Did I miss something here?
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/89682
May 14, 2007
Cardinals have tough decisions
Darren Urban, Tribune
The math doesn’t necessarily mesh for the Cardinals. Eighty-eight players on the roster. Less than $2 million in salary cap space.
Five unsigned drafted players. A few players that need contract extensions. And 83 signed players the team can have heading into training camp.
The work the Cards need to do over the next couple of months won’t be limited to minicamps or organized team activities, to the playing fields or the meeting rooms at the team’s Tempe complex.
“We know we will have to make adjustments, and we knew that early on,” vice president of football operations Rod Graves said.
The plan of Graves and coach Ken Whisenhunt was to bring in the maximum amount of players. Since the unsigned draftees don’t count (but can still practice), 88 became the magic number (three players are in NFL Europa).
As draftees sign, however, the team not only must come up with roster space but also cap space. The team also has budgeted for extensions: linebacker Karlos Dansby, heading into the final year of his contract, is a probable target.
The team also must at least think about upgrading the deals of receiver Anquan Boldin and safety Adrian Wilson, both of whom are arguably outperforming their contracts based on today’s NFL salaries.
“If we need to rework deals (or) if we need to release players for cap room,” Graves said, “Ken and I have already discussed that we need to be prepared for that.”
Besides Dansby, receiver Bryant Johnson and linebacker Calvin Pace are both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents; neither will rate as high as Dansby for an extension.
Boldin, who just signed a contract extension with $10 million in bonuses in August of 2005, is making just $2 million this season and $2.5 million in 2008, numbers that pale in comparison to the new contract signed by Carolina receiver Steve Smith — whose recent statistics mirror Boldin’s.
Wilson, who signed an extension in December 2004 with a $4.5 million signing bonus, is making $3.25 million this season.
Boldin said he wasn’t thinking about a new contract but said the Cardinals are a “pretty fair organization” when it comes to seeing a player’s worth.
“They are pretty up front, and they want to keep guys up with the market,” Boldin said.
The team could also look at players such as defensive ends Bertrand Berry ($4 million salary) and Chike Okeafor ($4.5 million) and try to restructure the deals to free up cap space.
The money will become more important when the team gets down to serious negotiations with its top two draft picks, tackle Levi Brown and defensive tackle Alan Branch. Brown, as a top-five pick, is going to command a hefty deal.
Balancing the roster isn’t just about the salary cap, however.
Whisenhunt is only going to have so many practice snaps within the minicamps and much shorter organized team activities to decipher who is worthy to take to camp and who might be cut loose.
“We are trying to give everybody reps in situations where you can evaluate them,” Whisenhunt said.
As a new coach, however, Whisenhunt must learn everybody on the roster. That means finding time to watch veterans fit into the new schemes Whisenhunt has installed — and often, that means less practice time for the rookies fighting for a chance.
That’s another part of the equation working against the Cards. At least, some of them.
“You try not to (think about it), but it’s hard,” undrafted rookie cornerback Travarous Bain said. “You go home just hoping they don’t call you and say, ‘Bring your playbook.’ ”
http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/89682
May 14, 2007
Cardinals have tough decisions
Darren Urban, Tribune
The math doesn’t necessarily mesh for the Cardinals. Eighty-eight players on the roster. Less than $2 million in salary cap space.
Five unsigned drafted players. A few players that need contract extensions. And 83 signed players the team can have heading into training camp.
The work the Cards need to do over the next couple of months won’t be limited to minicamps or organized team activities, to the playing fields or the meeting rooms at the team’s Tempe complex.
“We know we will have to make adjustments, and we knew that early on,” vice president of football operations Rod Graves said.
The plan of Graves and coach Ken Whisenhunt was to bring in the maximum amount of players. Since the unsigned draftees don’t count (but can still practice), 88 became the magic number (three players are in NFL Europa).
As draftees sign, however, the team not only must come up with roster space but also cap space. The team also has budgeted for extensions: linebacker Karlos Dansby, heading into the final year of his contract, is a probable target.
The team also must at least think about upgrading the deals of receiver Anquan Boldin and safety Adrian Wilson, both of whom are arguably outperforming their contracts based on today’s NFL salaries.
“If we need to rework deals (or) if we need to release players for cap room,” Graves said, “Ken and I have already discussed that we need to be prepared for that.”
Besides Dansby, receiver Bryant Johnson and linebacker Calvin Pace are both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents; neither will rate as high as Dansby for an extension.
Boldin, who just signed a contract extension with $10 million in bonuses in August of 2005, is making just $2 million this season and $2.5 million in 2008, numbers that pale in comparison to the new contract signed by Carolina receiver Steve Smith — whose recent statistics mirror Boldin’s.
Wilson, who signed an extension in December 2004 with a $4.5 million signing bonus, is making $3.25 million this season.
Boldin said he wasn’t thinking about a new contract but said the Cardinals are a “pretty fair organization” when it comes to seeing a player’s worth.
“They are pretty up front, and they want to keep guys up with the market,” Boldin said.
The team could also look at players such as defensive ends Bertrand Berry ($4 million salary) and Chike Okeafor ($4.5 million) and try to restructure the deals to free up cap space.
The money will become more important when the team gets down to serious negotiations with its top two draft picks, tackle Levi Brown and defensive tackle Alan Branch. Brown, as a top-five pick, is going to command a hefty deal.
Balancing the roster isn’t just about the salary cap, however.
Whisenhunt is only going to have so many practice snaps within the minicamps and much shorter organized team activities to decipher who is worthy to take to camp and who might be cut loose.
“We are trying to give everybody reps in situations where you can evaluate them,” Whisenhunt said.
As a new coach, however, Whisenhunt must learn everybody on the roster. That means finding time to watch veterans fit into the new schemes Whisenhunt has installed — and often, that means less practice time for the rookies fighting for a chance.
That’s another part of the equation working against the Cards. At least, some of them.
“You try not to (think about it), but it’s hard,” undrafted rookie cornerback Travarous Bain said. “You go home just hoping they don’t call you and say, ‘Bring your playbook.’ ”
