The 2013 final salary cap number is in. On Thursday Chris Mortensen of ESPN reported that the 2013 cap number is $123 million per team. Reports earlier in the week suggested that the number could come in north of $123 million, but the extra .9 is for benefits. Reports earlier in the offseason suggested that the 2013 cap number would remain flat and come in at $120.9 million, only $300,000 over the 2012 number. That number has slowly crept up and this is great news for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who currently sit roughly $2.9 million under the $123 cap number when you factor in the $1.4 million Read more [...]

Season 3, Episode 80 of The Terrible Podcast is up and co-host David Todd and I talk about the three contract restructures done so far on Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Lawrence Timmons. We let you know where this puts the team salary cap wise with less than two weeks to go until they need to cap compliant. We also give you glimpse ahead to the 2014 salary cap situation in order to calm your fears about the team kicking more money down the road to future years. The 2013 NFL combine is now in the books so we spend a little time on that and talk about a few players from a few different Read more [...]

Three contract restructures down and possibly one more to go for the Pittsburgh Steelers. On Thursday quarterback Ben Roethlisberger became the third player to have his contract restructured which resulted in $6 million in 2013 cap space being cleared. With the restructures of Roethlisberger, wide receiver Antonio Brown and linebacker Lawrence Timmons now out of the way the Steelers have cleared $14,423,750 in cap space in the last three days The Rule of 51 number now sits at roughly 121,478,706.00, which is $1,521,294.00 under an estimated $123 million cap number. The Steelers also reportedly Read more [...]

As expected, the Pittsburgh Steelers restructured the contract of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on Thursday and the result of that now puts them under the estimated $123 million cap number. Roethlisberger is believed to have had $9 million of his $11.6 million base salary turned into a signing bonus via the restructure which would clear $6 million in cap space for 2013. Roethlisberger's 2013 cap charge should now be $13,595,000 after the restructure. His 2014 and 2015 cap charges should be $18,895,000 and $18,395,000 respectively. In the last three days the Steelers have now cleared over Read more [...]

The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to restructure the contract of linebacker LaMarr Woodley again this offseason despite his poor production in 2012. Assuming that restructure happens, it will show that the organization has confidence that Woodley will rebound in 2013. General manager Kevin Colbert was asked about Woodley during his talk with the media last week at the NFL combine. "LaMarr Woodley has been a significant player on some very successful teams, and we’re happy that he’s part of our team," Colbert said. "If you talk to LaMarr he’d be the first to tell you that he was disappointed Read more [...]

The Pittsburgh Steelers are not even through with their restructures this offseason and already there is concern about the damage that they are doing to 2014 and beyond by pushing forward more money. Fans go through this concern every year because most just don't understand the real numbers and what lies ahead. Thank God Omar Khan does. Here is the 2014 big picture for you. The Steelers currently have 32 players under contract for 2014. Assuming the forthcoming restructures of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and linebacker LaMarr Woodley go as planned, the team will have $122,517,760 committed Read more [...]

Another day and another $3.08 million has been trimmed off of the Pittsburgh Steelers 2013 salary cap as wide receiver Antonio Brown had his contract restructured on Wednesday. When you couple that savings with the $5,343,750 million created on Tuesday by the contract restructure of linebacker Lawrence Timmons, you will see that $8,423,750 million has been trimmed in the last two days. As of Wednesday evening the Steelers Rule of 51 number currently sits right around $127,478,706 million. If you believe the Tuesday report from Pro Football Talk that stated the 2013 salary cap number could be Read more [...]

As expected, the Pittsburgh Steelers are continuing on with their contract restructures in an effort to get cap compliant by the March 12 deadline. On Tuesday it was reported that linebacker Lawrence Timmons restructured his contract and that move cleared $,5,343,750 million in 2013 cap space. Pro Football Talk reports Wednesday via Twitter that Antonio Brown has also restructured his contract. While the exact numbers aren't yet known, it is believed that Brown had $1.35 million of his $2 million base salary and his $2.5 million roster bonus due him turned into a signing bonus. That move Read more [...]

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported on Tuesday that a source with knowledge told him that the 2013 NFL salary cap number could come in at $123 million or higher. That is great news if you are a Pittsburgh Steelers fan as this number has slowly been inching up over the course of the last several weeks. It was also reported on Tuesday that the Steelers restructured the contract of Lawrence Timmons to free up roughly $5 million in cap space. With that restructure out of the way now, I will give you a quick update as to where the team currently is at in their Rule of 51 number as it relates Read more [...]

The first offseason contract restructure for the Pittsburgh Steelers has been taken care of as Albert Breer of NFL.com reports linebacker Lawrence Timmons has had his 2013 cap hit lowered roughly $5 million. Timmons was originally set to earn a $5.375 million base salary in 2013 and also had a roster bonus due him of $2.5 million. The roster bonus and more than $4 million of his base salary were combined together and turned into a signing bonus in order to create the cap savings. The max that the Steelers could have saved with this restructure is $5.37 million and we will have to wait and see Read more [...]

If any of the news below shocks you then I would like to welcome you back from your stay underneath a rock. Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports on Tuesday that the Pittsburgh Steelers are currently working with agents to restructure the contracts of a few players in order to get themselves underneath the salary cap by the March 12 deadline. At the top of the list, as expected, is quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who is scheduled to earn a base salary in 2013 of $11.6 million. Other players that could wind up being restructured are Lawrence Timmons, LaMarr Woodley and Antonio Read more [...]

As the days click down to the start of the new league year date of March 12, the name of Pittsburgh Steelers guard Willie Colon will remain a talking point as he is one of a handful players that could possibly be released, restructured, or asked to take a cut in salary prior to the Steelers needing to be cap compliant. Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Saturday that there has yet to be any talks between the Steelers and Colon's agent, Joe Linta about his client possibly taking a pay cut. Colon is scheduled to earn a base salary in 2013 of $5.5 million. Is this surprising? Read more [...]

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert was asked Thursday about the pending situation with linebacker James Harrison while in Indianapolis at the NFL scouting combine. Colbert, according to report on NFL.com, said that they still haven't had any discussions with Harrison's agents about his future, but thinks that will happen after they get back from the combine. "Whether a player is part of your future or not, that's not going to take away from what he accomplished, said Colbert, via the report. "You'll never underestimate what that player did for you in the past, but this is about Read more [...]

There has been a lot more discussion as of late about which of the Pittsburgh Steelers restricted free agents may or may not be tendered over the course of the next few weeks and most of the concern seems to revolve around the cap space needed to do that. I still stand my prediction that the five primary restricted free agents: Emmanuel Sanders, Isaac Redman, Jonathan Dwyer, Stevenson Sylvester and Steve McLendon, will all be tendered at the low amount of $1.323 million if none of them are signed to a longer term deal first. Sanders, Dwyer and Sylvester should all be the original round variety, Read more [...]

Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert mentioned that contract extensions for a few players might be in the works as part of the process to getting the team salary cap compliant by March 12, the start of the new league year. We will now have a look at a few players that the organization may or may not be considering to extend. Ben Roethlisberger - Roethlisberger is the name you will hear the most when talking about extensions. It should be noted, however, that he is under contract through the 2015 season and he and his agent are more than likely wanting to wait and watch what Baltimore Read more [...]

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk has a very interesting scenario that relates to the Pittsburgh Steelers possibly wanting to wait until after March 4 to restructure the contract of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to ensure that the Baltimore Ravens have a higher exclusive franchise tag number to carry on quarterback Joe Flacco until they get a new long-term deal worked out with him. Florio explains that if the Steelers were to lower the cap number on Roethlisberger via a restructure prior to March 4 that it would ultimately lower the franchise tag amount that the Ravens have to carry on Flacco Read more [...]

When you look at the defensive players in the NFL that turned 34 years or older last year you see a list of 26 of them. 3 of those 26 were Pittsburgh Steelers and they of course were Casey Hampton, James Harrison and Brett Keisel. Hampton is of course an unrestricted free agent this offseason and the only chance that he has to return to Pittsburgh would be if he agreed to a one-year qualifying contract for the minimum that comes with a reduced salary cap hit. Is it likely to happen? Probably not, but you never know. The situation with Harrison is one that I have discussed often dating back to Read more [...]

According to John Harris of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison is willing to restructure his contract, but he is not interested in taking a pay cut. Harrison, who is scheduled to earn a $6.57 million base salary, and count $10.035 million against the cap next season, is under contract through the 2014 season and his agent Bill Parise still considers the soon-to-be 35 year-old linebacker a bargain for the Steelers at that rate. "Can we help the Steelers by restructuring James' contract? We're certainly willing to do that, Parise told the paper. "Do Read more [...]

I have received a few questions about the new salary cap floor, or minimum team cash spending, that kicks in 2013 so I will try to explain it to you the best that I can. I will also show you how it might impact the Pittsburgh Steelers in addition. Let's first see what the CBA says on matter. Section 9. Minimum Team Cash Spending: (a) For each of the following four-League Year periods, 2013–2016 and  2017–2020, there shall be a guaranteed Minimum Team Cash Spending of 89% of the Salary Caps for such periods (e.g., if the Salary Caps for the 2013–16 and 2017–2020 are $100, 120, 130, Read more [...]

According to NFL.com, below is the list of available salary cap space by team as of 2/8/13. Of course these numbers will move quickly, but at least you will know where each team currently sits as we inch closer towards the start of the new league year. The teams are ranked from least available to most available. As you can see, the Pittsburgh Steelers are listed as being $13.8 million over the cap right now and that is right about the number that I have them at. The Cincinnati Bengals have the most available cap space of the 32 teams as they are currently $50.6 million under the cap. The Cleveland Read more [...]