Teams aren’t required to get under the 2011 salary cap until the 2011 League Year officially begins. And the 2011 League Year is expected to officially begin on Thursday.
For teams like the Steelers, who reportedly are currently $10 million over the $120 million spending limit (actually, they’re only $7 million over the limit because every team has the discretionary ability to exceed the 2011 cap by $3 million), it means that they’ll have to create cap space, quickly. To help the effort in Pittsburgh, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has agreed to restructure his contract, according to the Associated Press.
Signed in 2008, Roethlisberger is operating under an eight-year, $102 million deal. But before we all applaud Big Ben for “taking less” Peyton-style, the man who gets paid like Manning isn’t absorbing a pay cut.
Instead, it’s a so-called “simple restructuring,” in which salary to be earned in the future is converted to a signing bonus, which is then spread over the remaining years of the deal. For example, converting $5 million in salary to a signing bonus would spread the $5 million over the final five years of the contract — and free up $4 million in 2011 cap room.
In recent years, this device has been used far less frequently. In 2010, with no salary cap, it wasn’t needed at all. In the several years prior to that, with the 2006 CBA giving more money than ever to the players, teams didn’t need to resort to such devices to create current cap room, since plenty of teams were well below the spending limit.
The device merely defers until tomorrow cap charges that could be taken today. And so, eventually, some teams will find themselves in what used to be known loosely as cap purgatory, requiring drastic reductions that can’t simply be made by asking the franchise quarterback if he’d be willing to take a lot of his money right now, instead of later.
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And all Steelers fans should send thank you cards to Harrison…
Bad quarterback, good move.
Great move Ben
Yeah, he’s terrible. He’s not even 30 and has 3 SB appearances. Big Ben’s a stud, you maniac…
Did they have to force him?
At least he won’t take 23 million dollars a year and act like he’s doing his team a huge favor. Well no one would be silly enough to do that, right?
It’s all about WINNING in the ‘Burgh……Right on, Ben!
“Here we go STEELERS, HERE WE GO!!!!!!”
After everybody came to the conclusion how overpaid he was based on his ability to hand off the ball for a franchise that has always been of the run-first mentality paired with the reality that in 3 Superbowl appreances, in at least 2 intances had the Steelers Defense, Steelers Special Teams, or anybody not named Ben Rothlisburger been in control of the football, chances are the Steelers would have 3 rings right now instead of 2.
Superbowl 1: Giftwrapped for a player who helped the other team more than his own
Superbowl 2: Deserves credit for big plays
Superbowl 3: Showed that a good quaterback will beat an average quaterback with a great defense
They paid him to the tune of 102 million over 8 years?
I’m kind of shocked, but he does in fact have more SB winning drives than Manning.
Meanwhile Mike Brown has close to $50 million in cap room and no requirement to spend it. Do something NFL!
And how can they get to 99 percent cash spending in future years if they spend more than 100% this year? I don’t get how that works.
if they spend 5 Mio now on Roethlisberger, but 1 Mio counts against this years cap and 4 Mio against future years, they have 4 Mio counting against the cap without it being cash spending. Is that how the system is meant to work?
I’m coming around to not hating him as much.
If Ben needed an advance why restructure and turn into into a sigining bonus? He should have jsut called JG Wentworth. “Its your money, use it when YOU need it”.
if manning played on that team, and that defence, they probably would have won about 7 superbowl in a row, and counting
oh, and thats ricky mannning jr im refering to.
Harrison says stop throwing the ball to the other team on are side of the 50 yd line Ben.
chargerdillon says:
Aug 1, 2011 6:04 PM
After everybody came to the conclusion how overpaid he was based on his ability to hand off the ball for a franchise that has always been of the run-first mentality paired with the reality that in 3 Superbowl appreances, in at least 2 intances had the Steelers Defense, Steelers Special Teams, or anybody not named Ben Rothlisburger been in control of the football, chances are the Steelers would have 3 rings right now instead of 2.
Superbowl 1: Giftwrapped for a player who helped the other team more than his own
Superbowl 2: Deserves credit for big plays
Superbowl 3: Showed that a good quaterback will beat an average quaterback with a great defense
————————————————————————————
Oh, the irony of this comment coming from a Philip Rivers fan….
If Manning played on the Steelers, they would have no superbowls. The Steelers defense wouldn’t exist when he makes 20 million a year and lobbies to draft offensive bums like Donald Brown and Anthony Gonzalez in the first round.
The Steelers manage their cap/payroll well and they don’t have to restructure guys often IIRC. It’s surprising they felt they had to do this.
And the Eagles are still close to 20 million under the cap…howwww???
If the money is guaranteed, then no it isn’t really a pay cut. But if the Steelers have the option of cutting him later if he gets hurt or something, and don’t actually pay, then it could potentially be a pay cut.
Also you can argue that allowing someone 5 years interest free to pay a debt is sorta like doing them a favor.
Best QB in Steeler history!!
What kind of picture is that?
Not to mention that Peyton Manning without an offensive line would resemble a dorky-looking bug splat.
It is rather funny…If this was manning, Any willingness to Restructure would be Applauded as a Heroic Move.. But it’s Ben, so we feel the need to explain how he isnt taking a paycut.. Has manning EVER taken a Paycut!! NO, I beleive the last time Manning ALSO restructured and made the same money but just moved numbers around to help the cap effort.. Why would ANY player take a Pay cut for this purpose!! Its the GM’s job to build a winning team and fit it under the cap.. Ben SHOULD BE applauded for being willing to work with the team to make it happen!! GET A GRIP HATERS..
STEELERS DO IT THE RIGHT WAY!!!
and you have to wonder about some of these other temas liek the Pats and Eagles?stock piling players?how the hell do they have room under the cap…soemthin fishy goin on there
I used to loathe this guy.
But after his misdeeds I think he really has seen the light and is trying to remake himself. I hope that is for real.
He was contrite about his mistakes, he’s gotten married and is giving his team a break financially. He is doing good things.
I’m wishing him well.
If my employer asked me if I would like to have a lump sum advanced pay for my future years of service then I would jump all over that. And then I would give it an “aw shucks” shrug and stick it in the bank and earn me some interest. Hell I bet the interest earned alone would pay my college bar tab for the year / sarcasm
He was raping them with that contract anyway.
I DO BELIEVE YOU ARE CONFUSED ABOUT HOW IT WORKS!!
He wants to be so much like P. Manning. Except for taking no for an answer.
steelernation1 says:
Aug 1, 2011 7:10 PM
and you have to wonder about some of these other temas liek the Pats and Eagles?stock piling players?how the hell do they have room under the cap…soemthin fishy goin on there
………………………………..
Those teams didn’t have SB winning talent B4 they stocked piled. Pats don’t have many players on that team that last won a SB and the Eagles well you kno! The Steelers paid a lot of there own Starters as well as backups to keep there SB winning teams together over the last 7 years… is why the Steelers is a mature team a lot of 30 and over players
A real teammate wouldn’t need to advertise it.
Cap room made me think of bathroom, and that reminds me of….
that horrible picture he probably took in there.
Yet he needed a bodyguard to block the door to protect his room in that Georgia bathroom. What a tool! Classy, classy Steelers….
PRETTY SURE HE TOOK THAT THE WEEK OF THE SUPERBOWL…. YOUR TEAM PROBABLY DOESNT KNOW MUCH ABOUT THAT!!
@bonniebengal …
$50 million under cap?? Wow. I don’t think the league can do anything, but Carson can show up when the season’s about to start and grab a chunk of it. Hope he does, too.
Finally.
Brady has been doing this for years.
@bonniebengal
Teams have until the end of the season to use all of their cap money. From what I understand Mike Brown plans to use every minute to figure out who is worthy of his precious scratch.
Since he seems disinterested in signing any big free agents, look for several veteran players to get nice contract extensions whether they earn them or not.
all the teams do, in fact, have to spend all available money this year. But, they have til the end of the year to do so. So the bengals,for example, can wait til after the season to spend that 50 mil in cap space…6Burgh Fo’ Life!