Salary Cap $155.27 Million - Implications for Hawks

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So it is official - cap will be $13 million more than last year at $155 million. It was originally projected at $152 million - with that extra $3 million mare than expected.

There is already lots of free agency talk - but specifically name one thing the Hawks could do with that extra $3 million.

I don't think $3mil is going to change anything for the Hawks. 2-3 mid level contracts and some RFA tenders is about all we can expect out of free agency and I expect those to be our FAs and not those of other teams.

My calcs have the Seahawks at just around $28M in cap room. This assumes all the EFAs are tendered but none of the RFAs. If they tender C-Mike, for example, the cap room would go down.

One area that is unknown is how much of Baldwin's incentives will be considered "LTBE". That will bring the cap room down about $1M or so.

Bradley Sowell at LT is what we can do with an extra 3 million on the cap. Save us the money on a 1 year contract with Okung, save us the injury concerns and get the guy that makes me want to stand outside Schneider's house with "Sign Sowell" signs. I'm convinced this guy, more than anybody in free agency or the draft, should be a Seahawk. After watching him start at LT for the Cards his rookie year, I'm sold on Sowell. He's a legitimate starting left tackle.

You would hope the extra $3M gives them more wiggle room, but it could be that it just drives up the prices on guys who they were already targeting. After all, every team will have more money to work with.

Or they use it for incentives for Kam and Bennett with their contracts.

Dream scenario...

1. Alex Mack
2. Jahari Evans
3. MEGATRON (like I said, dream scenario)

chris98251":1s68lr17 said:

Or they use it for incentives for Kam and Bennett with their contracts.

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This is my guess too. I expect both Kam's and Bennett's agents to let the Seahawks know that the extra 3 million would be enough for their client to be happy with this year's contract.

I think if im the Hawks I approach the Bennett/Kam thing like so.

Bennett gets rewarded for these reasons
-he didn't hold out
-played through injuries
-while playing through injuries he sets a career high in sacks and makes the pro bowl. from what I remember hearing after the season is that Bennetts Toe (main injury) was bent off to the side and well didn't look natural haha.

as for Kam I believe is the highest paid SS or atleast top 3 IIRC. He held out for more money two games into the season and played complacent through out. He is known for his hard hitting and I think he only had one and It was against DET and the hit was on C. Johnson.

If you're going to reward anyone you reward Bennett. And for some reason you decide to reward both of them you reward Bennett with more and make it substantial. Kam was not himself and for all we know he played that way so he could get more money at seasons end and not risk injury.

I am down for rewarding Bennett but Kam? not so much.

Give that money to Bennett and act like you never had it.

I think these bumps in the salary cap help thrifty teams who wait in free agency. I think the Seahawks will use it to their advantage.

getnasty":mxtdtj29 said:

Give that money to Bennett and act like you never had it.

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Except every other player knows you had it and will be wondering where their pay raise is. This would cause so many more issues than just letting Bennett be unhappy.

Davidess":3bzp8i8x said:

I think if im the Hawks I approach the Bennett/Kam thing like so.

Bennett gets rewarded for these reasons
-he didn't hold out
-played through injuries
-while playing through injuries he sets a career high in sacks and makes the pro bowl. from what I remember hearing after the season is that Bennetts Toe (main injury) was bent off to the side and well didn't look natural haha.

as for Kam I believe is the highest paid SS or atleast top 3 IIRC. He held out for more money two games into the season and played complacent through out. He is known for his hard hitting and I think he only had one and It was against DET and the hit was on C. Johnson.

If you're going to reward anyone you reward Bennett. And for some reason you decide to reward both of them you reward Bennett with more and make it substantial. Kam was not himself and for all we know he played that way so he could get more money at seasons end and not risk injury.

I am down for rewarding Bennett but Kam? not so much.

Click to expand...

I'd agree. You almost have to bump Bennett a bit. It gives you salary flexibility in that you can get FA guys in cheaper initially and you give them more money if they outperform. The main gripe that most players have is guaranteed money (because they can get cut at any time), and getting under paid when they over perform. You can get guy to "bet on themselves" if they know they can get taken care of later. Lynch is a good example: he signed a big last deal, but both sides knew it was really a 1 year deal. He still got the respect and money he felt he deserved, and the Hawks weren't punished by a long contract with a ton of dead money when he declined.

Bennett is also very vocal. If I'm Schneider, I give him the pay bump with a caveat: Bennett talks to guys in the locker room, explaining he got paid by doing things the right way, and still giving everything he had, through injury and such. This not only lets guys know the positive way this can work, but also throws some light on how Chancellor's way didn't.

Kam is harder. You honestly can't pay him more, as he held out, then didn't play to his contract. Can anyone really argue that he showed that much value over McCray with the contract disparities ?

Then again, if you don't pay him, this could keep festering. I think Thomas is a bit fed up about it. It could start to effect guys. Maybe guaranteeing Kam some money but not giving him a raise would show him that the Hawks still want him around but that he has to do it the right way to get rewarded.

Hawks46":s68fua8y said:

Davidess":s68fua8y said:

I think if im the Hawks I approach the Bennett/Kam thing like so.

Bennett gets rewarded for these reasons
-he didn't hold out
-played through injuries
-while playing through injuries he sets a career high in sacks and makes the pro bowl. from what I remember hearing after the season is that Bennetts Toe (main injury) was bent off to the side and well didn't look natural haha.

as for Kam I believe is the highest paid SS or atleast top 3 IIRC. He held out for more money two games into the season and played complacent through out. He is known for his hard hitting and I think he only had one and It was against DET and the hit was on C. Johnson.

If you're going to reward anyone you reward Bennett. And for some reason you decide to reward both of them you reward Bennett with more and make it substantial. Kam was not himself and for all we know he played that way so he could get more money at seasons end and not risk injury.

I am down for rewarding Bennett but Kam? not so much.

Click to expand...

I'd agree. You almost have to bump Bennett a bit. It gives you salary flexibility in that you can get FA guys in cheaper initially and you give them more money if they outperform. The main gripe that most players have is guaranteed money (because they can get cut at any time), and getting under paid when they over perform. You can get guy to "bet on themselves" if they know they can get taken care of later. Lynch is a good example: he signed a big last deal, but both sides knew it was really a 1 year deal. He still got the respect and money he felt he deserved, and the Hawks weren't punished by a long contract with a ton of dead money when he declined.

Bennett is also very vocal. If I'm Schneider, I give him the pay bump with a caveat: Bennett talks to guys in the locker room, explaining he got paid by doing things the right way, and still giving everything he had, through injury and such. This not only lets guys know the positive way this can work, but also throws some light on how Chancellor's way didn't.

Kam is harder. You honestly can't pay him more, as he held out, then didn't play to his contract. Can anyone really argue that he showed that much value over McCray with the contract disparities ?

Then again, if you don't pay him, this could keep festering. I think Thomas is a bit fed up about it. It could start to effect guys. Maybe guaranteeing Kam some money but not giving him a raise would show him that the Hawks still want him around but that he has to do it the right way to get rewarded.

Click to expand...

Encouraging players to discuss money in the locker room seems like a recipe for disaster.

Basis4day":2lw90ljp said:

Hawks46":2lw90ljp said:

Davidess":2lw90ljp said:

I think if im the Hawks I approach the Bennett/Kam thing like so.

Bennett gets rewarded for these reasons
-he didn't hold out
-played through injuries
-while playing through injuries he sets a career high in sacks and makes the pro bowl. from what I remember hearing after the season is that Bennetts Toe (main injury) was bent off to the side and well didn't look natural haha.

as for Kam I believe is the highest paid SS or atleast top 3 IIRC. He held out for more money two games into the season and played complacent through out. He is known for his hard hitting and I think he only had one and It was against DET and the hit was on C. Johnson.

If you're going to reward anyone you reward Bennett. And for some reason you decide to reward both of them you reward Bennett with more and make it substantial. Kam was not himself and for all we know he played that way so he could get more money at seasons end and not risk injury.

I am down for rewarding Bennett but Kam? not so much.

Click to expand...

I'd agree. You almost have to bump Bennett a bit. It gives you salary flexibility in that you can get FA guys in cheaper initially and you give them more money if they outperform. The main gripe that most players have is guaranteed money (because they can get cut at any time), and getting under paid when they over perform. You can get guy to "bet on themselves" if they know they can get taken care of later. Lynch is a good example: he signed a big last deal, but both sides knew it was really a 1 year deal. He still got the respect and money he felt he deserved, and the Hawks weren't punished by a long contract with a ton of dead money when he declined.

Bennett is also very vocal. If I'm Schneider, I give him the pay bump with a caveat: Bennett talks to guys in the locker room, explaining he got paid by doing things the right way, and still giving everything he had, through injury and such. This not only lets guys know the positive way this can work, but also throws some light on how Chancellor's way didn't.

Kam is harder. You honestly can't pay him more, as he held out, then didn't play to his contract. Can anyone really argue that he showed that much value over McCray with the contract disparities ?

Then again, if you don't pay him, this could keep festering. I think Thomas is a bit fed up about it. It could start to effect guys. Maybe guaranteeing Kam some money but not giving him a raise would show him that the Hawks still want him around but that he has to do it the right way to get rewarded.

Click to expand...

Encouraging players to discuss money in the locker room seems like a recipe for disaster.

Click to expand...

You don't have to tell them to do it. They all do. They read the papers. They're all on twitter. Nobody does anything quietly in this league.

HawkNuts":1sbecond said:

I think these bumps in the salary cap help thrifty teams who wait in free agency. I think the Seahawks will use it to their advantage.

Click to expand...

Agreed with this. If the Hawks try to be players in FA they're doing it wrong IMO. An extra 3 million to try to nab someone who slipped through the cracks of the market on a one or two year deal to fill out rotational depth on the d-line or to bridge on the o-line is great for them