NFL Salary Cap To Rise About $11 Million
February 25th, 2018
“My two cents: Let’s try not signing anyone with the name Anthony or Alterraun.”
Life is good for NFL owners and players.
And competition for free agents just got steeper.
Mike Florio, ultimate NFL guru of ProFootballTalk.com and PFT Live on NBC Sports Radio, is reporting today that the NFL salary cap will rise this year to at least $178 million for the 2018 season. That’s about an $11 million rise over 2017, representing roughly a 7 percent increase for every team.
NFL accountants finalize the numbers this time of year and this confirmed what was suspected: NFL TV ratings may be down 10 percent but the league is making gobs and gobs of cash.
The Bucs, depending on what published table you look at, have the most available money to spend in the NFC. They certainly have upwards of $70 million available.
Once upon a time in 2014, Lovie Smith said the Bucs absolutely planned to spend every nickel of available salary cap room. Last year, Dirk Koetter said the Bucs didn’t have $17 million laying around to invest in manbeast defensive end Calais Campbell, when the team certainly did have the dough. So don’t pay attention to coaches talking money.
This time of the year, with the free agency dinner bell just 17 days away, is about owners and general managers.
Will Team Glazer give Jason Licht total freedom with the team checkbook? That’s a question that lives in the cone of silence of One Buc Palace.
February 25th, 2018 at 6:50 pm
This is not good news for the Bucs…it’s great news for cash-strap contenders.
February 25th, 2018 at 6:58 pm
With Jason’s track record for signing free agent I am sure the glazers boys can’t wait for him to spend their $
February 25th, 2018 at 7:03 pm
missed it by thaaaaaaaat much.
February 25th, 2018 at 7:07 pm
Lakeland……..It is about time you get Tmax’s phone #. You are actually more depressing than him because GMC didn’t sleep with your wife. And you are from my hometown. SMDH
February 25th, 2018 at 7:09 pm
It seems as if Any post with T_max’s name nowadays goes into moderation. Chitty filters Joe.
February 25th, 2018 at 7:16 pm
Really not much changed as all teams have the extra dough….
February 25th, 2018 at 7:21 pm
The caption should say”so what is the goal of this team anyway?”
February 25th, 2018 at 7:21 pm
11 more million to fix the DL.
-Concerned Bucs fan
February 25th, 2018 at 7:23 pm
Be aggressive ! Offer free agents big money up front. ….and yes we do have 17 million lying around. There’s no tomorrow Coach. Now or never. Get on it !
February 25th, 2018 at 7:24 pm
AlteredEgo
But that $11 million can help cash-strap teams re-sign a top free agent. A free agent that other teams has target. I believe the Atlanta Falcons can retain DT Dontari Poe now.
February 25th, 2018 at 7:31 pm
Get Trumaine Johnson, Lamarcus Jordan, possibly Carlos Hyde and load up on DL and OL in the draft. Re-sign Grimes for 2 more years. New contract for Evans coming too and it will be large, but necessary.
February 25th, 2018 at 7:32 pm
LL..true…if I recall the Bucs sat out the opening FA derby last season…I’d like to see them get the best FA center available…then Ali can slide back to his old hole…best bang for the buc…DE-CB-RB next in no particular order….then BPA in the draft
February 25th, 2018 at 7:33 pm
**Joyner, not Jordan
February 25th, 2018 at 7:39 pm
I’m sure that Koetter said that the Bucs didn’t have $17 mil lying around (for Campbell) but no doubt there’s much more to it than that. Found this in a Tampabay Times story online Joe (about 1 year old) and began wondering what’s REALLY going on: ‘2017 NFL free agency: The Bucs have cap space, but here’s why they don’t have to spend it’ (http://www.tampabay.com/sports/football/bucs/2017-nfl-free-agency-the-bucs-have-cap-space-but-heres-why-they-dont-have/2314901)
“The labor deal struck in 2011 establishes two four-year periods — 2013 through 2016 and 2017 through 2020. In those windows, a team can spend however much it chooses as long as it spends an average of 89 percent of the NFL salary cap. So a team could spend 80 percent in 2017 and 2018 and 100 percent in 2019 and 2020 and be in compliance.”
Sounds to me like the Bucs could spend to their hearts content now if they REALLY wanted to, not truly worrying about it until 2020. I’m confident Licht’s ‘stockpiling’ for future contracts for players like Jameis, ME13, Ali, Donovan & Kwon, but it still looks to me like they have PLENTY to sign some bonafide beasts. No more bargain-basement shopping Jason.
February 25th, 2018 at 7:42 pm
AlteredEgo
I believe they signed DJAX on the first day of free agency in 2017. I really believe that Jason Licht went into free agency focusing solely on signing DJAX.
February 25th, 2018 at 7:58 pm
True….how in the world did I forget that signing….Oh…perhaps it is because Jameis can’t hit him in stride or hook up on the deep ball…DJax’s thang !
February 25th, 2018 at 8:44 pm
Pay Andrew Norwell some missing Koetter cash.
February 25th, 2018 at 11:27 pm
Either get Joyner from Baltimore who is 27 years Old, or wait til the third round and take the Arkansas Center who is the biggest and highest rated nationally by PFF, or Ohio State’s Center won the Remington Award as the Top Center, or
Michigan State’s Center rated the Top Center in the Big Ten by PFF and the Bucs saw him at the East West Shrine Game. Going with the draft for Center will save a lot of funds needed to pick up other needed Free Agents such as RB Isah Crowell, an Elite CB who can jam receivers and a shut down corner, resign Brent Grimes or move Tandy to replace him, and still have enough money for the best Safety who is a punishing tackler with good speed to play Strong Side Safety, and resign the rest of our own Free Agents and a Place Kicker or use a fifth or later pick in the draft for the Gator’s Place Kicker. If any money left get some backups who are great special team players with great speed and great tacklers in the open field. Get Penny in the draft as a take it to the house RB and run back player who has done run backs for touch downs. Our DC needs to be a lot more aggressive with man to man corners and using lots of different blitzes to keep the QB on edge like we used to do when a top five defensive team and use the three four as his primary defense.
February 25th, 2018 at 11:57 pm
Work out a trade for DE Robert Quinn, he doesn’t it their scheme, he’s a 4-3 end not a 3-4 linebacker, he’s expensive but worth it, probably take our 2nd but really who could we draft in the 2nd that’s better than Quinn for the next 3 years, maybe can get him for our 3rd, the Rams don’t have a lot of cap space
February 26th, 2018 at 12:03 am
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If Licht extends Kwon/Ali/Brate/Donovan/Hump I think he’ll actually only have approximately $23.1mil to spend on free agents … that’s not very much in reality as it would get you Ziggy Ansah and Star Lotulelei, or Malcom Butler and Aquib Talib and that’s it … if they looked for “value” contracts again it could probably land them any three out of the following five free agents: Kony Ealy, Brent Grimes, Bradley Nickel-Robey, Tre Boston and Carlos Hyde.
The real question will be if Licht decides to risk losing Kwon/Ali/Donovan, refuses to offer them extensions and extends spends that money on free agents this year to try and stack the roster and SAVE HIS JOB … if he goes that route the Bucs should have around $42.3mil to spend on free agents … and that is a ton.
With $42.3mil they could literally get Ziggy Ansah and Trumaine Johnson and a starting SS (Eric Reid or Tre Boston) or DT (Star Lotuleli, Dontari Poe or Justin Ellis).
They could also sign ALL of the following players: Malcolm Butler, Kony Ealy, Justin Ellis, Andrew Norwell and Carlos Hyde
So, I for one am extremely curious what Licht does and think it’s the biggest question of the entire offseason … does Licht do what’s best for the Bucs in the long-run and extend Kwon/Marpet/Donovan or does he throw caution to the wind, refuse to offer any of those three extensions and just go wild in free agency in an attempt to load the roster and SAVE HIS JOB?
THAT IS THE BURNING QUESTION THIS OFF-SEASON!
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February 26th, 2018 at 7:56 am
NFLNut,
We can cut some players too and no need to extend all those it’s now.
I’d go for two O linemen, two D Linemen, and at least one cB and two of Grimes is not retained.
Licht needs to go big this year, or it’s his farewell tour.