With the Steelers entering the offseason some $25 million over the 2012 salary cap, they have a lot of moves to make before the league year begins on March 13. Some of those moves will be releasing players, as they did on Wednesday with Bryant McFadden and Arnaz Battle. And some of those moves will be restructuring existing players’ contracts.
Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Steelers linebackers LaMarr Woodley and Lawrence Timmons became the first two players to restructure contracts, when each of them agreed to re-do the deals they signed just six months ago.
Not all of the specifics of the restructured contracts are available, but Bouchette reports that Woodley shaved about $6.6 million off his cap number without reducing his total pay by converting a roster bonus and most of his base salary to a signing bonus that will be prorated over the remaining years of the deal.
Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger are also candidates to restructure their contracts to get the Steelers under the cap.