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Cleveland Browns: Managing the salary cap for a 2018 run

By Joel W. Cade

Jan 13, 2016; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns new head coach Hue Jackson (left) and Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown talk during a press conference at the Cleveland Browns training facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 13, 2016; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns new head coach Hue Jackson (left) and Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown talk during a press conference at the Cleveland Browns training facility. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 25, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cleveland Browns executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown speaks to the media during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 25, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cleveland Browns executive vice president of football operations Sashi Brown speaks to the media during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Cap Management 101

As I have stated elsewhere, using analytics is not the same as doing Moneyball. Moneyball was an approach to exploiting market inefficiencies in order to allow small payroll teams to compete with large payroll teams.

There is no disparity between the “haves” and “have nots” in the NFL due to the salary cap. The NFL has a set salary cap defining the minimum the team must spend. The minimum is designed to ensure that teams are competitive or at least not purposely tanking a season. The salary cap also defines the maximum a team can spend on players. The maximum is designed to create parity in the league by making sure talent is spread throughout all the teams.

But that does not mean all teams manage the cap equally. A team can handicap itself with “bad” contracts that put a team in future salary cap jeopardy. Of this will occur because the contract combined with other contracts restrict the amount of free money under the cap. Less free money means less of a chance to keep a valuable player or sign free agents.

However, smart salary cap management can put a team in position to have a lot of free money to sign free agents just as a team is entering its window of opportunity. Examples of this type of cap management include the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars. They have free money while their younger players develop. About the time the younger players mature, there is money to keep those players and add complimentary players via free agency.

Next: Reducing the cap hit

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