For the second straight year, the Redskins must figure out how to compete despite losing $18 million in cap space. And when the cap sits at $120.6 million and $123 million over those two years, $18 million per year represents a pretty large chunk of absent change.
By all appearances, the case has been closed -- especially since Commissioner Roger Goodell reportedly has told the Redskins there will be no relief from the $36 million sanction for treating the term “uncapped year” too literally.
During a Wednesday visit to Pro Football Talk, Shanahan was asked whether the case is finally closed.
“That’s a good question,” Shanahan said. “I’m not really sure right now, but anytime you go over two, two-and-a-half years and then they say we did nothing wrong and you’re penalized $36 million, obviously you got to have a game plan for it. But we’re dealt a certain hand and we’re dealing with it and hopefully we do the best with it.”
If any of the cap space is going to be restored, it makes sense to do it at a time when the market still has free-agents on which it can be spent. Thanks to a soft market this year, however, there’s plenty of time left.