Players the Redskins Could Cut To Help 2014 Salary Cap

I’ve already looked at where the Redskins stand in relation to the 2014 salary cap also I looked at how voided contracts can be handled for 2014, and the money that saves. Today I will look at some players who could be on the chopping block next season. Their contract isn’t voided, but they still could be sent packing.

Salary Cap info courtesy of Overthecap.com

DE Adam Carriker:

Current Deal: $6.833 million in 2014 and 2015

Dead Money if Cut: $3.666 million

Cap Savings: $3.166 million

Overview:

-Carriker simply isn’t worth anywhere near this kind of money, especially since the team has no idea if he can return from this injury. Even if the team did know that Carriker could return he’s not worth the $3.166 million that they could save by releasing him. Also, by cutting him now they clear the entire $6.833 million off the books for 2015. If They let him play out next year, and then release him they would only save $5 million that year. By cutting him now they can clear $10 million off the books over these next two years. Given that he was never worth this contract even before the injury this is an easy decision. If Carriker does show he’s healthy he can work his way back on league minimum contract, which is what top run organizations would do.

DE Stephen Bowen:

Current Deal: $7.020 million for 2014 and $8.020 for 2015

Dead Money if Cut: $5.040 million

Cap Savings: $1.980 million

Overview:

-Now this doesn’t seem like a good deal for the Redskins since they would have $5 million in dead money, but at the same time can they even come close to justifying $15 million over the next two years? On the open market this past offseason, Bowen would have been lucky to get $5-6 million combined for those two seasons, to pay him 3x that is bad business. So far this year Bowen’s play has gotten worse, and while the Redskins would hate to eat $5 million this year, this would again save them $10 million over the next two years. Clearing the books for the future is a very smart way to look at the cap, that would mean each of the next two years the Redskins would be in a great cap position. Some might point to doing a restructure, but Bowen restructured this past year and he only pushed money forward he didn’t cut any money from his pay check like some other players did.

P Sav Rocca:

Current Deal: $1.362 million for 2014

Dead Money if Cut: $0.162 million

Cap Savings: $1.200 million

Overview:

Rocca never should have had this deal in the first place and the Redskins need to cut him. Currently the Redskins are dead last in gross punt yardage and 30th in net average. I’m pretty sure the Redskins could have signed any undrafted rookie free agent punter and gotten better results. That $1.2 million can be put to far greater use than it is right now and hopefully the Redskins can find a young cheap punter they can have under control for a couple of years.

Others Who Could Get Cut:

Chris Chester:

Current Deal: $4.3 million in 2014 and $4.8 million in 2015

 Dead Money if Cut: $1.600 million

Savings if Cut: $2.700 million

Overview:

Chester was a rock along this line last year and has yet to miss a game for the Redskins in 36 contests, but this year he’s struggling so far. If he doesn’t turn it around the Redskins might not be too keen on spending $9.1 million on him over the next two years. The Redskins would save $7.5 million during this two year window which is pretty attractive. This move isn’t as ideal, but the Redskins can’t justify him as the 2nd highest paid offensive linemen if they production just isn’t there. Possibly Chester could entertain a restructure where he gives up money, but overall that is pretty rare. I’d still put him in the unlikely category at being released, but it’s definitely not outside the realm of possibility, and could continue to grow if he doesn’t improve.

Will Montgomery:

Current Deal: $3.425 million in 2014 and $3.925 million in 2015 (2016 is voidable, but there would be a $0.500 million cap charge to void it)

Dead Money if Cut: $1.500 million

Savings if Cut: $1.925 million

Overview:

Montgomery was really good for the Redskins these past two seasons, but he’s gotten off too a poor start so far this year and the team may look to cut ties sooner rather than later. The Redskins can save $5.850 million over the next two years by releasing him, but the move is probably the least likely. The team has zero back-up center options currently, and his contract is fairly team friendly. He might not be playing out his 2015 year, but the dead money would be pretty minor and manageable that year. If they were to keep Chester they would perhaps release Montgomery in an effort to lower their money spent along the offensive line, but Chester would be the bigger savings and there is a chance a guy like Adam Gettis or Maurice Hurt could replace him.

Total Numbers:

Total Savings for Carriker, Bowen and Rocca:

For 2014: $6.346 million  For 2015: $14.853 million

Total Savings for Carriker, Bowen, Rocca, Chester and Montgomery:

For 2014: $10.971 million  For 2015: $23.578 million

Dead Cap Charges for Carriker, Bowen and Rocca:

$8.868 million for 2014

Dead Cap Charges for Carriker, Bowen, Rocca, Chester and Montgomery:

$11.968 million for 2014

Final Thoughts:

I know there can be some sticker shock associated with the dead cap hits, and I hate carrying that much dead money around, but still the savings are worth making some of these moves. By cutting the first three guys the Redskins would save a combined $21 million off their cap over the next two years. Not bad considering how little production the Redskins are getting from these guys. I’m not fully on board with releasing Chester and Montgomery, but if they don’t pick their play up they could be under consideration. Their contracts aren’t nearly as prohibitive as Carriker and Bowen, but the Redskins could clear out $34.5 million which is a sizable amount. If the Redskins are smart with their money they could use that money to put themselves in a far better position to contend for the next 5+ years. They can plan ahead so they won’t need to have such an exodus of players when it is time to extend RGIII, Trent Williams and Ryan Kerrigan.