Drew Brees will carry an NFL-high $33.5MM cap charge in 2019, but the Saints could potentially make moves to reduce that hit, as Josh Katzenstein of NOLA.com writes. “We’ll see what happens,” general manager Mickey Loomis said Wednesday. “We know it’s coming at some point, and we’ve kind of kicked the can down the road a number of times, haven’t we?” Indeed, New Orleans has pushed Brees’ cap charges into future years on multiple occasions. Just last year, Brees inked a two-year contract which includes a voidable year in 2020, which allowed the Saints to move $10.5MM of Brees’ commitment to that season’s books. As Loomis notes, New Orleans has “a lot of mechanisms to maneuver the cap,” so another extension or restructure could be in the offing.
Here is more from the NFC:
- The 2018 season marked the first NFL campaign without DeAngelo Hall‘s involvement since 2003. The recently retired Redskins safety may be eyeing a return to the league as a coach. Hall said (via Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan, on Twitter) he interviewed for a position as Redskins secondary coach on Tuesday. The team, though, went with Ray Horton to oversee its defensive backs. Hall, 35, also could begin his coaching career at the college level, indicating he interviewed for a job on Maryland’s staff as well. After Hall passed on the Terrapins’ offer, in hopes of pursuing the Redskins’ position, the Big Ten program went in another direction (Twitter link via Brendan Darr of 106.7 The Fan). So, Hall remains an interesting coaching free agent.
- Kliff Kingsbury already received a commitment from a 2004 first-round pick to help his offense, with Larry Fitzgerald re-signing with the Cardinals for 2019. Seeking more help for his first Arizona offense, Kingsbury met with another member of that ’04 first-round contingent. J.P. Losman interviewed for a position on the Cardinals’ offensive staff, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Currently serving as a Clemson staffer, Losman, 37, was a Bills first-rounder 15 years ago.
- The 49ers may see their quarterback on the field by OTAs. That is the goal for a Jimmy Garoppolo re-emergence, John Lynch said on the RapSheet and Friends Podcast (via NFL.com). Lynch confirmed Garoppolo has not endured any setbacks on his recovery from a September ACL tear. This is the latest update indicating Garoppolo participating in OTAs was a realistic possibility.
Zach Links contributed to this report
Over-under on games played by Jimmy G next season? 5.5 games a good opener?
I will take the over
The salary cap is a joke. No team has ever started the league over it & been penalized. This year it should be around $190m and the team closet to it now is the Panthers at $184m before contracts expire.
As for the Skins and Boys being over it in 2012, a cap was not in place.
“Beyond vague comments from Giants owner John Mara about the teams “violating the spirit of the uncapped year”, the league has been mum on details.” Even a division foe even says it was an uncapped year.
The salary cap is generally accepted as being a “soft” cap. Though teams that violate the spirit may not have to answer directly to Goodell and pay some fines, they do end up penalizing themselves in most cases. The largest percentage of any teams cap (generally about 11-12% on average) is going to be allocated to their QB position. If you mismanage your spending there (as the Vikings did with Cousins) you seriously limit your options when it comes to obtaining upgrades at other positions.
All valid. Problem is 80% of the league has bad QB’s. There are 7 active QB’s with a ring. Not the parity they claim. And all are well over 30.
What have you been smoking, and can I get some!!!
QB play is the best it’s ever been. Sure there are a lot of Vets like Brady, Brees, Rodgers, Roethlisberger, Rivers, but they all still look great. Wilson turned 30 in November, so hardly “well over 30.”
To go along with Wilson are Cam and Luck. And the future looks very very bright with Mahomes, Watson, Garoppolo, Prescott, Mayfield, Allen, Darnold!
If QBs like Cousins, Winston, and Mariota are at the 18-24 range, that says all you need to know.
There are 7 active QB’s w/ rings. Need I say more? 5 you listed made the playoffs. And The 9’ers, Jets, & Bills are drafting in the top 10. Mariotta, & Winston haven’t panned out and Cam is close to being finished. Carolina wore him out.
Rivers (first ballot HOF) and Mahomes (NFL MVP) don’t have rings. Invalid argument. Same w Watson, Mayfield and Goff. All those QBs are franchise players. Any argument to the contrary is invalid.
Well all the players listed here, except for Rivers, have been in the league for what, 4 years max? Mayfield was a rookie last year. They’re all franchise players but also we’re top picks because their teams were wretched. Give it time, they’ll likely get some rings
I’m sorry, but if Rivers is HoF material, let alone 1st ballot as you claim, then the Hall is poorly run. He’s 5-6 in the playoffs and only once posted a 2-1 record in the playoffs. With no SB’s,& a couple of division titles. Stats are not more important than winning. Especially this decade when the NFL has gone overboard in promoting Qb protection and jacking stats.
one of those QBs has five rings, and another has 2. so that could have potentially 11 QBs with rings, approx a 1/3 of the league.
Might as well take the cap it now while he’s still playing rather then having a huge dead money cap hit after he retires.
I think eventually the league may have to initiate a dialogue about restructuring the cap system and creating a supplemental cap that applies only to the QB position.