Breaking down Jonathan Stewart's deal

[jtnc]

I just got the complete details of the five-year contract extension Carolina running back Jonathan Stewart signed Friday night.

The deal is worth $37.811 million and includes $23 million in guaranteed money. Stewart received a $9 million signing bonus and his salary-cap figure for 2012 jumped $1 million to $4.78 million. In 2013, Stewart will make $1 million in base salary and his cap figure will be $2.8 million.

In 2014, Stewart can pick up a $9 million option bonus, his base salary will be $1.5 million and his cap figure rises to $5.5 million. In 2015, Stewart’s base salary will be $4.25 million and his cap figure increases to $8.55 million.

In 2016, Stewart has a $5 million base salary and a $9.8 million cap figure. In the final year of the deal, the base salary is $5.5 million and the cap figure drops a bit to $8.5 million.

I think signing Stewart was a good move by the Panthers. It means he’ll stay in a backfield with DeAngelo Williams and Mike Tolbert. But the move comes with a downside.

Carolina already was looking at salary-cap trouble in future seasons. With Stewart’s deal, the Panthers now have $134 million committed toward the 2013 salary cap. The exact cap figure won’t be determined until next spring, but it’s safe to say the Panthers are at least $10 million over where the limit will be. They’re getting up there with the Philadelphia Eagles, who have a league-high $140 million committed toward next year’s cap.

It gets even worse as you look ahead to 2014, when the Panthers have $144 million committed toward the cap. Only the Eagles ($145 million) already have more cap space committed.

Heck, the Panthers already have $110 million committed toward the 2015 cap and that’s with only 18 players already under contract for that year.

http://espn.go.com/b...n-stewarts-deal

wow

[Ivan The Awesome]

Huddle poo storm coming in 3...2....1...

[xtheronx]

smokescreen

[nctarheel0619]

Eh, that's a lot of restructuring. fuging a.

[rayzor]

in before the panic and me laughing at it.

[Gallagher]

Here's hoping that advertising deal raises the cap by a bunch.

[SCP]

Just about the time we need to be extending Cam to a long term deal.

[Jackofalltrades]

I completely trust Hurney when it comes to the cap.

#notworried

[Peppers90 NC]

We should let the cap and things of that nature be Hurney's problem. He understands it more and is way better at it than any of us wannabes. I'm sure none of those numbers are surprising to him either.

[SCP]

What if Hurney is up in his office saying "I don't give a fuuuug cause I'm retiring after 2013 bitches!". Hurney trolling Charlotte.

[KBRed]

[Zod]

How on earth do we think we are going to keep Cam? He won't be staying here in a small market out of the goodness of his heart.

[SCP]

How on earth do we think we are going to keep Cam? He won't be staying here in a small market out of the goodness of his heart.

By 2015 Charlotte will be the biggest city on earth.

They will have to do a cap friendly deal like the cheaters did with Brees.

[SCP]

DP