AZ Republic: Cards Shop With a Thin Wallet

[Mrh182]

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/cardinals/articles/0310cards0310.html

Structure of contracts leaves team just $7 mil under $109 mil salary cap

Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 10, 2007 12:00 AM
The Cardinals continued shopping in the free-agent market Friday, but dwindling salary-cap space means they won't leave with a full basket.

The Cardinals remain interested in offensive lineman Mike Gandy (Bills) and cornerbacks Roderick Hood (Eagles) and Travis Fisher (Rams). But the Cardinals are only $7 million under the $109 million salary cap, which means they likely have room for only another player or two in free agency.

The club has made two major deals in this free-agent period, and both contracts were designed to consume considerable cap space this year. The reason, team officials said, is they don't think there is a lot of talent in the free-agent market, and they didn't want to commit long-term cap space for marginally talented players. advertisement

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So the Cardinals have decided to take a heavy cap hit this season.

Safety Terrence Holt, who signed a five-year, $15 million deal Thursday, will have a cap figure of $4 million this year. If the team had structured his deal differently - giving $3.5 million as a signing bonus instead of a roster bonus - his cap figure would $2.7 million.

They did a similar deal with center Al Johnson, whose cap figure this year is $7 million. By giving him $3.5 million as a signing bonus instead of a roster bonus, the team could have lowered Johnson's cap number to $4.4 million.

Put the two deals together, and the Cardinals could have saved themselves almost $4 million of cap space this year.

Instead they are $7 million under the cap, and they're going to have to budget carefully throughout 2007. Here's why:

They have only 50 players under contract. When the season starts, 53 players will count against the cap. Those three extra players will use around $1 million of cap space.

Out of the remaining $6 million of cap space, the Cardinals must accommodate their rookie class, pay for a practice squad and injury replacements, as well as cover contract extensions of current players. So it's a good thing the Cardinals don't see much on the shelves of free agency, because they don't have much left to spend.

 

[Shane]

Translation there is we are done. Even I have to admit that they knew what they were doing when they did these deals this way. With the rookie figure being about 4 milllion and the 1 million or so cushion that hardly leaves any $ left.

They were simply blowing smoke up our butts when they stated that we would be aggressive in FA and sign 4 to 8 FA's. IMO We will sign one more at most. Making it 3 total FA's and it likely will be someone that isnt worth having IMO.

 

[AZBALLER]

What's new? Every year they blow smoke up...

 

[BullheadCardFan]

They have only 50 players under contract. When the season starts, 53 players will count against the cap. Those three extra players will use around $1 million of cap space.

Another million less to work with ..

I'm thinking that that with Hood or Gandy they will have to sign them with a signing bonus ...

 

[seesred]

The team will state that we actually signed 4 guys so far. Thus the promise kept. Shipp, Millagen, Holt and Johnson. I see another two guys coming over here. Thee corner and the lineman. Then it's on to the fun part next month. If we play it smart we will come out of this years draft with 3-4 guys who will push starters.

A side note we may have to sign a number 3 QB unless Q is designated number 3 or the kid on the practice squad has what it takes. It wont be hard to find a guy who can play as well as Navarre.

GBR
40

 

[LittleDavis]

We have signed 4 FA.
If we hadn't signed Shipp and Milligan we would be looking for a RB and STer.
I like the way this was handled.

 

[az jam]

The team will state that we actually signed 4 guys so far. Thus the promise kept. Shipp, Millagen, Holt and Johnson. I see another two guys coming over here. Thee corner and the lineman. Then it's on to the fun part next month. If we play it smart we will come out of this years draft with 3-4 guys who will push starters.

A side note we may have to sign a number 3 QB unless Q is designated number 3 or the kid on the practice squad has what it takes. It wont be hard to find a guy who can play as well as Navarre.
GBR
40

QB Shane Boyd is listed on the roster. I think we will draft a qb on day 2 or sign one of the undrafted qbs so we have some competition for #3 qb. One could also be put on the practice squad.

 

[PJ1]

Bottom line is the free agency period thus far has not improved our team.

May feel differently after the draft but right now I don't.

 

[BigRedArk]

We should have signed Big to a long term contract at the same time we were extending Dockett and Hayes and then traded him after the season was over. That way we could've got something for him. We had the cap room to take the hit on his signing bonus. We could have at least gotten a draft pick for him or a LT. We now have a big hole at LT.

I hope Grimm can coach up Gorin, Wells, or Ross because one of those will probably be starting LT next year. One of them or a Rookie. If it's a Rookie he better learn fast.

 

[Doc Cardinal]

Bottom line is the free agency period thus far has not improved our team.

May feel differently after the draft but right now I don't.

Is Holt better than Griffith or Francisco at FS?

Is Johnson as good or better than Leckey?

If you answer no then we signed two worthless players.

 

[PJ1]

Is Holt better than Griffith or Francisco at FS?

Is Johnson as good or better than Leckey?

If you answer no then we signed two worthless players.

I believe Holt has a good chance of starting and Johnson is better than Step.

This is countered by losing our starting LT and to this point doing nothing to replace him.

This is why I don't believe free agency has improved our team.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Translation there is we are done. Even I have to admit that they knew what they were doing when they did these deals this way. With the rookie figure being about 4 milllion and the 1 million or so cushion that hardly leaves any $ left.

They were simply blowing smoke up our butts when they stated that we would be aggressive in FA and sign 4 to 8 FA's. IMO We will sign one more at most. Making it 3 total FA's and it likely will be someone that isnt worth having IMO.

I take your point, but this ignores the signing of (RFA) Leckey, (EFA) Smith and UFA's Shipp and Milligan. To which one adds Johnson and Holt.

 

[Scott MS]

Don't forget Shipp and Milligan count as free agent signings. The team has signed 4.

 

[green machine]

We should have signed Big to a long term contract at the same time we were extending Dockett and Hayes and then traded him after the season was over. That way we could've got something for him. We had the cap room to take the hit on his signing bonus. We could have at least gotten a draft pick for him or a LT. We now have a big hole at LT.

I hope Grimm can coach up Gorin, Wells, or Ross because one of those will probably be starting LT next year. One of them or a Rookie. If it's a Rookie he better learn fast.

Yeah, because signing guys to a long term deal and then trading them the next season is quite common, especially with the way bounuses and stuff work.

 

[Skkorpion]

I truly hope we don't sign Mike Gandy at all. He isn't worth more than the veteran minimum with no signing bonus.

There isn't a single player out there worth a multi-year contract with bonus. If we are done with free agency, I'll be pleased. Losing Leonard Davis was the only negative but I'm not too displeased because I feared Leonard would just go into cruise control once he got his guaranteed money.