A Look at Our Dead Money Figures: NFL Article

[Texans Pride]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/10245197


(July 3, 2007) -- Drive past any of the 32 NFL facilities and you will see an empty parking lot.

Sure, there are some rookies working early in the morning with the strength coach, but for the most part the veterans are long gone and the coaches are right behind them as everyone tries to recharge their batteries and get ready for the upcoming season. Playbooks have finally been completed, the camp rosters are set -- give or take one player who might get signed to fill a camp need -- and head coaches are playing golf, catching fish, or just sleeping late.

Well, there were a few things left behind that are reminders that the business season never ends.

"Dead money" is the common expression for players still on the salary-cap books who no longer play for the team. Today, we will look at some of the cap issues still lurking for teams around the league.

I took a look at the team salary charges as it relates to the salary cap, and there are a number of teams that really finished up their offseason with some significant dead money against their 2007 salary cap. There's no doubt that all the NFL teams are being run more efficiently than they were 10 years ago. Nonetheless, dead money is not going away when everyone gets back from vacation.

With the 2007 salary cap is $109 million per team, it really isn't bad for a team to be carrying under $10 million of old debt, but when a team crosses over that mark, it causes a strain on the team's ability to do new business.

Seven teams in the NFL are burdened to some degree with over $10 million of dead money each, and no one has a bigger number of player charges on the books for guys no longer with the team than the Houston Texans. Houston had a coaching change a year ago, and it switched defensive schemes from a 3-4 to a 4-3. Both are both driving forces behind the house cleaning that has gone on since the arrival of Gary Kubiak and his staff.

On the 2007 books at a charge of a little over $30 million (close to 30 percent of the entire salary cap) for the Texans but no longer playing for Kubiak are the following players as the franchise continues to revamp the roster.



Name Cap Charge Status
1. Gary Walker $5,500,001 Retired after 2005 season
2. Todd Wade $5,000,000 Joined Washington in 2006
3. Robaire Smith $4,175,002 Played for Tennessee in 2006; joined Cleveland in 2007
4. David Carr $4,000,000 Joined Carolina in 2007
5. Eric Moulds $3,750,000 Free agent
6. Zach Weigert $2,950,000 Free agent
7. Seth Payne $2,250,000 Free agent
8. Domanick Williams $1,300,000 Free agent
9. Kailee Wong $1,167,000 Retired after 2006 season
10. Vernand Morency $189,000 Joined Green Bay in 2006
11. Sam Cowart $135,000 Did not play in 2006
12. Eleven 2006 rookies $74,000
TOTAL 2007 DEAD MONEY: $30,490,003 (approx. 28 percent of cap)

[the wonger need food]

Certainly not news to any of us. The best we can hope for is that other NFL teams don't see this article and one of them hires Casserly as their GM. Preferably a team in the AFC South.

[Kaiser Toro]

Rick Smith is going to have a lot of money to play with next year.

[Specnatz]

Originally Posted by Texans Pride

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/10245197


With the 2007 salary cap is $109 million per team, it really isn't bad for a team to be carrying under $10 million of old debt, but when a team crosses over that mark, it causes a strain on the team's ability to do new business.
On the 2007 books at a charge of a little over $30 million (close to 30 percent of the entire salary cap) for the Texans but no longer playing for Kubiak are the following players as the franchise continues to revamp the roster.



Name Cap Charge Status
1. Gary Walker $5,500,001 Retired after 2005 season
2. Todd Wade $5,000,000 Joined Washington in 2006
3. Robaire Smith $4,175,002 Played for Tennessee in 2006; joined Cleveland in 2007
4. David Carr $4,000,000 Joined Carolina in 2007
5. Eric Moulds $3,750,000 Free agent
6. Zach Weigert $2,950,000 Free agent
7. Seth Payne $2,250,000 Free agent
8. Domanick Williams $1,300,000 Free agent
9. Kailee Wong $1,167,000 Retired after 2006 season
10. Vernand Morency $189,000 Joined Green Bay in 2006
11. Sam Cowart $135,000 Did not play in 2006 12. Eleven 2006 rookies $74,000
TOTAL 2007 DEAD MONEY: $30,490,003 (approx. 28 percent of cap)

Vernand was traded so how does he get labled with dead money? Cowart signed a small deal and he was cut after trainging camp so all that was owed to him was last years money, so now that that season is over with, where is there any dead money? He is not getting paid for 2007.

[Kaiser Toro]

Originally Posted by Specnatz

Vernand was traded so how does he get labled with dead money? Cowart signed a small deal and he was cut after trainging camp so all that was owed to him was last years money, so now that that season is over with, where is there any dead money? He is not getting paid for 2007.

Even in a trade scenario the bonus portion of Morency's contract accelerates. Dead Money is the portion of the bonus that was not accounted by the club over the term of the contract. The yearly salary does not apply to dead cap.

[Hagar]

Originally Posted by the wonger need food

Certainly not news to any of us. The best we can hope for is that other NFL teams don't see this article and one of them hires Casserly as their GM. Preferably a team in the AFC South.

Granted, its not news but it is worse then I thought.

Well, at least we're not Detroit, they had $28 MM of dead money in just the receiver position alone.

Good post.

[Runner]

Originally Posted by Texans Pride

Name Cap Charge Status
1. Gary Walker $5,500,001 Retired after 2005 season
2. Todd Wade $5,000,000 Joined Washington in 2006
3. Robaire Smith $4,175,002 Played for Tennessee in 2006; joined Cleveland in 2007
4. David Carr $4,000,000 Joined Carolina in 2007
5. Eric Moulds $3,750,000 Free agent
6. Zach Weigert $2,950,000 Free agent
7. Seth Payne $2,250,000 Free agent
8. Domanick Williams $1,300,000 Free agent
9. Kailee Wong $1,167,000 Retired after 2006 season
10. Vernand Morency $189,000 Joined Green Bay in 2006
11. Sam Cowart $135,000 Did not play in 2006
12. Eleven 2006 rookies $74,000
TOTAL 2007 DEAD MONEY: $30,490,003 (approx. 28 percent of cap)

These two stand out to me. One on the old regime, one on the new.

I think it was a coaching failure that resulted in Wade's inability to contribute to the Texans. His play gradually worsened through the time he played here. He was rated fairly highly as a free agent when the Texans signed him. His play did nothing but deteriorate under the Capers' regime. Quite a waste of money and talent at a need position.

Moulds was a definite mistake by the new regime. Either they shouldn't have signed him for that money or they shouldn't have cut him. One of those moves was a mistake.

The dead money invested in injured players - Weigert, Payne, Williams, Wong - are hard to avoid. Injuries happen in the league.

[the wonger need food]

Originally Posted by Runner

Moulds was a definite mistake by the new regime. Either they shouldn't have signed him for that money or they shouldn't have cut him.

Since it was a trade I'm pretty sure they just assumed his salary, probably not much of a choice there. He was fairly productive as a number 2 receiver and helped AJ have one of his best seasons. I think he was just a bad locker room guy. If you look at the Bills' boards you will find that he kind of stirred up trouble toward the end of his time there. And you know he wasn't happy with the QB play here. I wish someone would give us the inside scoop on what really happened with Moulds other than he just lost a step and couldn't get open any more.

[Runner]

Originally Posted by the wonger need food

Since it was a trade I'm pretty sure they just assumed his salary, probably not much of a choice there.

As I understand it, bonuses don't come with trades - the trading team eats them. The Texans gave him a $5M bonus. I'm sure someone remebers the details of the deal.

Whatever the reason for his not being here, it still should be considered an expensive mistake one way or the other.


Edit: Here it is:

He signed a four-year, $14 million contract with Houston that includes a $5 million signing bonus.

http://www.texanstalk.com/forums/sho...s+bonus+salary

[the wonger need food]

Originally Posted by Runner

As I understand it, bonuses don't come with trades - the trading team eats them. The Texans gave him a $5M bonus. I'm sure someone remebers teh details of the deal.

Whatever the reason for his not being here, it still should be considered and expensive mistake one way or the other.


Edit: Here it is:



http://www.texanstalk.com/forums/sho...s+bonus+salary

I didn't realize he signed a new deal.

There had to be something going on behind the scenes that we're not privvy to for them to take that big of a hit without blinking. It's also odd that another team hasn't tried to sign him.

[checo446]

Who are some prospective Free Agents in 2008 that will be available to us and our newfound money?

[Runner]

Originally Posted by the wonger need food

It's also odd that another team hasn't tried to sign him.

I heard some talk after the Texans cut Moulds that he'd end up in Indy. Obviously that didn't happen. Yet.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by the wonger need food

He was fairly productive as a number 2 receiver and helped AJ have one of his best seasons. I think he was just a bad locker room guy.

If he was instrumental in being AJs "mentor" (popular buzz word around here for too long IMO), is it then a contradiction to say he was a "bad locker room guy" ?
Did not realize that Moulds was that expensive ? Double-whammy for the team: costly cap hit and deprives Walters of opportunities to contribute and
develope for the future. This ones on Kubiak for sure.

[alphajoker]

I see Moulds as a late TC or mid pre-season addition to some team who may suffer an injury to their WR corp. Other than that, I really haven't seen a demand for him right now.

[alphajoker]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

If he was instrumental in being AJs "mentor" (popular buzz word around here for too long IMO), is it then a contradiction to say he was a "bad locker room guy" ?
Did not realize that Moulds was that expensive ? Double-whammy for the team: costly cap hit and deprives Walters of opportunities to contribute and
develope for the future. This ones on Kubiak for sure.

Yeah, and Kubiak has admitted to it as well. I can't remember where I read it, but I recall that he regretted not playing Walter more last year.

[Overalls]

It does appear that we will have a good amount of money to spend next offseason.

[the wonger need food]

Originally Posted by Overalls

I does appear that we will have a good amount of money to spend next offseason.

$33 millionish

[Marcus]

Originally Posted by Overalls

I does appear that we will have a good amount of money to spend next offseason.

All depends on what the 2008 dead money is.

[awtysst]

Originally Posted by checo446

Who are some prospective Free Agents in 2008 that will be available to us and our newfound money?

This site gives a potential list. http://www.kffl.com/static/nfl/featu...ion=All&y=2008
Just off the top of my head here are a few who could be interesting.
RB: Michael Turner
K: David Akers
LB: Boss Bailey
CB: Charles Tillman

I am not saying the Texans should go after and sign everyone here, if we did, in a few years we'd be in Salary Cap hell. I am saying here are a few people worth looking into.

[TexansLucky13]

Originally Posted by awtysst

RB: Michael Turner
K: David Akers
LB: Boss Bailey
CB: Charles Tillman

I am not saying the Texans should go after and sign everyone here, if we did, in a few years we'd be in Salary Cap hell. I am saying here are a few people worth looking into.

I think Kris finally got his confidence back at the end of last year. I don't think we need a new kicker. I like Michael Turner at RB though, would be fine by me if the price were right.