Official Charger Season Discussion - News - Roster Moves - Injuries

[Bolt4Knob]

I'm with you - I think they can compete with a good HC, a good draft, and selective cap management to meet the league requirement. With SJD gone, the are now $34M over for 2024 - Joey and MW alone can save $34M. Lindsey is another $9M if he won't return. Kendricks is $6.5M. its not as horrible as its made out to be but they do need a good professional draft and some good value-priced vet fills here n there. KC looks to be downward, and DEN and OAK are not running away with anything in 2024. LAC can compete.

Chargers 2025 cap situation is not a problem, they are $112M under, albeit that is before 2024 & 2025 draft, etc. but alot of the perceived big cap problem is gone by then. Derwin and Pipkins can be released for another $16M cap savings if they are still here and don't have a big rebound year. JK Scott still has a $2M cap savings sitting out there, and they can replace that performance with a league min punter.

Chargers might be 112 under the cap in 2025 but if you push 30m for Allen and Mack - that 112 goes down to what 80 (and thats just dead money, thats not salaries included); two draft classes, thats another $25m and how many players do you still need to sign. Still need 20 more to make a roster in 2025 - so what does that 50 become - maybe 30m - and that means a lof of the roster are the minimum salaried players

Its not that good unless you want to play with a roster of 35 players

[dmac_bolt]

Chargers might be 112 under the cap in 2025 but if you push 30m for Allen and Mack - that 112 goes down to what 80 (and thats just dead money, thats not salaries included); two draft classes, thats another $25m and how many players do you still need to sign. Still need 20 more to make a roster in 2025 - so what does that 50 become - maybe 30m - and that means a lof of the roster are the minimum salaried players

Its not that good unless you want to play with a roster of 35 players

alot of roster players are always min salary, nothing new there really. the Cap can be solved, they have to get rid of some high cap players but not all. I laid out a path. I'm just not as worried as some are. it won't be painless but it doesnt have to be crippling.

[Boltjolt]

The swing and miss on Wilson has set them back years.

In fairness, they tried to remedy with a future HOF qb...

Their OL isnt that good either. Spiller & Pipkins for Breece Hall

[Boltjolt]

The Chargers are basically $60m over the cap if you include the 53, practice squad and in-season slush fund. Releasing Bosa, MW, Kendricks and Parham, Linsley retires for health reasons and saving $10m by extending Keenan Allen, the Chargers are basically even for the cap without doing anything else.

So if you want Khalil Mack, a bunch of UDFAs without pushing $25 of cap to the future, thats fine. I just think if is short-sighted and stupid when this is a rebuilding year. If you want to keep Mack, that will push money into the future - -I don't think that is wise with Herbert getting even more of the cap in 2025.

No they arent. Im not really worried about he cap. Mack may retire anyways as he said he almost did last season. We'll see.

The Rams "rebuiding year" is turning out quite well and they had cap issues. Hopefully the new GM is smarter than TT.

[Boltjolt]

Ah, I guess I don’t see 2024 as a rebuilding year, and I doubt anyone in the organization does either. The new HC won’t, he’ll want to win now and keep the weapons to help with that, as is reasonable.

As regards your first paragraph, heck not bad and better than this sad year.

If you’re really wanting to save money/rebuild, just ditch Herbert, “problem” solved.

lol, there ya go....we will be in a possition to drat a QB. Maybe not the top 2....which ever those turn out to be. Caleb will be one. Maybe we end up with Daniels and get a boatload of picks for Herbert. .....but then we arent landing Harbaugh trading him away. BB either.

Bright side Spanos ends up saving a ton of money

[gzubeck]

lol, there ya go....we will be in a possition to drat a QB. Maybe not the top 2....which ever those turn out to be. Caleb will be one. Maybe we end up with Daniels and get a boatload of picks for Herbert. .....but then we arent landing Harbaugh trading him away. BB either.

Bright side Spanos ends up saving a ton of money

Bo nix? Still scheduled to be drafted in the first according to rankings...

[Boltjolt]

Maybe its not all the head coach. The GM never put together a good OLine. They traded for A-A-Ron - fine. but as part of that trade they sold themselves to signing his "guys"

I think the entire organization needs to be looked at . Mike McDonald is the DC on the rise with the Ravens. Well, in the last 20 years, their DCs have been Marvin Lewisn, Rex Ryan, Wink Martindale - -had to look for the rest
Chuck Pagano, Dean Pees, Mike Nolan and Greg Mattison

Maybe its not just a good DC but also a very good owner who sets a culture, one of the best GMs in history in Ozzie Newsome followed by DeCosta and an excellent HC in harbaugh
There is organizational alignment from the owner to the front office to harbaugh that allows for a guy like Mike McDonald to come in and be successful (for my money, what Aaron Glenn has done in almost three years in Detroit is better than anything Mike mcDonald hs done in one year)

So Saleh is 17-32 - he has to own that. But the GM has also been kind of crappy too. Granted Saleh did improve the Jets defense - can Staley say the same? Nope! The point you make about building an overall winning team is in question.

Not a decent HC in the bunch,. Ryan had the most success so i guess he was ok. Martindale likely wont get a HC shot and no idea what Madison is doing. Just say no to McDonald.

[Bolt4Knob]

No they arent. Im not really worried about he cap. Mack may retire anyways as he said he almost did last season. We'll see.

The Rams "rebuiding year" is turning out quite well and they had cap issues. Hopefully the new GM is smarter than TT.

34m over the cap for 37 players. Add a draft class of 11-12m and min level players to get to 53 - thats well over 50m over the cap.

As for the Rams - they draft better and have better player development than the Chargers

[Boltjolt]

34m over the cap for 37 players. Add a draft class of 11-12m and min level players to get to 53 - thats well over 50m over the cap.

As for the Rams - they draft better and have better player development than the Chargers

Ill say it again.......Saints managed to do it two or three years in a row and still signed Carr to a big contract. Granted they are mediocre right now but thats what happens when you sign Carr to a big contract. The should of ditched Michael Thomas two years ago....and shouldnt have signed Winston for 9 mil to be a backup.

They get under the cap but they also do stupid things when they do. Hopefuly we are smarter.

[blueman]

No to chicken little, the house is not on fire, sorry. Some cuts, new HC/Gm, we will be threatening to win the division.

[Boltnut]

The cap hit in 2022 was lower because they pushed cap
The cap hit in 2023 was lower because they pushed cap

Don't look at the cap hit - look at the cash -- so if you take those numbers and add 7.5m per to each season - that is more realistic. Plus the Bears ate about 38m of dead cap - which means Khalil Mack was also paid out that money ahead of time and it was just allocated. So Khalil Mack was not playing for 13m per year. His annual AAV in 2022 was 21.7m; his AAV in 2023 was 21.9m - the true value of what Khalil Mack earned

So if Khalil Mack wants to play for an AAV of $22m -- to your point that means take a huge pay cut in 2024 because he has so much dead cap that will count. And yes I am actually okay taking the 15.3m dead because I get 23m of cap space plus possibly a draft pick. Dead cap is dead cap - its nota reason to keep a player

Looking at a player's AAV only makes sense if you believe said player will play out his whole contract... which in Khalil Mack's case ($38+million) makes no sense at all. AAV looks good to players/fans... but it is not a realistic way to look at contracts. Contracts are built with "out" years specifically in mind. Contracts are specifically built with guaranteed money and non-guaranteed base salaries (along with roster bonuses and workout bonuses) near the end of the contract. Mack has them... KA has them.

Right now, there is $15.3 million of dead cap on Khalil Mack's contract. The money has already been paid. The only question is... do you spread it out over 1 year or spread it out over 3 years...? If you think Khalil Mack falls off the cliff (after his 15+sack season)... then you eat the $15.3 million and move on. If you believe he'll fall off... most likely, other teams feel the same way. And you will get next to nothing for him via trade. If you think Mack still has 2-and-a-half good years in him (like I do) then you extend him (along with his remaining $15.3 million) out over 3 years... ($5.1 million per year). Of course it will take additional guaranteed money to convince him to re-structure. How much...? IDK. But I think it's reasonable that it will cost you $21 million (spread out over 3 years). That's $7 million per year. It brings your guaranteed money up to $12 million per year for 3 years. Add in another $5 million in guaranteed base for years 1 and 2.... and you're paying AAV of $17 million (a reasonable salary for a guy who just got 15+ sacks for you). Make the 3rd year base un-guaranteed. If you feel he's not going to produce for you in the 3rd year... then cut him. In that scenario, you only eat $12 million.

My philosophy is to always have 3 productive pass rushers. Rotate them to keep them fresh... and insure yourself against injury. Tuli has another 3 years on his contract at a very cheap deal. If you extend Mack for 3 years, it coincides with the end of Tuli's contract. Chris Rumph's contract is up at the end of 2024. He hasn't produced and is likely gome after 2024. Restructure Mack and draft an edge in Round 1 or 2 this year. You'd have 3 pass rushers to rotate and be positioned to let Rumph go next year.

Prepare for the future... but stay relevant for next year. Do whatever you can to keep productive players. The draft is a crap-shoot. Bird-in-the-hand stuff.

[Bolt4Knob]

Looking at a player's AAV only makes sense if you believe said player will play out his whole contract... which in Khalil Mack's case ($38+million) makes no sense at all. AAV looks good to players/fans... but it is not a realistic way to look at contracts. Contracts are built with "out" years specifically in mind. Contracts are specifically built with guaranteed money and non-guaranteed base salaries (along with roster bonuses and workout bonuses) near the end of the contract. Mack has them... KA has them.

Right now, there is $15.3 million of dead cap on Khalil Mack's contract. The money has already been paid. The only question is... do you spread it out over 1 year or spread it out over 3 years...? If you think Khalil Mack falls off the cliff (after his 15+sack season)... then you eat the $15.3 million and move on. If you believe he'll fall off... most likely, other teams feel the same way. And you will get next to nothing for him via trade. If you think Mack still has 2-and-a-half good years in him (like I do) then you extend him (along with his remaining $15.3 million) out over 3 years... ($5.1 million per year). Of course it will take additional guaranteed money to convince him to re-structure. How much...? IDK. But I think it's reasonable that it will cost you $21 million (spread out over 3 years). That's $7 million per year. It brings your guaranteed money up to $12 million per year for 3 years. Add in another $5 million in guaranteed base for years 1 and 2.... and you're paying AAV of $17 million (a reasonable salary for a guy who just got 15+ sacks for you). Make the 3rd year base un-guaranteed. If you feel he's not going to produce for you in the 3rd year... then cut him. In that scenario, you only eat $12 million.

My philosophy is to always have 3 productive pass rushers. Rotate them to keep them fresh... and insure yourself against injury. Tuli has another 3 years on his contract at a very cheap deal. If you extend Mack for 3 years, it coincides with the end of Tuli's contract. Chris Rumph's contract is up at the end of 2024. He hasn't produced and is likely gome after 2024. Restructure Mack and draft an edge in Round 1 or 2 this year. You'd have 3 pass rushers to rotate and be positioned to let Rumph go next year.

Prepare for the future... but stay relevant for next year. Do whatever you can to keep productive players. The draft is a crap-shoot. Bird-in-the-hand stuff.

So basically you want Khalil Mack to go from 23m in salary in 2024 to
21m signing bonus spread over 3 years
and 5m in 2024 and 2025

Thats a pay cut for Khalil Mack. Which if he takes your deal -- I would keep him around