Need dline, not more LBs

[Deleted member 6794]

if you're doling out cash to land Big Free Agents and cutting or trading in year 2 of the deal, you made one hell of a mistake. I wonder what it would cost to get rid of 1 or both of those guys this year?

Actually the Packers would save $2.25 million of cap space by trading Zadarius and $1.5 million with Preston.

Because of their performance last season it should nevertheless be considered a terrible idea.

 

[Mondio]

i suppose if you traded him before a roster bonus of 9 million. Can you even trade people now until the new year starts? when is his bonus due? How would we save 2 million if 15 million in bonus is counted and we save 2 million on salary?

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I mean it is a seriously valid outside the box concept of a question.

As valid as trading Rodgers and taking his current dead cap hit on.

P. Smith Cap Hit if traded/cut: $12M

Z. Smith Cap Hit if traded/cut: $15M

Most multi year contracts seem to be written to give the team a decent out after year 3 or 4, not year 1 or 2. In the case of the Smith's, it appears the Packers took their age into consideration and spread their dead cap hit out pretty equally over the 4 year contract.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

i suppose if you traded him before a roster bonus of 9 million. Can you even trade people now until the new year starts? when is his bonus due? How would we save 2 million if 15 million in bonus is counted and we save 2 million on salary?

No, you can't trade now, but you could trade when the new league year starts, which this year is 3/18. Most roster bonuses are set up not to kick in until a few days after the league start date or a per game roster bonus. Z Dog's contract has a big roster bonus ($9.5M) that kicks in on 3/20. This gives the team a few days to trade them and not have that roster bonus kick in on them, but the new team would. However, they still can't get out from underneath all of the dead cap money.

 

[Dantés]

If someone wants to pony up a 1st round pick for Preston Smith, I would absolutely think about that.

 

[HardRightEdge]

If someone wants to pony up a 1st round pick for Preston Smith, I would absolutely think about that.

A first round pick and $1.5 mil in cap savings? It would have to be top 10 pick to begin to consider it. Anyway, by the close of business on March 20 we'll find out it didn't happen.

 

[Dantés]

A first round pick and $1.5 mil in cap savings? It would have to be top 10 pick to begin to consider it. Anyway, by the close of business on March 20 we'll find out it didn't happen.

Oh, it totally isn't happening. I just don't think it's a completely terrible idea.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Oh, it totally isn't happening. I just don't think it's a completely terrible idea.

I'd agree on the "not completely terrible". It qualifies as merely "really bad". Even top 10 picks being highly productive as rookies is hit or miss.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

A first round pick and $1.5 mil in cap savings? It would have to be top 10 pick to begin to consider it. Anyway, by the close of business on March 20 we'll find out it didn't happen.

and you would still have to pay that first round pick a lot more than the $1.5M saved. Devin Bush, a #10 pick last year has an annual salary of $4.717M. I agree, its not happening.

Oh, it totally isn't happening. I just don't think it's a completely terrible idea.

Let's forget about the Cap implications for a second, which alone makes it a bad idea. How about the impact it has on the defense and the OLB position? Who takes his spot? I think the 2 things combined, make it a terrible idea actually.

 

[Dantés]

and you would still have to pay that first round pick a lot more than the $1.5M saved. Devin Bush, a #10 pick last year has an annual salary of $4.717M. I agree, its not happening.

Let's forget about the Cap implications for a second, which alone makes it a bad idea. How about the impact it has on the defense and the OLB position? Who takes his spot? I think the 2 things combined, make it a terrible idea actually.

Rashan Gary would obviously be the candidate to take him spot.

If they choose to let Bulaga walk, they will need an immediate replacement at right tackle. If they could get a pick in the top half of round 1, they'd be in good position to take one of the "big four" at OT in this class. Jack Conklin, the only really strong RT on the FA market, could make 15-18M in free agency. So if they could draft a quality replacement and have him on a rookie deal, it would be very helpful.

But again, I don't think it's going to happen. I just don't think it's nuts, necessarily.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

i suppose if you traded him before a roster bonus of 9 million. when is his bonus due? How would we save 2 million if 15 million in bonus is counted and we save 2 million on salary?

Zadarius Smith's roster bonus is due on March 20. If the Packers trade him before that they would save $2.25 million of cap space compared to having him on the roster for the 2020 season.

No, you can't trade now, but you could trade when the new league year starts, which this year is 3/18.

Teams are allowed to negotiate trades at this point but they wouldn't be executed until March 18. The Panthers and Chargers agreed to swap Trai Turner for Russell Okung that way last week.

Rashan Gary would obviously be the candidate to take him spot.

I don't like the idea either as Gary hasn't proven to be a viable starter and even if he develops into one the Packers would immediately lack quality depth at edge rusher.

 

[Mondio]

Zadarius Smith's roster bonus is due on March 20. If the Packers trade him before that they would save $2.25 million of cap space compared to having him on the roster for the 2020 season.



Teams are allowed to negotiate trades at this point but they wouldn't be executed until March 18. The Panthers and Chargers agreed to swap Trai Turner for Russell Okung that way last week.



I don't like the idea either as Gary hasn't proven to be a viable starter and even if he develops into one the Packers would immediately lack quality depth at edge rusher.

how does that work though? I glanced at his contract yesterday, so i'm using my rough remembered numbers, but I thought it broke down something like

2 million salary
9 million roster bonus
and had a 20 million signing bonus for signing last year 20 mil over 4 years= 15 million remaining

if we cut or trade, we could avoid the 9 million roster bonus and his 2 million salary= 11 million saved, but still 15 million counted because it's already been paid and has to be accounted for on this cap? or do we get to spread it out over 2 years at 7.5 million dead cap per? which would mean we're saving 2.5 million this year, but still have dead money next year. I'm not sure I like that much either AND we'd have to replace him and a 1st rounder is going to get paid what? Even the #30 pick is about a 10-11 million dollar contract with 5 million signing bonus. I don't think we come out ahead trading ZSmith or even close to it over the next 2 years.

 

[gopkrs]

One guy we would not want to trade is Zadarius.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

how does that work though? I glanced at his contract yesterday, so i'm using my rough remembered numbers, but I thought it broke down something like

2 million salary
9 million roster bonus
and had a 20 million signing bonus for signing last year 20 mil over 4 years= 15 million remaining

if we cut or trade, we could avoid the 9 million roster bonus and his 2 million salary= 11 million saved, but still 15 million counted because it's already been paid and has to be accounted for on this cap?

First of all I definitely want the Packers to keep Zadarius.

The numbers would work that way though:

The team would save $2 million in base salary, a $9 million roster bonus, a $750K workout bonus and $500K in per game roster bonuses for a total of $12.25 million by trading him before March 20.

While the move would result in $15 million of dead money counting against the cap in 2020 $5 million for this season are already accounted for with his prorated signing bonus being included in his current cap hit, therefore the move would add only $10 million of dead money resulting in $2.25 million savings.

 

[Dantés]

I don't like the idea either as Gary hasn't proven to be a viable starter and even if he develops into one the Packers would immediately lack quality depth at edge rusher.

Maybe use some of the savings from not having to pay a veteran RT to keep Kyler Fackrell at that point?

 

[Mondio]

a capologist I will never be, thanks capt.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Maybe use some of the savings from not having to pay a veteran RT to keep Kyler Fackrell at that point?

I believe Fackrell will receive more money in free agency than the Packers should offer him to be a backup in Green Bay.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

I'm really enjoying the insane discussion about cutting the Packers' best defensive player to save some money that will allow the team to sign a lesser talent elsewhere on the roster. This is terrific stuff!

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I'm really enjoying the insane discussion about cutting the Packers' best defensive player to save some money that will allow the team to sign a lesser talent elsewhere on the roster. This is terrific stuff!

Are you talking about Z-Dog? While I agree its a bit insane to think about getting rid of him, the talk started with someone suggesting trading him for I think 2 or 3 1st round picks, not cutting him. Given his dead cap hit, that doesn't really "save" us enough money to warrant trading him and his contract away but more importantly in my mind, we finally found 2 awesome OLB's and there is no way I am trading either for some unknown future first round picks.

 

[tynimiller]

I'm really enjoying the insane discussion about cutting the Packers' best defensive player to save some money that will allow the team to sign a lesser talent elsewhere on the roster. This is terrific stuff!

I've only seen someone bring up an out of the box (not gonna happen) situation of a trade, not a cut?

 

[Dantés]

I'm really enjoying the insane discussion about cutting the Packers' best defensive player to save some money that will allow the team to sign a lesser talent elsewhere on the roster. This is terrific stuff!

The idea of trading Preston Smith was floated, primarily because Gary was a high draft pick waiting in the wings.

I probably fueled the discussion because I said that if the return was a top half 1st round pick, I don't think it's a crazy idea.

I don't because anyone said anything about cutting anybody.

And I don't want to get rid of Preston at all or think that it will happen. I simply saying that if they could secure a high 1st rounder for him, rolling with Za'Darius, Gary, and keeping Fackrell would potentially make it an interesting idea, especially if the 1st round draft pick could secure them a high end OT and save them the cost of needing to sign one.

 

[Sunshinepacker]

The idea of trading Preston Smith was floated, primarily because Gary was a high draft pick waiting in the wings.

I probably fueled the discussion because I said that if the return was a top half 1st round pick, I don't think it's a crazy idea.

I don't because anyone said anything about cutting anybody.

And I don't want to get rid of Preston at all or think that it will happen. I simply saying that if they could secure a high 1st rounder for him, rolling with Za'Darius, Gary, and keeping Fackrell would potentially make it an interesting idea, especially if the 1st round draft pick could secure them a high end OT and save them the cost of needing to sign one.

Generally speaking, no team is giving up a 1st round pick for an above-average (but not elite) OLB that doesn't excel at rushing the QB. My apologies for combining discussions but unless Gute can convince the Raiders or the Jets (I will put nothing beyond them) I don't see any team finding 1st round value in Preston.

 

[Dantés]

Generally speaking, no team is giving up a 1st round pick for an above-average (but not elite) OLB that doesn't excel at rushing the QB. My apologies for combining discussions but unless Gute can convince the Raiders or the Jets (I will put nothing beyond them) I don't see any team finding 1st round value in Preston.

You are almost certainly correct.