Why we'll keep Mario...

[HPF Bob]

From the above Sun-Sentinal link:

The salary cap for 2012 has not been set, but it is projected to be between $121-125 million, with teams being able to borrow another $2 million from future caps. Therefore, we’ll safely project the salary cap to be at $124 million in ’12. But please understand this is an estimation.

If Mario was already at $13 million and then we're $4-8 mill under the cap, then I hope we can simply fit Mario into a deal that doesn't raise that number at all and use the money on Foster who will get a big raise.

[barrett]

I think Mario was at $18 million last year. An $8-12 million cap number is reasonable on even a huge long term deal.

So the $6-10 million less he'll count next year plus the cap increase should allow us to do what we want. Especially if we dump JJ and a few others for younger/cheaper alternatives.

[dalemurphy]

Originally Posted by barrett

If your argument is we never got dominated without him, I don't know what to say. I am pretty sure not getting dominated doesn't get anyone superbowl trophies.

The NY Giants just beat Tom Brady for the 2nd time in 5 years and they did it with pure pass rush both times. Nobody in NY was saying lets get rid of Osi or Tuck since we have Kiwanuka and JPP. They said lets rotate them when necessary and play all four when possible. And they rode that plan all the way to a superbowl despite a terrible secondary and no running game.

New England has an even easier schedule next year and there is probably little chance we get to a superbowl without beating Brady. The only way to do that is to hit him over and over, and letting Mario go or trading him is the opposite of that. And if we reach the superbowl we are likely to find Rodgers or Brees waiting for us.

The NFL is a QB league. And the only way around having one of the 3-4 elite guys is to have a QB killing team.

In the 4 games with Mario: 325 yards per game.
In the 14 games without: 255 yards per game.

Yes, Mario played against New Orleans. However, also included in those four games are games against an awful Indy offense and a really bad Miami offense. The defense was better without him. Now, there are other factors than just his absence that affected those numbers. Still, 14 games without him and the defense was great in almost everyone (except the first game after his injury and the two games without Wade Phillips).

[NBT]

According to Lance Z with the chronic, Foster is not averse to the franchise tag.

[edo783]

Originally Posted by NBT

According to Lancee Z with the chronic, Foster is not averse to the franchise tag.

The more I hear on the kid, the more I like him. He seems to have his head on pretty straight and knows that 8-10 mill that is for sure money is life changing money and perhaps could even be considered generational money. His agent indicated that they saw it as reasonable and a means of getting to the long term deal. I love how the kid runs, I love that he doesn't think he is bigger than the game or that the game "Owes' him a golden life, but I really like his sense of humor.

[Arky]

Originally Posted by edo783

The more I hear on the kid, the more I like him. He seems to have his head on pretty straight and knows that 8-10 mill that is for sure money is life changing money and perhaps could even be considered generational money. His agent indicated that they saw it as reasonable and a means of getting to the long term deal. I love how the kid runs, I love that he doesn't think he is bigger than the game or that the game "Owes' him a golden life, but I really like his sense of humor.

Ya, he's getting very popular league-wide. Always popping up on NFL Network and ESPN for comments.... He's been an excellent ambassador for the Texans and getting people to recognize the Texans. I sometimes visit NFL betting forums and the ESPN gaming forums - a pretty jaded crowd - and most everybody has big respect for Foster. They think he's "the man"....

[NBT]

Sometimes Arian Foster sounds almost too good to be true. I hope that when push comes to shove, that Arian is really that good ( from a signing standpoint, of course).

[WMH]

Saw this earlier, sure don't see how this will help us keep Mario, or the others for that matter:
@JRRickert: San Diego Chargers and Houston Texans elected not to carry over 2011 salary cap room to 2012 --

Granted, its "only" a reported $3MM-$4MM, my question is Why Not?

In thier pressers, both Kubiak and Smith declared he remains a priority, why not put every bit of ammo you can in your gun?

Don't understand the logic behind that, especially in the situation we are reported to be in.

[nunusguy]

Originally Posted by WMH

Saw this earlier, sure don't see how this will help us keep Mario, or the others for that matter:
@JRRickert: San Diego Chargers and Houston Texans elected not to carry over 2011 salary cap room to 2012 --

Granted, its "only" a reported $3MM-$4MM, my question is Why Not?

In thier pressers, both Kubiak and Smith declared he remains a priority, why not put every bit of ammo you can in your gun?

Don't understand the logic behind that, especially in the situation we are reported to be in.

Why is it so difficult for people to understand that Mario is gone ?

[WMH]

Originally Posted by nunusguy

Why is it so difficult for people to understand that Mario is gone ?

Its not that I don't think he's a goner (cause I do) , its more a question of why they aren't carrying over available cap space. They have other issues besides Mario.

[cadams]

is this confirmed? i cannot imagine that they did not.

[WMH]

Originally Posted by cadams

is this confirmed? i cannot imagine that they did not.

That was the only place I saw that info, haven't seen it pop up from the local parrots. Who knows.

PFT had a report the other day that we were at $118.9MM for the top 51 players under contract. It also listed the carryover at $1.08MM. Not as much as I had thought, but still don't understand why they wouldn't do it, if that report was true.

Question for you cap people - If we are truly sitting at $118.9, is Mario, Myers, Dressen, etc. included in that figure? I'm thinking not, since they are technically not under contract, but don't know for sure.

[Warren]

Mario was not franchised, and according to PFT there haven't been serious discussions between his agent and the Texans.

Originally Posted by WMH

Question for you cap people - If we are truly sitting at $118.9, is Mario, Myers, Dressen, etc. included in that figure? I'm thinking not, since they are technically not under contract, but don't know for sure.

From the same article:

As of last Tuesday, the Texans had $118.9 in 2012 salary-cap commitments, which puts them close to the expected ceiling of $120 million or so. Foster wasn’t factored into the “top 51″ calculation, since he wasn’t under contract at the time. His cap number for 2012 will land on the “top 51″ list, nudging a minimum-salary guy off the board and taking more dollars away from the team’s allotment.

So players not under contract with the team for 2012 weren't included.

[Nconroe]

only thing is, Arian was under contract as a RFA through next year and was our 43rd highest salary before today. so what else not correct in that source. I wish I could see who those 51 or 53 current players under contract are and how that adds up to 118k or so?

It does look difficult to keep Mario unless there is one big home town discount the first two years, but why do that if you are Mario? I woiuld like to see Mario stay. Should be very interesting between now and Mar. 13th.

[WMH]

Originally Posted by Nconroe

only thing is, Arian was under contract as a RFA through next year and was our 43rd highest salary before today. so what else not correct in that source. I wish I could see who those 51 or 53 current players under contract are and how that adds up to 118k or so?

It does look difficult to keep Mario unless there is one big home town discount the first two years, but why do that if you are Mario? I woiuld like to see Mario stay. Should be very interesting between now and Mar. 13th.

Not 100% sure on this, but because he was technically a FA (RFA in this case), he actually wasn't under contract for the '12 season. Tender never materialized, so it is a mute point. If he would have been tendered, then that would be his hit.

[Nconroe]

Ok, could be, but I still have questions.

If you also remove Mario, smith, rackers, Dreesen, Brisel salaries seems like you ought to currently be about 25 mil under the cap?

Lots of those lower salaries ought to be gone to fron current count like two extra QZb or practice squad guys?

[popanot]

Originally Posted by Nconroe

If you also remove Mario, smith, rackers, Dreesen, Brisel salaries seems like you ought to currently be about 25 mil under the cap?

Sure those contracts go away, but perhaps you're not factoring in the escalation other contracts. I'm sure other player contracts - like Cushing, Ryans, Barwin, Schaub, AJ, etc., etc., on down the line - are going up, so that's eating into the current cap figure.

[Joshua]

Originally Posted by popanot

Sure those contracts go away, but perhaps you're not factoring in the escalation other contracts. I'm sure other player contracts - like Cushing, Ryans, Barwin, Schaub, AJ, etc., etc., on down the line - are going up, so that's eating into the current cap figure.

The more I think about it, I don't understand why we're in such cap hell. We don't have a really expensive QB. Most of our better players are still on their rookie contracts and, if anything, are substantially underpaid (Brown, Cushing, Barwin, Watt, Reed, and until yesterday Foster).

[HPF Bob]

Originally Posted by Joshua

The more I think about it, I don't understand why we're in such cap hell. We don't have a really expensive QB. Most of our better players are still on their rookie contracts and, if anything, are substantially underpaid (Brown, Cushing, Barwin, Watt, Reed, and until yesterday Foster).

But those are counterbalanced by the contract for AJ and Ryans plus the free agent signings of Joseph, Manning, Antonio Smith, Wade Smith and Shawn Cody. I don't know all the numbers on the contracts but I know we signed an FA for several years in a row, most of them probably back-loaded.

[Nconroe]

well, this cap availability is sure confusing, but a few references to give some hope we can get some things done maybe

this one has salaries and shows us at 107mil incl signing Arian estimate, presumably top 38 players
http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/houston-texans/cap-hit/

this one says we have about 25mil available.
http://torotimes.com/2012/03/01/offseason3/

this one explains how we might have like 20 mil available, along with some of the cba rules
http://www.battleredblog.com/2012/3/...o-your-houston

some actual player contract info can be found here, may list more than 38 players,
http://www.rotoworld.com/teams/contracts/nfl/hou/