How are the Colts going to afford paying the 2012 draft class?

[2HOT2HANDLE]

I don't really understand how cap space works... but how are they possibly going to keep all of these guys when the time comes to sign them?! 

 

I know they can use a "franchise" tag... can they use that on Luck and pay the rest, then pay Luck the next year?

 

1 - Andrew Luck

2 - Coby Fleener

3 - Dwayne Allen

4 - T.Y. Hilton

5 - Josh Chapman

6 - Vick Ballard

 

 

[Smonroe]

I don't really understand how cap space works... but how are they possibly going to keep all of these guys when the time comes to sign them?! 

 

I know they can use a "franchise" tag... can they use that on Luck and pay the rest, then pay Luck the next year?

 

1 - Andrew Luck

2 - Coby Fleener

3 - Dwayne Allen

4 - T.Y. Hilton

5 - Josh Chapman

6 - Vick Ballard

Don't forget Trent. Tough decisions will be made. Luck isn't an issue the same year as the others, but your concern is valid.

Franchise isn't a good idea. Long term contracts are easier on cap space. Don't forget, the cap will be bigger too.

[Black-Vell]

The short answer is no one knows exactly how future will play out, so this question is a waste of your worry. The long answer involves understanding how teams are built.

 

First off, throughout the history of the draft, i highly doubt many (if any) teams hit on every pick to where every pick needed to be resigned. Although I am a Colts fan and am personally invested in those 6 players, the same rules apply.

 

Put A Luck in a separate category. He will always be properly compensated and spend most if not all of his career in IND. So from that list, as of right now, only one name is a definite resign, and that's TY Hilton. He will see a major contract offer from IND as the $750k he's making now is a bargain.

 

Side note - isn't it funny how NFL fans will complain when their players ask for big money, but ignore the 2 or 3 years they played for less than their value. If you look at the top 5 highest paid WR's, TY outplayed all of them but one last year.

 

Anyway, next important signing in my opinion obviously is C Fleenor. Even though I wish he had D Allen's bite to him, his skill set is very hard to find in a player. Again, this is as of right now. I cannot say D Allen, J Chapman or V Ballard is a must resign because we won 11 games without D Allen or J chapman and are about to win at least 10 more games without V Ballard.

 

And with all that said, IND will have the money to sign them all if they want to because none of them are making serious money and like I said, besides Luck and TY, no one else will have the leverage to "break the bank". Just worry about this year because it will be the single biggest indicator of how next year will play out.

[il vecchio]

Sign some, let others walk.  It's the nature of the beast.

[TKnight24]

I don't really understand how cap space works... but how are they possibly going to keep all of these guys when the time comes to sign them?!

I know they can use a "franchise" tag... can they use that on Luck and pay the rest, then pay Luck the next year?

1 - Andrew Luck

2 - Coby Fleener

3 - Dwayne Allen

4 - T.Y. Hilton

5 - Josh Chapman

6 - Vick Ballard

You can take #6 off the list for starters

Doubt we're paying big $$$ if anything to a RB who's played 1 year for us

#5 hasn't shown much yet, so if the contracts came today he wouldn't get a big contract

#3 is coming off a injury and we haven't seen if he can still perform at the level or better than his rookie year level

1 2 & 4 are the only locks at the moment

[Tracy Denton]

You can take #6 off the list for starters

Doubt we're paying big $$$ if anything to a RB who's played 1 year for us

#5 hasn't shown much yet, so if the contracts came today he wouldn't get a big contract

#3 is coming off a injury and we haven't seen if he can still perform at the level or better than his rookie year level

1 2 & 4 are the only locks at the moment

Also, the OP is kinda putting the cart before the Colt, We also have some big FA decisions to deal with after this season.

http://www.spotrac.com/free-agents/nfl/2015/indianapolis-colts/

[PrincetonTiger]

You can take #6 off the list for starters

Doubt we're paying big $$$ if anything to a RB who's played 1 year for us

#5 hasn't shown much yet, so if the contracts came today he wouldn't get a big contract

#3 is coming off a injury and we haven't seen if he can still perform at the level or better than his rookie year level

1 2 & 4 are the only locks at the moment

Nicely put TK

[Bluefire4]

Salary cap will go up but some will get signed while others don't.

[Nobody]

1 - Andrew Luck- Is a must re-sign no matter what.

2 - Coby Fleener

3 - Dwayne Allen

We may have to choose between the two, this year is an important one for them.

4 - T.Y. Hilton- I'd be shocked if we let him walk.

5 - Josh Chapman- we can offer him very little $ and if that's not enough then oh well. Barring a breakout year of epic proportions.

6 - Vick Ballard- IF we want to re-sign him, a big if, then minimum pay.

[BOTT]

Chapman hasn't shown much

I don't see Fleener as having a high price yet

Ballard may never play for the Colts again

And who knows how long older guys like Reggie, Mathis, and Redding will be around. And guys like Landry, Richardson and Thomas will have a short stay.

[loudnproudcolt]

I have been looking at this, and I think we are in good position to sign back the players we drafted, but I am not looking at the FA's right now. By my calculations, looking at OvertheCap, right now we have about 26M going into next season. I think Ballard will be gone, plus Donald Thomas will be gone giving us an additional 4M cap savings. Other players I think will be cut, Walden, Toler, etc. I don't know, but I am going with the injuries right now. So facing immediately we have TY, Coby, Dwayne, and Josh if he plays well this season. I think we should be fine. Look for TE's, the franchise tag is only around 7 M/year, and they both will not be making that money, so if each were to get extensions in the 6M/year we can handle that. Chapman, no clue, we will have to wait. TY, is tougher because is he a slot, a one or a two WR. I don't know, but I think he will get 8-9M/year. Now I don't know how the money will be done as far as structure, but it still leaves us 15M for FA's and 5M for signing the rookie class drafted next year so we should be fine. Andrew will get his extension after the 15 season is my guess, and we are in great shape there. I wish we would sign him before that if possible, since the numbers are only going to go up with Dalton, and Newton about to reup, plus the cap may move quite a bit in two years due to TV money being renegoitiated.

 

I am not the genius at structuring contracts, but just looking at the raw cap space we have, and projections for after the season, we are in really good shape. Just look at some of the other teams, i.e. Cowboys.

[peytonmanning18]

Order of importance to re-sign

 

1. Luck (it's going to cost a fortune and kill our cap but that's the NFL, quarterbacks have all the leverage)

 

2. T.Y. Hilton  (he must be re-signed, Wayne is getting older and coming off an injury and burners like Hilton don't grow on trees)

 

3. Fleener/ Allen (I could see letting one of the two walk but ideally we sign both because having two really good tight ends is a real problem for defenses)

[Bravo]

Luck: Re-sign for some major cash money.

T.Y. Re-sign for a pretty large amount of cash money.

Allen: Depending on how this year goes/ injury situation, he may get a good pay day or possibly let him go.

Fleener: if he comtinue to play how he has been then he will he re-signed but just for a decent amount.

Chapman: If he doesn't have a good year this year or won't take a smaller amount of pay he will be gone.

Ballard: Love the guy but won't be here unless he takes minimum.

Richardson: Obviously depends on how he produces but I feel that we won't let him walk. Pay depends on performance but I see him being resigned.

[TKnight24]

I have been looking at this, and I think we are in good position to sign back the players we drafted, but I am not looking at the FA's right now. By my calculations, looking at OvertheCap, right now we have about 26M going into next season. I think Ballard will be gone, plus Donald Thomas will be gone giving us an additional 4M cap savings. Other players I think will be cut, Walden, Toler, etc. I don't know, but I am going with the injuries right now. So facing immediately we have TY, Coby, Dwayne, and Josh if he plays well this season. I think we should be fine. Look for TE's, the franchise tag is only around 7 M/year, and they both will not be making that money, so if each were to get extensions in the 6M/year we can handle that. Chapman, no clue, we will have to wait. TY, is tougher because is he a slot, a one or a two WR. I don't know, but I think he will get 8-9M/year. Now I don't know how the money will be done as far as structure, but it still leaves us 15M for FA's and 5M for signing the rookie class drafted next year so we should be fine. Andrew will get his extension after the 15 season is my guess, and we are in great shape there. I wish we would sign him before that if possible, since the numbers are only going to go up with Dalton, and Newton about to reup, plus the cap may move quite a bit in two years due to TV money being renegoitiated.

I am not the genius at structuring contracts, but just looking at the raw cap space we have, and projections for after the season, we are in really good shape. Just look at some of the other teams, i.e. Cowboys.

What has Walden done to warrant being let go?

[oldunclemark]

I don't really understand how cap space works... but how are they possibly going to keep all of these guys when the time comes to sign them?! 

 

I know they can use a "franchise" tag... can they use that on Luck and pay the rest, then pay Luck the next year?

 

1 - Andrew Luck

2 - Coby Fleener

3 - Dwayne Allen

4 - T.Y. Hilton

5 - Josh Chapman

6 - Vick Ballard

Not a problem until the spring and summer of 2016, right?

Don't No.1s get a 5-year deal and below that gate a 4-year deal?

...anyway the first four are the challenge to resign..

[Warhorse]

With increased team cap space under the CBA. Should jump pretty good in the next year or two. On another note, when we have to cut players that no one wants to cut, how many complaints will come from those who whined for us to sign more big name FA's. 

[akcolt]

We will sign the best players we can and let the others go. Fleener is more of a pass catching TE if Swoope develops and Allen is cheaper as the blocker utility TE than.....

 

There are just to many things that could happen to really have any idea what we are going to do in 2016. The only player I would be willing to bet my life on being resigned without any question is Andrew. 

 

If TY gets crazy and wants a to be the highest paid WR in the game you really don't think we would let him walk?  I am not saying he will do that. He doesn't seem like that kind of guy and we seem to be building a family atmosphere being happy is important to smart people. I am  just saying it is really hard to predict what we are doing 2 yrs from now regarding contracts.

[Poster X]

Chapman hasn't shown much

I don't see Fleener as having a high price yet

Ballard may never play for the Colts again

And who knows how long older guys like Reggie, Mathis, and Redding will be around. And guys like Landry, Richardson and Thomas will have a short stay.

Other guys like Adam Vintieri will be walking away by the time it comes to signing the young guys. The team will part ways with others, and the salary cap will rise... so they should be able to get everyone under contract. Leaving room for the next batch too. It will be interesting to see these numbers for Luck/T.Y.

[GoColts8818]

The only "big money" guys on that list right now are Luck and Hilton. Fleener and Allen will get a pay increase but I doubt the Colts will have to break the bank to keep them. Ballard would probably get close to a league minimum deal right now with his injury history and Chapman has not performed well enough to get any kind of big deal to this point.

Now things can change between now and the time their deals are up but right now I don't think keeping 2012's draft class is going to be as hard as people think. I think you do Fleener's and Allen's deals near the end of the last year of theIr current one if you can. You tag TY if you have too to get a deal done and you use the fifth year option on Luck if you can't get a long term deal you like done and you deal with Ballard and Chapman based on their health and performance at the end of their current contracts.