Salary cap could be in the range of $180 million

[baselman1974]

The losses can be considered a write off.

 

[Visionman]

The losses can be considered a write off.

Do you think the players are going to “write off” smaller deals, with smaller signing bonuses, knowing the next play could be their last in the league?

 

[PrimeTime]

It will stay same.

NFL doesn't rely solely on fan attendance like the NHL does. They have great tv rights deals and with more people indoors due to corona, am sure their viewership numbers skyrocketed.

NHL is in dire straits. They are the least watched North American sport so can't command tv rights deals like the NBA and NFL can. That league relies heavily on fan attendance.

I understand your assumption, as did i, that viewership would increase due to more people at home on the weekends. But that was not the case. The numbers have been in for a couple of weeks already. These aren't the NFL's numbers, these are the networks numbers. Viewership was down 6% this season compared to last season. This was after two consecutive seasons with 5% increases.

 

[nc0gnet0]

I still just can't see it happening man.

If the cap REALLY goes to 175 or 180, especially 175, thats 25m lower than last year. 10%+, spread out over handfuls of dozens of guys.

Not to mention like half the league barely has any cap room considering those projections right now. You'd basically completely fuck their cap situation up. All teams were expecting at minimum 210m for the cap this year after free agency.

You're essentially penalizing the teams who adequately spaced out their cap hits due to an unforeseen circumstance(The pandemic). That shit can't and shouldn't fly.

This sport, of all sports, knows how to make that cap hit work. FFS, in 2019 the lowest earning team as far as revenue goes in the NFL was the chargers at 395 million.

oddly enough, when I told you I expected it to be around 182 million, and used that number for my cap calculations, you told me how wrong I was............................................

 

[baselman1974]

Do you think the players are going to “write off” smaller deals, with smaller signing bonuses, knowing the next play could be their last in the league?

Well don't blame the league nor owners. They accomodated. Look at NHL and MLB, they might go bankrupt. At least NFL players can eat, even though it's for slightly less.

Blame the US gov't that failed to keep the virus contained. Blame stupid people thinking this was a hoax. Blame Qanon. This us life, and players have to roll with bad along with the good. I have no pity for them when people here are needing food banks just to feed their family and themselves each week .

 

[Toast88]

What does this mean for reality of putting a team together? Are a bunch of highly-paid players about to be cut and sit out the 2021 season because no one will pay them more than 2/3 of what they were previously making? I mean, if the cap is truly going to be $175M, wouldn't that be the natural result? A shit-ton of teams are about to be way over the cap....

 

[dennehy]

The losses can be considered a write off.

They most likely won't lose money.

They will make less. They are extremely profitable, and they still have all their TV and licensing money, plus probably most of their merchandizing. Only the gate takes a real hit, and that is not a large portion of overall revenue.

 

[Visionman]

What does this mean for reality of putting a team together? Are a bunch of highly-paid players about to be cut and sit out the 2021 season because no one will pay them more than 2/3 of what they were previously making? I mean, if the cap is truly going to be $175M, wouldn't that be the natural result? A shit-ton of teams are about to be way over the cap....

That’s exactly what would happen. Teams will give lowball or 1 year deals to players. I imagine many of those top vets would choose to sit out rather than risk their career, and a real payday, for that.

 

[bamainatlanta]

Its purely based on economics, has nothing to do what people’s interests are.

This

 

[hebs]

What ever happened to the idea that they were going to spread the cap loss across the next decade so that instead of dropping, it stays the same this year and goes up ~1/10th less of the average increase over the next years?

 

[remydat]

What does this mean for reality of putting a team together? Are a bunch of highly-paid players about to be cut and sit out the 2021 season because no one will pay them more than 2/3 of what they were previously making? I mean, if the cap is truly going to be $175M, wouldn't that be the natural result? A shit-ton of teams are about to be way over the cap....

I think a lot of the high priced guys that are still good will get paid. More likely is the guys who could get 3-5 million likely will only get 1 year deals for league min. That and a lot of fringe vets while get replaced by rookies and young guys making peanuts.

 

[Luke]

That’s exactly what would happen. Teams will give lowball or 1 year deals to players. I imagine many of those top vets would choose to sit out rather than risk their career, and a real payday, for that.

So what if 2021 revenues aren't much better?
Are these vets also going to sit out 2022?

 

[Visionman]

So what if 2021 revenues aren't much better?
Are these vets also going to sit out 2022?

They will be looking out for their best interests, just like the teams and league are. For many FAs, this may be their only chance at a payday. Do you expect them to suck it up, play on a one year deal or a low contract, risking a career ending injury, because the owners want to hold on to more money?

 

[nc0gnet0]

They will be looking out for their best interests, just like the teams and league are. For many FAs, this may be their only chance at a payday. Do you expect them to suck it up, play on a one year deal or a low contract, risking a career ending injury, because the owners want to hold on to more money?

Most likely, because sitting out doesn't guarantee you will cash in the proceeding year. Ask Le'veon

 

[WindyCity]

Pace's fault

100% his free agency spending last year was a total disaster.

 

[Luke]

100% his free agency spending last year was a total disaster.

He's going to have to be near 100% dead on this year if he hopes to stick around in 2022.

 

[rawdawg]

Unpopular opinion, but I think the lower cap helps a team like the Bears. They don't have much money and the lower cap means more cap casualties AKA larger free agent pool. That inevitably will make some veteran players cheaper, and Pace has done well with low cost free agents. The Bears also need quite a few low cost free agents to fill out their roster because they have among the fewest signed players in the league.

I think you'll see a slower FA market this offseason, kind of like baseball has been the last couple years. I think you started to see that a bit this year with guys like Clowney signing very late and Snacks Harrison being out into the regular season.

 

[DB012031]

I wonder if the NFL and NFLPA would go the route of what the NBA did a few years ago (maybe more like 10 years ago I think) but allow a 1 time "Cut" that wouldn't count against the cap. I recall the NBA doing this and gave the teams a window to use it (Chicago Bulls actually being one of the last teams to exercise it). it could act as a bridge with the drastic reduction.

So for example, the Bears could cut Mack, still pay out his guaranteed money, but it would wipe the books clean, no dead cap space/counting against the cap.

 

[msadows]

Pace's fault

I mean, its not just pace's fault. No one predicted that a global pandemic would happen that would reduce the cap by 10% instead of increasing it by 10%.....Thats a 20% cap shrinkage over what was expected.

A lot of teams are fucked in the cap situation right now. Dick move by the league, but I get it.

 

[dabears70]

I mean, its not just pace's fault. No one predicted that a global pandemic would happen that would reduce the cap by 10% instead of increasing it by 10%.....Thats a 20% cap shrinkage over what was expected.

A lot of teams are fucked in the cap situation right now. Dick move by the league, but I get it.

The Pandemic was also Pace's fault.