It's A Buyer's Market

**Kyle Cactus** · 01-18-2021, 07:30 PM

As of today (according to OTC's Effective Salary Cap Space) there are 13 teams that will have to make cuts (and/or resort to extensions and post June 1 cuts) just to fill a full cap-compliant roster. Breaking that into tiers:

Need to clear <$20M in cap space
Bills
Titans
Bears
Vikings
Raiders
Texans

Need to clear between $20M and $40M in cap space
Chiefs
Rams
Packers
Steelers
Falcons

Team who are well and truly f...
Eagles (need to clear ~$52M)
Saints (need to clear ~$99M)

Premise
An uncommon number of teams will need to cut players, and some of those teams will need to cut almost every decent veteran whose anywhere near the end of their contract. Include the fact that the average NFL team will have FAR less cap space to spend, and it's clear that '21 free agency will be a buyers market. We should be willing to cut players we might not normally cut, because the cap savings may yield uncommonly good returns this offseason.

Ravens Options to Clear Cap Space for a Buyer's Market
This are just my opinions. I'm more confident about the general claim that we should be more aggressive cutting players this offseason than I am in exactly who is worth cutting.

No Brainer
Mark Ingram - $5M (cap savings)

Lean Yes This Year, But A Tougher Choice In A Normal Year
Nick Boyle - $5.5M
LJ Fort - $2.25M
Brandon Williams - $7.5M

Tough Choice Even in 2021
Calais Campbell - $5M
Patrick Ricard - $2M
Marcus Peters - $9.5M

Feel free to disagree! I'm interested to see what the RSR community thinks.

**Noelle18** · 01-18-2021, 07:34 PM

Hate to say Nick Boyle but I think if they keep him it make them focus on this run at all cost mentality. Didn’t Brandon Williams just got restructured

**Waywatcher** · 01-18-2021, 07:36 PM

Unless Nick Boyle's injury is career threatening, I still can't see him being released for $5 measly million.

**Corey** · 01-18-2021, 07:53 PM

You may also see them ask some of those guys to take a pay cut instead of being cut. This is one of the reasons I am not concerned about Judon, Yannick and Bowser all being free agents. Yannick is a good enough pass rusher, that a team might find a way to break the bank for him. The other two, in this market just are not getting in. Judon is back on a 1 year deal that is team friendly and I think they find a way to work out something worth while with Bowser.

**Corvus Corax** · 01-18-2021, 08:07 PM

Cutting Brandon Williams would be a serious mistake; he is vital to our defense. If you also cut Calais Campbell then you might as well forfeit next season (draft and develop their replacements instead).

Finding a replacement to the ‘heart and soul’ of our rush defense will be extremely difficult.

**Corey** · 01-18-2021, 08:08 PM

What is up with the 10 million from Earl Thomas? Did the Ravens go after it or are they going to let him keep it?

**s.r.genovese** · 01-18-2021, 09:48 PM

Brandon Williams isn’t going anywhere he is very important to the defense and he’s still only 30. Cuffing Campbell comes with 5 mil of savings and 10 mil of dead cap so that’s not really all that palatable either.

**jonboy79** · 01-18-2021, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by Waywatcher

Unless Nick Boyle's injury is career threatening, I still can't see him being released for $5 measly million.

No way in freaking hell...

Expect to see almost everyone sign a 1 year deal this year, by the players choice.

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**Raveninwoodlawn** · 01-18-2021, 10:08 PM

Originally Posted by Corey

What is up with the 10 million from Earl Thomas? Did the Ravens go after it or are they going to let him keep it?

We released him for cause to avoid paying him that money. He filed a grievance so $4 of his salary is on hold in our books until the hearing and ruling....which probably won’t take place until late summer. If we win, we pay him nothing and get that $4 credit towards our cap, if he wins, he gets paid his money and we lose $6 million in space.

**Raveninwoodlawn** · 01-18-2021, 10:12 PM

Regarding creating space for us...I don’t see us releasing anybody for cap purposes other than Ingram. I can see some restructures if we plan on making a big signing.

**LC_Ravens_87** · 01-18-2021, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by Corey

You may also see them ask some of those guys to take a pay cut instead of being cut. This is one of the reasons I am not concerned about Judon, Yannick and Bowser all being free agents. Yannick is a good enough pass rusher, that a team might find a way to break the bank for him. The other two, in this market just are not getting in. Judon is back on a 1 year deal that is team friendly and I think they find a way to work out something worth while with Bowser.

I wasn't really impressed by Yannick. Judon is a much more versatile player. Yannick seemed a one trick pony and not very good at it either. It's possible Yannick was miscast in our defense, but idk. He sure didn't win a lot of matchups. Id rather have Judon but think he'll actually get more $

**TDL1000** · 01-18-2021, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by LC_Ravens_87

I wasn't really impressed by Yannick. Judon is a much more versatile player. Yannick seemed a one trick pony and not very good at it either. It's possible Yannick was miscast in our defense, but idk. He sure didn't win a lot of matchups. Id rather have Judon but think he'll actually get more $

Yannick also came in midseason Might be considerably better with a full camp and once he learns the D. We saw what he did his first few seasons in the league hard to believe he turned into a mediocre player overnight. Judon is also pushing 30. Not sure they want to invest a big money longterm deal in a player who more than likely has already peaked

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