Apparently real math is making a player equal to a draft pick. I get the idea he’s going for and I don’t disagree but calling it “kool aid math” when you are making it up yourself is pretty funny
Because you are new, I will take this time to bring you up to speed. Nick Caserio was Bill Belichick's step and fetch it. To be more precise he was a Belichick admin and facilitator. Caserio and all of the other failed Belichick admins and facilitators who have failed were never schooled in salary cap management, contracts, and being a GM. That's why they've all failed. The 10 years Caserio was setting the draft table for Belichick was the worst performing 10 years under Belichick according to Bob Kraft.
Caserio wakes up every morning smiling knowing he has a guaranteed $30MM in the bank.
The Texans had the first HC opening and were the last to fill. Caserio's first decision, David Culley.
One of the first things Caserio did as Texans GM was to create $25MM in DEAD MONEY.
The result of taking a hatchet to the roster without thinking it through created not having enough money to fill out the 2021 roster.
In order to create enough money (restructuring every contract that could be restructured) Caserio had to borrow over $30MM from 2022 and 2023 to sign enough players to complete the 2021 roster.
He compounded the money mismanagement by signing players like David Johnson to $5MM contract.
In order to sign enough players, Caserio had to sign players at the end of their careers (looking for another NFL paycheck) to 1 and 2 year contracts to have enough money for a 53 man roster.
In essence he shuffled the chairs on the Titanic and it cost him $55MM to do it. $25MM in dead money and $30MM in restructuring.
In the process of all of this Caserio used draft picks to trade for four players that were cut. Players who would've been cut by the previous teams.
He started the draft with 8 picks and used an additional 2 picks from 2022 to draft 5 players.
As a result of Caserio's 2021 decisions, he has also created $8MM in Dead Money in 2022. The 2022 salary cap is also $12MM less from 2021 restructuring. When you factor in additional dead money needed to trade Watson, cut Cunningham and Mercilus that's another $36MM subtracted from 2022 cap.
The 2022 salary cap begins with $56MM less than the full amount because of Caserio decisions.
The 2022 roster begins with 25 signed players. The projected Texans salary cap space to begin 2022 is $12MM. That's $12MM to sign 28 players to fill a 53 man roster.
Now I ask you, what makes you think that Caserio will be any different in 2022 than he was in 2021 when Nick has already said they plan to stay the course and keep doing what they have been doing?
IMO I think you can expect more of the same. Nick being Nick. Filling the 2022 roster will be more difficult and more expensive than the 2021 roster.
Texans started 2021 season with 54 contracts and $6MM
OVER the cap.
If the Texans had made the following moves they would've been
$48MM UNDER the cap. They would not of had to resort to mortgaging the future to the tune of
OVER $35MM in contract restructuring, $37MM in Dead Cap in 2021 and would've added a 2nd rd draft pick.
B. McKinney | Release | | $7.00m |
D. Johnson | Release | | $6.90m |
Z. Fulton | Release | | $3.00m |
Du. Johnson | Release | | $5.15m |
B. Dunn | Release | | $3.25m |
B. Cooks | Trade | | $12.00m |
J. Watt | Release | | $17.50m |
Total Saved | | | $54.80m |
I do not hate Nick Caserio but I don't have much respect for the job he is doing as the GM of the Houston Texans.