Ah yes, they did this, just like 8 other teams did with their top paid players. Miles Austin’s $17M contract was about the 4th most egregious example of teams “dumping salary”. The Julius Peppers going from $35M down to under $1M the following year? Guess since they don’t play in the NFC East, it is ok.

Ah yes, just like the Bucs did last year before a floor went in place? They kept their salaries so low that they are able to shift cap space, giving them something like $50-60M at the start of FA. No disruption of competitive balance there?

The hammer is going to fall. When it hits, it is going to hurt.

Only one thing matters: The Steelers are superior to every organization in the league. You will always be in our unwavering shadow. We know it’s unfair and we apologize.
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I agree this statement would be true except for one irrefutable fact that goes against you, they’re in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is just plain ugly, hickish, terrible, terrible, horrible, place to live. You know what, Pennsylvania is the worst state in the Union. Solely because it has Pittsburgh as a city. I’d rather had the Browns, or the pathetic Dolphins and live in those cities, than live in Pittsburgh. BLEH!

The advantage gained is future cap space. For example, the Cowboys lumped something like $17 mil of Austin Miles’ contract into the 2010 season as a one year pay-out. Typically a good portion of that would have been in a signing bonus that would have been pro-rated for cap accountability over the years of the contract. They now don’t have that money counting against the cap during the life of his contract. The Redskins I believe dumped salary connected to bad contracts to get out from them hindering future years of the cap.

Which is why there needs to be draft pick compensation in addition to overturning the penalties and giving them their cap space back. Also, the teams that received extra cap space because of this should have their cap reduced back to the level it was supposed to be at, and if they’re over then they should have to cut players to get under or lose draft picks.

The NFL f’d this one up hardcore.

What it was the other 30 owners said, which ultimately made them ‘clam up’

Whether or not the Cowboys and the Redskins file against the NFL, which could be bad for the whole NFL or horrible for the Cowboys and Redskins

They either hate the Skins and Cowboys, are fans of NFC East rivals, or maybe even jealous of the money and attention these 2 teams command- even if the quality is the field is not that great. I know most of these haters really detest Jerry and Danny Boy and their primodonna personas. When i read these replies it’s clear that most simply don’t even try to connect legal reasoning with why the punishment for what the skins and cowboys did is justice. They keep using terms like “Dorks, Shady Characters, Selfish, Money grubbing, ect” They are right when describing these 2 clowns. However, Dannyboy and Jerry’s character has nothing to do with the penalty given by the NFL. Ninety percent of everywhere I read believe this was a bad move by the NFL. Most neutral fans feel the same way can connect the difference between Ethics and Legalities.

Simply put, the NFL will not win this argument and Goodell has overstepped his boundaries on this topic.

Time for the NFL to fix their mistake asap and get this done before lawsuits start flying here.

Give those teams there cap space back and have Mara removed from the competition committee.

And Snyder has an added incentive to go for the throat on this one; he’s got a golden opportunity to endear himself to the DC fan base.

…read the last two paragraphs of the above post again.

If you still don’t get it, repeat.

Eventually it will sink in.

The NFL is completely in the wrong here, and Jones and Snyder have plenty of nuclear-style leverage in this situation.

The NFL needs to settle this QUICKLY

I hear you, but the Cowboys certainly didn’t back down from signing players in FA, even though they have been “penalized” 10 mil in cap space.

The Redskins are more likely to have been hamstrung by this, but Snyder also has a lot of resources, and will still have room, but not nearly as much due to the 36 mil penalty. Your theory sounds good in theory, but what is the league gaining by doing this to the two teams?

I don’t think this was intentional. I think this was political for Smith to keep his job, for the most part. Goodell already will be commissioner for the next 6 years. This was pressure put on by 28 other teams, and Smith caved to save his position, which was just approved recently for him to stay in for another 3 years.

Now that Goodell AND Smith are in, I expect the league to back down and agree to a settlement. The 28 other teams crying and complaining about this are just as responsible as Goodell and Smith, IMO, especially Mara). Those owners also need to (surprisingly) better understand the rules and regulations regarding an uncapped year.

i am just so sick and tired of all these characters..players, owners, comissioners…

Dude, if you are so sick of the NFL and hate it so, why do you pay so much attention that you follow the league on a website during the offseason? Your desire for it’s destruction rings hollow. You can make it vanish in an instant if you just stop following it.

Smith and Goodell better well make this right, or they could likely be the subject of a large lawsuit. This is going to gain quite a bit of attention from the Feds (see: steroids and MLB) and this could be very easy to prove by Snyder and Jones. Neither will back down from a fight, ESPECIALLY when they both know they are absolutely legally right. Goodell and Smith know this, and should really act quickly and decisively.

Time to step up and make it right, NFL. Otherwise the consequences for your actions could very well be much too strong for your liking. It’s your choice – what are you going to do?

Incorrect. This isn’t only about Goodell. This is about the League (Goodell) AND the NFLPA (DeMaurice Smith) AND the owners of 28 other teams trying to create a situation where two teams in an uncapped year are now being penalized retroactively for breaking zero rules, and all of this coming down a day before FA begins. This is all political, and if this isn’t considered collusion, I don’t know what is.

Jones and Snyder can be “as mad as they want” because they agreed to Goodell’s power and now they are “paying the consequences”? I am not sure how that makes any sense. This just doesn’t “happen as a result” unless there is collusion taking place. Goodell AND Smith are both in the wrong, and the Cowboys and Skins will be able to prove that beyond a doubt. Goodell and Smith have BOTH gotten themselves into a very bad situation, and the Redskins and Cowboys will expose it, and rightly so.

This type of thing apparently needed to happen to show what kind of politics the NFL is playing, and how the owners of the other teams chose to keep their cap costs down by NOT spending more in an uncapped year. That allowed them to stockpile cap space since then. Which is more wrong? Neither. NO TEAMS did anything wrong, because NO RULES were broken, yet Mara and other owners are kicking and screaming about two teams spending more in an uncapped year, and claiming it should be penalized.

By the NFL approving Goodell as the commissioner until 2018, that is NO WAY equivalent to Jones and Snyder having to “pay the consequences”. There should be no consequences, because no team broke any rules, yet the 28 owners who pushed this through think otherwise.

Goodell and Smith should be ashamed of themselves, and if they are aware that what they did was wrong, and are willing to admit it, they very well should negotiate a proper settlement to put this to rest as soon as possible. This could open up a gigantic can of worms that the NFL doesn’t want to deal with, and would ultimately lose out if it came to a court case.

Hahahahahahahaha. Seriously? Ur Team has one of the dirtiest players in the League in Harrison and ur QB does not know the word NO when it comes to women.

Worst NFL owner in history. I’ve never seen the NFL become such a circus under any other person.

All it takes is undeniable proof of collusion and the fat cats in Washington will start examining the exemption the NFL enjoys.

Lose the antitrust exemption, lose football as we know it. Simple as that.

I’m totally sided with the Cowboys and Redskins on this, but I see some dark clouds brewing on the horizon for all of us.

I’m still so amused that Mara and the nfl hid these penalties from Jerry Jones. As the evidence continues to mount I’m beginning to wonder if the nfl has something up it’s sleeve or if they simple mindedly thought these two guys would take it up the rear without a fight.

Mara has taken the discussion from SB victory to Giants owners attempt to getting an unfair competitive advantage by stripping the Skinz and Boys of $46mil. Shameful embarrassment to the Duke!!!

I really don’t care what the outcome is one way or another; I’m too busy bemoaning the fact the team I root for is apparently trying to improve by not spending money.