So, think you're a better cap manager than Rick Smith? Now you can try your hand:
www.fanspeak.com/mtc/
Let's you do what if's with the cap rooms of all 32 teams.
First, you get a chance to sign your free agents or let them walk.
I cut Andre Johnson, freeing up over $8 million in cap space while also cutting several non-factors from last year. Free agents like Kareem Jackson and Derek Newton were allowed to walk.
This gave me about $16 mill in cap room of which $5 mil have to be put aside for the rookie cap.
Here's how I spent the rest with enough cap room left for one more body ($756k):
Re-signed Ryan Pickett, DT on 2-year deal
Re-signed Ryan Mallett, QB, on 3-year deal
Re-signed Kendrick Lewis, S, on 2-year deal
Signed Michael Oher, OT, on 4-year deal (replaces Newton)
Signed Kenny Britt, WR, on 4-year deal (replaces AJ)
Signed Ike Taylor, CB, on 3-year deal (replaces KJ)
I wanted to get a good 3-4 ILB to play next to Cushing but couldn't swing a deal. If I wanted to, I could also cut Quisenberry and have room for another player. I don't know how his recovery is going. Most of the players on last year's roster I kept although some of you may want to take more of an axe to it.
Our QB situation would look the same. Our RBs and TEs carry over from last year. We swap AJ for Britt in the receiving corps but he makes a good-enough threat that other teams can't focus on Hopkins while leaving room for someone else to step up. Oher fits into Newton's spot in the OL which otherwise remains intact. Oher can also be insurance if Duane Brown gets injured.
On defense, a lot will depend on Clowney and Nix and how well they rehab from injuries. Pickett played so well and made such a difference last year when he was added that he was my biggest priority to resign. Brooks Reed left to ILB and depth at OLB will need to be draft targets. In the secondary, Lewis returns and Ike Taylor, a savvy veteran from the Steelers, replaces the mistake-prone Jackson.
Of course, you hate to lose what AJ brings to the ballclub but he really does need to move on and it is best to go into next year without paying him the $16 million he is due.