There's a lot of chatter around 49ers sites on whether to keep, what seems to most, a bust, in 2012 1st-round pick, WR A.J. Jenkins. The problem is his cap hit would cripple the 49ers salary cap.
The only way to get rid of salary in a positive way, is to trade him. But who will take on his salary, which includes guaranteed base salaries of $705,797 in 2013, and $1,021,594 in 2014, plus non-guaranteed base salary of $660,000 in 2015, and a $677,309 roster bonus due on the 5th day of the 2015 new league year. He also has money left in proration. $872,500 for 2013-2015, total of $2,617,500.
If cut right now, the team takes a cap hit of $2,599,891 for just 2013, that seems fine, since we have just over $7.2 million in cap space by my numbers.
In 2014 gets worse, because we have, by my numbers, $5.3 million in cap space. And in 2014 we would eat $1.745 million in dead money. That all takes away from the cap room.
I understand that AJ hasn't come on yet, but you have to give him another season to prove himself. It's not smart to hurt yourself long term, especially when Colin Kaepernick, Michael Crabtree, Mike Iupati, Aldon Smith, & Chris Culliver, the considered top 5 are unsigned for 2015.
If we eat cap room, we could potentially lose someone, especially since some want CB Tarell Brown back. He will probably want a deal that averages $6.5-$7 million a year. Which would be out of our reach of his market value.
I'm in no way saying I am happy with Jenkins play, there is no excuse for catching, then getting stripped of the ball so easy. But it makes no sense to cut him.
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