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Re: Steeler restructures---committing cap suicide
Let's get back to Timmons and Brown. I give the Steelers credit that these are the two players most worthy of restructures. They are both turning 27 this year and will be around for a while.
With Antonio Brown, the Steelers took $3.85 million of his 2013 salary and converted it into a bonus prorated over the next 5 years. It is applied in increments of $770k from 2013-2017. This dropped his 2013 cap # from around $6.2 million down to $3.1 million. From 2013-2016, Brown's signing bonus dead money increased from $1.7 million to $2.47. In 2017, when Brown's last year of contract had no dead money, it now has $770k. I'm not totally in favor of restructures in most cases, but this is probably one of the more sensible ones I've seen, particularly by Steeler standards. Since Brown has 5 years remaining on his deal, you can move a decent amount of money without having the cap impact be that damaging.
However, on a down side, Brown does now have $10.5 million in dead money heading forward, versus $7.5 before the restructure. His salary in 2015, when he's 29, is $8.5 million and in 2016, when he's 30, is $10.7. It's hard to say what future caps will look like, but those are high figures for a guy like Brown, who is a solid, productive WR, but not elite.
Timmons is the same age as Brown, even though he was drafted in 2007 and Brown was drafted in 2010.
His restructure was $4.5 million over 4 years with a roster bonus of $2.5 million. This dropped his 2013 cap # from $10.4 to $5.9 million. However, now the prorated portion of those two bonuses ($1.75 million per year) will be tacked on to his cap # for 2014,2015, and 2016. His cap cost those three years will be $11.8, $12.5, and $11.8. Timmons is probably the best player on the Steelers in my opinion, so this isn't an insane restructure, but it is pushing the limits of sanity a bit. He will have about $5 million of dead money in 2014 and 2015 and $3 million in 2016 (last year of his current contract). If Timmons keeps pace at his current high level of play, it's no big deal, but if his play drops a bit, the Steelers will be in a tough spot to cut him due to the $13 million in dead money.
What I'm hearing on the Post Gazette's site is that Big Ben might convert as much as $9 million of his 2013 salary into a bonus to be spread in increments of $3 million/year over the remaining three years on his deal. This would drop his 2013 salary cap # from $19.6 to $13.6. But it would also take his 2014 cap # from $14.9 to $17.9 and his 2015 (when he's 33)from $14.4 to $17.4. Given his inability to stay on the field recently, that's a very unsound, risky gamble in my opinion.
If you look at it this way....assuming the Steelers do restructure Ben as above, they now created an extra $5.3 million in dead money for 2014 and 2015 just between the restructures to Brown, Timmons, and Roethlisberger. This doesn't even count the $9.5 million/year that is already "dead money" through those 3 contracts for 2014 and 2015. This is $5.3 on top of that amount. So what does $5.3 million get you that the Steelers will now no longer have in 2014 and 2015? Well, using last year as an example, that $5.3 million would have gotten you both Jacoby Jones and Corey Graham during this past offseason. That's a huge amount of money to make "dead" just through the process of getting yourself out of cap trouble. .They also created an extra $2.2 million in dead money for 2016 with Brown and Timmons.
If the Steelers can somehow resurrect these 30-somethings into past glory for one more 10-6 season in 2013 (very optimistic), it's going to come at a huge cost to their chances for success in 2014 and 2015. In order for these restructures to make the slightest sense, you have to believe that there is a Super Bowl contending roster still in that 2013 clubhouse. I think that's a longshot to begin with, particularly when you consider that their 2011 and 2012 teams weren't particularly close to even reaching a Super Bowl. Those teams had Wallace, Hampton, Foote, Foster, and Mundy, all who are likely to be lost in free agency. What logic is there to think that these aging players will suddenly turn into their 2010 versions? Even if some of them did, where are the complimentary players needed to sustain a roster during a 16 game season? They are on other rosters now, because the Steeler FO has butchered their salary cap for years now.
Long years ahead in Pittsburgh. Serves them right.Last edited by LukeDaniel; 02-28-2013 at 12:04 PM.
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Re: Steeler restructures---committing cap suicide
I'll just say this. I don't think they've drafted well at all in the past couple of years. On D other than Timmons who I do think is pretty good, Woodley and Kenaan Allen. They are old on D and not that talent in with the younger guys (Heyward Hood, Worlds).
Same with the offense. Starks the only guy they've had over the years able to stop Suggs will likely be gone, Same with Colon. Pouncey is vastly overrated and not very durable. The RT from Florida (I think) is a revolving door. Adams is a OG IMO and while they do have some WR the O-line is getting their franchise QB beat to shit and no time to throw.
BUT, even with the bad drafts, lack of talent and putting themselves in cap hell, I still hate playing them.
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02-28-2013, 11:49 AM #28Legendary RSR Poster
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Every year, this is the story and every year, they find a way to make it work.
The locker room tension / back stabbing is far more of a destructive issue for them than the cap.
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Re: Steeler restructures---committing cap suicide
Okay, so after Brown, Woodley, Timmons, Heyward, who else?
Decastro, Pouncey, Emmanuel Sanders, Redman, Dwyer, Cortez Allen are the only ones who come to mind under the age of 30 who are any good. That's not a core, that's about 40% of a core.
Look at the Ravens core under 30. Flacco (28), Pierce (23), Rice (26), Torrey (24), Yanda (29), Oher (27), Osemele (24), Jacoby (29, not sure his long term probabilities, but he's still under contract) Pitta (28), Ngata (29), McPhee (24), Webb (27), Graham (28), Pollard (28), Jimmy Smith (25), Art Jones (27), Upshaw (23), McClellan (27). I'm not even counting guys like Gradkowski, Doss, Bynes, Tyson, Jah Reid, and Chykie Brown, who might step up into prominent roles in the near future or guys still in their 20s, who aren't that great (Jameel, Dickson, Cody).
The Steelers and Ravens really aren't comparable in terms of young talent right now. Also, keep in mind that the list above didn't make mention of Kruger or Ellerbe, one of whom is likely to be back. The Steelers are faced with losing almost every significant Free Agent because the guys currently under contract are too expensive.
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Re: Steeler restructures---committing cap suicide
Cincy fans don't want to hear it, but their owner loves $$ more than winning.
He is perfectly happy pocketing the league TV revenue (which I think is $100M+/team) ON TOP OF the profits from tickets, concessions, etc, and not using any of that $$ to improve the team.
They are like $45M under the cap. At the end of free agency they will probably be $35M under the cap. They will re-sign their own FAs like Johnson and do nothing else.
They could easily get Mike Wallace. Wallace and Green would be sick. But they probably won't. They could easily rise to the top of the division I think, if their owner spent $$. But he doesn't.
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02-28-2013, 12:08 PM #35Legendary RSR Poster
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Re: Steeler restructures---committing cap suicide
Again, let me emphasize that with restructuring Roethlisberger, Timmons, and Brown- which creates an extra $5.3 million "dead money" for the 2014 and 2015 season- the Steelers are still a projected $7.5 million over the cap. This simple statement alone should tell you how badly they've screwed themselves with their salary cap management.
If they cut/restructure a 35 year old Harrison, it gets even worse. He has $4.9 in dead money still on his contract. Cutting him saves $6.6 million in base salary for 2013, but still leaves you with all that dead money. He has formally come out and said that he is not willing to accept a pay cut, but would accept a restructure. This screws them even further for both this year and next year.
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