A Look Ahead At the Titans 2013 Salary Cap

Ladies and Gents, meet your list of Titans players who will be free agents at the end of the 2012 season:

Xavier Adibi, LB

Dave Ball, DE

Rob Bironas, PK

Jared Cook, TE

Keyunta Dawson, DE

Kyle DeVan, OG

Zac Diles, LB

Leger Douzable, DT/DE

Leroy Harris, OG

Quinn Johnson, FB

Deuce Lutui, OG

Sen’Derrick Marks, DT

Kevin Matthews (RFA), OG/OT

Gerald McRath, LB

Ryan Mouton, DB

Darius Reynaud, KR, RB/WR

Javon Ringer, RB

Fernando Verlasco, C

Will Witherspoon, LB

Jarius Wynn, DE

Now meet some of the highest paid Titans for 2013:

Eugene Amano

2/15/2010: Signed a five-year, $26.247 million contract. The deal contains $10.337 million guaranteed, including a $7.25 million signing bonus and $3.087 million of his first-year salary. 2012: $3,182,500, 2013: $3.685 million, 2014: $4,187,500, 2015: Free Agent

Matt Hasselbeck

7/29/2011: Signed a three-year, $20 million contract. The deal included a $6 million signing bonus. Another $1 million is available through incentives. 2012-2013: $5.5 million, 2014: Free Agent

Steve Hutchinson

3/15/2012: Signed a three-year, $16 million contract. The deal contains $6 million guaranteed, including a $4.5 million signing bonus. 2012: $2 million, 2013: $4.75 million (+ $500,000 roster bonus), 2014: $5 million, 2015: Free Agent

Chris Johnson

9/1/2011: Signed a six-year, $55.26 million contract. The deal contains $30 million guaranteed, including a $20 million signing bonus. 2012: $8 million, 2013: $10 million, 2014-2015: $8 million, 2016: $7 million (+ $2 million roster bonus), 2017: Free Agent

Jason McCourty

8/23/2012: Signed a six-year, $44.26 million contract. The deal contains $17 million guaranteed -- a $9 million signing bonus and all of McCourty's first two base salaries. 2012: $3 million, 2013: $5 million, 2014: $3.5 million (+ $3 million roster bonus), 2015: $6.8 million, 2016-2017: $7 million, 2018: Free Agent

Mike Roos

4/25/2008: Signed a six-year, $43 million contract. The deal contains $15 million guaranteed, including a $9 million signing bonus and a second-year roster bonus of $4 million. Another $1.5 million is available through escalators. 2012: $5.5 million, 2013: $6 million, 2014: $6.625 million (Voidable Year), 2015: Free Agent

Dave Stewart

6/27/2008: Signed a six-year, $38.9 million contract. The deal contains $10 million guaranteed, including a $6 million signing bonus and a first-year roster bonus of $2 million. 2012: $5 million, 2013: $5 million (+ $1 million roster bonus), 2014: $6.4 million (Voidable Year), 2015: Free Agent

Nate Washington

3/2/2009: Signed a six-year, $26.8 million contract. The deal includes $9 million guaranteed. 2012: $3.4 million, 2013: $4.2 million, 2014: $4.8 million, 2015: Free Agent

Kam Wimbley

3/20/2012: Signed a five-year, $35 million contract. The deal contains $13.5 million guaranteed, including a $9 million signing bonus and all of Wimbley's first-year base salary. 2012: $2.5 million, 2013: $4 million, 2014: $6 million, 2015: $6.5 million, 2016: $7 million, 2017: Free Agent

**credit to RotoWorld for all the contract numbers. Great site if you aren't familiar check it out.

Now meet a list of Titans who will go into the 2013 season underpaid in my opinion and who are possible candidates for new contracts:

Jurrell Casey 
7/29/2011: Signed a four-year, $2.732 million contract. The deal included a $617,436 signing bonus. 2012: $490,000, 2013: $580,000, 2014: $670,000, 2015: Free Agent

Brett Kern
2/24/2010: Signed a four-year, $5.2 million contract. The deal contains $2.1 million guaranteed. 2012: $706,000, 2013: $821,500, 2014: $937,500, 2015: Free Agent

Colin McCarthy

7/28/2011: Signed a four-year, $2,495,400 contract. The deal included a $455,400 signing bonus. 2012: $465,000, 2013: $555,000, 2014: $645,000, 2015: Free Agent

Alterraun Verner

6/15/2010: Signed a four-year, $2,317,140 contract. The deal included a $527,140 signing bonus. 2012: $540,000, 2013: $575,000, 2014: Free Agent

NFL Salary Cap Information under the new 

CBA:

For the record, the NFL salary cap numbers have not been released but the cap is expected to be at approximately $120.6 million. A team may "carry over" room from one League Year to the following League Year by submitting notice to the NFL prior to 4:00 p.m. ET on the day before the team's final regular-season game indicating the maximum amount of room that the club wishes to carry over. A team may carry over one hundred percent of its remaining room from the prior year.
 

The Titans went into 2012 with an estimated $90 million to spend since there was no spending floor. In 2013 and beyond, collectively the teams must spend 95% of the cap and the salary floor for each team individually is 89%. Teams can also "borrow" 3 million from future years that they must pay back but the Titans aren't expected to need that since they are at the top of the league in available spending money.

Also, the new CBA retains franchise tags and there are two possible kinds available: exclusive and non exclusive. Teams can use the tags on either unrestricted or restricted free agents. With the exclusive tag designation, the team has to offer that player a one year "deal" based on the average salary of the top five players at that position as of April 16, or 120% of the player's previous salary. Also, teams can only use one type of tag per player. Teams get one franchise tag designation and two transition tags (if they don't use a franchise tag) per year.

With the non exclusive tag, the player is only offered a one year "deal" at the average salary of the top five players at that position, based on the previous season, or 120% of the player's previous salary, whichever is greater. The player is free to negotiate with other teams, but their current team can match any offer that is made. If they do not match the offer the team gets compensated with two first round draft picks. 

The NFL also retained the little used transition tag. This tag works much like the franchise tag except the "offer" a one year deal at the average salary of the top ten players at that position, based on the previous season, or 120% of the player's previous salary, whichever is greater. Players with the transition tag are free to negotiate with other teams but their current team gets first right of refusal since they are given the opportunity to match any offer. There is no compensation if the the player's current team decides not to match that offer.

Although not a concern with the Titans as the franchised player of 2012, Michael Griffin, was signed to a new deal, continuing to franchise tag a player can cost a team. A player tagged a second time gets 120 percent of his tag figure from the previous year. A third straight tag will cost the team 144 percent of the previous tag number. 

Here are the franchise tag values from 2012 taken from NFL.com

Quarterback: $14.4 million (down from $16.1 million in 2011, $16.4 million in 2010); Drew Brees

Running back: $7.7 million (down from $9.6 million in 2011, $8.2 million in 2010); Matt Forte, Ray Rice

Wide receiver: $9.4 million (down from 11.4 million in 2011, $9.5 million in 2010); DeSean Jackson, Vincent Jackson*, Steve Johnson, Wes Welker

Tight end: $5.4 million (down from $7.3 million in 2011, $5.9 million in 2010); Fred Davis, Jermichael Finley

Offensive line: $9.4 million (down from $10.1 million in 2011, $10.7 million in 2010); Ben Grubbs, Carl Nicks

Defensive end: $10.6 million (down from $13 million in 2011, $12.4 million in 2010); Jason Jones, Mario Williams*

Defensive tackle: $7.9 million (down from $12.5 million in 2011; it was $7 million in 2010); Paul Soliai*

Linebacker: $8.8 million (down from $10.1 million in 2011, $9.7 million in 2010); Stephen Tulloch

Cornerback: $10.6 million (down from $13.5 million in 2011; tag was $9.6 million in 2010); Cortland Finnegan, Brent Grimes

Safety: $6.2 million (down from $8.8 million in 2011, $6.5 million in 2010); LaRon Landry

Examining the Titans 2011 Draft Class

I took a look at the Titans 2012 draft class and decided to go ahead and look at 2011 too. 2012 turned out to be a pretty darn good class for the Titans as 6 of the 7 have played significantly and 3 have assumed starting roles at their positions. Did 2011 fare as well? Let's take a look.

1^st Round (#8) QB Jake Locker, Washington

Now in his second year, Locker played sparingly during his rookie season but showed the promise  that led the Titans to draft him 8th overall. Locker didn't see significant action until November 20, 2011 in a tough loss at Atlanta. Locker acquitted himself quite well however and was 9 of 19 for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns. He rushed once for 11 yards. He finished the year 34 of 66 for 542 yards, 4 touchdowns and a passer rating of 99.4%. He rushed for

After a hard fought battle in training camp, Locker won the starting position in 2012 only to get injured September 30, 2012 early on in the Houston Texans game, suffering multiple dislocations on his left, non throwing shoulder. He will likely undergo surgery to correct the problem following the 2012 season. Locker returned to the lineup in the Miami game, and led to his team to a great victory. I write about him extensively in my post on the Miami game. He is currently 76 of 127 for 903 yards, 6 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, and a passer rating of 90.8. He has 12 rushes for 103 yards with an 8.6 rushing average.

2^nd Round (# 39) SLB Akeem Ayers, UCLA

Ayers started every game his rookie season and finished 6th on the tackle list, behind fellow rookie linebacker Colin McCarthy, with 76 tackles. He had 1 forced fumble, 1 pass defended, 2 sacks, 1 QB hit and 12 QB hurries. In 2012, Ayers has been allowed to rush the passer more as the Titans are blitzing more. Ayers currently leads the Titans in tackles at 76, and additionally has 3 sacks, 2 QB hits, 8 QB hurries, and 2 batted passes. He has played 565 out of 709 snaps. 

3^rd Round (# 77) DT Jurrell Casey, USC 

Casey started every single game for the Titans in his rookie season, and had an outstanding rookie campaign. He played 661 snaps out of 1142 and posted 52 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 4 QB hits, 5 QB hurries, 1 pass defended and a forced fumble. Casey has likewise played every game in 2012 with a snap count of 475 out of 709. He has 30 tackles, 1 sack, 1 QB hit, 4 QB hurries, 4 tackles for a loss and 1 forced fumble. 

4^th Round (# 109) LB Colin McCarthy, Miami

I don't think its a stretch to say the Titans drafted their leaders of the future in this draft. If Jake Locker is the leader of the offense, and he is, equally as important is McCarthy to the defense. McCarthy didn't' see significant playing time until week 4 of his rookie year, but once he did the Titans never looked back and he has been the starting MLB from that time forward. He played 542 out of 1142 snaps while posting 68 tackles (5th on the Titans), 2 QB hits, 2 QB hurries, and 2 forced fumbles.

The unquestioned leader of the defense, the Titans defense suffered dramatically when McCarthy went down in week 1 against the Patriots. McCarthy returned against Minnesota but was visibly not the same until the Miami game where he had his best performance of the year. I write about it in detail in my post on that game. He has played 323 out of 709 snaps while posting 36 tackles, 1 QB hurry, 3 tackles for a loss, 1 pass defended and a pick six. 

4^th Round (# 130 compensatory) RB Jamie Harper, Clemson

Harper saw limited action his rookie season and has shown flashes but has yet to make a significant impact. In 2011 he played 59 snaps and had 17 attempts for 44 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 lost fumble. He caught 4 passes for 32 yards. In 2012 he has played 29 snaps and rushed for 11 yards on 13 attempts with 3 touchdowns. He has caught 1 pass for 8 yards.  

5^th Round (# 142) DT Karl Klug, Iowa 

I am at a loss to explain Klug's situation. Klug was a rookie sensation in the Titans defense and led the team with 6 sacks. Additionally, he had 5 QB hits, 13 QB hurries, 4 batted passes, and 2 forced fumbles. He was on the field for 520 out of 1142 snaps. In 2012, he  has played 187 snaps out of 709 and has 2 tackles. Granted, rookie Mike Martin has made a big impact and is better against the run but I can't help but feel for Klug. 

6^th Round (# 175) OT Byron Stingley, Louisville

Didn't play his rookie year and has only played one snap in 2012. I have written about Stingley before he is a big athletic guy I am keeping an eye upon.

7^th Round (# 212) DT Zach Clayton, Auburn

Clayton played 28 snaps his rookie year and posted 3 tackles. A developmental player he is currently on the practice squad.

7^th Round (# 251) DB Tommie Campbell, California (PA) 

Campbell was a guy I noticed immediately in training camp in 2011. A big, tall athletic corner with a great backstory, Campbell saw significant playing time on special teams and became a key contributor. He recorded 8 tackles and forced a fumble. Campbell continued his special teams play in 2012 posting 6 tackles. He has been injured and he has also commited some costly penalties but he is still a key contributor and a guy to keep an eye upon as he continues to develop.