NFL MAYBE UNCAPPED, BUT NOT STEELERS

[ace63]

PITTSBURGH -- The NFL might not have a salary cap this season. The Pittsburgh Steelers will.

The Steelers, one of the league's most popular and successful franchises, plan to follow a self-imposed cap in 2010 and won't take advantage of the possible lack of a collective bargaining agreement to add more quality free agents than usual.


Mike Fabus / Associated Press
Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert said that creating an invisible cap is "a commonsense way to approach things."

Director of football operations Kevin Colbert acknowledged the Steelers could be at a competitive disadvantage, especially if big-revenue teams decide to spend freely.

"We will operate as we always have. We will operate as if we have a cap," Colbert said Friday. "You don't know what you're going to be dealing with. First of all, no one's been in an uncapped year since 1993, so it's a whole different era and no one knows how this will play out. We don't know, if there is a new (labor) deal at any point, what the new rules are going to be."

The Steelers also "don't want to have to do something to undo what you did" should the next labor contract contain cap-like restrictions, Colbert said.

Unless a new labor deal is reached by this fall, NFL teams will be free to spend any amount they want on salaries without restrictions for the first time since Steelers owner Dan Rooney played a major role in designing the cap system used from 1994 to 2009.

Last season, the cap was $128 million and the floor was $111 million, meaning every team had to spend at least that amount. The Steelers will calculate what the cap would have been this season, then spend roughly that amount.

"We're doing a lot of guesswork here," Colbert said. "It's not a hard and fast invisible cap, but more just the approach -- things that make sense within your own team dynamics."

The Steelers don't believe this will be an especially attractive free-agent pool, but that didn't enter into their thinking, according to Colbert.




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"It's a commonsense way to approach things," he said.

After missing the playoffs by going 9-7 one season after winning the Super Bowl, the Steelers need depth at every position except quarterback, Colbert said in his first interview since the season ended. Colbert said the team isn't putting a priority on any area.

With most of their top players under contract, the Steelers theoretically could begin next season with largely the same team that lost five games in a row late in the season. Colbert hinted that won't happen.

"I think if you enter the season with the same group you ended the season with, you might expect the same results because we're a 9-7 team at this point," Colbert said.

Nose tackle Casey Hampton recently said he will be unhappy if the Steelers prevent him from becoming a free agent by tagging him as their franchise player at a cost of about $7 million, or approximately what they paid him last season.

The Steelers prefer to sign players to multiyear contracts, but Colbert said keeping a player for a single season can be a logical way of doing business. Hampton will be 33 in September and has had weight problems.

"Our stance on a tag, any tag, is we don't like to use them," Colbert said. "However, we're never going to say we're not going to use something that is collectively bargained."


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Colbert, who's largely responsible for assembling the Steelers teams that won the Super Bowl during the 2005 and 2008 seasons, is unsigned past this season. The Steelers generally prefer to sign a key figure before he enters a contract year, but Colbert said his situation is a low priority.

If former Steelers coach Bill Cowher returns to the NFL as a head coach, it is believed he wants Colbert to be the general manager.

"Anything to do with my personal status, I wouldn't talk about at this point or at any point. That's really not for me to discuss," Colbert said. "I'm totally happy in my position, at this point."

[Black Panther]

Good drafting and overall good buisness is how the Steelers won their six super bowls, so why change now??Go ahead and throw your money to the wind in a pipedream effort to win the Super Bowl,it still wont happen...

[BBallin fool]

I got to agree.

[ace63]

The steeler owners were big on the cap in the nfl. They knew that it would be hard on smarler cities if there was none. I hope it stays in place. Right now 57 cents of every dollar goes to player salaries. They need a rookie salary cap. I think more money is wasted on rookies that dont make it. Football would become like baseball. Look at the yankees . Jerry jones doesnt want a cap. WONDER WHY . It will be interesting what happens next year.

[seofan_via_dublin]

The cap might be gone for 1 year, but it will be back.
When it's back, teams that go crazy with money will have to cut salary to get under the cap.

Plus, the amount of unrestricted free agents will be greatly reduced compared to if they were
in a capped year. There isn't going to be a world of great athletes availible, just because the year is uncapped.

If you pursue a restricted free agent, then you'll need to give up a 1st and 3rd round pick in most cases.

[Manwithplan]

Good drafting and overall good buisness is how the Steelers won their six super bowls, so why change now??Go ahead and throw your money to the wind in a pipedream effort to win the Super Bowl,it still wont happen...

I agree too. All you have to do is look at the Steelers track record to see, that they know how to get the right people to make them one of the elite teams.

[ace63]

Times change, Like in business, if you dont change ,you fall behind. Look how many places have gone under because they didnt keep up. I just hope the cap stays. Wheres the A& P grocery stores. Didnt keep up . No scanners,computor ordering. They stayed the same. GONE

[farmer]

One thing about the Steelers coming out and saying this is that they will not be spending excess money now and then later telling the fans they are paying for it.
The union needs to do something about the wasteful spending to unproven high draft picks who never do anything. That gets a lot of teams in trouble which the Steelers have not been saddled because their draft picks have been later in the first round. Great job by the Steelers.

[ace63]

It would be nice if the rest of the teams would follow the steelers on the cap. But there would be 3 or 4 teams that wouldnt. Rookies do make to much. Every team has been burnt on paying a high price for a bench warmer. They should make more money if they earn it !!!! talks with players are not going well. Times are bad and players want more. The fans will wind up paying more !!! They said there would be no scab games this year.

[dazed&confused]

Lost in all this is that it was the owners who wanted to do away with the salary cap. Why? Because it also stipulated a salary floor. That will no longer be the case. So, owners inclined to make a buck instead of winning will be given the green light to do so. Those of you thinking the cap will return are mistaken. Just remember, the Reds, Pirates and Royals used to be perennial contenders. Now they are the Washington Generals (google Harlem Globetrotters ). Your favorite small market team may become fodder for the New Yorks and Dallas' of the new NFL. That is after they abort the 2011 season like hockey did.

[ace63]

Lost in all this is that it was the owners who wanted to do away with the salary cap. Why? Because it also stipulated a salary floor. That will no longer be the case. So, owners inclined to make a buck instead of winning will be given the green light to do so. Those of you thinking the cap will return are mistaken. Just remember, the Reds, Pirates and Royals used to be perennial contenders. Now they are the Washington Generals (google Harlem Globetrotters ). Your favorite small market team may become fodder for the New Yorks and Dallas' of the new NFL. That is after they abort the 2011 season like hockey did.

I have to agree with you. The smaller market will be in last place . Then after years of losing they will have to sell there teams to big cities. Teams will start to fold because they cant afford the bigger player pay checks. It will be bad times. Players get 57 cents per dollar now. And they have no risk . Owner loses if they dont make money.