Free Agency $$

by Buffalo Bird on Jan 24, 2012 4:53 PM EST

I've been reading quite a few comments on this site that suggest that the Bills will have a lot of money to spend in free agency this year and decided to do some research to figure out just how much they have to spend.

I first tried to find the 2012 salary cap hit for every player that is currently signed through the end of next season. My best estimation of that number is somewhere between 90 - 95 million. I used Spotrac.com to obtain those figures, which is a link I recently found in MRW's "Worst Bang for the Dollar Bills." I don't think it was 100% reflective of what Buffalo actually owes players in 2012, because I didn't see the practice squad players listed, but it got me into the right ballpark (hence the somewhere between 90-95).

Next I looked up the 2012 salary cap. This is also not yet definitive as it is seems to be reflective of revenue intake for the previous year, however it seems likely from what I've read that it will remain close to the 2011 number, somewhere between 120-125 million.

So contrary to the comments I've been reading on this site, it doesn't seem to me that we have all that much money to spend in FA, especially when you take our own important FAs into consideration. In my opinion, these would include:

Additionally, we'll also have to save some cash to sign our draft picks and undrafted free agents. I know that's not a ton, but put all the rookies together and it adds up.

I was hoping that we would have the cap space to make some noise in FA, but after looking at the numbers, I feel like that is less and less likely. I was hoping that we could land a notable pass rusher (DE or OLB depending on scheme), CB and WR in FA, but now I feel like we'll be lucky to get just one high level FA at one of those spots, as well as a few mid-level FA's.

My research was not in depth, just a quick on-line search. If anyone has more or different information, please share it in the comments section below. I'm hoping I'm wrong and we have more to spend than I calculated, because I think we have to land at least two very talented FA's and have a good draft (2-3 immediate contributors) to compete for a playoff spot next year.

Just another great fan opinion shared on the pages of BuffaloRumblings.com.

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We can cut lots of worthless contracts that don’t have a future with us to make even more room.

"My new cat just farted on my lap. Smells like Bills football." BG.

by SERGEANT MAJOR THOR on Jan 24, 2012 6:45 PM EST reply actions

Maybe

I could see them cutting McGee, which would save about 6 mil, but I doubt they cut any other big contracts. The only players with a big contracts that I think they may consider cutting are dawn Edwards or Spencer Johnson, which is about 4 mil a piece, but I don’t see that happening. The other potential cuts are small potatoes.

by Buffalo Bird on Jan 24, 2012 7:03 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

A lot of small potatoes adds up though.

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by NordicBillsfan on Jan 24, 2012 9:24 PM EST up reply actions

and here is how we will have even less money

you are not considering FAs next year who need to be signed this year….

most important players being fred jackson ( i for one, dont mind losing him, he will be 32 on feb 20, 2013 before next free agency)

levitre and byrd…

all 3 can take up big chunk of money

by statcruncher on Jan 24, 2012 7:05 PM EST reply actions

and i still cant believe

how patriots have more cap to spend

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/37447/previewing-afc-east-salary-cap

by statcruncher on Jan 24, 2012 7:08 PM EST reply actions

i am sick of the FO

they prove to be incompetent even in cap management… how can such a bunch of talentless players earn more than the pats

by statcruncher on Jan 24, 2012 7:09 PM EST up reply actions

New englands big contracts

Tom brady
Logan mankins
Jerod mayo

They still have to pay welker a ton on money

And most of buffalos cap fluff is tied into edwards spencer johnson and mcgee

With the first pick in the 2012 draft the Indianapolis Colts select Robert Griffen III

by Gpluehri on Jan 25, 2012 9:56 AM EST via mobile up reply actions

thats what I was thinking.

If we cut those 3 players and re sign everyone on that list we still have around 20+ million in cap space left.

You are now Watching The Throne.

by tomcs on Jan 25, 2012 11:22 AM EST up reply actions

Thanks for the link

I was off by 10 mil in the wrong direction (if the cap stays at 120). Not what I was hoping for. I know it’s not terrible, but I was hoping for more. This limits us more than I would like.

by Buffalo Bird on Jan 24, 2012 7:52 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

10 mil off regardless of the cap, but a worse picture overall with 10 less to spend.

by Buffalo Bird on Jan 24, 2012 8:41 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

thanks for the research

I think we have enough money to make a splash or two. According to your research we have between 30 and 40 million in cap space.

The only essentials on that Bills FA list you posted to me are Stevie Johnson, Scott Chandler and Kraig Urbik. Thats 7.5 for Stevie and I’d say about 1.5 to 3 mil based on Kevin Boss’s 4 mil per year from the Raiders for Chandler and 1.5 to 2.5 for Urbik based on Brian Waters deal from the Pats. So lets say 2.5 and 2 mil respectively. With those three onboard we still have between 18 and 28 million. Tack on 1.5 mil for Lindell and 1.5 mil if we really want to bring back a 30+ year old Bryan Scott.

We’re still looking good at about 15-25 mil.

If we’re using Julius Peppers’ deal as a model this team would still have enough room to ink Mario Williams to a 14-15 per deal.

This team will be fine.

This even grates my passive cheese - LeClaire Bill

by poz on Jan 24, 2012 7:11 PM EST reply actions

no way urbik just gets waters deal

patriots are masters of getting the last drop of mileage out of an aging player for less money….

urbik is still young and if he is going to get starter money it will be more….

having said that, i think it will be between 3 and 3.5 million based on eric pears’ 3 year 9.3 million

by statcruncher on Jan 24, 2012 7:15 PM EST up reply actions

still

we have plenty of cap space to make some moves. Especially because McGee will be gone. But I don’t see how it is possible for the Bills to not have more cap space than the pats. I’ll have to look it up myself, although I believe it. Just seems crazy.

You are now Watching The Throne.

by tomcs on Jan 24, 2012 7:45 PM EST up reply actions

Better city, better team

I believe it and almost expect it. Players will sign for less in NE because they have a shot at a ring every year and Boston is a pretty good city to live in and around.

by Buffalo Bird on Jan 24, 2012 8:02 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

As Buddy said in his presser, we will need to show we are a winner before we will attract big time FA’s at a reasonable price because buffalo isn’t the ideal place to live.

So we have to over spend for 1 or 2 FA’s every year and build through the draft. I believe this regime can get it done,but this makes it a more difficult task.

by Buffalo Bird on Jan 24, 2012 8:10 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

right good point

You are now Watching The Throne.

by tomcs on Jan 24, 2012 9:16 PM EST up reply actions

I don’t think it was 100% reflective of what Buffalo actually owes players in 2012, because I didn’t see the practice squad players listed, but it got me into the right ballpark (hence the somewhere between 90-95).

If they are on the practice squad they don’t count towards the cap.

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by MattRichWarren on Jan 25, 2012 6:51 AM EST reply actions

Good to know

Thanks for the knowledge

by Buffalo Bird on Jan 25, 2012 1:02 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Cash to Cap

I vaguely remember Nix saying, even in his season-ending press conference, that they would spend to the cap – but for “cash to cap”, not the salary cap process that teams normally employ. Is that correct?

Cash to cap, for those of you that don’t know, is basically instead of spreading out the cap hit for the upfront bonuses in each contract over the length of the contract, the bills consider that hit for their own accounting purposes in year 1 of the deal. So for example, if we resign Stevie Johnson to a 5 year 35 million dollar contract, with 12 mil guaranteed. Let’s say his yearly salary is an even 4.6 million. Under cash to cap, his year 1 cap hit would be 16.6 million, and then every year after that it would be 4.6 million.

This is grossly oversimplifying it, but its the general idea. If Nix said we would spend to the cap but for “cash to cap” purposes (as I vaguely recall) then we don’t have a lot of money at all to spend on free agents. More than half of our available cap space will likely go towards resigning Stevie. And after taking care of all the other guys, we might have room to sign a couple of mediocre contracts, and that’s if we get rid of some cap space like cutting McGee.

by Renegade23 on Jan 25, 2012 7:40 AM EST reply actions

Food for thought

Cash to cap might be the wave of the future. Once all teams have to spend up to 99% of the cap yearly, unless the cap jumps up to pay for the increases, teams that have too much “carry over” will be in salary cap jail year after year. Cash to the cap might be the way all teams do it in the new collective bargain agreement.

by suteck on Jan 25, 2012 9:59 AM EST up reply actions

Yeah I agree. I think the Bills FO had the possibility of the new CBA in mind when they started implementing the cash to the cap policy. I remember Russ Brandon saying something about that

by Renegade23 on Jan 25, 2012 3:04 PM EST up reply actions