Local NFL teams to save Ohio Government??

• LJ

  

  Maybe the Browns and the Bengals should just donate their combined $50 million in cap space to the state to help solve budget cut issues.
  
  http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/16/updated-cap-space-as-of-august-15/
  
  The Bucs, Jags and Dolphins must be planning on trying to save Florida with $66.9 million in cap space.
• thavoice

  By the end of the season each team must be at a minimun team salary according to the new CBA, so look for those teams who have lots of cap space to restructure some of their vets contracts to possibly give htem more up front money.
• LJ

  

  thavoice;864128 wrote:By the end of the season each team must be at a minimun team salary according to the new CBA, so look for those teams who have lots of cap space to restructure some of their vets contracts to possibly give htem more up front money.

  
  That's why they are going to bolster the local government budgets. Obviously a lot of teams high on that list don't like to spend money on players (Bengals, Bills, Chiefs, Jags etc...)
• OneBuckeye

  

  thavoice;864128 wrote:By the end of the season each team must be at a minimun team salary according to the new CBA, so look for those teams who have lots of cap space to restructure some of their vets contracts to possibly give htem more up front money.

  
  Not really. The nfl as a whole has to be at an average level. Not each team.
• thavoice

  I believe you are wrong.
  
  Each team has a cap, and a basement of what they have to spend on their salary.
• Hb31187

  

  thavoice;864172 wrote:I believe you are wrong.
  
  Each team has a cap, and a basement of what they have to spend on their salary.

  that was my understanding as well
• thavoice

  They key to that salary stuff though is that they dont have to START the season with at least the basement, but at leaste end. Now, I dont know if that means by the end of the playing season, or the NFL fiscial season of I think March or so.
  
  A stipulation is also that if they DONT reach the basement level they must then make it a bonus to the players on the team across the board, which would a stupid thing for a team to do. They best use that $$$$ to sign guys.
• Wooball

  

  thavoice;864172 wrote:I believe you are wrong.
  
  Each team has a cap, and a basement of what they have to spend on their salary.

  
  I don't believe this team minimum is in affect until either 2012 or 2013.
• se-alum

  

  thavoice;864172 wrote:I believe you are wrong.
  
  Each team has a cap, and a basement of what they have to spend on their salary.

  Incorrect. The salary floor doesn't begin until the 2013 season. The first 2 years, the teams on a whole, have to spend 3.8 billion dollars in salary and bonuses. When the floor is enacted in 2013, each team will have to spend 89% of the salary cap at that time.
• Little Danny

  

  Mike Brown would never give the state of Ohio an extra dime more than he had to. Heck, he already has taken on the IRS and won.
• Writerbuckeye

  

  se-alum;864502 wrote:Incorrect. The salary floor doesn't begin until the 2013 season. The first 2 years, the teams on a whole, have to spend 3.8 billion dollars in salary and bonuses. When the floor is enacted in 2013, each team will have to spend 89% of the salary cap at that time.

  
  This is correct.
  
  And Cleveland will be using a significant amount of its space to re-sign people like Joe Thomas to long-term contracts. I believe Mack, Hillis and Thomas are just three to be re-signed. That's at least two all pro players getting their big second contracts...and another who may well end up in the pro bowl. There are undoubtedly other players not signed after this year as well.
• LJ

  

  Writerbuckeye;864631 wrote:And Cleveland will be using a significant amount of its space to re-sign people like Joe Thomas to long-term contracts. I believe Mack, Hillis and Thomas are just three to be re-signed. That's at least two all pro players getting their big second contracts...and another who may well end up in the pro bowl. There are undoubtedly other players not signed after this year as well.

  
  While that is an important priority, I think it should be pointed out that the 8 teams with the most cap space left (25% of the league) had a combined record of 57-74 last season. Cheap ass ownership is definitely a common theme here.
  
  Those teams also combine for $209 million in cap space.
• se-alum

  

  LJ;864997 wrote:While that is an important priority, I think it should be pointed out that the 8 teams with the most cap space left (25% of the league) had a combined record of 57-74 last season. Cheap ass ownership is definitely a common theme here.
  
  Those teams also combine for $209 million in cap space.

  I don't really think the Browns are being cheap. They're rebuilding with youth, which comes with a smaller pricetag, and they don't really have any big time players that aren't on their rookie contracts. Success forces you to spend more, because you want to keep your team together when you're winning.
• LJ

  

  se-alum;865005 wrote:I don't really think the Browns are being cheap. They're rebuilding with youth, which comes with a smaller pricetag, and they don't really have any big time players that aren't on their rookie contracts. Success forces you to spend more, because you want to keep your team together when you're winning.

  
  The Browns are probably the only team in that group that you could possibly say that about.
  
  The Bills and Bengals are the 2 that you 100% cannot say that about. They are just cheap asses
• Writerbuckeye

  

  The Browns are not even close to being cheap. A cheap franchise doesn't ditch coaches and GM's who fail miserably before their contracts run out. Because they're stuck with paying for those people even while they have to also pay for their replacements.
  
  The Browns are currently still paying off Romeo and Mangini as coaches, and Phil Savage and Kokinis (I believe) who were in the front office. That's millions of dollars in dead weight Randy Lerner took on to try and fix mistakes quickly and get better people in place.
  
  Also, as noted the Browns have gone through a purging process of getting rid of older and more expensive veterans, and are completely redoing the roster. They went from having one of the oldest rosters in the NFL under Mangini to now the youngest.
  
  When they secure the services of their up and coming younger players, cap space will narrow by quite a bit.
• LJ

  

  Writerbuckeye;865052 wrote:The Browns are not even close to being cheap. A cheap franchise doesn't ditch coaches and GM's who fail miserably before their contracts run out. Because they're stuck with paying for those people even while they have to also pay for their replacements.
  
  The Browns are currently still paying off Romeo and Mangini as coaches, and Phil Savage and Kokinis (I believe) who were in the front office. That's millions of dollars in dead weight Randy Lerner took on to try and fix mistakes quickly and get better people in place.
  
  Also, as noted the Browns have gone through a purging process of getting rid of older and more expensive veterans, and are completely redoing the roster. They went from having one of the oldest rosters in the NFL under Mangini to now the youngest.
  
  When they secure the services of their up and coming younger players, cap space will narrow by quite a bit.

  
  They went from one of the highest in 2008 to one of the lowest in 2009 and the bottom half in the uncapped year.
• BR1986FB

  LJ;865100 wrote:They went from one of the highest in 2008 to one of the lowest in 2009 and the bottom half in the uncapped year.

  
  As a Steelers fan, you should appreciate what the Browns are doing. Teams like the Steelers built the model by "building through the draft." That's what Cleveland is doing now and, frankly, it's quite refreshing to see. The Browns have never been shy about spending money. The Steelers, on the other hand....
• LJ

  

  BR1986FB;865137 wrote:As a Steelers fan, you should appreciate what the Browns are doing. Teams like the Steelers built the model by "building through the draft." That's what Cleveland is doing now and, frankly, it's quite refreshing to see. The Browns have never been shy about spending money. The Steelers, on the other hand....

  
  I don't disagree, and I even admitted as much a few posts ago. Just posting facts. No need to bring any other team than the ones listed in here.
• BR1986FB

  LJ;865144 wrote:I don't disagree, and I even admitted as much a few posts ago. Just posting facts. No need to bring any other team than the ones listed in here.

  
  Just threw the last comment in as an obvious jab, my bad. But...the Browns ARE trying something "new" with the drafting. I expect this to be a 2-3 year thing and THEN they will open up the pocket books for a key free agent or two when they feel they are close.
• LJ

  

  BR1986FB;865151 wrote:Just threw the last comment in as an obvious jab, my bad. But...the Browns ARE trying something "new" with the drafting. I expect this to be a 2-3 year thing and THEN they will open up the pocket books for a key free agent or two when they feel they are close.

  
  The obvious offenders that aren't going to open their pocketbooks would be the Bills and Begals.
  
  I think the Chiefs are the 3rd least likely, but definitely not as bad as the first 2 mentioned.
• BR1986FB

  LJ;865156 wrote:The obvious offenders that aren't going to open their pocketbooks would be the Bills and Begals.
  
  I think the Chiefs are the 3rd least likely, but definitely not as bad as the first 2 mentioned.

  
  Completely agree on Buffalo & Cincy. Both old school, hard line/stubborn type owners.
• thavoice

  I stand corrected. It was my thinking it started this upcoming season.
  
  to get above the basement ya cannot just toss money at players taht dont deserve it. I think with this, and rookie caps, more money will go to those who deserve it. Maybe you see some of the older vets not get hosed quite as bad. I always hated to see these rookies get huge dollars before proving anything and then teams having to cut a good veteran who maybe his skills are a little less but still a contributor. The money should go more to those who deserveit.