So after seeing a few of the projected 53 man rosters.
The projected cap space right now for 2023 is well over $8m. Lets just call it $8 foe the argument.
Ive heard reports the cap could go up as much as 8-10%. Average is 5%. Lets just say 6%.
So based on that info. Lions will have roughly $50m in cap space with 33 current players still signed. Plus 7 draft picks. So 40 players total.
$50m for 13 players is VERY good. So who should the lions extend?
Scale of 1-5
5 SIGN HIM
1 pass
FA for 2024.
DE C. harris. Currently $5m (3)
DB CJGJ currently $4.5m (3)
WR Raymond currently $4m (3)
WR Reynolds currently $4m (2)
G Jackson currently $3.3m (4)
FB Cabinda currently $2.5 (1)
G/C Glasgow currently $2.3m (3)
WR Jomes currently $2.2m (2)
LB Reeves Maybin $1.8m (2)
WR Mims $1.8 (2)
QB Sudfield $1.6 (0)
T nelson $1.3 (2)
DB Harris $1.2 (3)
LS Mquaid $1.1 (1)
RB Jackson $1.1 (1)
DE Houston $1 (5)
G Ifedi $1 (2)
DL Covington $1 (2)
TE Wright $1 (2)
DB jacobs $1 (3)
K Patterson $1 (3)
DB lucas $1 (3)
Really a short list i think of who to keep
G Jackson and DE houston for sure sign i think.
Other than that 1 or 2 DB OL and WR keep of all thats there. Everyone else id be ok with letting go
Just keep an eye on those guys this season to see if they earn a contract.
Also how GREAT is this that the team is going to be good and the lions will still have a lot of money on the table to improve!
That $8m in 23 will get chewed up with injury replacement signings and/or vet opportunity signings.
Thry need to build in how 25 will look with Sun God and Sewell extended so as not to cap strap themselves by burning their $ up with a 2024 3 year deal to guys that arent as big of a priority (Harris and probably CGJGEIEIO, whatever his name is).
Also, Houston will be ERFA in 24, so no big bag unless they decide to, otherwise, 25.
I got us with $185 committed to 2024 with 31 players signed (not including UDFA’s most of whom will be cut).
You’ll need $23M ($1M per player) to fill out the top 53 players.
Another $8M to sign your rookie class.
Another $10M for in season, practice squad and elevation
So that would put you at $265M committed to 2024, less a $7M carryover would leave us with $258M committed to 2024. OTC estimates the cap at being $256M for 2024. So that leaves us with minus $2M to spend for the year.
Aren’t those guys already replaced with your 22 million from above? (You said 23 mil)
Also, likely Jonah doesn’t stay so he’s replaced that’s another 12M or his deal is backloaded costing him maybe 5 mil against the cap.
Are there any freebie guys like Will Harris contract available for next year?
(That 185 against the cap for 31 guys included dead cap for Big V, Romeo, etc right?)
256 cap - 226 = 30 million under and we have decisions to make such as Jonah, or paying more for Free Agent acquisitions than the 1 million it costs to replace them (for instance Leaf Raymond might be 4 mil against cap)
Minimum salary guys are roughly $1M each . . . so $1M each to fill out the roster with practice squad guys. Adding guys with talent will adds to the roster (i.e. a 2024 CJGJ @ $6.5M would replace a $1M guy, so he’d cost an additional $5.5M).
Very true
Yes, Will Harris would qualify again. Julian would qualify if he’s on the roster for the entire 2023 season as would Stenberg.
Rogers proposes
a 4yr 50m extension with a 15m signing bonus slightly higher than B Powers recent deal.
If they get it done this offseason a prorated portion of the signing bonus could be attached to this years cap and leave a cap number of 4-6m for 2024.
Final 3yrs around 14m with any remaining guarrantees being paid out in 2025.
Except, we aren’t paying him $13M, we are paying him $8M in 2024. Cap hit is $13M if we keep him, $5M if we cut him . . . the difference is the $8M cash due in 2024.
I don’t think $8M is out of line for Walker, but a down year or another injury and I think we approach him for a pay cut.
Yeah I’m in the vast minority here but I’m not paying Jonah…and I’m told nobody is tagging a guard but I would (if he has a really good year). Not many teams have ever been in our situation where we aren’t paying a ton of young talent nothing. So our 2024 cap will be kind of a non issue overpaying for a 1 year guard.
I will even let Jonah just sign somewhere else and take the potential ~4th round comp pick. Guards are among the easiest positions to fill. Especially when they are sandwiched between stud tackles and a center.
I would rather pay a big FA the roughly ~12m a year before a guard.
Projected Franchise tag for OL (because its all OL not just guards) is projected to be $23m+!
Im not giving him that! Hell you could have him for 23m and 2 years.
But as for guaranteed money. Most guards are around 50%
Guaranteed vs total
(if he has a really good year). Not many teams have ever been in our situation where we aren’t paying a ton of young talent nothing. So our 2024 cap will be kind of a non issue overpaying for a 1 year guard.