NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

[Sven]

Re: NFL Lockout 'A Certainty'

For all you "capologists" out there, here's an article on the new CBA as far as the cap is concerned. Andrew Brandt explains the difference between salary cap and cash, and what that means from a minimum cash spend perspective.

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Breaking-in-the-new-Cap.html

Signing bonuses are treated in different ways for cash and Cap: (1) for cash purposes, they are treated as fully paid, regardless of deferrals; and (2) for Cap purposes, they are prorated through the life of the contract.

The league spending requirement for 2011 and 2012 mandates that league wide cash spending reach 99% of the Cap, or approximately $3.8 billion of player spending. As shown above, teams can routinely spend more cash than Cap, with teams like the Panthers and Colts spending $30 million each on one player.

On the team level, however, there are no requirements this year and next. That allows teams -- pick your favorite target franchise not spending in this recent frenzy (Bengals, Buccaneers, Bills, Chiefs, etc.) -- to “free-ride” off of the higher spending teams while the league as a whole meets the spending requirement.

Even in the now-expired CBA -- the one that the Bills and Bengals voted against -- there were minimum spending Cap requirements, although no cash minimums. It is hard to know why at least Cap minimums were not included in the new CBA for this year and next.

no wonder all the team owners voted for it, the teams who want to underspend can continue doing what they've always done for 2011 and 2012, and the teams that want to spend big get encouraged to do it by the underspending teams to meet the combined cash requirements.