Cap sheets update 5/22

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by T.O.Killa

Can anyone explain the high cost of Jansen and Thomas, next year.

Yes, they both signed restructured (and in Jansen's case, extended) contracts this offseason. The changes to the contract were designed to reduce the base salary components in 2007, while giving them more in up-front guarantees (signing bonuses). This has the effect of lowering the cap figure for 2007 while pushing more of the money into future years.

So the new deals took some of the base salary they were previously due in 2007, and pushed the impact off into 2008, 2009, 2010, and beyond. Adding that on top of the already considerable base salary they are due in 2008, and you get a pretty big cap number.

The Redskins have the opportunity next year to continue to restructure these guys, taking the 2008 base salary and converting that into signing bonus, further pushing the cap impact into the future. But looking at the 'Skins approach this past offseason, they seem to have made a serious committment to the offensive line. These deals are structured in such a way that these guys are going to be Redskins for life. The same cannot be said for our aging defensive players (Springs, Griffin, Washington, Daniels, Wynn). The Skins chose to restructure the offensive line to keep them, while leaving their options open on the older defensive players. So the Redskins may choose to carry those defensive guys next year, and to do so they may restructure the contracts of the offensive line yet again. Or they may choose to part with a few of the defensive guys in order to create the cap room we need. What they end up doing will depend upon this season, of course. The flexibility is there to take the team in a number of directions.