Available cap space

17,267,088

http://www.spotrac.com/cap-tracker/nfl/

It seems there is enough space available for at least one big FA signing, likely at DL or OT. Maybe a big one-year deal for Jared Allen? Jason Hatcher? Anthony Collins?

Earl thonas extension........

How do draft picks factor into that?

There's enough for Sherman and Thomas contract extensions.

Earl & Sherm extensions...

Throwdown":201km0dl said:

Earl & Sherm extensions...

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^This .. I would love to see it happen.

Unused cap space rolls over - doesn't need to be used.........

Sherman extension will not hit the cap now unless we want it to

Players usually get to be free agents because their old team didn't want them or couldn't afford them. Neither one of those things factor into our plans. Lock up our own. Roll over the cap space and extend our own stars. Screw free agents, last free agents we needed to spend money on were Bennett and Avril. From now on we grow our own...

brimsalabim":288kdpvf said:

How do draft picks factor into that?

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Considering how late we draft, I cant imagine that will cost us more than $3-5 mill, if that. Still leaves us in good shape, and there could be some more cuts or re-structures.

Throwdown":2vzb0w29 said:

Earl & Sherm extensions...

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Maybe. It'll be interesting to see how Pete and John handle the big three extensions.

Remember that there's a new cap rule, whatever cap room you don't use this year can be rolled over to next year. So if we save that 5-10M in cap space, we can use it next year to give Russell, Earle and Sherm more money (along with the projected 10M 2015 increase). So right there with the 10M cap increase in 2015 and 5M rollover that's one of the three players salary.

An ET extension shouldn't cost us much this year since Year 1 cap hits are usually low and he's already set to hit us at $5M (e.g. Harvin's first year cap hit was only about $4M). With Sherm's extension, you can either choose to keep his Year 1 number low as well or front-load it so that the hits in later years are lower.

Either way, you should probably have room to add some bargain deals too. I'm guessing they'll look to offer a pass rusher a mid-level deal. Signing rookies/practice squad/IR-reserve only takes up a few million.

We can get this all done.

^DavidSeven - I don't see any reason to front-load under the new CBA. By rolling unused money to later years keep this year's cap as low as possible (within reason) and move the money to next year. That way if something happens you have room to sign guys.

Sherman should only hit for the signing bonus. So 5 years - $10 bonus and we are only looking at $2M extra cap hi

Throwdown":1gv96nvl said:

Earl & Sherm extensions...

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:229031_victory:

I really, really hope you are right. This is what I want too....

CANHawk":2ps19174 said:

Players usually get to be free agents because their old team didn't want them or couldn't afford them. Neither one of those things factor into our plans. Lock up our own. Roll over the cap space and extend our own stars. Screw free agents, last free agents we needed to spend money on were Bennett and Avril. From now on we grow our own...

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Exactly. I think a lot of people here are the type that since they have some money in their pocket they need to buy something. Forget the bills that will soon be due, go buy something!

Most of our best players have come via the draft, the way it should be. Just think of any of the core that most of us want to keep so badly, where did they come from? Take care of our own, get new talent in the draft, get the team ready for years to come. If after the draft we have holes left to plug, or something happens to one of the guys we already have, get someone to plug in.

Though the free agent market and what goes on is fun to watch, I hate the feeding frenzy attitude. Thankfully our front office understands this business better than the fans. I have faith that they will take care of business the way it needs to be done, despite us scratching our heads, or in some cases freaking out.

Don't only the top 51 affect the cap? Also since a draft pick would be replacing a player already counted against the cap, wouldn't the draft class have little affect on the current numbers outside of the first round?

Honestly, sure as a fan I'd like too see them both extended.

Thinking as a GM, no way do I want Sherman extended now. Earl Thomas is the priority this year. His cost wouldn't jump the cap much if at all for this upcoming season. We have Russell Wilson to resign next year, my Priority #2.

Worst that happens with Sherman is he plays out this year for less than 2 million, if we can't re-sign him and Russ next year, we can franchise him. Costing us around 10-11 million. That breaks down to 2 years for lets say at best 13 - 14 million, 7mill a year.

Earl Thomas is the #1 cog to our defense, having a FS that can play sideline to sideline is the reason our D can do what it does. It all starts there.

jlwaters1":32dx5sb7 said:

There's enough for Sherman and Thomas contract extensions.

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Much more than that if they structure them right.

jlwaters1":skej28i1 said:

There's enough for Sherman and Thomas contract extensions.

Click to expand...

Much more than that if they structure them right.

Re-signing RS may not be in the Hawk plans. ET gets a new deal this season. Perhaps Okung.

Its now showing us as having 14M in cap space remaining.

Again, releasing Zach Miller and James Carpenter could be in play.. that'd free up another 6.5M

In respect to the Thomas/Sherman extensions, if the cap goes up to the $145M figure PFT reported.. the Seahawks would be nearly 60M under the cap next year.. thats MORE than enough room to lock up Earl, Okung and Sherm right now.

Basically, after FA settles down and we're closer to the draft.. I think Thomas' extension gets done. I think Okung's does as well. Sherman deserves one but I imagine he'd be taken care of after ET and Okung.