Cap situation and the cap floor
 

With the current signees and with the amount the team had to spend in FA, it seems they have to be below the 89% cap floor?

Reading about it, its not any single year the floor has to be reached, its over a 4 year period, which started last year, in 2017, so this is year two of 4 where total they have to reach the cap floor of 89%.

But it seems they are way under it right now for 2018. Does all that carry over to 2019 if its unused? Would make for a huge amount to be able to spend next year.

I'm guessing we'll see them sign more guys after they see what positions they were able to fill in the draft and what voids remain.

How much cap space have we still got anyway? I have no idea what the figure is currently

Yep, there will be more short term signings before the season starts.

Colts Cap for 02 April 2018:

$177.200m = 2018 NFL Salary Cap
$016.837m = 2017 Colts Cap Rollover
==========
$194.037m = 2018 Colts Salary Cap

$130.870m = Top 51 Current Contracts
$001.110m = Spots 52/53 on Active Roster
$001.779m = Dead Money
$011.053m = Projected Draft Pool (#6 + 3 2nd rounders is expensive)
$001.200m = 10-man Practice Squad
$003.000m = In-Season "Churn" Space
==========
$149.012m = 2018 Cap Obligations

$045.025m = Free Cap Space to spend on Free Agents

For 2017, we spent 90.2% of our maximum cap space.

For 2018, we are currently spending 76.7% of our maximum cap space.

If we don't spend another penny in 2018 (will not happen), then we would have to average spending 94.6% of our cap in 2019 and 2020 in order to hit the 89% cap minimum (89% x 4 = 356 - 90.2 - 76.7 = 189.1 / 2 = 94.6% for each of the next 2 years).

If a team fails to hit the 89% average, then their cap situation is not changed AT ALL and instead the team needs to pay the Players Union directly the amount that they did not spend in order to distribute it to all the various things that the Players Union supports.

We will spend more of our cap; it will just be during the "surprise veteran" cut phase of free agency after the draft.

As a guide, if we did not back out all the known future expenses of the cap (spots 51/52, practice squad, churn space, draftees), then the Colts would have a "media" free cap space of $61.387m.

Top Media "Free" Cap Space Amounts:

01. = CLE = $70.626m
02. = IND = $61.387m
03. = TEN = $44.102m
04. = SF.. = $42.896m
05. = NYJ = $33.301m
06. = CHI = $31.709m
07. = HOU = $31.374m
08. = OAK = $21.157m

So, that Oakland number then needs to have the future costs backed out of it meaning that they only have about $5m of true "free" cap space available to sign anyone new.

So, the above 7 teams still have cap space to play with free agents without restructuring or cutting current players.

We are in pretty good shape to fill holes once that phase of free agency comes after seeing what we end up with in the draft.

More veterans will be signed. But, I expect us to carry cap space into 2019 as well.

Walk Worthy,

BTW, the extension to that is that there are a lot of teams that are over the cap when the future costs are added in. For example:

PHI: Currently $000.031m under cap (that is $31,000). However, add in spots 52/53, practice squad, draftees and churn space and they are $10.435 over their salary cap. They will have to cut or resturcture to carry their veterans into the season.

DAL: Currently $001.877m under the cap. Add in future costs and they are $11.035m over the cap.

NO: Currently $006.356m under the cap. Add in future costs and they are $11.258m over the cap.

NE: Currently $007.313m under the cap. Add in future costs and they are $8.269m over the cap.

NYG: Currently $007.667m under the cap. Add in future costs and they are $6.534m over the cap. Offload OBJ and they save $8.459m against the cap. Hmmmm......

Fully 1/2 the teams in the league are pretty much at salary cap or over the cap once future costs are added in. There will be quality veterans cut in order to make space that could be great 1 or 2 year rentals.

Walk Worthy,

Hopefully, Ballard drafts BPA and then fills in specifically with the second round of FAs.