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facebook email The Philadelphia Eagles figure out how to make big contracts to stars like Michael Vick (l.) and Nnamdi Asomugha work in the new math of the NFL salary cap structure. (Matt Rourke/AP; Jim McIsaac/Getty)
The most perplexing issue in the NFL since the lockout: How have the Eagles put together their high priced “Dream Team” without the salary cap police raiding their offices?
The answer: On July 25, the day the owners and players announced the lockout was over, the Eagles were an astounding $24 million under the $120.375 million cap.http://www.big49erssanfrancisco.com Each team was also given $3 million in cap credit: Three $1 million exemptions if they signed a player with five years experience for at least $1 million. The Eagles used their exemptions. They also traded backup quarterback Kevin Kolb, which created another $5.3 million in cap room.
Philly went to five NFC title games from 2001 08 and won the NFC East last year. So, it’s not like the Eagles have had bad teams with bad players and were not putting money into securing talent. But their three week spending spree will put them in the Shoppers Hall of Fame if not the Super Bowl.
The Eagles have always been pro active signing their best young players to long term extensions before their rookie contracts expire, giving the player upfront money and providing the team with cap flexibility. They are acknowledged in the league as being one of the best run teams.
On July 25, the Giants were $10 million over the cap. The Jets were $10 million under. Each team had to be cap compliant when the new league started on Aug. 4. At this point, only the top 51 highest paid players count in cap calculations. For the regular season, each team must calculate the cost of the last two players on the 53 man roster, allow for room to cover injured reserve players, money to replace injured players during the season and for the eight man practice squad.
Nearly three weeks after the free agency period started and despite all their signings, the Eagles are still $4 million under the cap. The Giants have $5 million in cap space. The Jets are $6.5 million under. The Giants created cap space by, among other things, cutting veterans Shaun O’Hara and Rich Seubert and reducing Brandon Jacobs’ salary. Still, they elected not to sign tight end Kevin Boss: His cap number this year with the Raiders is a manageable $1.75 million. He received a $3 million signing bonus in his four year $16 million deal.
The Eagles were able to do all this maneuvering despite Michael Vick counting $16 million against the cap because that’s his salary after signing the franchise tag. The Eagles will lower his cap number if they renegotiate the tag into a long term contract.
Here’s the 2011 cap numbers of Philadelphia’s new players, according to sources: cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, $10 million; linebacker Jason Babin, $5.3 million; backup quarterback Vince Young, $4 million ($2 million signing bonus, $1.5 million base salary, $500,000 roster bonus); defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins ($3.875 million), running back Ronnie Brown ($1.25 million); cornerback Dominique Rodgers Cromartie ($1 million).
Between Vick and Young they take up $20 million in cap space, about 16% of the total. Add in the cap numbers of cornerback Asante Samuel ($9.3 million) and defensive end Trent Cole ($5 million) and Philly has plenty of big ticket players. The Eagles also signed Giants free agent wide receiver Steve Smith to a deal reported as one year, $4 million with $2 million guaranteed. On the other end of the pay scale, the Eagles have nine projected starters with cap numbers under $1 million.
Eli Manning has by far the Giants highest cap number at $14 million. Corey Webster is next at $7.8 million followed by Chris Canty at $7.2 million. The Giants have only about five projected starters with cap numbers under $1 million.
The Giants and Eagles were each 10 6 last season, but Philly won the NFC East based on the season series sweep. Philly is trying to buy the Super Bowl with the most aggressive approach in the league. The Giants are trying to win it with the most conservative gameplan in the league.
Giants at Eagles on Sept. 25 should be the first sign of who was right.
DREAM A LITTLE DREAM
Babin has been getting a lot of mileage out of his recent Twitter post: “I feel like we are the Miami Heat of the NFL . Except we win the final game.” How does Giants DE Justin Tuck feel about that? “If they don’t make the playoffs, who cares if they win their last game?” . Nobody runs up the score in the preseason, but the Patriots still beat the Jaguars 47 12 and Tom Brady didn’t even play. The Patriots are wearing the initials MHK on the front of their jerseys this season in honor of Myra Kraft, the wife of owner Robert Kraft, who passed away last month. . Larry Fitzgerald’s longest catch in 2010 was 41 yards as the Cardinals went through a season of Derek Anderson, Max Hall and John Skelton at quarterback. In Fitzgerald’s first preseason game with Kolb, his first catch was a deep ball for 43 yards. . Tiki Barber has yet to sign anywhere. He’s got to get into a camp pretty soon if he has any chance of making his comeback a success. He worked out for the Dolphins but they have not signed him.
WHO BLINKS IN TENNESSEE?
Titans GM Mike Reinfeldt said he’s prepared to make holdout Chris Johnson the highest paid running back in NFL history. But the Titans have not yet made an offer and don’t intend to until Johnson reports to camp. Johnson said he won’t report to camp until the Titans make an offer. That’s called a difference of opinion. Johnson, who rushed for 4,598 yards in his first three years, including 2,006 in 2009, is scheduled to make a total of $2.7 million in the final two years of his rookie contract. . Tom Coughlin is now in his eighth year coaching the Giants, which matches Bill Parcells. He has made the playoffs four times and won the Super Bowl in 2007 with that incredible three game run on the road in the NFC playoffs before the victory over the undefeated Patriots. But he has not won a playoff game in any other season with the Giants and they are coming off back to back years of not making the playoffs. The Giants extended Coughlin’s contract after the lockout by one year through 2012. If the Giants go backwards coming off their 10 6 non playoff year, will it be Coughlin’s fault or GM Jerry Reese’s for his post lockout plans?
GANG MAKES GREEN ROOM
The Jets created cap room with some healthy salary cuts for three prominent veterans: Bart Scott, Calvin Pace and LaDainian Tomlinson. According to sources, Scott’s base salary this year was cut from $4.9 million to $3.9 million and in 2012 from $5.6 million to $4.2 million. That’s a total giveback of $2.4 million. In return, the Jets guaranteed Scott’s salary next year. . Pace took a $1 million hit down to $3.105 this year. Next year, they reduced his base salary by $1.5 million to $3.085 million (which they guaranteed) and increased his roster bonus from $500,000 to $1 million. That means he will make $4.085 million instead of $5.085 million. Scott and Pace took cuts, but now are guaranteed of getting their money for the next two years. . The Jets cut Tomlinson’s base this season from $2.425 million to a guaranteed $1.125 million. And that’s how you create cap space. . Santonio Holmes’ deal with the Jets was widely reported as a five year $50 million contract. Not quite. Nobody is going to be throwing him any benefits, but it’s a five year, $45 million contract. The numbers: $6.25 million signing bonus. 2011: $1 million base salary, $1 million roster bonus; 2012: $7.75 million base, $250,000 workout bonus; 2013: $11 million base, $250,000 workout; 2014: $8.25 million base, $1 million roster, $250,000 workout; 2015: $6.5 million base, $1 million roster, $500,000 workout. Holmes is guaranteed $24 million in the deal: All of the first two years and part of his third year salary. . The Jets were not competitive in trying to bring back DE Shaun Ellis by offering him the veteran minimum of $910,000. The Patriots, who clearly had competition from another team, gave him a $4 million deal: $750,000 signing bonus, $1.75 million roster bonus and $1.5 million base.
STEEL WALL FOR JERRICHO
It doesn’t appear Jerricho Cotchery found a better situation with the Steelers than he had with the Jets. The Pittsburgh starters are Hines Ward and Mike Wallace and Cotchery is going to have to fight for playing time with backups Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown. He would have been a good fit in the Steve Smith slot receiver role with the Giants. . If Cotchery had not wanted out, the Jets were not going to sign Derrick Mason and Cotchery would have been the third receiver behind Holmes and Plaxico Burress. Cotchery would have been better off staying with the Jets but he wanted out after the Jets in the last two years brought in Braylon Edwards (now with the 49ers), Holmes and Burress, eventually costing him his starter’s job. . Between now and the Sept. 11 opener, the Jets will be handing Darrelle Revis his $18 million option bonus payment. Our only advice: Don’t spend it all in one place.
