Cap Not Expected To Raise More Then 2 Million From 2012 - 2015 Seasons.

[carpanfan96]

http://espn.go.com/n...lary-cap-growth

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the 2012 NFL owners meetings is the salary-cap projections.

Starting with the 2014 season, revenues are expected to rise significantly because of increased television dollars and the overall strength of the game. What won't rise much is the salary cap.

After having flat caps of $120.375 million in 2011 and $120.6 million in 2012, the NFL management council told clubs Tuesday that the cap won't increase much in the next three years. In fact, the 2015 cap may go up to only $122 million, according to management council projections.

Although the cap numbers for 2013, 2014 and 2015 still can be negotiated, projections point to very little increase. The cap may rise by only $300,000 in 2013, going to around $120.9 million. Even though increased network television money is coming in 2014, the cap is projected to go only into the $121-plus million range.

Reason for this...

The answer resides in what has happened during the first two seasons of the new collective bargaining agreement. When the management council and the NFL Players Association ran the numbers from the percentage of money going to the players, the salary cap in 2011 was supposed to be less than $120 million. It could have been as low as around $116 million.

To put more salary money into free agency last season, the union was able to shift some of the benefit money into salary money. The result was a $120.375 million cap in 2011.

According to sources, the salary cap was supposed to be around $113.5 million this year. With 427 free agents, a huge cap decrease would have depressed the market and given almost too much contract leverage to teams. The union worked out a deal with the owners to trade off $7.1 million in benefit dollars per team from future years to have a $120.6 million salary cap.

Thoughts and how does this effect the Panther's resigning some key free agents during those years.

[jtnc]

We're fuged.

[Jangler]

If they aren't going to raise the cap very much, then they need to try and keep the contracts from getting so damn big.

[Ivan The Awesome]

If they aren't going to raise the cap very much, then they need to try and keep the contracts from getting so damn big.

Hurney doesn't know how to bargain. He better start extending people now.

[Swarly]

If they aren't going to raise the cap very much, then they need to try and keep the contracts from getting so damn big.

This.

inb4 "OMG HOW ARE WE GONNA AFFORD CAM!????"

[Stroupe-a-loop]

Worrying about the salary cap is like worrying about some kind of bird flu: Everything will probably be fine, and you look dumb getting worked up about it.

I mean teams like the Redskins have had periods of stupidly uncontrolled spending in the free agency era and they have never been in danger of going over cap or had to make severe cuts to their roster.

[Snake]

If this is true then Dwill is going to be cut sooner rather than later. If not we are going to be in cap hell for some time.

[carpanfan96]

If this is true then Dwill is going to be cut sooner rather than later. If not we are going to be in cap hell for some time.

For the next few seasons he will cost more to cut or trade then to keep, then in 2014 it would hit the team for 6.4 and only save the team 2 million.

[pantherclaw]

I mean teams like the Redskins have had periods of stupidly uncontrolled spending in the free agency era and they have never been in danger of going over cap or had to make severe cuts to their roster.

false.

[Kurb]

That's bad

[Stroupe-a-loop]

false.

Ok.

[carpanfan96]

That's bad

Yep, very bad. Panther's would be around 20+ million over the cap with a few notable FA's, such as Stewart, Smith, Otah,

The reason for the high number is that a number of Panther's will have a salary jump next season, Beason and Davis get a jump of almost 4 million, Kalil gets a bump of 3 million, Johnson 2 million, cam 1.3 million, a number of players making 1-2 million more plus the draft class from this season.

[Montsta]

Is Cam on a five or six year deal? And what year can we re-sign him? Because he is going to cost way more than the relatively small cap hit he's playing for now.

[Snake]

For the next few seasons he will cost more to cut or trade then to keep, then in 2014 it would hit the team for 6.4 and only save the team 2 million.

If I'm not mistaken his contact was built where he got a lot of his money upfront so it Avg out to be a three year contract. I could be wrong but I do remember someone with more knowledge of the cap than me saying that.