Thoughts on Available Cap Room

With the lockout nearing its end, and a rumored salary cap of around 120M set to be imposed, I thought it would be appropriate to take a look at how much salary cap space the Eagles will have, practically speaking.  I’m not going to get incredibly specific with numbers, and I’m going to ignore the Top 51 rule for the time being.  My reasoning is that the things the Eagles need to accomplish include more than just signing free agents before the season starts (i.e. extensions), so I’m more worried how much of the 120M they will use by the end of the season. 

First, let’s make some assumptions about the roster.  Of the players currently signed, I think that 37 are highly likely to end up on the final 53-man roster.  This number includes Vick, Kafka, McCoy, Schmitt, D. Jackson, Avant, Maclin, Cooper, Hall, Celek, Harbor, Nalbone, Peters, Justice, Dunlap, Howard, Herremans, McGlynn, J. Jackson, Cole, Tapp, Graham, Teo-Nesheim, Sapp, Patterson, Bunkley, Laws, Dixon, Fokou, Clayton, Chaney, Samuel, Hanson, Lindley, Allen, Coleman, and Dorenbos.  This accounts for 2 QBs, 2 RBs, 5 WRs, 3 TEs, 7 OL, 5 DEs, 4 DTs, 3 LBs, 3 CBs, 2 Ss, and a LS.

While someone like Nalbone might not actually make the roster, anyone who takes his spot will be making a similar minimum salary, so practically speaking, it doesn’t really matter.  The difference might be 100K, or something along those lines, but I said that I wasn’t going to get real specific with the numbers.  The same goes for Hall as WR 5, Schmitt as FB, or Sapp as DE 6.

The total salary cap commitment for these players comes out to $76,508,874.

Via the draft, the Eagles acquired another 9 players that I think will take roster spots.  This includes Watkins, Jarrett, Marsh, Mathews, Henry, Lewis, Vandervelde, Rolle, and Lloyd.  The last four are questionable, but again, the salary cap difference is minimal if Buckley is RB 3 instead of Lewis, or if Fenuki Tupou beats out Vandervelde for the OL 9 spot. 

We are now up to 46 roster spots, including 2 QBs, 3 RBs, 5 WRs, 3 TEs, 9 OL, 5 DEs, 4 DTs, 6 LBs, 4 CBs, 3 Ss, a K, and a LS.  I’m not going to go crazy trying to estimate the cap hits of the rookies, in part because the contract structures for 1^st and possibly 2^nd round picks could change, but I’m going to estimate that these 9 players account for about 5.5 M worth of cap space.  That looks like a number I just randomly came up with, but I made an educated guess for each pick, added them up, and it came just short of 5M.  Even if minimum base salaries are increased by 100K in the new CBA, that would only push this number to the 6M range.  So I’ll split the difference and say 5.5M.

That brings the total salary cap commitment for these 46 players to about $82,000,000.

We have seven roster spots to fill, including QB2, RB2, DE2, CB2, LB, S, and P.  I’m comfortable with the following position groups:  WR (sorry Plaxico), TE, OL, and DT.  For the seven roster spots, we do have some internal options, both under contract and entering free agency.  Kevin Kolb could certainly be our QB2, and Juqua Parker could very well be our DE2.  I suppose it is conceivable that Rashad Jeanty could be that last LB, and that Marlin Jackson could be the last S.  Jerome Harrison, Stewart Bradley, and Sav Rocca are candidates to be re-signed to fill some of the spots as well (I won’t even suggest Dimitri Patterson as the CB2). 

Prorations of 5.35M (Kolb), 800K (Parker), and 100K (Weaver) will count against the cap whether or not they are on the team, so this brings the total cap commitment to about 88.25M.  I’m assuming Weaver will be cut.  If the Eagles decide to keep Kolb, they will add his 1.392M base salary to the total. 

As far as Parker, I think that he will either be a starter at DE, or he will be cut/traded.  If the Eagles are going to sign a DE in free agency, it needs to be an impact player.  It makes no sense to sign someone that’s not clearly better than Parker or Tapp.  If that is the case, saving 3.5M by cutting Parker makes sense because he would be an expensive backup.  Tapp, Teo-Nesheim, and Graham (when he is healthy) are more appropriately paid to be backups.  On the other side, if they choose not to sign a DE in free agency, Parker is fairly paid for the production he delivers as a starter.  But I’m going to go on the thought that they will sign an impact DE, so I am going to leave Parker’s 3.5M base salary out of the total.

So assuming a 120M salary cap, they have 31.75M to do the following things:

1. Acquire an impact CB
2. Acquire an impact DE
3. Acquire a LB or re-sign Bradley and figure out who starts where
4. Figure out whether or not to trade Kolb, and if the answer is yes, figure out who the QB2 will be
5. Acquire a RB2 or re-sign Harrison
6. Acquire a P or re-sign Rocca
7. Figure out whether to re-sign Mikell or acquire a different stop-gap safety or stick with Allen, Coleman, Jarrett, Jackson/Anderson and hope for the best.
8. Extend DeSean Jackson before he holds out
9. Extend Michael Vick (possibly creating more cap space)

Salary Cap Analysis: TEs

Brent Celek

Celek is signed for 6 more seasons, with cap numbers ranging from 2.49M in 2011 to 5M in 2016.  More importantly, he currently has 3.6M worth of cap overhang remaining.  From a salary cap perspective, this virtually assures that he will be on the team through 2012, as the cap savings would be non-existent and minimal the next 2 years.  However, from 2013-2016, he must remain productive to justify his contract, as the cap savings for trading/releasing him would rise above 3M and then 4M.  This is perfectly acceptable for a productive starting TE, so as long as Celek can remain that, he stands a good chance of remaining on the team for the better part of this decade.

Clay Harbor

Harbor is signed for three more seasons, with cap numbers ranging from 518K to 688K.  He has a relatively low cap overhang (340K), so he will have to earn his spot on the team each year.  However, if he is able to develop into a competent backup TE, his contract provides very good value for the next several years.  Yet another example of 2010 Depth Draft, in which the Eagles acquired a small army of players who won’t necessarily become stars, but who fill out the roster competently while using up little in the way of salary cap room.

The Eagles also have John Nalbone and Cornelius Ingram each signed for two seasons (405K & 490K for Nalbone, 330K & 415K for Ingram).  These two players, as well as any other minimum-salary type players that are signed, figure to compete for the 3rd TE spot, if there even is one.  There doesn’t appear to be any reason for the team to use a draft pick on a TE.

TE appears to be one of the most stable positions on the team, as Celek is a productive starter signed to a reasonable long-term contract, and Harbor is a semi-promising second year player who should be able to fill the backup spot on the cheap for the next several years.  The third position isn’t incredibly important, as the team has gone with only two TEs for weeks at a time in the past several years.  All in all, the Eagles will use less than 4M worth of cap room on this position over the next couple of years.

Salary Cap Analysis: WRs

DeSean Jackson

Jackson enters the final year of his contract scheduled to count $903,250 against the cap.  Having made less than 3M so far in his career, DeSean is understandably trying to cash in as soon as possible.  The Eagles would be wise to oblige, and there are several recent contracts available to use as a starting point in negotiations.  Brandon Marshall signed a deal that, despite creative accounting that enables his agent to claim an annual salary of 10M per year, is in actuality a 5 year, 47.3M contract.  This includes 25M in guaranteed money, but as the link above explains, half of that can be voided if he is suspended by the league.  

The Miles Austin contract, signed this past September, was reported to be for 6 years and 54M, with 18M guaranteed.  However, it’s really 7 years, because it used the 2010 season to increase his base salary to over 17M.  Andre Johnson also received an extension during 2010, but it’s not a very comparable situation because (1) he was already signed for 5 more years at the point of the extension, and (2) he is widely regarded as the best receiver in the league.  Going back to 2009, Roddy white signed for 6 years, 50M (18M guaranteed), and Greg Jennings signed for 4 years, 26M (16M guarantee).  The Larry Fitzgerald contract, which has been used as a benchmark for several years, totaled 40M over 4 years, with 30M guaranteed.

Jackson and Rosenhaus are probably looking to hit the 10M per year mark, with at least 25M in guarantees.  I could see this happening, but with some creative accounting similar to the Marshall deal that allows both sides to come out believing they have won.  For example, if they agree to a 5 year, 50M extension, it would really be a 6 year deal because 2011 would be included.  Rosenhaus could claim 10M per year, but the Eagles could spread out the payments over 6 years, brining their average annual expense to 8.33M.  The “guarantees” could be artificially inflated by including roster bonuses in the later years of the deal that aren’t truly guaranteed.  I expect a deal to ultimately be reached, and I expect the initial reports to sound very high, but I also expect some technicalities that reduce the actual commitment that the Eagles are required to make.

Jeremy Maclin

Maclin is signed for three more seasons at cap values of approximately 2M, 2.35M, and 2.95M.  His current cap over hang is 3.75M, as he received a 5M prorated bonus in 2010.  He also triggered his one-time bonus of 2.4575M in 2010.  Maclin’s contract provides excellent value for his production, and he is signed for long enough that they don’t have to worry about extending him for a couple of years.

Jason Avant

Avant is signed for 4 more seasons at cap values of 1.96M, 2.21M, 2.71M, and 3.96M, with remaining cap overhang of 2.84M.  His contract provides good value at this point, and because of the overhang, he is virtually guaranteed to be on the team through 2012 (at least from a salary cap perspective).  However, in 2013 the team would be able to save about 1.3M by trading/releasing him.  In 2014, he is owed a 1M roster bonus, and the team would save over 3.2M by trading/releasing him.  Depending upon the development of Riley Cooper and/or any other young receivers they draft this year, it is conceivable that Avant won’t be back in 2013, and I highly doubt that he will complete his deal in 2014.

Riley Cooper

Cooper is signed for three more seasons, with cap values ranging from around 450K to roughly 620K.  His cap overhang is minimal, meaning that the Eagles can release him without hesitation if his performance wavers.  His contract is appropriate for a #4 receiver, but would provide excellent value if he is able to become anything more than that.  As I mentioned earlier, he could potentially force Avant out the door in 2013 if he is able to play at a high level.

The Eagles also have Sinorice Moss signed for one year (640K), Chad Hall signed for two years (405K, 490K), Rod Harper signed for two years (405K, 490K), and Jeremy Williams signed for three years (330K, 415K, 500K).  These players figure to compete for the 5th WR position, as there doesn’t appear to be any reason to draft a WR.  

Signing Jackson to an extension is a priority, but other than that, the WR position has the potential to remain settled through 2013, when Maclin and Cooper see their contracts expire and Avant becomes a bit too pricey.  Depending where the Jackson contract comes in, the Eagles will likely be using about 15M worth of cap space on this position group over the next 3 years.

Salary Cap Analysis: QBs and RBs

Kevin Kolb:

Kolb enters 2011 with one year remaining on his contract, at a cap number of $6,742,000.  5.35M of this consists of outstanding signing bonus proration, which means that the Eagles will only save 1.392M if they trade him.   On the other hand, this also means that any team acquiring Kolb will only be required to commit 1.392M worth of cap room to him, an incredibly low amount for a starting quarterback.  This advantage will likely be negated by an expected extension, but nonetheless, Kolb’s contract becomes favorable for the purpose of trading.  

If Kolb returns to Philadelphia as a backup, his contract is still acceptable due to the likelihood that he will start at least a few games due to a Vick injury (especially if an 18-game schedule is instituted).  If, for some reason, Kolb ends up returning to Philadelphia as the starter, his contract provides great value for 2011, and the team would most likely look to extend him.  For a point of reference, Matt Cassel signed for 6 years, 63M, including 28M guaranteed, upon his trade to the Chiefs.

Mike Kafka

Kafka is signed for three more seasons at cap values of $521,625; $606,625; and $691,625; with $349,875 worth of cap overhang remaining.  He is virtually assured to return as at least the #3 QB, at which point his contract provides good value.  However, he could potentially enter camp as the backup, at which point his contract provides excellent value.  Again, this is the value of drafting numerous solid depth players with mid-round picks:  every 521K used on Kafka means that 1M-1.5M did not have to be spent on an older veteran.  That extra 500K-1M adds up.

LeSean McCoy

McCoy is signed for two more seasons at cap values of $822,500 and $907,500, with 685K worth of cap overhang remaining.  Simply put, this is one of the most valuable contracts the team possesses.  Under current CBA rules, McCoy is now eligible to sign an extension, and one would imagine that this is on the t0-do list of Reid/Roseman (right after Vick, Jackson, …)

Leonard Weaver

The Eagles did an excellent job of protecting themselves against potential dead money with this contract, as Weaver only has 200K worth of cap overhang remaining against potential cap values of 2.6M in 2011 and 3.1M in 2011.  If he is unable to return to the field at a high level, Weaver could very well be released, as the result would be a cap savings of 2.4M.  However, I wouldn’t expect this to happen at the beginning of the offseason in true cap-casualty form, but rather at the end of the summer after he has been given every opportunity to prove himself in training camp.  This contract is a great example of the advantage of using roster bonuses instead of signing bonuses, especially during an uncapped year where there is no downside to doing so.

Owen Schmitt is also signed for one more season at a base salary of 555K, while Jerome Harrison and, obviously, Michael Vick are unrestricted free agents.  In addition, Eldra Buckley is a restricted free agent.  The Eagles will likely commit something in the neighborhood of 20M to re-sign or franchise tag Michael Vick, and will also have to commit resources to brining in a backup QB (if Kolb is traded) and a backup RB.  I would expect the #3 RB position to be filled with a low-salary player, whether it be Buckley or another player of similar caliber.  When all is said and done, the seven players filling the backfield roster slots, in addition to Kolb’s dead money, will account for more than 30M in cap room.

Salary Cap Analysis: Defensive Review

If we assume that the defense will account for something along the lines of 25 roster slots (6 DEs, 4 DTs, 6 LBs, 5 CBs, 4 S), then the players currently on the roster account for a total cap allocation of $37,870,828, while only filling 20 of the slots.  The slots currently unoccupied include #2 CB, starting SS, and 3 LB positions (at least 1 starter, most likely 2).   The defensive ends unit comprises the largest share of the total, with $14,642,780 in allocated cap room, or 39% of the current total.  On the other end of the spectrum, linebackers only currently account for $ 1,433,448, or 4%.  While obviously distorted at the present time, this distribution is a microcosm of the way in which the Eagles have historically valued the two positions in terms of salary cap resource allocation.

There don’t appear to be many players who qualify as candidates to be released for salary cap purposes.  If the Eagles were to decide to sign a high-priced defensive end, then Jaqua Parker could conceivably be released to save 3.5M.  Also, Joselio Hanson could receive his walking papers if he were to be outplayed by two or more of the young, cheap cornerbacks.  Marlin Jackson seems unlikely to make the team, but that is due to health/performance more than cap value.  

With as much as 60M in cap room to play with, depending upon where the salary cap is set, and significantly fewer issues on the offensive side of the ball, the Eagles figure to commit tens of millions of dollars to improving the defense during the upcoming offseason.  After I take a look at the offense, I will run through a sample offseason (or two) to see just how the team can use this cap space.

Salary Cap Analysis: Safeties and Specialists

Nate Allen:

This is one contract that I have very few details on, but I feel that I have been able to come up with a pretty good estimate based on the structure for high 2nd round picks established over the previous few years.  According to Rotoworld, Allen received 3.1M worth of “guaranteed” money, which can take several forms.  The trend for 2nd round picks in recent years has been to receive the majority of that in a signing bonus, with the rest coming in a second bonus in a subsequent year.  Because of this, I am estimating that Allen received a 2.2M signing bonus in 2010 (the 37th pick in 2009, Alphonso Smith, received a 2.15M signing bonus), and will receive a 900K non-prorated bonus in 2011, bringing his cap number to $1,855,000.  I’ll get a much better understanding of the structure if/when the USA Today Salary Database for 2010 is released.  Regardless, his cap number will fall back to the 1M-1.1M range for 2012 and 2013, providing a good bargain for a starting safety.

Kurt Coleman:

Coleman is signed for three more seasons, with cap numbers never exceeding 600K and total cap overhang of slightly more than 30K.  This is an ideal situation, as the team has a quality depth player for a minimal price, and can release him at any time while incurring an insignificant amount of dead money.  This is the real strength of the 2010 draft, as the Eagles acquired players such as Coleman/Lindley/Clayton/Chaney/Te’o-Nesheim/Sapp/Cooper/Harbor who can provide valuable depth for little cost, allowing the team to allocate serious resources toward starters.

Marlin Jackson

Jackson’s 2011 base salary was originally listed as 2M, but has recently been changed on the NFLPA database to 640K.  He may have some residual proration from a 2010 signing bonus, but I won’t be sure of this until the USA Today Salary Database is published.  If his cap number is below 1M it doesn’t really hurt to keep him around until training camp, but I have a hard time believing he will make the team, which means the Eagles will recoup a small amount of cap space when he is ultimately released.

Colt Anderson is signed for two more seasons at base salaries of 405K and 490K, and Jamar Adams is signed for two more seasons at base salaries of 480K and 565K.  In addition, starting strong safety Quintin Mikell will become an unrestricted free agent when the league year ends.

Jon Dorenbos

Dorenbos is signed for two more seasons at identical cap numbers of $916,453; with $216,666 worth of cap overhang currently remaining.  There’s not a whole lot to say about this contract:  any cap room saved by releasing him would be spent on finding his replacement.  He seems to be doing fine, so I would expect him to finish out the remainder of this contract.

Among the other specialists, both David Akers and Sav Rocca are both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.  These two players, as well as Mikell, would seem to be easier to re-sign than to replace for the 2011 season.  I would think that Mikell would be a priority, as he remains an above average player and Coleman is unlikely to be an adequate replacement.  Last time around the Eagles were able to re-sign him for 4 years at roughly 4M, with close to 1.5M guaranteed.  This time, I would expect those numbers to at least triple.  Remember, the Eagles signed Dawkins through his age-35 season, and Mikell will be 31 for the 2011 campaign.  For a comparison, Ryan Clark received a 4 year, 14M contract last offseason that included 5M in guarantees.  As for Akers and Rocca, I would imagine they could garner contracts with yearly averages of roughly 2.5M and 1.5M , respectively. 

I think it is reasonable to estimate that Mikell, Akers, and Rocca could all be re-signed a a total cap cost of no more than 8M.  For a team that is expected to be in contention for a Super Bowl next year, I think that is a fair price in order to lock down three positions with low-risk, solid players.

Salary Cap Analysis: Cornerbacks

CB Asante Samuel:

Samuel is signed for three more seasons at cap values of 9.335M, 9.5M, and 11.5M, with 3M of cap overhang remaining.  He now enters the phase of his contract where he must continue to remain an elite player, as the team can realize significant cap savings by releasing him.  But at his current level of production, a cap value in the 9-11M range is reasonable.  The Eagles structured this contract very advantageously, as the large roster bonuses in the first two years of the deal have led to very little dead money risk in the second half of the contract.

CB Joselio Hanson

Hanson will count 2.235M against the cap this year, and the team can create 870K in cap room if they were to release/trade him.  In addition, the Eagles would save the 1.68M base salary he is slated to make, and potentially the 100K workout bonus as well.  Because of this, Hanson needs to show that he is clearly better than the Hughes/Calvin/Lawson/Wall contingent.  If the team brings in a notable free agent/draft pick/trade acquisition to play opposite Samuel, and Lindley beats him out for the 3rd CB role, then I could envision the team opting to go younger and cheaper for a 4th CB unless Hanson is demonstrably better than the other candidates.  However, if he remains in the mix for legitimate playing time, his cap number is acceptable for this season.  Going forward though, as his cap number rises above 3M and his cap overhang falls below 1M, he will be a candidate for cap savings.

CB Trevard Lindley

As a 2010 draftee, Lindley is signed for 3 more seasons, with cap values of $536,250; $621,250; and $706,250; with total cap overhang of $393,750.  It’s hard to imagine him not making the team, as his cap number is fine even for a 5th CB.  If he can ascend to the 3rd CB spot, or even the starting spot opposite Samuel, then his contract provides great value to the team for several years.  

The team also has several players locked up to minimum salary contracts:  Jorrick Calvin (405K, signed through 2013), Brandon Hughes (405K, 2012), Gerard Lawson (480K, 2012), Jamar Wall (405K, 2013).  These players figure to compete for the 5th CB spot, but most of them will likely fall out of the Top 51 as the offseason progresses.

This roster group currently possesses one premium talent (Samuel), two capable sub-package defenders (Hanson and Lindley), and a bunch of end-of-the-roster types (Calvin, etc.).  Samuel and Lindley would appear to be locks to return, and Hanson should make the team unless he is beat out by the minimum salary players.  Ellis Hobbs is also a free agent, but will most likely not be re-signed, let alone ever even play again due to injury.  It is therefore extremely likely that the team invests serious resources into finding another starting CB, whether it be a free agent signing or a high draft pick.  If that does in fact happen, this group will be one of the priciest on the team, but as a “defensive skill position”, it will be perfectly warranted.

Salary Cap Analysis: Linebackers

Part 3, a few guys under contract and a bunch of free agents.

OLB Moise Fokou:

Fokou is signed for two more seasons at cap values of $492,438 and $577,438, with $24,875 worth of cap overhang remaining.  This is a pretty straight-forward situation:  as long as he is good enough to remain as at least an effective backup, let alone starter, his contract justifies a spot on the roster.  If the Eagles feel otherwise, they can release him with very little in the way of dead money repercussion.  

OLB Keenan Clayton

Clayton is signed for three more seasons at cap values of $521,698; $606,698; and $691,698; with $350,094 worth of cap overhang remaining.  His contract puts him in the same spot as Fokou, as his cap number is perfectly fine for a sub but outstanding for a productive starter.  One would think that his status as a fourth round pick would give him a little leeway when roster selections are made.

MLB Jamar Chaney

Another 2010 draftee, this one under contract at cap values of $420,000; $505,000; and $590,000; with $45,000 worth of cap overhang.  Once again, backup or starter, his contract is valuable to the team, as it delivers a decent-or-better player at a minimal cost.

In addition to these three players, Stewart Bradley, Ernie Sims, Omar Gaither, and Akeem Jordan are all (likely) unrestricted free agents.  The linebacker position is clearly the most unsettled on the team, but at least the three players currently on the roster combine to count less than 1.5M against the cap.  Each of them could conceivably start, although it is extremely unlikely that they all would.  This is a group that would appear likely to receive some sort of significant resource allocation, whether it be a high draft pick, notable free agent signing, or franchise/transition tag placement on Bradley (9.68M/8.373M in 2010).

Salary Cap Analysis: Defensive Tackles

Part 2, defensive tackles:

DT Mike Patterson

Believe it or not, Patterson is still signed for another six more seasons.  He only has 1.5M worth of cap overhang remaining, and his cap number will remain below 5M for the next four seasons, sans escalators.  As long as he remains a reliable starter, this is one of the more team-friendly contracts in the team’s possession, as it contains the rare combination of long-term control and minimal dead money potential.  In other words, the Eagles have Patterson locked up for as long as they want him, and can cut ties without repercussion when they no longer do.  Sounds like a good deal to me.

DT Brodrick Bunkley

Bunkley had a rough 2010 season, but fortunately for him, his contract makes it highly likely that he returns.  In the final year of this rookie deal, he is set to count 1.9M against the cap, 1.285M of which is in the form of proration.  So releasing him would do little to clear cap room.  Even if he ends up as the fourth defensive tackle, it is probably more advantageous to keep him around for depth/insurance at 1.9M than to save 635K that won’t be very useful in terms of improving the team.  I don’t see him being re-signed after 2011, but I see little logic in not bringing him back for one last season.  One thing to keep in mind:  his 2011 salary can escalate to the greater of 8.4M or the franchise tag for DT’s, but I highly doubt that will be the case.  But if so, then he’s definitely gone.

DT Antonio Dixon

Dixon is under contract for one more year at the minimum base salary of 480K, with no other strings attached.  If the restricted free agent system remains the same as in the past, then he will also be under team control in 2012, with a cap number dependent upon which type of tender the Eagles offer him.  As someone who had a “break-out” year to some degree, I would expect Dixon to be a candidate for an extension at some point this year.  But even if the team is unable to get that done, they can at least take solace in the fact that they have a productive player signed for the minimum this year, and likely for a relatively small amount in 2012.

DT Trevor Laws

Laws is signed for one more year at a cap number of 917,500.  This includes a 555K base salary and 362,500 worth of proration.  His cap number is low, there is little to gain from releasing him, and he had a pretty decent season in 2010, so I would imagine that Laws is very likely to be on the roster next year.  One thing to keep in mind:  he has a 412K one-time bonus at some point during this contract.  I think it is likely that he earned it last season, but if he didn’t, then he could potentially increase his cap number this year to the 1.3M range.  Even if this is the case, 1.3M would be perfectly reasonable for an adequate-or-better rotation player.

The Eagles also have Jeremy Clark signed for two years at base salaries of 480K and 565K, and Jeff Owens for three years at 450K, 490K, and 575K.  Both of these players may wind up outside of the Top 51 at some point during the offseason, so there is no harm in letting them hang around until training camp, at which point they can try to beat out Bunkley and/or Laws.  

Overall, while the Eagles may or may not bring in a high-profile addition to this group, none of the current DTs on the roster should be at risk of being cut from a salary cap/money perspective in the beginning of the offseason.  If Bunkley or Laws aren’t on the team next season, it won’t be due to salary cap reasons, but rather performance reasons.  Having a solid group of four defensive tackles who collectively only count about 6.5M against the salary cap is a good value, and it allows the team to utilize resources in other areas.

Salary Cap Analysis: Defensive Ends

Well, 2010 was certainly a failure for me in terms of blogging, but I’ll give it another shot this year.  Later this week I will take a look at 2010 spending, but tonight I’m going to start a 12-part series which will examine the contract status of each player on the team, moving from position-group to position-group.  First up will be the defensive ends:

DE Trent Cole

Cole is currently signed for three more seasons, with cap numbers of 4M, 4M, and 3.5M.  His proration of 1M per year ends after 2012, so at this point the Eagles are only on the hook for 2M worth of “cap overhang” for Cole.  However, he is clearly being paid at a below-market level, so the cap overhang is a non-issue.  He will be 31 by the time his contract ends, so it is entirely possible that he finishes out this deal and is then allowed to walk in free agency.  But for now, the Eagles have a premium defensive locked for three more years at a bargain.  One thing to note:  he has escalators in the remaining years of the contract, so his cap numbers may rise by a modest amount.

DE Juqua Parker:

Parker, who will be 33 during the 2011 season, is signed for one more year at a cap number of 4.3M, comprised of a 3.5M base salary and 800K in proration.  In other words, releasing or trading him would save not only 3.5M worth of cap room, but the same amount of actual money as well.  While 4.3M may be on the high side for a defensive end who the team is seemingly always trying to displace as a starter, the valuable aspect of Parker’s deal is the short-term commitment and low cap overhang.  Unless he somehow falls behind Graham, Tapp, Te’o-Nesheim and/or Sapp in the pecking order, it seems as though he will finish out the final year of a five-year deal that has worked out pretty well for the Eagles.

DE Brandon Graham

As you can see by clicking on the link above, I have recently obtained the details of Graham’s contract.  Currently, I have Graham’s salary cap number as slightly above 2.1M.  However, I am, possibly incorrectly, assuming that he will not trigger his 2,482,500 one-time bonus until 2012 due to his injury.  If he does in fact trigger the bonus in 2011, which is entirely possible, then his cap number for 2011 rises to the 4.6M range before falling back below 3M the following year.  He receives an 8.6M prorated bonus this year, at which point the Eagles become essentially committed to him through 2014 due to potential dead money.  Nonetheless, his salary cap status is a moot point, as his 1st-round-pick status guarantees him a spot on the roster for the foreseeable future.  If he does blossom into a star, the Eagles have him signed for a bargain until 2014, at which point escalators could cause his cap number to rise above 7M.  One thing to note:  In whichever season he causes his 2015 season to void, a 1.7M proration will accelerate against the cap.

DE Darryl Tapp

Tapp is signed for two more seasons and is scheduled to count 3.25M, and 3.575M against the cap, with 2M worth of cap overhang currently lurking.  Thus, if he were to be released/traded this season, the Eagles would save 2.25M worth of actual salary, but save only 1.25M against the cap (2.25M for 2011 if after June 1st).  3.25M seems like a reasonable allocation for an effective third DE who can rack up something like 5-6 sacks, but is probably a bit much for a fourth (or worse) DE who makes little impact.  His contract leaves him susceptible to being released, depending on where he stands vs. Parker/Graham/Te’o-Nesheim/Sapp following training camp.

DE Daniel Te’o-Nesheim

Te’o-Nesheim, a third round pick a year ago, is set to count 590K against the cap, with 555K worth of dead money if he were to be released/traded (only 185K for 2011 if after June 1st).  His low cap number and draft status both work in favor for him remaining on the team, and I’m sure the Eagles would love to see him display the same skill set as Parker in order to justify saving the 3.5M.  However, it’s just as likely that he ends up stuck as the fifth DE.  Either way, if he can become a productive player, the Eagles have him locked up on the cheap through 2013.

DE Ricky Sapp

Sapp, after having spent 2010 on IR, will count 458K against the salary cap in 2011.  He is currently positioned as the sixth defensive end on the roster, and his cap number is appropriate for such a status.  Were he to be cut, the Eagles would only be on the hook for 159K worth of dead money (only 53K for 2011 if after June 1st).

Overall, none of the defensive ends on the roster appear to be blatantly overpaid, but several of them do have vulnerable contracts.  Based on contracts, Trent Cole and Brandon Graham figure to be the only locks to return.  As a third round pick with a low cap number, Te’o-Nesheim would seem likely to return, but Bryan Smith can tell you how that logic doesn’t always work out.  If the team senses slippage from Parker, I can imagine him being cut, but if he can maintain his current production, his contract is reasonable.  Tapp’s contract also makes him vulnerable, but it would depend how Te’o-Nesheim and Sapp play and/or if another notable player is brought in.

Despite the underwhelming performance of this group in 2010, it’s not clear how the team will improve in this area.  Unless the Eagles sign a top free agent or spend a 1st round draft pick, would any new player really be much better than Parker or Tapp?  Or better than what Graham or Te’o-Nesheim might contribute?  In addition, if a top free agent or 1st round pick is brought in, it essentially works to burry Graham and therefore result in an inefficient use of the draft pick that was used to bring him here.  So basically, I think the Eagles are kind of stuck at this position, and would most efficiently use their resources by spending money/picks elsewhere and relying on improvement from Graham/Tapp/Te’o-Nesheim/Sapp.