Saints-Chiefs Test
 

the teams are close in cap space. listen to this vermeil line-
sound familiar? let's see which front office gets it done.

why is it the wish list in the kansas city star looks different than NOLA?
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansas...s/11025694.htm

Saints-Chiefs Test
 

difference is that the cheifs are the media darlings and have a very good offense.

Saints-Chiefs Test
 

Well if our front office wasn\'t so freakin inept the Saints could be the media darlings and have a very good offense.

Remember all the hype in Oct. 2002??? It is possible for the Saints to be popular.

Saints-Chiefs Test
 

true

Saints-Chiefs Test
 

I go back to an earlier post where someone mentioned N.O being a tough place to draw players to. I can\'t remember who but when U have your QB, the leader of the team, Reportedly fighting with one of your top D men? Your owner fighting with the coach and then Calling his team a bunch of high schooler\'s? Then there is the uncertainty of the Organinzation itself. That\'s a lot of concerns to have up front when your a free agent looking for a contract? Other cities might look a little better to you when all this comes to light.

Saints-Chiefs Test
 

All good in theory, but none the less wrong. Only one saying applies here:

\"Money talks, and bull**** walks.\"

Saints-Chiefs Test
 

Didn\'t the Saints have the leagues highest payroll last year??
Still people were\'nt happy? I agree though with money being the bottom line.....Hence NO Hockey season!!!

Saints-Chiefs Test
 

True most of the time in the NFL. Players will follow the money most of the time. However when NO offers a player the same contract as say, New England does, then other things come into play. NO would generally have to pay more to attract a player than other teams would. The front office knows this and isn\'t willing to do so, leaving them to sift through the trash heap of the NFL looking for underappreciated garbage. They never go after players that involve a bidding war.

Saints-Chiefs Test
 

[quote:b6e02bc609]
\"True most of the time in the NFL. Players will follow the money most of the time. However when NO offers a player the same contract as say, New England does, then other things come into play. NO would generally have to pay more to attract a player than other teams would. The front office knows this and isn\'t willing to do so, leaving them to sift through the trash heap of the NFL looking for underappreciated garbage. They never go after players that involve a bidding war.\"

That was the point I was trying to emphasize, thanks for the 2nd on that one! When it comes down to it and you have the same offers with choices, NO might be the first one off the list for those reasons. NO needs a better REP as a franchise. Listeneing to other announcers on TV without watching the Saints you get the idea that the announcers on FOX etc treat The Saints as a joke....I\'m not saying it at all, Just emphasizing what others might perceive.

Saints-Chiefs Test
 

Let\'s not confuse the payroll and the cap. A team\'s payroll cannot exceed the cap. That\'s kind of the point. Just b/c the Saints had the highest payroll does not, necessarily, mean they spent the most money - it just means that they managed their cap number well.

Let me see if I can explain in a simplistic way just to make sure that we\'re all (including me) clear.

Let\'s say the cap is $86.5 million (it\'s something like that). Now, assume that you signed a QB a few years back and gave him a $10 million signing bonus. He doesn\'t necessarily get that $10 mill when he signs. The $$ is his, guaranteed, but the team could pay him $2 million a year for 5 years to spread the \"cap hit\". Thus, this year, if you\'re paying him $2 million on an old $10 million bonus, then your available cap number drops by $2 million to $84.5 mil. I don\'t believe that payments and cap accruals necessarily have to coincide either.

For example, you could signing a RB this season and pay him a $10 million signing bonus over 5 years but take the full cap hit of the bonus now. In other words, even though you pay him $2 mill a year, your cap THIS season and THIS season only takes the $10 million hit - now you\'d be down to $74.5 mil.

It wold make sense, to me, that the Saints have a high payroll number. Why? B/c they have had a great cap situation for 3 years (i.e. more room available under the cap than most teams) and they sign players that don\'t demand large bonuses. So what you pay is what you pay. Theoretically, the more stars you have on a team, the higher your cap figure and somewhat lower your payroll number wil be, b/c the money for them gets dumped in bonuses, not salary. Stars can demand big bonuses ($$ they are assured to get), whereas Orlando Ruff demands little more than a bus ticket. :)

Saints-Chiefs Test
 

good clarity whodat

UPDATE

kansas city star-

Frequently spectators in the frenzy of the market\'s opening, the Chiefs entertained cornerback Samari Rolle of Tennessee and linebackers Jeremiah Trotter of Philadelphia and Ed Hartwell of Baltimore. Their visits were scheduled to conclude today.

One or more of the players could sign with the Chiefs before leaving Kansas City, but no deal was in place as of Wednesday night. The Chiefs were waiting to make any firm financial offer until they gave each player a physical examination.

Club officials expressed some concern about Trotter\'s ability to pass a physical because of balky knees.

The Chiefs had no other visits scheduled. But they were attempting to invite a group of players that includes linebackers Ian Gold of Tampa Bay and Kendrell Bell of Pittsburgh, and cornerbacks Ken Lucas of Seattle and Fred Smoot of Washington.

Trade talks with Miami concerning cornerback Patrick Surtain appear to have stalled. The Chiefs would like to have Surtain for a visit as well, but the Dolphins want a trade agreement in place before allowing the trip.

Miami is asking for the Chiefs\' second-round draft pick in return. The Chiefs are already minus their third-round pick, which went to Philadelphia in last year\'s trade for tackle John Welbourn.

Dealing a second-round pick would make this, in all likelihood, a one-player draft for the Chiefs in terms of rookies they could realistically expect to make an impact. The Chiefs believe they have too many needs to obtain only one impact rookie.

The Chiefs appear ready to sort through all of their free-agent possibilities before resuming talks with Miami. That search started with Rolle.

Rolle was released by the Titans last month in a cost-cutting maneuver, but he is generally considered the top free-agent cornerback. He is favored by defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham, who worked with Rolle for three seasons as a Titans assistant coach.

In Hartwell and Trotter, the Chiefs met with two of the top available middle linebackers. Hartwell was a starter the last three seasons for Baltimore, playing alongside the more celebrated Ray Lewis, but many NFL scouts believe Hartwell is ready to emerge as a star in his own right.

Hartwell\'s agent, Harold Lewis, said 16 NFL teams called Wednesday to at least inquire about Hartwell\'s interest.

“I\'ve got a lot of people around the league mad at me because they wanted to be the first ones to have Ed in for a visit,� Lewis said. “But we wanted to go to Kansas City first to see what they have to offer.

“They indicated linebacker is a major need and concern. He\'s a guy they considered the best one out there.�

Trotter is a premier run defender. His career appeared over at this time last year when he was released by Washington and searched for a job without success for months. He signed with the Eagles shortly before the start of training camp and played well enough to make the Pro Bowl for the NFC champions.

Saints-Chiefs Test
 

So, in essence, the Chiefs are kicking our arse. Great.