685 replies to this topic

[SportsGuy]

The Steelers have all sorts of cap issues and they have now saved 8M on Ben's deal for 2012.

The problem with that, at least if you are a Steelers fan, is that your team is going to be in cap hell very soon.

I know they are trying to keep Wallace but this organization could be in a lot of trouble very soon.

[Brobey]

How are teams (like the Steelers and Jets) continually able to manipulate "contract restructurings" to help their Cap and never get to a "cap hell" point and have to clean house and release a ton of players?

For example, I couldn't find details online of Ben's restructuring, but my reading of the situation leads me to believe, they have restructured his current deal to pay him a "bonus" this year in real $$$ which they are then able to spread over the life of the restructured deal and thus help this year's cap $$. So, in essence Pitt is paying more out of $$ now to lessen cap $$ today, but when will this "catch up" to Pitt?

[PD24]

How are teams (like the Steelers and Jets) continually able to manipulate "contract restructurings" to help their Cap and never get to a "cap hell" point and have to clean house and release a ton of players?

For example, I couldn't find details online of Ben's restructuring, but my reading of the situation leads me to believe, they have restructured his current deal to pay him a "bonus" this year in real $$$ which they are then able to spread over the life of the restructured deal and thus help this year's cap $$. So, in essence Pitt is paying more out of $$ now to lessen cap $$ today, but when will this "catch up" to Pitt?

It's coming for both teams in the not too distant future. And when it does, you'll be very glad that the Ravens make it a point not to get in that kind of cap trouble.

[Brobey]

How are teams (like the Steelers and Jets) continually able to manipulate "contract restructurings" to help their Cap and never get to a "cap hell" point and have to clean house and release a ton of players?

For example, I couldn't find details online of Ben's restructuring, but my reading of the situation leads me to believe, they have restructured his current deal to pay him a "bonus" this year in real $$$ which they are then able to spread over the life of the restructured deal and thus help this year's cap $$. So, in essence Pitt is paying more out of $$ now to lessen cap $$ today, but when will this "catch up" to Pitt?

It's coming for both teams in the not too distant future. And when it does, you'll be very glad that the Ravens make it a point not to get in that kind of cap trouble.

Thanks Peter. I figure it had to be coming soon. If not, why wouldn't all teams do what Pitt and the Jets have been doing. I'm very pleased that the Ravens are very aware of future cap years and don't get into a cap hell situation like in 2002, which is why I would be shocked if Grubbs came back with future cap years of Rice and Flacco one you sign both long term (unless their plan is to franchise Rice this year and next year and then let him walk and develop his successor over the next 2 years, kind of like what they did with McGahee/Rice).

[SportsGuy]

One point to make that I was reminded of on OH...the cap is going to go up a lot in the upcoming years, so Pitt will be helped out some by that.

[Brobey]

One point to make that I was reminded of on OH...the cap is going to go up a lot in the upcoming years, so Pitt will be helped out some by that.

Yup, but it will mean that other teams who are comfortably under, will be able to spend much more than Pitt...also, when the cap goes up, so will the salary floor, so these teams who are $50mm etc under the cap now will really have to start spending so they meet the salary floor.

[NewMarketSean]

Even if the Steelers get into cap hell for a couple of years, which I hope does happen, they have 2 SB rings and a SB appearance as early as a year ago to show for it.

I'd gladly take a couple years of rebuilding if it means we go 2-1 in the Super Bowl in a 7-year span rather than repeatedly staying under the cap and getting bounced in the playoffs.

[Chris B]

A vomit-inducing atrocity.

[Coker]

Those are...wow. Those are ugly.

Edit: The Pittsburgh HoneyBees!

[Adam Wolff]

Wow. I'm a Steelers fan and that is just painful.

Honeybees is right. Gross!

[NewMarketSean]

Thats what unis looked like back then, so I am indifferent to them. It is their 80th Anniversary season, after all.

Somehow I think I'll find it really annoying when some fat Steelers fan is wearing it around town while on errands.

[JeremyStrain]

I didn't realize PIT used to play in a penal league.

[DJ MC]

Insert Ben Roethlisberger joke here.

Seriously though, those are honest-to-goodness THROWBACKS. I just hope they don't wear them for the Ravens.

[NewMarketSean]

I love that the dude wearing it looks like he's standing in a mall bathroom.

[BSLChrisStoner]

NFL.com: Roethlisberger: New offense is '90 percent different.'
http://www.nfl.com/n...rcent-different

[SportsGuy]

You would really like to play Pitt early this year.

Hopefully a learning curve will happen and they will get some early, unexpected losses pinned on them as they learn all the nuances of everything.

[BSLChrisStoner]

CBS Sports: Holdout Wallace should wise up, get to camp
http://www.cbssports...g-with-steelers

[BSLChrisStoner]

SI: Steelers extend Antonio Brown
http://sportsillustr...ml?sct=obinsite

[JeremyStrain]

Whoa, no mention of Big Ben's partial tear in his rotator cuff? I figured you guys would be all over that.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Whoa, no mention of Big Ben's partial tear in his rotator cuff? I figured you guys would be all over that.

Ahh, totally missed that Jeremy - thanks for the heads up:

http://profootballta...n-rotator-cuff/