- Joined
- Nov 14, 2006
- Messages
- 49,633
- Reaction score
- 28,352
For those who know him, they know "The cap is crap" is Michael Felger's favorite tag line. He would point to the Jets as the perfect example of a team that keeps on spending with no cap ramifications.
Well, the rooster has come home to roost for them. Adam Schefter reported today that they have zero cap dollars available. Also, Jenny Vrentis reports that they have decided not to franchise Sione Pouha, not because they don't want him back, but because they don't have the cap to franchise him. They are going to try to get a new deal with him before free agency, but if he tries to test the market they may have no shot at him. They have some big holes to fill at safety, WR, o-line, and OLB; but they have pretty much made it clear that they won't be major players in free agency this year because of the cap.
Looking around the league, the Lions and Steelers are desperately trying to cut cap dollars to keep their own players who are free agents. Others will join suit. Oakland has and will likely continue to cut good, but overpriced players to get under the cap (according to Schefter they are $11 million over the cap today). The Giants are likely to let Mario Manningham and other free agents go while trading Osi Umenyoira because they are over the cap.
The truth was before the uncapped year in 2009, getting in salary cap hell was virtually impossible. Even though Felger wouldn't admit it, there was still such of a thing as salary cap heck where teams had to cut players but not at the rate in the past.
For this year and next year, salary cap hell will be back for several teams. Until the new TV deals kick in, the stagnant cap growth is going to seriously hurt several teams who structured contracts expecting the cap to grow at a big rate from year to year. For the next two, it won't grow much at all.
Well, the rooster has come home to roost for them. Adam Schefter reported today that they have zero cap dollars available. Also, Jenny Vrentis reports that they have decided not to franchise Sione Pouha, not because they don't want him back, but because they don't have the cap to franchise him. They are going to try to get a new deal with him before free agency, but if he tries to test the market they may have no shot at him. They have some big holes to fill at safety, WR, o-line, and OLB; but they have pretty much made it clear that they won't be major players in free agency this year because of the cap.
Looking around the league, the Lions and Steelers are desperately trying to cut cap dollars to keep their own players who are free agents. Others will join suit. Oakland has and will likely continue to cut good, but overpriced players to get under the cap (according to Schefter they are $11 million over the cap today). The Giants are likely to let Mario Manningham and other free agents go while trading Osi Umenyoira because they are over the cap.
The truth was before the uncapped year in 2009, getting in salary cap hell was virtually impossible. Even though Felger wouldn't admit it, there was still such of a thing as salary cap heck where teams had to cut players but not at the rate in the past.
For this year and next year, salary cap hell will be back for several teams. Until the new TV deals kick in, the stagnant cap growth is going to seriously hurt several teams who structured contracts expecting the cap to grow at a big rate from year to year. For the next two, it won't grow much at all.
Last edited: