Skins thinking ahead of the Cowboys and the NFL
Theory is back loaded contracts = Cap Relief
As we all know, it seems that the Skins have a way of eluding the cap and it has for years. Even in o6" when the Skins should be 20 million over it looks like they want to sign big name players.
Have the Deadskins found a way to circumvent the cap? Obviously they have done somethings right, by at the least manipulating it. If you stop and think about it, the league raises Salary Cap space Annually every year. If a team decides to "backload" enough money on player contracts, then you will never enter cap Hell because the cap continueally increases. Unlike the salary cap HELL Dallas and other teams have faced in the past, Washington over pays every year and never has faced the music.
Which leads one to conclude that Washington has cheated the cap, or otherwise have been ahead of the curve.
I hate to say it .....
But maybe Dallas, Jerry and Bill Parcels need to take a serious look at the way Dan Snyder has signed players year after year to big time contracts without ending in salary cap HELL.
If we could get away with some of the crap they have, then we could sign several big name free agents this offseason like OT Backus, C Bently, WR Wayne and more.
Also remember at one time or another in the next few years the cap is going to increase dramatically under a new collective bargaining agreement at which time the salarys become asorbable into a new greater cap.
I say sign playmakers NOW, circumvent and manipulate the cap while you can get away with it. It has strapped certain teams down including the Dallas Cowboys in the past but we don't have to be one of those teams anymore, Jerry has the money to do it.
Lets git er' done!
Commanders Have Options Despite Arrington's Salary
By Jason La Canfora
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, January 19, 2006; Page E01
The Washington Commanders do not have to renegotiate the contract of LaVar Arrington to meet the NFL salary cap and could get rid of the linebacker while still being able to re-sign their own free agents and add to the roster, according to two experts who have reviewed the team's 2006 payroll.
The Commanders face a $12 million salary cap hit if Arrington is traded or released. He is due a $6.5 million roster bonus by July 15, but that can be converted into a signing bonus prorated over four years to save the team approximately $5 million in cap space in 2006, according to the experts.
"Does [owner] Dan Snyder really want to give [LaVar Arrington, above] a check for $6.5 million?" asked one expert. "That's what this is all about." (By Jonathan Newton -- The Washington Post)
But that space is not critical to the Commanders reaching Coach Joe Gibbs's stated goal of keeping the nucleus of the roster together and perhaps adding a key player or two, according to the experts who asked not to be identified because commenting on the Commanders' cap situation could harm their future relationship with the team.
"This isn't a salary cap issue for them," said one of the experts. "They can still get under the cap with that $12 million hit, and not have to really cut anybody they wouldn't want to lose, anyway. This is not a cap issue at all; this is an issue of cash. Does [owner] Dan Snyder really want to give this player a check for $6.5 million? That's what this is all about."
Gibbs was noncommittal about Arrington's future on Monday, but Arrington has been speaking with owner Daniel Snyder recently, team sources said. He is amenable to altering his contract to remain in Washington despite two seasons in which he clashed with the team over treatment of his injuries, his contract and his playing time.
"Right now, I'm a Commander until I'm told otherwise," he said this week.
The Commanders, like many teams, are over the projected 2006 salary cap of $95 million. Washington has about $113 million committed in players' salaries and bonuses, league sources said, and must be in compliance with the payroll ceiling by March 1.
The two sources said Washington could meet its obligation with or without restructuring Arrington's contract by trading or releasing other players, or reworking other contracts.
By cutting safety Matt Bowen and offensive lineman Cory Raymer, who played sparingly last season; cornerback Walt Harris, who lost his starting job to rookie Carlos Rogers; and place kicker John Hall, who was injured for large parts of the past two seasons, sources said the Commanders could save $6.5 million in 2006 cap space. Defensive tackle Brandon Noble, coming off career-threatening injuries, could retire or, if not, it is unlikely the team would keep him at his $1.7 million base salary. Trading backup quarterback Patrick Ramsey, as expected, would trim another $1.7 million.
Getting quarterback Mark Brunell and tackle Jon Jansen to agree to restructure their $4 million base salaries by converting the money to bonuses that can be spread out over several years against the cap would trim another $5 million. Brunell adjusted his salary last year and Jansen has said he would be open to exploring the idea. Cornerback Shawn Springs, running back Clinton Portis, linebacker Marcus Washington and defensive tackle Cornelius Griffin are among the players who, like Arrington, have large bonuses due in 2006. By restructuring the bonuses, and prorating them, Washington could save about $8 million more under the cap.
All of those moves in total would get the team under $90 million, which would allow them to re-sign key free agent safety Ryan Clark, tight end Robert Royal, running back Rock Cartwright and long snapper Ethan Albright, and leave some room for signing other players. While it might not be enough to land a top-tier free agent such as Indianapolis wide receiver Reggie Wayne, the Commanders would still have other options to create more salary cap space, and, should they keep Arrington at a $7 million cap figure, the opportunity to chase a big-name free agent would increase.
Arrington has a base salary of $545,000. Should the Commanders elect to keep Arrington, there are provisions in his contract that would allow them to alter the deal and prorate the $6.5 million bonus over four years. This would lower his 2006 salary cap amount to $7 million.
Either trading or cutting Arrington would result in him counting $12 million on the team's 2006 cap under the current collective bargaining agreement, although if an extension to the CBA is reached before Arrington's bonus comes due, the Commanders could cut him after June 1 and take a $5 million salary cap hit in 2006 and a $7 million hit in 2007.
No trades become official until March 3, which is also the start of free agency, and two general managers said they believed the Commanders would have difficulty getting more than a mid-round pick for Arrington.
"There's still a market for him," said one AFC general manager who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "But there's also a feeling that they'll eventually end up releasing him, so it's hard to get value for the player."
BTW, next year as of right now there is no collective bargaining agreement or salary cap, so Dallas may have been so far behind the curve we already struck out and now it could be too late to do anything about it.
