Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

The New Orleans Saints shoehorned their way under the projected 2014 salary cap Wednesday by releasing veteran defenders Will Smith, Roman Harper and Jabari Greer. The move saved the Saints around $17 million and pushed the Saints somewhere between $3 million and $4 million under the projected $126 million salary cap.

Yet the Saints will need to create more salary cap space with players like Jimmy Graham, Malcolm Jenkins, Zach Strief and Brian de la Puente all being potential free agents. So more moves (releasing players or restructuring contracts) will have to occur to make any ground in bringing any of the Saints' possible free agents back to New Orleans.

Below is an updated list of the Saints' top 20 salary cap figures with Smith, Greer and Harper no longer on the team (Jonathan Vilma wouldn't have counted against the 2014 cap anyway since he was set to be a free agent).

Top 20 salary cap figures for New Orleans Saints entering 2014 season | NOLA.com

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

If anybody's interested, restructuring the following player contracts would create the corresponding amount of cap room:

Brees $6,530,000
Evans $4,296,666
Grubbs $3,430,000
Colston $3,096,667
Bunkley $2,363,333

Post-June 1:
Cutting Bunkley would save $4,500,000
Cutting Moore would save $3,800,000
Cutting Grubbs would save $6,100,000

Mostly likely scenario is that we restructure Evans and either Grubbs or Colston, then cut Moore and Bunkley after June 1. That would create something in the area of $16-16.5 million of cap room, putting us roughly $20 million under. That would be just about enough to keep Graham under the WR franchise tag (obviously a long-term extension would be preferable), re-sign Strief and De la Puente and have just enough room for rookies and a couple of mid-level free agents.

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

Brees said he was willing to do whatever it took to keep Jimmy! So I can see him adding a couple of yrs to be with SP on contracts which will lower the cap number for the next few yrs.

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There is only 1 year separating Drew and Seans Contract expiration.

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The best thing possible would be to let Jenkins go.

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John? Malcolm is gone.

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Need to remember to factor in dead money.
Cutting Bunkley saves 1.275m (4.837m dead)
Cutting Moore saves 2.5m (2.5m dead)
Cutting Grubbs saves 100k (9m dead)

Here is a good site to use if you want to play with our cap. Looks to be updated with the recent moves.

Salary Cap Calculator - Over the Cap

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

I did. My numbers are accurate.

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

Salary Cap Calculator - Over the Cap

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

I'm using the same site. My numbers are accurate. If you are subtracting dead money from the projected gain/loss column you are doing it wrong. It's already done for you. The projected gain/loss column is the only one you need to look at.

EDIT: Nevermind, I see what you are doing. Notice I said June 1 cuts. Go back in, change it to June 1 cut and see what happens. :)

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

Bunkley:
Cap figure of $6,112,500
dead money is $4,837,500
means we save $1,275,000

Not to sure what you are looking at but those numbers are in red at the far right.

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

You didn't read my post very well. Please pay attention to the part that says post-June 1. You can also factor in restructures.

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

Got it. Your right I didn't read it very well.

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You also don't actually have to wait until June 1st, IIRC. You can designate two players as June 1 cuts and actually cut them in April or something.

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If that's true then it could actually help. The June 1st cuts are somewhat irrelevant for the current cap year. Have to be under the cap in march and by June most FAs are gone and draft picks are being signed. I guess the June 1st helps us with signing draft picks slightly along with freeing up emergency fund we many need for the season.

A few restructures and cutting Moore along with PT or Sproles should get us 16m under the cap. Loomis has plenty of room to play with IMO.

Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

sorry if I came across like a jerk. Having a **** day over here

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I hope we don't cut Bunkley, he's a good player.

A nice restructure is what I'm hoping for.

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I agree.

NTs are a lot like CBs in the sense that if you don't hear their name being called, they're most likely doing a great job. Him and John Jenkins make a great pair.

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Agreed. We finally have a duo that equals the Hand/Glover duo. I'd hate to bust it up to save a measly 1.8 million of cap space.

He may be overpaid, but not by much.

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But if you make him a June 1 cut you save $4.5 million.

I think the guy is a tremendous player myself, would certainly prefer him to stay if at all possible. But looking at the salary structure he is one of the few guys you could could rid of and still be comfortable with the replacements you already have on the roster. Remember it's not just Jenkins, Hicks played the inside quite a bit too. And Foster/Walker can play either that 3-4 end or inside on a 4-man line. If you have to cut money somewhere d-line is by far our deepest unit.

But then again Loomis may be able to work some magic and get the whole band back together. I would love to see that.

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Just think how good they would be if they drafted another DT to add to that group. One to take Bunkleys spot next season? I don't think this front line would miss a beat for years, add an ILB and a ball hawk FS, add a veteran CB in FA. Our D would rock!! But we'll probably over pay for Graham.

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And to sign a player as good as Bunkley would cost you about 4 to 5 million. So you really haven't saved anything by cutting him.

A restructure would mean we can keep him and save money.

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Bunkley is a 9 year vet with 3 years left on his contract... I wouldn't extend him which is what is needed to restructure.

I would leave it as it is and cut a bunch of lower salary players that have less than 10k in dead money.

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Adding a year wouldn't hurt that much. It can be back-end structured in a way to make the final year an easy cut. Just a salary to bonus conversion giving him us an extra year to spread that bonus money out.

He gets more money up front, we reduce his cap 25%

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Oh yeah, before I forget...Louis Delmas, Kenny Vacarro, Rapheal Bush trio anyone?

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I'm really undecided what to do about Bunkley.........I think he stays at salary this year and then next year we reevaluate him. If he's doing great we resign him to the deal Danno was referring to where we just stretch out his money a little further and give him a nice fat bonus.

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Re: Saints top 20 salary cap figures...
 

No problem bud. Hope things are going better for you today!

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I think we should restructure Colston. Push Brees money to next year and I think they'll end up cutting more before June but they will want to make sure our young receivers can produce first