Warpath Q&A with Former Redskins Cap Analyst J.I. Halsell

[SmootSmack]

Former Redskins Cap Analyst, and current NFL Salary Cap expert, J.I. Halsell has agreed to do a Q & A with TheWarpath.net

Halsell served as a Redskins Cap Analyst between March 2007 and January 2009.

Of course, we have two tremendous salary cap experts in Schneed10 and CrazyCanuck but here's a chance for all of us-including Schneed and Canuck-to get an inside glimpse on how things work.

It's a different take from our recent Q & A's with former and current players. Should be informative though

Post your questions here and I will send them to him at the end of this week

[MTK]

Nice score SS!

The Warpath is bringin' it lately

[Redskins8588]

With the current conditions between the owners and the players if the salary cap goes away and the players strike, what will be the chances that a salary cap gets re-instated?

What changes need to happen for the players to accept the contract?

[Schneed10]

Excellent! I can take a set of numbers and analyze 'em to the extent that I know the rules governing the CBA, but that's where a guy like J.I. really helps, he knows all the little minute rules that govern the CBA. Granted it's expiring but still.

I've got some questions for him (some technical, but hopefully he's cool with that):

- Can you explain for the good people how the NFL owners benefit financially from the salary cap structure that's been in place for the last several years?

- How about for the players? And why would it be in their best interest to retain a salary cap environment?

- How do you think the competitive landscape of the league would be affected in a permanently uncapped environment? Will we see teams dropping spending drastically, or other big market teams spending like the Yankees once quality free agent classes become available?

- Let's assume we finish the 2010 season in an uncapped environment, but then a new CBA is struck before a possible 2011 work stoppage. If that new CBA were to retain a salary cap as we know it today, how would signing bonuses paid to players in 2010 (the uncapped year) be handled/allocated under a 2011 capped environment?

(I think I know the answer, it's impossible to know without knowing the details of the new CBA, but wondering what he thinks.)

- Hypothetically, assuming a salary cap existed this year, if Albert Haynesworth paid back his $21 million signing bonus in exchange for his release from the team, how would that get recognized against the cap books? Would the 'Skins see a credit to their cap ledger in 2010 of $21 million? Or would they simply wipe away the portion of the bonus allocated to the seasons from now up until the contract expiration date?

- Do you think the NFL is better off with or without a salary cap? Or does it not really matter?

[MTK]

How hands on is Snyder with the salary cap? How about Vinny C. when he was in D.C.?

[Schneed10]

Another:

- For most teams in the NFL, in recent years what has been the bigger constraint to spending on player salaries: the salary cap ceiling or cash (either due to the owner's willingness to spend cash, or the availability of cash).

[SmootSmack]

I may have to do a separate Q&A just for Schneed's questions

Seriously though, great stuff. Keep 'em coming.

[rypper11]

If the new CBA doesn't have a salary cap (and thus no floor), will some NFL teams be like some MLB teams and not have any star players? Teams that can draft well could make the financial decision to not resign players after their initial contract.

[Paintrain]

How would the NBA type cap work (teams can exceed the cap by a certain percentage to keep their 'franchise' players) in the NFL?

How would you modify the franchise/transition tags in the upcoming CBA to still protect the team's interest but make it less restrictive on the players?

[rbanerjee23]

Do you think it is a destructive or a shrewd move to make rosters heavy on the back-end? This is how the Redskins have usually signed people so that their cap hits are low in the first few years and given that they will probably be cut/traded/released before their contract expires, we don't pay them their full contract.

[CrazyCanuck]

Great stuff SS...

- Since Haynesworth is the topic of the day, do the Skins have any recourse to get some of the signing bonus back? For instance if AH finally says screw you and retires, what would happen?

I know there's a "Barry Sanders Rule" somewhere in there but is there any specific language or is it handled on a case-by-case basis?

- The Skins have used the deadcap more than most (all) teams in the last 10 years. I'm curious, what's the biggest single deadcap charge you've ever seen?

[Bill B]

With the CBA coming up it seems one of the things owners and current players would be more interested in is rewarding good play and not a players draft status/hype. With this in mind do you expect the salary pay structure for rookies to be changed to prevent another JaMarcus Russell from occuring?

[SmootSmack]

Bumping this. With the long weekend ahead of us I'm going to try to get these to him tomorrow so post any more questions you have

[steveo395]

What do you think would be the best way to set up a rookie salary structure?

[tryfuhl]

What do you feel was the best and worst contract offerings during your tenure, in complete hindsight?

you never know how someone might pan out so I'm not asking you to say that anyone made a dumb mistake from the get-go.. just what panned out the best and worst?