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QuoteEAGLES STILL HAVE 6.7 MILLION IN CAP ROOM
Profootballtalk.com has learned that, even after extending the contracts of running back Brian Westbrook and kicker David Akers, the Eagles still have $6.753 million in remaining 2005 cap room.
Westbrook's deal increased his cap number for 2005 by only $1.2 million, by virtue of a $6 million signing bonus. The remainder of his supposedly "guaranteed" money -- a $3 million option bonus -- comes due in 2006.
Amazingly, the Eagles didn't increase Westbrook's 2005 salary of $1.43 million, even though the deal was done on the eve of the deadline for bumping up base salary without triggering cap charges in future years. The contract that Westbrook signed could have been inked as late as December 31, with the same cap consequences.
Under the new contract, Westbrook will earn salaries of $550,000 in 2006, $2 million in 2007, $3 million in 2008, $3.5 million in 2009, and $4 million in 2010.
Akers cap number increased by $1.5 million.
As a result, the prior cap bulge of more than $9.4 million has dropped by $2.7 million, still leaving the team with $6.7 million in excess
That really doesn't seem like a good deal to either side...
Why not load more salary up front, leaving more cap room for next season?
And Westbrook agreed to a very low salary next year, inthe hopes he is still an Eagles several years down the road? Suppose he tears up his knees bad enough to make him a Tier 2 RB? He could be farged.
I don't quite get it.
Can anyone explain it all to me?
Quote from: DemonchildrenOnTurf on November 09, 2005, 11:26:39 PM
That really doesn't seem like a good deal to either side...
Why not load more salary up front, leaving more cap room for next season?
And Westbrook agreed to a very low salary next year, inthe hopes he is still an Eagles several years down the road? Suppose he tears up his knees bad enough to make him a Tier 2 RB? He could be farged.
I don't quite get it.
Can anyone explain it all to me?
Maybe Fletcher Smith said something like this:
"Look Brian, I know you want like 6 bazillion dollars from them, but next year you're going to be competing against the likes of Edgerrin James, Shaun Alexander, Ahman Green, Najeh Davenport, Anthony Thomas, not to mention the likes of DeAngelo Williams, Gerald Riggs, Reggie Bush, and a few other outstanding RBs coming out of college. And even thugh you haven't had many opportunities to run the ball, you haven't exactly been tearing it up when you have run it. Better take their offer now, or get less next year, when you become a UFA."
I think his low salary number in '06 is because he gets 3MM in roster bonus, which hits the '06 cap.
Why not load more salary up front, leaving more cap room for next season?
because the salary cap is going to go up significantly in the next three years
Quote from: ice grillin you on November 10, 2005, 08:19:40 AM
Why not load more salary up front, leaving more cap room for next season?
because the salary cap is going to go up significantly in the next three years
Yeah, but why not use it this year when you're spending the $$$ anyway?
In the past, outside sources have gotten it wrong with the Eagles. Because it's so rare for teams to give out big signing bonuses as ROSTER bonuses (and they're still called signing bonuses in the media), the talking heads don't factor that in.
I would bet that a lot of that $6 million up-front 2005 "signing" bonus is on the 2005 cap (if not all of it), and not just simply the first year of the pro-rated signing bonus.