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How to Save on Salary Cap

By Ed Bouchette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 9 years ago

Good morning,

So the Steelers are tight against the salary cap again this offseason. That was the case last year too except they somehow not only found a way to get under the cap, they tagged Jason Worilds for nearly $10 million on a one-year deal and brought in a handful of free agents, including Mike Mitchell, Cam Thomas and Brice McCain.

For this exercise, let’s do some quick math and find some salary cap room. It won’t be hard but in a few cases, it might be ruthless. We will use the figures provided by Overthecap.com, although they are not always 100 percent accurate.

First off, let’s clean up the Old Four on defense. James Harrison and Ike Taylor do not have 2015 contracts, so nothing needs to be done and there are no savings. Start with Troy Polamalu, who has two years left with a $6 million salary for 2015. Cut him before June 1 and you save $3,750,000 in cap space; after June 1 and it’s $6 million. I say wait until June.

Cut Brett Keisel now or later and save $1.5 million. Cut Cam Thomas, save $2 million. Cut Lance Moore, save $1.5 million.

There, we have created $11 million of space on the cap without much effort. Now it gets a little more difficult.

Cortez Allen is due a $3 million roster bonus on March 14, four days after free agency begins, to go with a rounded salary of $2.6 million. If they cut him in June, they save $5.6 million on their cap this year. I don’t think they’ll do it, but it has to be tempting for someone who looked as though the game were too big for him this season.

Do that, and we’re up to $16.6 million Of course, they will try to sign Jason Worilds – who does not count on their cap yet for 2015 because he has no contract – and Ben Roethlisberger to an extension. If they sign Worilds, he will add to their cap. When they sign Roethlisberger, his cap number should be reduced.

Roethlisberger counts $18.4 million against their cap, including a salary of $11.6 million. The salary is where they can produce some savings for this year. If they sign him to, say, a six-year, $120 million contract, they could put $36 million of that into a signing bonus and that would count $6 million annually on the cap over the next six years. Give him a $3 million salary this season and his cap would be reduced in 2015 by $2.6 million.

These are just quick numbers on my part. The salary cap also may increase to $143 million for each team this year. If they really want to get ruthless – and I am not suggesting they do this nor that they are even thinking about it – Heath Miller has a $4 million salary for 2015 and Lawrence Timmons $7.5 million.

Onto a few Ask Ed questions:

--- YOU: Hey Ed, I'd probably be in the minority, but I think W.Gay, B.McCain, A.Blake (reminds me of Willie Williams), & very importantly what happens w/ C.Allen, are a decent group of CBs. The Steelers do need a true #1 like they had in Ike, whether that is Cortez, or someone else.

That said, in the upcoming Draft, an OLB pass rusher has to be the target, right? I think so, even if they resign J.Worilds &/or A,Moats. Just from a numbers stand point (can never have enough), & the uncertainty of J.Jones. From early reports, unlike the last few years, this year is supposed to be a good Draft for pass rushers.

Finally, I don't know if he reads your blog, but I personally want to Thank Dick LeBeau for ALL the Great years he had w/ the Steelers, in the 90's & his 2nd run up until this past season. He will be missed.

ED: Decent? Not close. Like you, I too believe they need a pass rusher. Would they go for a linebacker in the first round three straight drafts? Probably not. The problem in the first round is they are drafting in the bottom third again and you normally do not get what scouts believe would be a great corner or pass rusher there. They say they do not draft for need, but I’ve seen them do so too many times to believe that. So, their defense should be a priority, but do not discount tight end and offensive line.

--- YOU: Interesting how Steelers rookies, like Bryant this year and Bell last year, on offense can make big contributions in their first year, but the Steeler defense under Coach Lebeau was always said to be much too complicated for a rookie in his first year or two. IMO, this was one of the strongest reasons to replace Lebeau, that is he was either unwilling or unable to design defensive schemes that could successfully utilize rookies, particularly high draft choices. From that standpoint, the NFL has passed Lebeau by. In the age of free agency, salary caps, etc., teams can no longer have high draft choices warming a bench or walking around with a clipboard their first year or two.

ED: You do realize that under Dick LeBeau, the Steelers had some of the best defenses in the NFL in this century, right? What’s the big deal about playing rookies if you have someone better in front of them? It took Ziggy Hood awhile to start because Aaron Smith was in front of him. Would you have preferred they start Hood right away? It took Cam Heyward awhile because Brett Keisel was in front of him. It took Lawrence Timmons awhile because they had James Farrior and Larry Foote. Perhaps they should have done the same with Jarvis Jones and Ryan Shazier rather than throwing them right into their starting jobs. Those teams you are talking about who throw rookies right into the starting lineup may be teams who don’t normally go to three Super Bowls in six years because they have enough talent that they do not need immediate help from rookies. Even on offense, Martavis Bryant did not suit up for his first six games.