Friday Fan Day Mailbag

From Mike C.:

Is there a layman’s explanation of the NFL cap. Articles refer to dead cap space and what does and does not count against the “cap”. I would appreciate a simple explanation.

Hi Mike. I don’t think I’ve ever seen “salary cap” and “simple” in the same sentence as there are so many twists and turns that it's easy to lose track of.

You asked about dead money, so let’s start there. “Dead money” is whatever is left of the prorated signing bonus on the contract (the player receives the signing bonus at the time the contract is signed, but for bookkeeping purposes, the total amount is spread over the life of the contract up to five years.)

When a player’s contract is terminated, whatever remaining prorated money is left under the singing bonus column then gets charged to the cap as “dead money.” However, the amount depends on when the player’s contract is terminated.

For example, let’s say John Doe signs a three-year contract for $5.8 million, which includes a $3 million signing bonus.

Doe’s signing bonus prorates to $1 million per year, meaning if his base salaries are $800,000, $900,000, and $1.1 million, add $1 million to each of those figures to get his cap number.

Now, if Doe is cut or traded after the first year of his contract, what’s left of his prorated signing bonus will hit the team’s cap in the form of dead money.

If he is removed from the roster before June 1, the remaining $2 million accelerates into the current year’s cap. If he is designated as a post-June 1 transaction, his team is charged $1 million in 2020 and the remaining $1 million in 2021.

If Doe is traded to another team, his new team does not acquire the signing bonus entry on its books.

Feel free to reach out if you have other cap questions or want me to go over a specific player's contract.

As I said, the cap is very complicated due to a bunch of different rules and twists, but I’ll do my best to try to get you an answer.

From Bruce F.:

Based on what you have seen over the first six games, what do you feel will be the primary need in the upcoming 2020 draft? A top tier left tackle, a linebacker with true NFL potential, or a number one receiver would elevate the team. Right tackle would also be on my list, what do you think?

Hi Bruce. It’s still kind of early, and right now, I’ve done zero work on the next draft class because covering this team is a 24/7 job (which I love by the way).

If I had to list a few needs, I’d say add a true No. 1 receiver, get another young inside linebacker and an offensive tackle, and maybe add another young cornerback.

But I say that not knowing how those various position groups stack up in terms of strength.

From Stephanie E.:

Do you think (general manager Dave) Gettleman sees the sometimes poor game management of Shurmur and Bettcher’s failure to adjust in games defensively? And if so, do you think he talks to them about it OR just takes notes to assess if they are the right coaches for the job?

Hi Stephanie. I know that Dave Gettleman is at every game and that he watches everything with an eagle eye.

I also think this concept of not adjusting in-game defensive is overblown a bit. By that, I mean a couple of weeks ago the Giants were walloped by injuries at linebacker, so I’m not sure what people were expecting Bettcher to adjust.

While there are instances where a big play or breakdown happens, I think before rushing to judge Bettcher, you have to look at the film and determine it was a mistake made by the player, if the offense just made a fantastic play or if it was the play call.

I also think it’s Pat Shurmur’s call as to whether the team moves on from an assistant coach. Gettleman might have an opinion, but I do get the sense that Shurmur will be the one to make the decision.

From Ross J:

Big fan of your work, love listening to the LockedOn Giants podcast. I was wondering how you think Jabrill Peppers is progressing this year. He seems to be improving week to week after a slow start.

Hi Ross. Thanks for writing. I don’t think there’s any question that JAbrill Peppers is statin to look more at home in this defense. They have had him playing closer to the box, and according to Pro Football Focus, his production in terms of stops made has improved significantly.

I think the biggest thing with Peppers, who also has started making impact plays these past several weeks, is achieving consistency, and as he continues to do his thing in this system, that will fall into place for him.

From Dan K.:

I have been a Giant fan for over 40 years. I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly.

I like what I have seen from Dave Gettleman, and I hope to see in next year’s draft a super linebacker. The G-men have had scrubs in that position for over eight years. Its time to get a linebacker who can smother a tight end. It’s time to beat the Cowboys and the Eagles.

I do believe the Giants have a young core of good players. Lastly, the Mara and Tisch families need to take responsibility for Jerry Reese, and they need to acknowledge they gave Tom Coughlin credit for coaching with poor draft choices while he the coach.

Hi Dan. I’d probably say that the “15 years of lousy football” were far worse than the Reese era, as at least the Reese era did yield two Super Bowls.

With that said, I think the Giants have themselves a gem in linebacker Ryan Connelly, who sadly suffered that torn ACL. I agree that they can use another young off-ball linebacker if they decide to move on from Alec Ogletree (who isn’t all that bad as Giants fans make him out to be).

As for team ownership, I know for a fact that they thought very highly of Tom Coughlin and the job he did. That John Mara stood before the media when Coughlin stepped down and was so conflicted about Coughlin’s departure and wanting to find a role for the head coach was very telling.

Regarding Reese, I also understand where team ownership was coming from. They were attempting to hang on to some stability and continuity.

With that said--and this was my argument in favor of a clean sweep at the time--given how the franchise was sliding downward, there wasn’t any stability to build on, though I believe ownership wanted Reese to climb out from the mess that developed under his watch.

Moving forward, I think the Giants are going to be in a lot better shape. What fans need to remember is that just as the deterioration of the franchise didn’t happen overnight, the repair is also going to be a multiyear process.

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