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Ask Ed: Cortez Allen cap savings

By Ed Bouchette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 8 years ago


Cortez Allen (Peter Diana/Post-Gazette)

Good morning,

Strictly Ask Ed questions today:

--- YOU: Was the Heath Miller retirement a voluntary one or more along the lines of Troy, Hines, and Bruce?

I think he was a great asset to the team on the field and to the community off it, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

ED: Miller decided on his own and had been thinking about it for some time. It’s not often a player decides to leave on his own and giving up a salary of $4 million. I cannot tell you what went into his decision but I would guess that he believed he’d made enough money in his 11-year career to allow him and his family to live comfortably and that he had to realize he no longer was at the top of his game and playing one more year would not change that. Although we do not know what may hold for his future, he also seems to be in good health.

--- YOU: Most pundits seem to have completely forgotten about Mike Adams, and not for good reason. The Steelers would have no reason to cut him early, correct? And depending on his desire during the off season, shouldn't he still be considered a viable candidate for the backup swing tackle position if Beachum is not retained? If Beachum is retained, would Villanueva be the backup at both Tackle spots?

ED: I was told that Mike Adams back did not respond well after surgery last year and that there was no way he would return to play in 2015 and I continued to write and say that. I have not heard much since, but until he shows he can handle things physically, I don’t think you can count on him for much of anything.

--- YOU: Do you foresee a time when CBs, FSs & SSs will all simply be considered DBs and have equal expectations for run support and pass coverage responsibilities?

ED: I can foresee the time when we do not actually spell out words but use capital letters to express everything. LOL. The Steelers long have considered their safeties interchangeable, free and strong. However, Troy Polamalu was in his own category when he was listed as their strong safety. Years ago, defensive backs were listed just as that, DBs, and not cornerbacks or safeties. Some teams still list them that way on their rosters, although not on their depth charts. They may soon start listing cornerbacks as OCB and SCB for outside and slot because now we’re told that some slot corners cannot play outside and some outside corners cannot play slot. We long have had the mack and mike linebackers in a 3-4 defense. So, maybe we’re going the other way, rather than one designation to cover all in the secondary, for example, we can have different names for each and every 11 men on defense, if we are not already there.

--- YOU: As a Steeler’s fan I may be committing heresy but what are your thoughts on the benefits of the Steelers releasing Pouncey to save his cap hit and use that money to sign Beachum and perhaps Foster. Granted I have no idea what the cap savings would be. This would be viewed in a more positively if Beachum were able to play guard and/or center. That way if AV works out a left tackle you can move Beachum to guard. I like both Beachum and Villaneuva. And having both of them and Foster provides quality depth. Now, if Pouncey’s injury history were better I wouldn’t even suggest this.

ED: You were correct in calling it his “history,’’ and there is no reason to believe it will continue. Those were not muscle pulls that ended those two seasons but real, tough, ligament injuries. Those are not the signs of someone who is necessarily “injury-prone” as people like to say or from not being in shape, but injuries from playing the game. Everyone is susceptible to them. You do not release your best players in their prime in order to save salary cap, especially to create “quality depth.’’ You signed them to those numbers believing they were worth it. The Steelers will find enough room under the salary cap by reducing and restructuring.

--- YOU: I don’t understand the logic in salary cap regarding Cortez Allen. If they cut him after June 1, they will save $4.4 million? One would think to save money you cut as soon as possible. Would you explain what it means?

ED: This ranks among the most confusing aspects of free agency to many fans. I am not sure why they did it but way back when they agreed to the first CBA with a salary cap in 1993, they decided to differentiate for cap purposes whether a player was cut before or after June. They have since allowed teams to cut players before June with a “June designation,’’ which acts on the team’s cap as if they were cut in June but allows the player to seek other employment as a free agent immediately.

Now, what is the different effects on the cap? We will use Cortez Allen as an example. He is signed through 2018 on a contract from 2014. As part of that deal, his signing bonus is pro-rated for cap purposes and counts $1,350,000 against the cap each year through 2018. Add that plus his salary (and any other bonuses although he receives none this year) and you get his salary cap per year. This year, it is $5,75,000 – his $1,350,000 pro-rated bonus (already paid when he signed) and his scheduled $4.4 million salary.

Under the cap rules, if the Steelers cut him before June (with no June designation), all of that remaining pro-rated signing bonus counts in 2016 – thus, three times $1,350,000 for a total of $4,050,000. They would wipe his $4.5 million salary off the books but “save” only $450,000 under the cap because they must count all of the rest of the pro-rated bonus. If he is cut starting June 1 or earlier with a June designation, then only this year’s pro-rated signing bonus of $1,350,000 counts in 2016 and the final two bonus accountings for 2017 and 2018 would both count in 2017 -- $2.7 million against the cap.

To sum it up, if you cut him before June, there is little salary cap room created for this year but he counts nothing in the future. If you cut him in June, the cap for Cortez Allen this year would be nearly $3 million (his $4.4 million salary less the $1.35 M in cap accounting) but still count $2.7 M in 2017 (the rest of his pro-rated signing bonus that must be accounted for).

There is a little more to it than that. Actually, by cutting Allen in June, the team would create about $4 million in cap room because he would count that $1.35 million whether he was on the team or not, but someone else would have to replace him on the roster so you do not create the entire $4.4 million in cap room from his salary that would be wiped of the books.

That is a long explanation but when it comes to the salary cap, simple is not always adequate.