Article: 2007 and the Cap

Found this article and figured I'd post it. It talks about the Skins situation for 2007 from a cap perspective.

Redskins' Tight-Knit Core May Face Breakup (http://www.topix.net/content/wapo/2974307557206935226910983192461510202548)

"With three games remaining, the prospect of the front office breaking up this team is on the minds of many players, especially the defensive free agents brought in for Joe Gibbs's first season, the group the coach often refers to as "True Redskins." Close-knit defensive linemen Cornelius Griffin, Phillip Daniels, Joe Salave'a and Renaldo Wynn, linebacker Marcus Washington and Springs are faced with the twin concerns of suffering from a collective bad year and having high 2007 salaries."

Sounds like a lot of restructuring on the horizon, but that's nothing new.

Interesting tidbit for the cap hell theorists:

"Financially, they aren't in any cap trouble at all," one of the league sources said. "But they do have some big numbers coming up. If they decide not to keep some of their players, it won't be because their hand is being forced. It will be because they don't want them anymore.

Sounds like a lot of restructuring on the horizon, but that's nothing new.

Agreed. If we do break up our "tight-knit core" it won't be (solely) for cap reasons.

I'm fine with that. There's some fat that can definitely be trimmed.

Canuck--what's your take on the likely cuts and restructures? (You've probably posted this somewhere already, but god knows I am a lazy, lazy man. ;) ) Thanks!

I don't think you are going to see a massive restructuring. I think that through contract renegotiation, they can certainly keep the team as is for another year. I do believe that unless Wynn is willing to take a salary decrease, he may be gone as he enters the final year of his contract. $4 million is too much to pay for a back-up DE regardless of how much of a contributor he is in the locker room. I believe he will have incentive to reduce his salary because I can guarantee that no other team in this league will pay over $1 million/year for him and I doubt he could get much guaranteed salary either.

I do believe Patton and John Hall will be cut in the offseason to open up some room to resign Dockery, and a few other free agents. Cutting those two would open up an additional $5 million in cap room. If Wynn is cut (or hopefully renegotiates for a cap number of closer to $1 million), an additional $3 - $4 million could open up. I believe, and CC can correct me on this, that the net impact would be to open up about $10 million in cap room. What I am not sure about is how the Archuleta cutting would impact the situation.

The article comes off sounding like the players may be unwilling to "restructure." I wholeheartedly disagree. Sure, no player would want to take a pay cut, but that's not what a "restructure" is.

Take a player who couldn't give a crap what team he's on. He's scheduled to make $5 million in base salary this year, and he's got 3 years left on his contract. The Redskins go to him and say here, we'll give you the $5 million we owe you this year as a guaranteed signing bonus instead of giving it to you in game checks throughout the season. Players like money, and they like lump sum payments best. In the end, they just want their $5 million, they won't care how they get it, and they may even prefer the lump sum up front. That move saves the 'Skins cap space in '07, kicking more of the cap hit down the road to absorb in '08 and '09.

Now consider that most of these veterans do care about the team, and voila, not a soul will give the team trouble. You can take it to the bank.

If the 'Skins decide they want to keep these veterans, they'll be able to do it easily, and still have cap space to pursue more free agents. The only question will be whether the team thinks their skills are declining. If the 'Skins make a cut, it will be 99% based on their skill level, and 1% based on the cap.

Agreed, Schneed--Snyder has no problem converting salary to bonuses. All it takes is some deep pockets, which our Danny definetly has!

The much bigger issue is resigning Dock, and whoever else we want (Wade?). Players (and agents) like testing the free agent market, unless they get super-sweet deal. And given how much Danny gives to new FAs, he often runs into trouble when that kind of money isn't offered to re-sign folks. Danny seems to be a "grass is greener on the other side of the fence" type. Hopefully, JG will keep core skins (like Dock, IMO).

The team should have negotiating leverage with Mark Brunell and with Renaldo Wynn. Neither of these players are worth what they're scheduled to make on the open market. They're going to recognize this, and when pressured by the team, they'll have the incentive to take a paycut down to a level more in line with market value. If they try to play hardball with the team, they're taking the chance that the team will axe them and that nobody will want to pick them up.

Plus they're solid guys and like being on this team, I don't think they're looking to play somewhere else in 2007.