It will be interesting to see what numbers you guys come up with. Goff indicates says we have room for one more high priced talent and it will be a DP striker. Most will agree that's an important piece. I'm hoping there is room for a couple more 250K-325K players who can provide some real polish to our team. That would be either a center back who can win the ball to a teammate or a fullback who can invert and support the midfield when we inevitably get out numbered in the middle of the field. I can also see the team holding back some flexibility for a summertime addition.
Goff already said Canouse's salary is going up significantly. I would assume that Clark will be the starting goalie and Hamid is gone for 2018 for any roster construction you'd like to make. Goff has also said Lucho is a guaranteed DP next year, along with Arriola. I think his salary will be too high to be bought down like they were able to do this year.
Looking at the US player pool, now that players aren't worried about little things like the World Cup... On the centerback point, Tim Ream checks that box. Cameron would be a coup for his versatility, but would definitely require a full DP contract. Eric Lichaj would have an immediate impact, but is, like Ream, most likely in the pay-downable DP zone.
Of your “discard” list, Rolfe obviously is gone. Sarvas either will be gone or renegotiated at a much lower salary. Nyarko probably will retire due to concussions. I would keep Sam unless you find a veteran midfielder who can play the late game sub/spot start role better than him. Jeffrey is a “meh” — he’s a sub now, can you find something better for the same price? I would keep Clark — Hamid is gone. Anyone who believes otherwise also thought the Nationals would win a playoff series. I also think Vincent is done given his knee problems. Unlike Korb, you don’t come back from bone on bone in the knee. His body just wore out.
I hope in your scenario we could get Sam at lower salary next year. I think he was a good bench option/spot starter this year, but not starter quality.
I would imagine it has something to do with a salary change and whatever transfer fee was paid to secure his services. I know he's at a $500k salary now ($635k guaranteed), which is in the range you can pay down, but if he's definitely a DP next year, then it's be beyond the amount you can pay down.
Gotta feel for Hamid He probably would have had a shot for next year's tournament as a no.2 or no.3 Hope this doesn't deter him from going abroad.
Probably makes it easier if anything. Leaving comes with uncertainty and if he winds up not starting every game that could affect his chances of making the WC squad. Now if he leaves and gets off to a slow start/gets hurt/whatever there is no pressure to try and make the WC squad.
Seems unlikely. If anything, he's now free to risk sitting behind an aging world-beater somewhere in 2018 for a big payday and the promise of becoming the #1 on a storied team.
In his article about this at the time, Goff said: In addition, United reworked Acosta’s contract. Terms of the multiyear pact were not disclosed. United will use targeted allocation money to offset his 2017 salary, meaning he will not be classified as a designated player until 2018. TAM funds are available for players earning more than the maximum salary cap hit ($457,500 in 2016) and less than $1 million. But if his reported salary is $500K base, $602K guaranteed, that's DP territory and must be pre-offset. Which leads me to suspect that his salary isn't going to change between 2017 and 2018, and what Goff meant by this was that what DC would do about his salary and DP status in 2018 was not decided, but if they did nothing, he'd be a DP. At least that's my hopeful take.
You could walk away from literally anyone on this team right now or even everyone and it’d be fine. No one is irreplaceable and it’s possible that starting entirely fresh would simply be better, given expansion draft team success relative to ours. What I am saying is we should literally let everyone go that we conceivable can.
I think the salary cap is indexed, so expect it to be closer to 4 million next year. There's also word that they're injecting a league wide boost in allocation money for next year. Plus the "you suck" allocation we get for missing playoffs. I also suspect the DP threshold will go up slightly. Probably to the point where Birnbaum won't require a buy down. Arriola is the only one that cannot be bought down. He'll be a DP no matter what. The good news is that he only counts $200K towards the cap. Stieber, Acosta and Hamid (if he signs) would all be over the DP threshold, but low enough that they can be bought down if the team decides it's worth it to use allocation money on that. And one final variable to consider is that we will have an expansion draft ... (please take Franklin!)
Hamid,Arriola, Canouse, Acosta, Mullins,, New MLS rule: You can discard all your cards and ask the dealer for a new hand at any time.
Unless he crushes it into fine powder these last two games, I'd also consider leaving Birnbaum exposed. Although TBH, I'm not sure who I'd protect instead. SB: You left me exposed in the expansion draft. Benny: Sorry, man. We had to make choices - at your salary, we're pretty sure you're safe. SB: You only protected 10 players. Benny: Look at the time! I have to go pull Chad out of the dumpster behind the Chili Bowl...
Aside from Hamid who isn’t necessary if our starting field players were better, sure, replaceable and not that great.
Roster purge Pre-Final Call game: *These are the 28 players listed on DCU's site. Forwards Mullins, Best forward we have Brown, cut--hasn't produced enough imho Miranda, MF with upside Rolfe, cut--medical retirement Wings Arriola, DP Steiber Sam/Nyarko, think we'll keep one and release the other Central Mids Acosta, DP Harkes, HG that hopefully continues improving next year Buescher, cut---worst sophomore slump I can remember. Hope he could earn a roster spot honestly Defensive Mids Canouse Durkin Sarvas, cut--but afraid they'll keep him as this is a young group Jeffery, think he'll earn a roster spot Vincent, probably a medical retirement due to his knee Full/Wingbacks Odom-Atsem Korb Kemp NDL, utility man stays Franklin, cut or part ways ***need better performances from this group either by coaching or by new players Centerbacks Robinson Opare Birnbaum, worried about recent amount of concussions Goalkeepers Hamid, probably off to Europe, would love to keep him Clark, cut---not sure he's the future after watching these past few performances Worra, cut--not too wild either Klenofsky, young developmental GK Team needs, in order: 1. DP Striker, need a baller that strikes fear in the opponent's back line and can be a centerpiece for this franchise 2. Starting GK, unless Bill re-signs 3. Wingback, I have Franklin moving on and possibly one of Korb or Kemp too, that leaves us with NDL, O-A and maybe Robinson. 4. Attacking mid depth- if Acosta gets injured, don't really have any replacements and would need a formation change. 5. Striker, a TAM level player preferably to make solid group of 4 striker options 6. Backup GK Expected incoming players: DP striker High 2018 Superdraft Pick Homegrown MF Eryk Williamson, U. Of Maryland
Nothing new since Goff leaked DC's rebuttal to Hamid's agent calling out the club for not playing him in front of some euro agent. Ideally, all focus this week will be on RFK's final match. We should hear things after the player end of year exit interviews or whatever they are called.
The longest road trip in MLS history was Kansas City's 10-game camino in 2011. They played their first home game in early June. There was no World Cup break that year. We've all been hearing rumors that Audi Field might not open until August. But even if we're charitable and assume those rumors wrong and assume that everything in construction goes without any delay whatsoever, we're still talking about fitting all of the team's home games into a span stretching from late July until mid-October. That's 16 home games in 12 weeks. And that's assuming they play their first 16 games in a row away and their last 16 games in a row at home. Which seems extraordinarily unlikely. That's a long way of saying next season is going to be dire, especially the first half. Now Kansas City in 2011 did make a go of it, qualifying for the playoffs in fact. But there's a big difference between a 10-game road trip and a 16-game road trip. (Well, six games if my math is correct. ) It's going to take an extraordinary coaching spell to keep these players confidence from falling off a cliff. For all of Ben Olsen's warts as a coach, calmly holding on to the team while they should by all rights be in hysterical panic is a big strength.