What the CBA means for the Chiefs and free agency

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Due to the new CBA, Pioli will HAVE to spend money either this offseason or next offseason.

Head over to this link. Great simple explanation of exactly what is going on the next few years for team salaries. Explanation after the jump.

Here's an excerpt about the salary floor.

Is there a Minimum Salary?

Answer:Yep. Under the new CBA, The cap for 2011 is $120.375M per team. Each team must average $119.2 M. That is a league-wide average not an individual team minimum. League-wide, teams must spend 99% of the cap in 2011 and 2012. In 2013 and beyond, they must spend 95% of the cap. In the event that player costs are less than this overall league minimum, then, on or before April 15 of the next League Year, the NFL shall pay an amount equal to such deficiency directly to the players.

In terms of minimum salary for each team, the salary floor is 89% of the cap. However, that does not start until 2013. Hence, there is in essence no salary floor in 2011 or 2012. (Note this point, as there is plenty of misinformation about this running rampant in the press!)

More specifically, beginning in 2006 each team had to pay a guaranteed Minimum Team Salary of 84% of the Salary Cap. Each year that percentage goes up by 1.2%, which means that it is 86.4% this season. However, the Minimum Team Salary cannot extend beyond 90% of the Salary Cap. Any shortfall in the Minimum Team Salary at the end of a league year has to be paid, on or before April 15 of the next league year, by the team(s) having such shortfall, directly to the players who were on that team's roster at any time during the season.

89 % of the current salary cap is a little over $107 million. Next year that number could be around $110 million.

Here are the cap numbers for the league

Teams that have the cap space to make big moves in free agency.

Cincinnati Bengals $80,641,237

Tennessee Titans $92,739,765

Washington Redskins $94,351,284

Kansas City Chiefs $95,844,195

Tampa Bay Buccaneers $98,899,458

Atlanta Falcons $100,227,174

Denver Broncos $101,389,121

New England Patriots $101,827,381

Chicago Bears $101,887,741

San Francisco 49ers $102,938,980

Cleveland Browns $103,789,162

WORKING ON A BUDGET

Teams that aren't up against the cap, but need to make smart moves to avoid trimming a ton of players and salaries.

Jacksonville Jaguars $107,270,274

Buffalo Bills $108,426,522

Seattle Seahawks $111,742,430

San Diego Chargers $111,960,165

New Orleans Saints $113,358,069

Philadelphia Eagles $113,964,694

Baltimore Ravens $115,670,281

Minnesota Vikings $116,078,422

Houston Texans $116,306,676

Miami Dolphins $116,636,173

Indianapolis Colts $116,773,288

Green Bay Packers $118,001,169

Arizona Cardinals $118,787,639

TIGHTENING THE BELT

Teams that will be at, or over the projected salary cap once they've signed the rookie class. These teams must purge their roster moving forward. The higher the cap number, the more drastic the cut backs need to be.

St. Louis Rams $120,982,904

Detroit Lions $122,760,121

New York Giants $124,735,807

New York Jets $128,092,733

Dallas Cowboys $128,910,735

Carolina Panthers $129,962,768

Oakland Raiders $140,861,316

Pittsburgh Steelers $149,885,537

Now for our current situation with the chiefs.

Basically the Chiefs will be required to spend around $14 million by next year with the salary floor coming into effect (more depending on how much the cap rises). Bowe or Carr should not cost this much alone.

Both should cost around 8 million. Steve Smith, Andre Johnson, and Miles Austin make around 8-9 million. Next highest is 10 million to Brandon Marshall. I don't see Bowe asking for more than that compared to those names. All these number 1 cbs make over $9 million. Flower's contract averages to $10 million a year. Carr, as a number two, should not ask for more than 8 million.

So we will have to sign both or one and other smaller FAs. If we do not sign one of the them, we will have to sign the equivalent of one whether its multiple smaller guys or another big name. Most likely that will happen this year because of the unknown quality of the free agent class next year. If Pioli waits until next year and the free agent class ends up poor, he will essentially have to waste money on players of lesser quality. With guys like Bowe, Carr, Nicks, Colston, Manning, and Soliai out there now, I see Pioli pulling the trigger on 1 or 2 with the normal salary cap.

But that's not it!

In addition, we can roll the amount we were under in 2011 over to 2012

So that means $121MM + $32.76MM - $95.84MM = $57.92MM available spending money. Thankyou The Gentry

via blog.mlive.com

Pioli, as a supposed salary genius, could use this time as an advantage to set up the Chiefs long term. We will have almost $58 million in cap space this year. If Pioli chose to front load Bowe's and Carr's contracts, we could have more room under the cap in the next few years. For instance, they could sign Carr to a $50 million, $18 million guaranteed contract over 6 years. In year 1 though, they could start the salary off at $12 million in the first year and $4 million the rest of the way (the signing bonus is split evenly across those years). More money immediately might entice Carr and Bowe to signing a cheaper overall contract while saving us future cap space. We might even be able to sign them without a signing bonus (although unlikely). For other free agents, Pioli could use front loading as an attraction.

With $50 million cap space, expect Clark and Pioli to sign Bowe and Carr and possibly one other big name (probably a younger guy for the long term) if they feel like an outside guy is one of the "right" guys. They can eat up the extra cap space this year and keep our future bright.

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I want you, Bowe and Carr!!!!!

Go Chiefs