***2024 NFL Offseason thread ***

[Deja Entendu]

NFLPA Player Survey Grades are in. Bucs grades… aren’t great.

https://nflpa.com/tampa-bay-buccaneers-report-card-2024

[Doctor]

In 2021 the Lions led the league with $70M in deadcap, in 2022 it was Bears with $90M, last year was our turn with $80M. This seems to have left people traumatized to the concept of dead cap. Every team carries dead cap every year.

We currently have $21M in deadcap, $43M in cap space.
Deadcap wise that puts us right below the Chargers ($24M dead, -$25M space) and the previous league deadcap leader Lions ($23M, $57 space) and right above the Giants ($17M dead, $35M space) and Dolphins ($17M dead, -$28M space).

Dead cap is merely committed, unmovable cap. That's it. It's not actual cap space. Saints have only $2M in dead cap but find themselves -$24M in space. Texans lead the league with $31M in dead cap but also have $80M in cap space.

Fretting over deadcap for deadcap sake is stupid.

[Snake]

I don’t know what I find more annoying. The fact that the millionaires quibble over paying $90 for daycare on gamedays or the billionaires for not just providing every little convenience to their most valuable assets- the players.

[Snake]

“Dead cap is merely committed, unmovable cap. That's it. It's not actual cap space”

What does this mean?

[mdb1958]

In 2021 the Lions led the league with $70M in deadcap, in 2022 it was Bears with $90M, last year was our turn with $80M. This seems to have left people traumatized to the concept of dead cap. Every team carries dead cap every year.

We currently have $21M in deadcap, $43M in cap space.
Deadcap wise that puts us right below the Chargers ($24M dead, -$25M space) and the previous league deadcap leader Lions ($23M, $57 space) and right above the Giants ($17M dead, $35M space) and Dolphins ($17M dead, -$28M space).

Dead cap is merely committed, unmovable cap. That's it. It's not actual cap space. Saints have only $2M in dead cap but find themselves -$24M in space. Texans lead the league with $31M in dead cap but also have $80M in cap space.

Fretting over deadcap for deadcap sake is stupid.

I think it's akin to borrowing against the lender and rolls into future years. When will it hit a trillion??

[Doctor]

“Dead cap is merely committed, unmovable cap. That's it. It's not actual cap space”

What does this mean?

Everyone has the same cap limit. It's just a matter of how you allocate your cap hits from contracts under that space year to year. As long as you keep negotiating with the player you can keep moving around their hits. Deadcap is just a cap hit that can't be moved anymore and is locked into being taken on the year. That's all.

You can have a ton of cap locked into a year and still have a ton of space (see Texans) or not have any and still no space (see Saints). Its just a measurement of committed cap, a metric, like the 40 yard dash. And just like the 40 doesn't actually tell you if a player will be good, dead cap doesn't tell you if a team will be good. Its merely a measurement onto itself.

[Bootz]

In 2021 the Lions led the league with $70M in deadcap, in 2022 it was Bears with $90M, last year was our turn with $80M. This seems to have left people traumatized to the concept of dead cap. Every team carries dead cap every year.

We currently have $21M in deadcap, $43M in cap space.
Deadcap wise that puts us right below the Chargers ($24M dead, -$25M space) and the previous league deadcap leader Lions ($23M, $57 space) and right above the Giants ($17M dead, $35M space) and Dolphins ($17M dead, -$28M space).

Dead cap is merely committed, unmovable cap. That's it. It's not actual cap space. Saints have only $2M in dead cap but find themselves -$24M in space. Texans lead the league with $31M in dead cap but also have $80M in cap space.

Fretting over deadcap for deadcap sake is stupid.

I think it's akin to borrowing against the lender and rolls into future years. When will it hit a trillion??

At the current rate it's going, in 3711.

[Bootz]

“Dead cap is merely committed, unmovable cap. That's it. It's not actual cap space”

What does this mean?

It doesn't mean a damn thing. He's trying to be the smartest in the room like always. He equated the Bears & Lions "dead cap" situations to the Bucs yet failed to mention that neither the Bears or Lions walked into their respective seasons with those tremendously high dead cap numbers. The Bears traded Roquan Smith & Robert Quinn to add to their dead cap. The Lions released several key vets during the season to get to theirs. The Bucs dead cap situation was brought on by voidable years. Completely different.

@Doctor I'm not saying it again.

[Snake]

“Dead cap is merely committed, unmovable cap. That's it. It's not actual cap space”

What does this mean?

Everyone has the same cap limit. It's just a matter of how you allocate your cap hits from contracts under that space year to year. As long as you keep negotiating with the player you can keep moving around their hits. Deadcap is just a cap hit that can't be moved anymore and is locked into being taken on the year. That's all.

You can have a ton of cap locked into a year and still have a ton of space (see Texans) or not have any and still no space (see Saints). Its just a measurement of committed cap, a metric, like the 40 yard dash. And just like the 40 doesn't actually tell you if a player will be good, dead cap doesn't tell you if a team will be good. Its merely a measurement onto itself.

This seems like rhetorical games. Is a team with 100m in deadcap or 0m in deadcap more likely to have more talented players? It will be a spectrum of possibilities, but as a general rule, deadcap makes it harder to assemble a better team. Better players generally cost more $, and deadcap occupies that money.

[Grahamburn]

Dead cap “problems” should only be discussed as a negative if you don’t have a championship because of them.

[Doctor]

It's also harder to be good when you run slower.
Yet caring about 40 times is stupid.

Both those statements can be true. Those who fail to understand this are also the ones that care too much about the combine.

Just like you have gifted athletes who suck and mids who ball, same is true about teams with high and low "dead cap". Its a metric, not a judgement.

There's a difference between saying this guy doesn't play well and it doesn't help he's slow/short and saying this guy is slow/short so he doesn't play well.

Jerry Rice plays well, a 40 metric doesn't change that.
Zach Thomas plays well, a height metric doesn't change that.
The Lions, Bucs, Texans play well, a dead cap metric doesn't change that.


Are you understanding nuance now?
Caring about deadcap is like caring about a rosters average 40 time. Are things "easier when lower"? Sure. Stupid to care about. Definitely.

[Doctor]

Dead cap “problems” should only be discussed as a negative if you don’t have a championship because of them.

Exactly.
Calling dead cap a "problem" is like calling Jerry Rice's slow 40 a problem.

It COULD be a problem or it could not. Its mere existence is not a problem in and of itself.

[BucsNBills]

Dead cap isn't a big factor. We led the league in dead cap last year and won a playoff game.

We "paid" for our Brady run by improving upon the previous season.

[Grahamburn]

Combine thread here or the draft forum. Big day for us with Defensive line, EDGE, and LBs.

[Snake]

Dead cap isn't a big factor. We led the league in dead cap last year and won a playoff game.

We "paid" for our Brady run by improving upon the previous season.

Obviously the Bucs should have 200m in dead cap next season. May win 2 playoff games!

[Bootz]

[acmillis]

Inb4 Bootz claims Herbert is the clear #5

[Snake]

I think we will have a lot more clarity after this season.

[BucsNBills]

Burrow, Herbert, Tua, Love, Hurts is the correct order.

[Bootz]

Burrow, Herbert, Tua, Love, Hurts is the correct order.

What's the argument for Herbert over anybody at this point? He's the 1 guy on this list that's declined for 4 straight years.

[Bootz]

Inb4 Bootz claims Herbert is the clear #5

Immutable fact: He's the only guy here who's declined for 4 years straight.

[Snake]

1. Burrow - can he stay healthy?
2. Can Tua do it again?
3. Will Herbert make good on his potential under Harbaugh?
4. Can Love duplicate his performance, or even improve?
5. Will Hurts get the Eagles on track again? Kelce seems done. New OC. Team collapsed on second half of 2023.

[Bootz]

1. Burrow - can he stay healthy?
2. Can Tua do it again?
3. Will Herbert make good on his potential under Harbaugh?
4. Can Love duplicate his performance, or even improve?
5. Will Hurts get the Eagles on track again? Kelce seems done. New OC. Team collapsed on second half of 2023.

It hadn't dawned on me that Burrow has been rather fragile through 4 years.

[Deja Entendu]

Inb4 Bootz claims Herbert is the clear #5

Immutable fact: He's the only guy here who's declined for 4 years straight.

Except that isn’t factual at all.

[Doctor]

Dead cap isn't a big factor. We led the league in dead cap last year and won a playoff game.

We "paid" for our Brady run by improving upon the previous season.

Obviously the Bucs should have 200m in dead cap next season. May win 2 playoff games!

Clearly the point is going way over your head.

[Phantom]

Appearing on 92.9 The Game Thursday, Klein said that word out of the Falcons camp indicates that the franchise is preparing to go all-in on Cousins, preferring a more experienced QB over one in the draft.

"Arthur Blank has basically told this front office that, 'Do what you gotta do, pay what you gotta pay. Get it done,'" Klein said. "So everybody I've talked to, agents, other coaches and scouts, guys around the league -- what they are hearing is that the Falcons will put all their attention on Kirk Cousins moving forward."

[Doctor]

Bwahaha. Wtf is this, baby's first smoke screen?

[Bootz]

Bwahaha. Wtf is this, baby's first smoke screen?

I don't think artificial intelligence can compute the concept.

As smoke screens go this is the textbook definition of one.

[Phantom]

@Doctor , the Falcons are in for the Cousins sweepstakes. Several posters from Falcons forums and Reddit discussed that. One of the Vikings beat reporters mentioned that too. They need a quarterback though.

[Phantom]

Immutable fact: He's the only guy here who's declined for 4 years straight.

Except that isn’t factual at all.

According to Bootz, it is. Everything is a fact to him. When he thinks he knows it all. he is not. . All we do is laugh at him.

[Phantom]

Bwahaha. Wtf is this, baby's first smoke screen?

Remember Josh Freeman when everyone thought it was a smoke screen. Yeah, exactly.

[Bootz]

Except that isn’t factual at all.

According to Bootz, it is. Everything is a fact to him. When he thinks he knows it all. he is not. . All we do is laugh at him.

What does this even mean

[Phantom]

1. Burrow - can he stay healthy?
2. Can Tua do it again?
3. Will Herbert make good on his potential under Harbaugh?
4. Can Love duplicate his performance, or even improve?
5. Will Hurts get the Eagles on track again? Kelce seems done. New OC. Team collapsed on second half of 2023.

1. Who knows?
2. Absolutely.
3. Yes.
4. I think he will improve.
5. Yes.

[Phantom]

In 2021 the Lions led the league with $70M in deadcap, in 2022 it was Bears with $90M, last year was our turn with $80M. This seems to have left people traumatized to the concept of dead cap. Every team carries dead cap every year.

We currently have $21M in deadcap, $43M in cap space.
Deadcap wise that puts us right below the Chargers ($24M dead, -$25M space) and the previous league deadcap leader Lions ($23M, $57 space) and right above the Giants ($17M dead, $35M space) and Dolphins ($17M dead, -$28M space).

Dead cap is merely committed, unmovable cap. That's it. It's not actual cap space. Saints have only $2M in dead cap but find themselves -$24M in space. Texans lead the league with $31M in dead cap but also have $80M in cap space.

Fretting over deadcap for deadcap sake is stupid.

Yup, pretty much this but this guy really nailed it with his explanation. Check this out

[Phantom]

Who says Baker doesn’t have a strong market?

Baker Mayfield is going to have a "pretty strong market" this free agency, and the Buccaneers deal "it's not a slam dunk."

The Atlanta Falcons are one of the teams expected to pursue Mayfield.

Via ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler.