2024 Saints Salary Cap Watch

AsylumGuido · 03-13-2024, 09:55 AM

Originally Posted by BakoSaint

We will have to see the numbers on Ram's deal. I agree with KT that we won't know until he actually sees the field (and then how he holds up on the field). Every doctor is optimistic about every surgery. Every coach and front office person is optimistic about keeping any player they can't afford to cut. But as we have seen, results on the field may vary.

If Ram took a pay cut without future guarantees that is good and makes sense given the state of his career. If he $17 million salary just got pro-rated into the future that is not good, especially if any future money got guaranteed.

See Underhill's tweet above for more detail.

BakoSaint · 03-13-2024, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by AsylumGuido

See Underhill's tweet above for more detail.

The one sentence from Underhill does not really explain it. Previously Ram was due base salaries of $17m in 2024, $18m in 2025, $19m in 2026, had $10m prorated money from past bonuses due in each of those years, and $2.5m dead money due in 2027 void year. For 2025, $6.5m of his $17m base salary was going to guarantee this Saturday March 16.

So now we know his salary has dropped to a vet minimum, probably under $1.5m, but we don't know how much of that is a pay cut and how much was converted to bonuses. He previously had no guarantees (but would have had one for $6.5m on Saturday) and presumably the Saturday guarantee was accelerated to today. So his yearly cash for this year, regardless of what future caps it has been restructured to is somewhere between $6.5m-$17m. There is a 2025 escalator that lets him earn a lot back but how much? If he was previously set to earn $18m in 2025 does the escalator allow him to get back to $18m, or does it let him make up for all pay cuts he took and potentially take him $18m plus the possible $10.5m 2024 pay cut for a total of $28.5m in 2025? And is any of it guaranteed at any time and how to does it trigger? If Ram plays 17 games in 2024 but loses a step in performance, we don't want to guarantee him $28.5 million or anything close to that. On the other hand if it triggers on performance and availability and it just gets back up to $18m if he is fully back, that's reasonable.

Hopefully he took an actual pay cut and its a good deal. If the surgery goes well and he can move forward at a reasonable salary without giant guarantees that is good. If the injury bug returns in 2024 he can be a post-june-1 cut if there are no guarantees for 2025.

03-13-2024, 09:55 AM	#1
AsylumGuido 10000 POST CLUB Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Bossier City, LA Posts: 26,622	Re: 2024 Saints Salary Cap Watch Originally Posted by BakoSaint We will have to see the numbers on Ram's deal. I agree with KT that we won't know until he actually sees the field (and then how he holds up on the field). Every doctor is optimistic about every surgery. Every coach and front office person is optimistic about keeping any player they can't afford to cut. But as we have seen, results on the field may vary. If Ram took a pay cut without future guarantees that is good and makes sense given the state of his career. If he $17 million salary just got pro-rated into the future that is not good, especially if any future money got guaranteed. See Underhill's tweet above for more detail.

03-13-2024, 10:14 AM	#2
BakoSaint 1000 Posts + Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 2,391	Re: 2024 Saints Salary Cap Watch Originally Posted by AsylumGuido See Underhill's tweet above for more detail. The one sentence from Underhill does not really explain it. Previously Ram was due base salaries of $17m in 2024, $18m in 2025, $19m in 2026, had $10m prorated money from past bonuses due in each of those years, and $2.5m dead money due in 2027 void year. For 2025, $6.5m of his $17m base salary was going to guarantee this Saturday March 16. So now we know his salary has dropped to a vet minimum, probably under $1.5m, but we don't know how much of that is a pay cut and how much was converted to bonuses. He previously had no guarantees (but would have had one for $6.5m on Saturday) and presumably the Saturday guarantee was accelerated to today. So his yearly cash for this year, regardless of what future caps it has been restructured to is somewhere between $6.5m-$17m. There is a 2025 escalator that lets him earn a lot back but how much? If he was previously set to earn $18m in 2025 does the escalator allow him to get back to $18m, or does it let him make up for all pay cuts he took and potentially take him $18m plus the possible $10.5m 2024 pay cut for a total of $28.5m in 2025? And is any of it guaranteed at any time and how to does it trigger? If Ram plays 17 games in 2024 but loses a step in performance, we don't want to guarantee him $28.5 million or anything close to that. On the other hand if it triggers on performance and availability and it just gets back up to $18m if he is fully back, that's reasonable. Hopefully he took an actual pay cut and its a good deal. If the surgery goes well and he can move forward at a reasonable salary without giant guarantees that is good. If the injury bug returns in 2024 he can be a post-june-1 cut if there are no guarantees for 2025.
BakoSaint 1000 Posts + Join Date: Dec 2018 Posts: 2,391