guy but he hardly played. What do you think we'll do with Lorenzo Booker? Keep him at running back as our 3rd down back or use him as a flanker, or I guess we could do both.
we have the number one pick, the most amount of cap space and the smartest guy in football calling the shots. we get back our conditioning and hot weather advantage and actually not choke up on calls during games and we may not be a complete laughing stock next year. i for one am excited!
No way the fins should take Ryan. Trade with Atl for the third pick and there second rd pick. Maybe even the last pick of the first round if they trade Deangelo Hall to the Giants for there first round pick as rumored. Throw in next years second or third round pick and Im satisfied. That way the fins will have in essence three first round picks (because of New England forfeiting there pick), a second, and a high third (Damn that Trent Green trade costing us the high fourth). Even better if we can swing a trade of JT for somebodies second or third rd pick. That would give us six picks of the first 90 players taken which would be amazing for our rebuilding effort.
With those six picks the fins should use the first pick on either Long the Rams didnt take. I would prefer Chris Long since this draft is so rich on good left tackles. Plus he could step in right away for the traded Jason Taylor.
With the 31st pick of the first round we should take Flacco who is hopefully still available. He is the best QB prospect of the draft. Big, strong arm, and killer mentality. Now the fins would have two QB prospects with the same financial investment as taking a QB with the first pick of the first round. Two choices is always better than betting it all on one guy. Plus two guys competing makes the players raise there game.
With the 32nd pick (assuming the fins got Chris Long) I would take tackle Jeff Otah or if he is not available Gosder Cherilious. Gosder's size might be more to Parcell's liking anyways.
With the second round pick (57)aquired from San Diego I would take DT Pat Sims if he had fallen that far or DT Joseph Bryant a huge big body perfect for the 3-4.
With the third round pick (64) MLB Jerod Mayo who should still be available at that point. He could step right in for the departed ZT and he is a bigger body which Parcell's likes.
With the other third round pick from the hopeful Jason Taylor trade I would go CB Terrell Thomas. A quick corner with height who could match up against taller receivers.
Since there is no fourth round pick with the fifth round pick
(128) I would go with G Mike McGlynn. You can never have too many OL prospects and the fins are sorely lacking in that area.
Sixth round (160) I would take TE Kellen Davis a big strong TE that we so desperately need. Sort of like a Kevin Boss.
Seventh round (192) I would go with RB Jacob Hester a pounding back that could keep the wear and tear off Ronnie Brown carrying the ball every down.
As for any supplemental picks I would flush out the roster with a WR possibly DJ Hall or another linebacker since this draft is so deep with them like Ben Moffitt. He will be a steal for somebody in the seventh round. Plus with such a deep draft there are plenty of possibilities of picking up sleeper undrafted players. Project players to flush out OL, DL, and to contribute on special teams.
With that type of draft this team would get a huge jump on rebuilding. Six possibly seven starters from day one of the season. As far as free agency I hope the fins keep it quite. Really rebuild and let all the new young players play and grow. Use the money to sign all the draft picks and lock them up for a while.
No way I would sign either Faneca or Flozell. Both guys are entering their twelveth season and wont be around when the fins finally get competitive again. As far as Asante I am against that as well. Will Allen is way underrated and Goodman, Daniels, Lehman, and draft pick Thomas would be adequate. If Yeremiah Bell comes back healthy and with Jason Allen developing we seem decent at safety. The only free agents I would pursue would be a veteran wide receiver like Donte Stallworth. The fins have the money for Fitzgeralds huge contract but I wouldnt want to give away any draft picks to get him. The one free agent I would pursue big time would be Lance Briggs. He is young enough to warrant big money and would bring much needed speed to the fins defense. Briggs, Porter, Crowder, and rookie Mayo would be a solid foundation to the defense with Chris Long reaking havoc on the DL. I would also bring in Todd Collins to QB until either Flacco or Beck were ready. Collins wouldnt cost much and just wants to start. He would be filler until the young OL developed.
With this foundation and with two more years of solid drafting I think I could see Flacco leading us to a wild-card by 2010. God I love thinking about the draft. Hopefully I am accurate about the fins loading up on picks and not taking Matt Ryan. I dont want to be crying for days again like last year when the fins drafted Ginn. I was right about the crappy season and the utter incompetence of CamMoron but that was too easy. Oh well, hopefully the future is brighter keep the faith my fellow fin fans. Edswood out
Ceed, Vilma is not really an option. Parcells will definitely have the fins in a 3-4 and Vilma is to small for Parcells liking. I know Parcells isnt the coach but it will be his system. Crumpler is too old and injury prone at this point but I do like the idea of Bryant Johnson. He could be gotten cheap and will be at least as productive as Marty Booker was. Lo Booker should definitely be the third down back and slot reciever. They should get him involved in lots of screen passes in IMHO. By the way ATL did get that third pick so the trade is perfect. Just hope the Rams jump on Jake Long to replace Pace and we get Chris Long who is perfect for the 3-4.
Before everyone freaks out at how the Patriots signed Capers remember this. He went from being a head coach to a defensive coordinator and is now (assistant special teams coach?). If his success continues on this trend he will be the water boy in 09', towel boy in 2010 and then right to flipping burgers in 2011. We didn't lose anything. NYScott
'mando!
What's up with the ownership and their move?
"Bender said...
Compare your lives to mine then kill yourselves. Game over losers."
What the hell is a Bender? And what is it talking about?
Imagine Fanaca, Jake Long, and Satele on the same line. We'd be well on our way to a quality team.
Thanks for the salary cap update! You failed to mention that Joey "Throw him out with the Trash" Porter is significantly overpaid due to the prior regime's terrible free agent signing. We should release him now and take whatever cap hit this year and free up even more cap room for next year.
Big free agent signings this year will have limited results for a team projected to be in the bottom 5 in 2008. Building thru the draft has to be our #1 priority and we desparately need to rebuild both our defensive and offensive lines as well as get our starting QB.
The Giants were able to defeat the Pats on the basis of their OL and DL. That should give anyone the answer as to how we prioritize the rebuilding.
No more Joey Porter mistakes. Free agents need to be fill-ins that take a playoff caliber team to championship level. Otherwise we might just be moving sideways at the bottom for a long time.
I say sign Faneca and Adams, trade down with Dallas for their two first rounders and Barber (add another pro-bowl running back - we don't know how Brown will return) draft a corner and DL with the two picks in the first round. 2nd round (1st pick) Henne or Brohm.
Should there be a Salary Cap in Football?
Personally I think there should be! It’s just getting to be stupid money in football at the top of the premiership!
It’s always the same teams at the top proving that football success is based purely on money which ruins the idea of it being a sport! They’ve done it in rugby, basketball, hockey and American football and it makes the sports more competitive and better to watch!
I do a little Spread Betting from time to time and most matches don’t hold much surprise who is going to win, its boring! I want to see a team at the bottom pulling off an amazing season beating last seasons winners in a close fought battle!
Make things fair! It shouldn’t be about money!
Plus!
All there is all that money in the premiership and barely any of it stays in the UK so it’s not even helping the economy!
From my Spread Betting, if I ever win big (which is never, I’m unlucky) it’s still nothing compared to the average premiership players weekly wage!
This Rant was brought to you by Spread Betting Spike.
Post a Comment
<< Home