Plummer, Carr, and Cap Implications

[NEROtheZERO]

With the number of Carr/Plummer threads, and the certainty of more, I thought I'd get some clarification on the cap situation to solidify my stance on the situation.

Let me preface this by saying that I am fairly certain David Carr will enter training camp in steel blue for the 2007 season. There is just so much speculation and supposed leaked inside info - which, for the record, I feel is mostly media concocted - that Carr is on his way out that I would like to clear up what this would do to the cap.

Now, I recall the HPF article about the cap implications of Carr being cut/traded. If I remember correctly, that hit would be $6.xM spread over the next two years. If we were to keep Carr, he would cost us ~$5.xM over the next two years. If we keep him this year (for $5.xM) and decide to cut him next offseason, this cap hit would be considerably less. Please correct any of this information if it is erroneous.

These numbers are essential to the state of our team next season. If my interpretation of the numbers is correct, our available FA money for this offseason would be the same with David Carr as our QB going into FA or David Carr cut/traded and Jake Plummer signed for $2M. Each additional $1M Plummer commands is that much taken from our ability to maneuver in FA.

I don't want to go further into speculation, as, essentially, our entire offseason hinges on the QB situation. So, let's get some clarification on the cap implications and take it from there.

[Tulip]

That's incorrect - I'm pretty sure.

If the Texans cut Carr, they have to take a hit on his bonus ($2 mil this year and $2 mil next year), but they save the $5+ million salary this year and the $6+ million salary next year.

If they trade him, they get hit with all $4 million this year.

So it's not cap-prohibitive to get rid of David. They took bigger cap hits with Robaire Smith and Todd Wade - and barely blinked.

[thunderkyss]

Also, if David Plays in '07, his salary ~$5.75 million(or $5.25 million) + the prorated bonus $2 million($4 million/2 years) David's cap hit is $7.75($7.25) million.

If we cut him, we don't have to count his salary..... just the entire Bonus that we have to pay him, because we told him we would....... so the cap hit is $4 million.

We save $3.75($3.25) million against the cap.

I believe it would be the same if we trade him.

[NEROtheZERO]

After rereading the article (not sure why I didn't do that in the first place), it appears you are right.

What if the Texans cut Carr?

The team will need to figure out how to treat the remaining $4 million of Carr's unamortized bonus (also known as “dead money”) on their salary cap. They can do it one of two ways, and the more conventional approach of the two is to absorb all $4 million on the 2007 cap...the Texans can carry Carr’s scheduled 2007 cap figure of $7.25 million until June 1, then reduce it to $2 million this year and $2 million in 2008.

I'm not sure if I am reading this right but it appears the writer is saying we can still defer half of Carr's bonus to 2008 if he is traded.

What if Carr is traded?

Should the Texans find both a willing partner and a fair exchange price for Carr’s services, the Texans can still defer half Carr’s $4 million in dead money to the 2008 salary cap, thanks to that same revised rule in the CBA last year. Generally though, when a team trades a player, only the base salaries and any performance incentives go with him, a big reason why the NFL has so few trades compared to other pro leagues.

This does change things a bit for me. So, we could very plausibly trade/cut Carr and sign Plummer for ~$5M and be sitting pretty evenly as far as the salary cap goes. Another wrinkle in the fold is cutting Carr, keeping Sage and having ~$5M extra to throw around in FA, which would be beneficial in the chase for a premiere corner.

I am still not confident in the prospects of Mcnair allowing us to get rid of Carr because of the context he speaks of Carr in:

“He’s had some good games and he’s had some games that haven’t been as good. He’s a tremendous athlete. We’ve got to get better consistency there, either with David or with some additional help. We need more consistency at quarterback.”

But, this cap information makes me feel more confident that if Smith gets an attractive offer we could be sitting pretty with an additional $5M in cap space.

[thunderkyss]

$5 million might be enough for Jakes salary...... but he's going to want a bonus of some kind.

We could probably do a $6 million bonus & give him a contract of $3 million/year, rising every year to $6 million in the 3rd year.....

then his cap hit for '07 would be roughly what David's would have been.

[NEROtheZERO]

Originally Posted by thunderkyss

$5 million might be enough for Jakes salary...... but he's going to want a bonus of some kind.

We could probably do a $6 million bonus & give him a contract of $3 million/year, rising every year to $6 million in the 3rd year.....

then his cap hit for '07 would be roughly what David's would have been.

Well, I feel that puts the Texans in a better situation than they are in now, given Plummer's familiarity to the playbook to that of Carr.

Something else to consider is cutting/trading Carr and saving that extra cap space in the persuit of a premiere corner (Samuels or Clement.) I do not feel that Sage is a better QB than Carr, but I do feel that the Texans are a better team with Sage and Samuels/Clement than they are with Carr and Faggins.

[Hulk75]

Lets just say this happens again.........What would "yall" think if that happened here.......

Just asking?

[CowboysTexansFan]

Originally Posted by Hulk75

Lets just say this happens again.........What would "yall" think if that happened here.......

Just asking?

I don't care, as long as he wins... If he wins, I'll like him. If he doesn't, I'll want another QB.

[Texian]

The Mistake is currently making over $7 million per year.

[CHARLIEADAMSFAN]

I'm hearing rumors that the Texans are interested in him?


What do you think?

[2BCF]

Originally Posted by CHARLIEADAMSFAN

I'm hearing rumors that the Texans are interested in him?


What do you think?

The "search" button is your friend.

[False Start]

Originally Posted by CHARLIEADAMSFAN

I'm hearing rumors that the Texans are interested in him?


What do you think?

Where did you hear this ? .........