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QB Deshaun Watson, CLE (2 Viewers)

Watson is currently making $35 million per year, interested teams are scrambling to find a way to fit under that cap hit.

A few hours ago, Rodgers blew-up the cap hit for a franchise QB.

If teams were struggling at $35 million how on earth can teams afford $61 million?

Any team thinking about trading for him had better figure out a way to extend him because he's going to want to double his salary if he plays well.

The cost/benefit of paying a franchise QB has jumped the shark.  I don't see any way this sort of insane money works.

The Aaron Rodgers contract has a new-money average of $61.7 million per year

 
I call shenanigans on the Falcons. They have $16M in cap space. Trading or releasing Ryan now will cause them to take a $55M cap hit. That alone would prevent them from moving on from Ryan.

They might be able to get creative to bring on Watson and NOT move Ryan, but that seems like an insane of money tied up at the QB position. If they wait until after 6/1 to trade Ryan, they can split that cap hit between this year and next year, but that still would be eating a huge chunk of cap room.
Does seem insurmountable, plus Ryan just literally restructured again a few days ago just to get them under the cap. Maybe if a 3rd team were involved and someone was taking on a bunch of salary cap dump to get Atlanta in the clear?

Totally spitballing but say Ryan & some expensive base salary player to another team who provides a high pick or 2 to Atlanta, who combine that with their picks to send to Houston for Watson? It’s turning into the NBA over here!

 
Watson is currently making $35 million per year, interested teams are scrambling to find a way to fit under that cap hit.

A few hours ago, Rodgers blew-up the cap hit for a franchise QB.

If teams were struggling at $35 million how on earth can teams afford $61 million?

Any team thinking about trading for him had better figure out a way to extend him because he's going to want to double his salary if he plays well.

The cost/benefit of paying a franchise QB has jumped the shark.  I don't see any way this sort of insane money works.

The Aaron Rodgers contract has a new-money average of $61.7 million per year
Watson is signed for 4 more years. He can worry about demanding more money when he wins a SB or 4 MVPs like Rodgers has. DW needs to reestablish his value, and he can worry about more money after he produces, rehabs his image, and the salary cap jumps up.

Like all contracts, the Rodgers deal likely won't run its full course, they will likely keep redoing the contract, some of the years will fall off, and the AAV will be a made up number. At some point they will add dummy years (if they haven't already), and GB will eventually have to pay the piper and eat a big cap hit once Rodgers is gone, but there are creative ways to kick the cap hit down the road.

The point being, KC signed Mahomes to a $500M contract, are estimated to be $11M over the cap, yet they still manage to spend like drunken sailors. The Packers just extended Rodgers and tagged Adams and are $7.5M over the cap. The Rams and Saints are said to be $12M and $18M over the cap. All teams have until tomorrow COB to free up money and get under the cap. We will see a lot of extensions, salary converted to bonuses, and/or cut players by this time tomorrow.

 
Does seem insurmountable, plus Ryan just literally restructured again a few days ago just to get them under the cap. Maybe if a 3rd team were involved and someone was taking on a bunch of salary cap dump to get Atlanta in the clear?

Totally spitballing but say Ryan & some expensive base salary player to another team who provides a high pick or 2 to Atlanta, who combine that with their picks to send to Houston for Watson? It’s turning into the NBA over here!
Future salary doesn't count in cap accounting for the original team at the time of a trade. It's only accounting for money already paid out that matters. ATL already paid Ryan the money, so his new team can't reduce that (nor would they want to). The only way the acquiring team can catch a break is if the team giving up the player wants to convert salary to bonus money. That way the new team will end up paying less, but the first team will end up eating MORE of a cap hit, not less.

I know ATL freed up cap money, just not sure how they accomplished that (the full details haven't come out yet). Under normal circumstances, teams have the option of converting salary dollars to bonus dollars at their discretion (unless contract language prevents them) and pushing the cap hit into future years. I personally don't agree with teams having carte blanche to do that, as it makes a player far more likely to be released when his cap number gets to be insane. (For most players, they don't have a say in the matter.)

Generally speaking, the acquiring team can get the player in a trade to redo his deal once he is officially rostered (and the team is under the salary cap). But they have to acquire the player and be under the cap first, meaning they can't be over the cap and then redo his deal to get under the cap. But that doesn't help the team trading a player. Bottom line, there aren't good ways for teams looking to unload players with gigantic cap hits looming.

Last year with the Stafford / Goff trade, both teams had to take on a huge amount of dead cap money. That's just how the NFL works. The NBA has salary matching to make trades. The NFL punishes teams for trading players. Never figured that part out, but that's how they do it.

 
Saints have owned Brady the past 2 year and pretty much his whole career outside the plAyoff game he was gifted by the refs. 
:lmao:  The only thing the Saints own is consistently choking playoff games at home and only winning 1 super bowl with the best coach and QB they’ll ever have. 
 

You guys have all those division titles and regular season wins though. Fly those flags. 

 
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What's the likelyhood of a 2022 season suspension by the league?


Based on what I heard from some in the know Watson despite not being guilty in the matter in terms of the court the DA has plenty of evidence of wrong doing by Watson but not enough substantial proof to put him behind bars if that makes sense. My guess is the league uses that with punishment but it also wouldn't shock me if the league does nothing. 

 
sitting here trying to imagine what the dialogue is in these "meetings with teams"....would love to be a fly on the wall....is it all puppies and rainbows and they dance around and don't discuss the gorilla in the room....does Watson take the 5th with them too...lol.....I mean, considering what is at stake here and the money/trade capital/PR ramifications, you would think teams would want some details in order to make a full complete assessment....I'm just curious how this all shakes out behind closed doors....or is this the totally opposite and Watson is the one doing the "interviewing"...


Teams probably wondering if 

A : he's taking accountability here at all

B. If he's taken this whole thing seriously

C. Determination to put this behind him and becoming a better person out of this

D. Game plan for any factors that might be involved as well as some team protocols to protect themselves Watson would have to agree too

E. How he fits into the team 

 
Please don't.

This thread can be great but it needs to be 100% about players.
🤷 I mentioned that Lamar is a fun player to watch, and get this reply. 

I'm so different to everyone when it comes to this. I guess because I played the position growing up and all. 

I guess to me guys like that are fun for the kids to watch and keep them entertained

but then you become someone like me older learning the ins and outs of the game, QB position etc it just frustrates me more how teams seem to routinely to mess it up.
But ok. 

 
Best thing as a Texans fan if we're not keeping Watson is a bidding war. I'm thankful that it appears we are there as I'm watching for Caserio to show us what he's got. I am really hoping this thread turns into a plastering of one of the mentioned teams for overpaying the Texans.

If I had to bet who grossly overpays it's going to be Carolina. They've been interested in him for far too long to let two division rivals potentially rip him away. I think it either has to be them or a complete left turn like Cleveland if they can convince Watson. 

 
I call shenanigans on the Falcons. They have $16M in cap space. Trading or releasing Ryan now will cause them to take a $55M cap hit. That alone would prevent them from moving on from Ryan.

They might be able to get creative to bring on Watson and NOT move Ryan, but that seems like an insane of money tied up at the QB position. If they wait until after 6/1 to trade Ryan, they can split that cap hit between this year and next year, but that still would be eating a huge chunk of cap room.
https://overthecap.com/matt-ryan-deshaun-watson-and-the-falcons/

Interesting article on how the Falcons could deal Ryan and get Deshaun

 
Future salary doesn't count in cap accounting for the original team at the time of a trade. It's only accounting for money already paid out that matters. ATL already paid Ryan the money, so his new team can't reduce that (nor would they want to). The only way the acquiring team can catch a break is if the team giving up the player wants to convert salary to bonus money. That way the new team will end up paying less, but the first team will end up eating MORE of a cap hit, not less.

I know ATL freed up cap money, just not sure how they accomplished that (the full details haven't come out yet). Under normal circumstances, teams have the option of converting salary dollars to bonus dollars at their discretion (unless contract language prevents them) and pushing the cap hit into future years. I personally don't agree with teams having carte blanche to do that, as it makes a player far more likely to be released when his cap number gets to be insane. (For most players, they don't have a say in the matter.)

Generally speaking, the acquiring team can get the player in a trade to redo his deal once he is officially rostered (and the team is under the salary cap). But they have to acquire the player and be under the cap first, meaning they can't be over the cap and then redo his deal to get under the cap. But that doesn't help the team trading a player. Bottom line, there aren't good ways for teams looking to unload players with gigantic cap hits looming.

Last year with the Stafford / Goff trade, both teams had to take on a huge amount of dead cap money. That's just how the NFL works. The NBA has salary matching to make trades. The NFL punishes teams for trading players. Never figured that part out, but that's how they do it.
I meant more like pairing up someone with big 2022 salary like Grady Jarrett who is looking for an extension and is due $16.5MM in base salary this year. That would lower the hit to trade Ryan out (probably not enough.) Falcons have 2 guys other than Ryan & Jarett pushing $20MM in salary cap hits but I don't know enough about the Falcons to hazard a guess on who might be expendable compared to bringing in a QB like Watson.

 
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Based on what I heard from some in the know Watson despite not being guilty in the matter in terms of the court the DA has plenty of evidence of wrong doing by Watson but not enough substantial proof to put him behind bars if that makes sense. My guess is the league uses that with punishment but it also wouldn't shock me if the league does nothing. 
I really think there is like a 40% chance Watson isn't suspended at all. 

 
Dianna Russini

@diannaESPN

The first step for the Saints, Panthers, and Browns in arranging a meeting with QB Deshaun Watson was presenting a trade package to the Texans, per multiple league sources. Once Houston approved, only then did they meet.

 
Dianna Russini

@diannaESPN

The first step for the Saints, Panthers, and Browns in arranging a meeting with QB Deshaun Watson was presenting a trade package to the Texans, per multiple league sources. Once Houston approved, only then did they meet.
Makes sense.   I doubt Watson wanted to waste his time with a team who wasnt going to offer anything Houston would take.

 
Dianna Russini

@diannaESPN

The first step for the Saints, Panthers, and Browns in arranging a meeting with QB Deshaun Watson was presenting a trade package to the Texans, per multiple league sources. Once Houston approved, only then did they meet.
And the key here is they are doing this because of time because they are will do everything they can to move him before 3 pm EST tomorrow. If he did not have the Atlanta meeting set up tomorrow I'd be inclined to think he'd get dealt tonight. I think tomorrow is going to be Deshaun Watson trade day.

 
Also, if Cleveland has an offer on the Texans' table, then the Mayfield era in Cleveland is over. Regardless of where Watson goes. Am I wrong? Like he needs to turn in his keys and make sure his furniture is out of the stadium by midnight if he wants (some of) his security deposit back. And to forever be ridiculed for that commercial campaign.

 
im all in. and i like baker. 
I defended him quite a bit going into last year. And well. It didn't work out so great. But I probably give more benefit of the doubt to performance being tainted by injury than most. And he was messed up last year. I thought he looked really good coming out of the tsunami stretch the year before but 2021 was another thing altogether.

 
Also, if Cleveland has an offer on the Texans' table, then the Mayfield era in Cleveland is over. Regardless of where Watson goes. Am I wrong?
No I don't think you are wrong. I think they went past a point of no return for lame duck Baker to run it back.

Put another way I feel like I wasted about an hour of my life this weekend mulling and debating the impact of Baker on Amari.

 
No I don't think you are wrong. I think they went past a point of no return for lame duck Baker to run it back.

Put another way I feel like I wasted about an hour of my life this weekend mulling and debating the impact of Baker on Amari.
Baker needs to play well this year to get any sort of good contract in the offseason.

If we dont get Watson, it's still very possible (dare I say probable) that Baker is our QB for 2022.

If he plays well and doesnt wanna be here in 2023, tag and trade.

If he's a whiney baby and/or sucks it would kill his future money

 
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Soulfly3 said:
ya, my guy is coming to CLE. 

NO is the only real competition, but arent they massively over the cap?
Deshaun's contract can have his cap number reduced to something like $8m by converting as much of his salary to a signing bonus as allowed.

Deshaun should jump at the chance to do that, because if he's paid the money as signing bonus, it won't be taken away from by a suspension. Only salary is lost in a suspension, not already paid bonus money.

Saints also just made more cap room:

Adam Schefter

@AdamSchefter

Saints converted over $8 million of Marcus Davenport’s $9.553 million base salary into a signing bonus to create $6.8144M in 2022 salary cap space, per source.

 
Baker needs to play well this year to get any sort of good contract in the offseason.

If we dont get Watson, it's still very possible (dare I say probable) that Baker is our QB for 2022.

If he plays well and doesnt wanna be here in 2023, tag and trade.

If he's a whiney baby and/or sucks it would kill his future money
Yea I guess it's possible and I don't think Baker will be a problem child over any of it. I'm just am picking up on various comments that to me seem like Browns are ready to move on. But other then Watson for what?  The other options seem unilateral at best.

 

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