If they sign him to a contract that has a $6 million cap hit this year it will reduce their available cap room by $6 million. You can adjust that number to reflect whatever cap hit you'd like. So if the cap hit is $3 million this year it would lower the available cap room by $3 million.
Not true. Charles Woodson is still out there, as is Louis Delmas. But yes, Reed would be the bigger prize here.
That's not entirely true. It all depends on the deal that Barwin signs. If he's willing to sign a 3 year $12m deal, then the Texans can very much retain him. However, if he wants a 3 year $26m deal, then it's bye bye Connor.
According to OvertheCap, the Texans have $9,937,693 in cap space, but I'm sure we have to set some aside for incoming rookies. The NFL cap is so confusing, so it's hard to say. We could offer Ed Reed a big signing bonus with a low base, and spread the bonus out over the contract, but if it's a short (1 or 2 year) deal, then I don't know how I'll do it.
I am sure if they really had other FA's in mind like Barwin they will be able to restructure some deals they have already to make some more room.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>RT @<a href="https://twitter.com/mcclain_on_nfl">mcclain_on_nfl</a>: Ed Reed arrived n Houston escorted by GM Rick Smith. They're headed 4 Reliant Stadium.</p>— Dave Zangaro (@DZangaro) <a href="https://twitter.com/DZangaro/status/312243414274027521">March 14, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I obviously understand that. I guess I'm asking how much room it leaves us to sign other players and if there has to be contract restructuring from current players.
I think the $9 million is based on what we can use on free agents. I think there is a "reserve" cap space for draft picks
There's no way to answer that because we don't know how they'd structure his contract. If they signed him for a $6 million cap hit this year it would basically kill any other serious moves. They need to keep some room under the cap to sign veterans for camp or injury replacements, usually around 2 million.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Reed said his relatives in New Orleans have been calling bout signing with Texans.</p>— John McClain (@McClain_on_NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/McClain_on_NFL/status/312243876800913408">March 14, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>so no white smoke? RT @<a href="https://twitter.com/mcclain_on_nfl">mcclain_on_nfl</a>: Reed said no contract has been done. Said he's excited to be here and has "a few things to work out."</p>— James Palmer (@JPalmerCSN) <a href="https://twitter.com/JPalmerCSN/status/312244137464311809">March 14, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Ed Reed thrilled GM Rick Smith brought him to Houston for a visit on Bob McNair's jet: "It's that southern hospitality Just a great feeling"</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/312244845286678529">March 14, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Ed Reed has landed in Houston w/ his financial advisors Brad Davis and Brad Schwartz. Texans trying to woo him <a href="http://t.co/C3ph6Xxa87" title="http://twitpic.com/cbbjxa">twitpic.com/cbbjxa</a></p>— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonLaCanfora/status/312244055151099905">March 14, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I'm not sure where the $9 million was calculated at, but there is not extra space for rookies. The rookie pool is basically a cap within the cap. Each team has a specific calculated number they will need to pay draft picks if they all make the team. That is the rookie pool and your cap is reduced by that number.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Ed Reed on Texans interest: "It's mutual.See if we can work some things out. Conversations have been great, amazing, on the same page."</p>— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/312245790787645440">March 14, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I thought it was $9M before they released Walter. Here are the Texans pending free agents and what they made last year: DT Shaun Cody 3,000,000 CB Brice McCain 1,333,437 T Rashad Butler 1,300,000 LB Connor Barwin 917,500 P Donnie Jones 890,000 LB Keyaron Fox 825,000 G Antoine Caldwell 816,062 CB Alan Ball 700,000 S Quintin Demps 700,000 LB Tim Dobbins 700,000 RB Justin Forsett 700,000 T Ryan Harris 700,000 LB Jesse Nading 615,000 T Andrew Gardner(R) 540,000 LB Mister Alexander 465,000 Total= 14,201,999 I left out guys that I think have almost no chance of returning (like Shayne Graham and Bradie James) or were only here for a few games making the minimum (Stanford Routt, etc.). So without restructuring, they can hardly even go status quo, though rookies will take a few players' spots.
That's not the way to calculate it though because the other players on the team don't have a static cap number. Guys have numbers that go up every year. On top of that, what a guy made last year doesn't necessarily equal what his number against the cap was.
We can also basically bank on Antonio Smith being restructured which should save a few million too. I think we have a bit more room than perceived but they just didn't want to overpay for Glover and Casey.
I don't know that Smith will be restructured. He already restructured in 2011. He's only got two years left on this deal so I'm not sure there's a smart way to restructure him without extending his contract.
Last I checked (and I could very well be wrong), after cutting Walter I believe we had something like $9.7m in available cap space. Of course that number is probably fluid, so take it with a grain of salt.
