eddie mac
03-01-2006, 04:03 AM
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nfl/article/0,2777,DRMN_23918_4505085,00.html
The Denver Broncos, who currently have about $115 million in commitments among their top 51 players that count toward salary-cap compliance, have been proceeding as if no extension was forthcoming. They planned to modify their plans accordingly if a new CBA were ratified.
Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist repeatedly has said recently that the team is either on or ahead of schedule in terms of getting under the cap by Friday.
But in the short term, signing free agents and keeping high-priced players via restructured contracts will be problematic for some teams that are well over the salary cap and could result in wide-scale cuts. That the start of free agency is days away only makes the situation more difficult because there's so much work to be done.
The biggest name among Broncos players who could get the ax is defensive end Trevor Pryce, a move that would immediately save the team $8.53 million in cap room.
Fitting draft picks under the cap - Denver is scheduled to have two first-rounders in April - could be another possible problem that will need to be addressed.
"It's a difficult situation," said agent Ethan Lock, who has been trying to hammer out a long-term agreement between the Broncos and left tackle Matt Lepsis. "You don't know what the right thing to do is. There's too much unknown. You don't want to do a deal that will become outdated in two hours if they strike an agreement, and in some situations, like Matt's case, if you don't do a deal right now and wait until (free agency opens Friday), it'll have a tremendous impact on what they'll be able to pay.
"So it creates a lot of problems."
The Denver Broncos, who currently have about $115 million in commitments among their top 51 players that count toward salary-cap compliance, have been proceeding as if no extension was forthcoming. They planned to modify their plans accordingly if a new CBA were ratified.
Broncos general manager Ted Sundquist repeatedly has said recently that the team is either on or ahead of schedule in terms of getting under the cap by Friday.
But in the short term, signing free agents and keeping high-priced players via restructured contracts will be problematic for some teams that are well over the salary cap and could result in wide-scale cuts. That the start of free agency is days away only makes the situation more difficult because there's so much work to be done.
The biggest name among Broncos players who could get the ax is defensive end Trevor Pryce, a move that would immediately save the team $8.53 million in cap room.
Fitting draft picks under the cap - Denver is scheduled to have two first-rounders in April - could be another possible problem that will need to be addressed.
"It's a difficult situation," said agent Ethan Lock, who has been trying to hammer out a long-term agreement between the Broncos and left tackle Matt Lepsis. "You don't know what the right thing to do is. There's too much unknown. You don't want to do a deal that will become outdated in two hours if they strike an agreement, and in some situations, like Matt's case, if you don't do a deal right now and wait until (free agency opens Friday), it'll have a tremendous impact on what they'll be able to pay.
"So it creates a lot of problems."