http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/02/AR2006030201425.html
Commanders Get Three-Day Reprieve
By Joseph White
Associated Press
Thursday, March 2, 2006; 6:19 PM
ASHBURN, Va. - The Washington Commanders worked to slash some $20 million from their payroll Thursday, then learned that austerity measures might not be necessary after all.
Those on the Commanders' cut list got a reprieve late in the day when the NFL announced that the start of free agency had been postponed for three days. Instead of a 10 p.m. Thursday deadline to get under the salary cap, teams now have until 6 p.m. Sunday.
The extra time gives the league and the players' union time to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement that would substantially raise the 2006 salary cap, thereby averting the major talent purge many teams were fearing.
Although the Commanders were well above the $94.5 million cap at the start of the day, the team's biggest names were not in danger of being released. An official within the league, speaking on condition of anonymity because the cuts were not announced, said the cuts would not have been as severe as expected because the team had considered the possibility of a breakdown in the agreement when negotiating player contracts over the last two years.
As the day progressed, the Commanders were able to make savings by renegotiating existing deals with cornerback Shawn Springs, running back Clinton Portis and others, the official said, leaving valuable veterans such as offensive linemen Jon Jansen and Randy Thomas and defensive linemen Renaldo Wynn and Phillip Daniels safe from the chopping block.
"As a player, you're about the team," Springs said. "You do the best you can do to help out the team."
Those on the prospective cut list included quarterback Patrick Ramsey, safety Matt Bowen, center Cory Raymer, defensive tackle Brandon Noble and cornerback Walt Harris, but most of those players were expected to be released regardless of the outcome of the collective bargaining agreement talks.
"The Commanders have done an excellent job of restructuring a number of contracts in anticipation of a deal (on the agreement) not being consummated," said agent Leigh Steinberg, who reworked quarterback Mark Brunell's deal earlier in the week.
The Commanders are hoping for a new agreement that would set a cap in the $105 million to $110 million range so they can again be aggressive in pursuing free agents. Coach Joe Gibbs is hoping to build off the franchise's first playoff appearance in six years by adding a receiver, a cornerback and a pass-rushing defensive lineman. Also, the team has several free agents it would like to keep: safety Ryan Clark and tight end Robert Royal are unrestricted, and guard Derrick Dockery is restricted.
The free agency period is now set to begin at 12:01 a.m. Monday.
If the Commanders can't be big players in free agency, it would buck an aggressive, big-spending trend established when owner Dan Snyder bought the team in 1999. However, if there is not a new agreement by Sunday, the 2007 season would have no salary cap at all, allowing Snyder to spend more or less at will.
The Commanders were able to renegotiate existing deals with Shawn Springs and Clinton Portis on Thursday even as the NFL pushes back the deadline for free agency by 72 hours.
:starspin
