Salary Cap

All posts tagged Salary Cap

CLARITY ON DESEAN’S RELEASE.

Posted by The BEAST on 2014/04/16
Posted in: Front Office (F.O.), Players. Tagged: , , , . 7 Comments

FP: red-pill-blue-pill

LET’S be clear on something: I do not want to discuss DeSean Jackson‘s merits or faults on or off the field. The only reason I’m bring up his name is because he is on the other end of this story.

What I do want to discuss is his release from the Eagles.  Back on March 26th I wrote an article that gave the reason he’d be leaving. That reason was money.

In a nutshell, the Eagles wouldn’t have been able to afford him in 2015. Replacing him with a FA in 2015 wouldn’t be cost-effective, and next year’s Draft won’t be as deep at WR. This years Draft allows for a team to get what would normally be  mid-2nd round talent, deep in the 3rd or early in the 4th round. That makes making this move now easier to do.

So why not just say it’s over money? Because that reflects poorly on GM Howie Roseman. This franchise let go of fiscal wizard Joe Banner in favor of Roseman. How would it look if they had to get rid of a key player with no replacement available, and say it was all at the feet of Jeff Lurie for backing the wrong guy? As it stands the Eagles are already looking at a salary cap crunch in 2015 that will have longtime fan favorites like Trent Cole packing his bags.

So why all the (alleged) leaks about Jackson? Because it makes his exit seem like it’s his fault. (FYI: If he were actually guilty of any wrongdoing he’d be awaiting a trial, not raking in more guaranteed money.) From gang activity to repeatedly cussing out his coach, nothing the man has been accused of has a source willing to back it. LeSean McCoy said he’d never seen or heard of the latter.

However it does have people looking left (fake leak), when the trick is on the right (millions freed up in cap space).

It’s been weeks of chasing smoke for anybody interested in the “Why?”, and that’s a shame, because the truth is and has been, right in front of them all along.

NOTHING HAS CHANGED

Posted by The BEAST on 2014/03/26
Posted in: Front Office (F.O.), Players. Tagged: , . 7 Comments
Image courtesy of philly.com

Image courtesy of Philly.com

I’VE spent the day laughing at the notion that a rumor that was started and sustained by Tweets, is somehow supposed to be killed by Tweets.

During most of Jacksongate 2014© we’ve had to endure some of the worst “reporting” by professional outlets that I’ve ever seen. Tweets, sources close to blah-blah, and raw speculation have all fueled one of the most idiotic rumor sagas in modern sports history. It was even big enough to suck in an additional 5 NFL teams (Raiders, 9ers, Jets, Panthers, Ravens).

What’s funny is it all comes out of the fact that the Eagles won’t issue a single statement on the matter. Even now, after DeSean Jackson’s ‘go-team-go’ themed Tweets. It makes you wonder what’s real and what isn’t.

 

HERE’S WHAT’S REAL:

The Eagles can afford Jackson in 2014. They can’t next year (Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C). Not if they want to field an entire NFL team. Did you see the 7 TD’s Nick Foles rectally inserted into the cash strapped Raiders last year? (FYI: Foles didn’t throw more than 3 against any other opponent.) So unless you want the 2015 Eagles to be the 4-12 2013 Raiders, you want him (and others) to be moved.

Restructures won’t provide relief. Foles is still on his rookie deal for 2014 and 2015; but in 2016 he’ll command a salary of better than 12 million. So other player’s 2015 money can’t be spread out over 2016 and on, because they’ll need that room for Foles and the upcoming new deals for guys like Fletcher Cox, Mychal Kendricks, and Lane Johnson.

The room simply doesn’t exist. You went to school. You can do basic addition. This is just math. Besides, what do you do if guys don’t want to restructure? FYI: Connor Barwin and LeSean McCoy are the guys who would at that point be asked to take a cut.

Nothing has changed.

Jackson’s Tweet is completely meaningless. It carries as much weight as one put out by you or I.

Jackson was never going to trade or release himself. He never was said to be shopping himself. He never declared media silence on the subject of himself. That was all the Eagles as an organization, not as a team. None of his teammates threatened to shop him/trade him/release him. That was the Eagles organization, not the Eagles team.

The organization STILL has yet to declare what its intentions are. Keep in mind, Jackson spoke to Chip Kelly, not to Howie Roseman. Hell, Kelly has yet to issue a statement either! That’s an extremely important characterization. Especially in light of what Jeff Lurie said on Tuesday. You mean you didn’t know??

It’s still on folks. Eyes on the prize, not the distraction.

This story won’t go away until someone in the organization kills it, or if Jackson is still here on May 10th. Barring that, it still looks to me like he won’t be here much longer.