Woodley's contract restructured to free up cap space

[BlitzburghRockCity]

News coming out tonight that the Steelers are already in the process of freeing up cap room and have restructured Lamarr Woodley's contract. – Steelers restructured OLB LaMarr Woodley’s contract to clear $6.56 million in cap room.

It's a safe bet that they've started this process well before tonight if you ask me and Woodley's deal is a good place to save significant money. They are an estimated $25 million over the cap heading into the 2012 league year so expect more information to come down in the coming days and weeks of other players who's deal will be restructured. Other players also to watch for would be Ben Roethlisberger (cap hit $11.67 million), Casey Hampton (cap hit $8.56 million) , and Lawrence Timmons (cap hit $9.125 million) to name a few.

[LatrobePA]

Harrison??

[NYCsteelersfan]

Any word that they'll go after a free agent offensive linemen?

[Black@Gold Forever32]

Any word that they'll go after a free agent offensive linemen?

Would love to see the Steelers sign Ben Grubbs.....Would hurt the Ravens and boost the Steelers OL but I doubt the Steelers sign a big name like Grubbs....Its a good draft for OL really.....

[NYCsteelersfan]

Would love to see the Steelers sign Ben Grubbs.....Would hurt the Ravens and boost the Steelers OL but I doubt the Steelers sign a big name like Grubbs....Its a good draft for OL really.....

I'll take anyone over the $hit we have just to have one sure fire offensive linemen in case the draft ends up producing busts.

[BlitzburghRockCity]

Harrison??

Harrison's cap hit is $9.43 million so he's an option too of course. Hampton I think is the one you have to watch because of the injury.

[LatrobePA]

Yea I think Hampton could be gone, Farrior too as well as Foote..

[Nolrog]

6.56 million is a hefty cap savings. If they cut Hampton that saves another 5.89. That would be a total of almost 12.5 (half of what's needed) in just those 2 alone. Could allow us to keep someone like Farrior (backup or mentor for someone new).

Using the saved if cut numbers frm the main page: http://www.steeleraddicts.com/steele...-cap-for-2012/

Woodley: 6.56
Hampton: 5.89
Kimoeatu: 2.39
Ward: 3.39
Farrior: 2.82
Foote: 3.00
Smith: 2.1
Scott: 2.2
==========
Total: 28.35 (not including 1.5 from future years, which would put us just about 30, which is the 25 we need to get under the cap and the 5 we need for the draft.)

There's some other salary cap mumbo jumbo that could be done as well, such as picking up options or guaranteeing contracts or something that will save money as well (if they guarantee someone for next year before a certain date, then they save money or something.) Salary cap stuff has become very complicated in the NFL.

The savings from Woodley's contract is quite significant in terms of dollars saved but also the impact it will have next year.

--- Added 2/7/2012 at 09:54 PM ---

Harrison's cap hit is $9.43 million so he's an option too of course. Hampton I think is the one you have to watch because of the injury.

Timmons, Harrison and Troy all have cap hits around 9 million. So they are all candidates. Hampton, as much as I love him to death and as great as he's been all these years, has to go. That would give nearly 6 million in savings, plus he's got a torn ACL that he will be rehabbing, not doing his off-season work outs and will take a long time to get strong and into shape (he won't be able to do anything with his legs in terms of brute strength for a long time.)

[NYCsteelersfan]

Yea I think Hampton could be gone, Farrior too as well as Foote..

All three should be gone. Farrior will be missed, but he's basically done anyway.

[Nolrog]

All three should be gone. Farrior will be missed, but he's basically done anyway.

While I agree that all should be gone, what do we do at MILB without Farrior and Foote? Sylvester isn't the guy (I'm not sure Worlids is either, though I know he's outside.)

My personal feeling is to go out and get the next Farrior in free agency. A guy in his 30s that could start for us while we look to draft the MILB of the future. Farrior was a free agent, and he was a good pick up (I don't have any names to suggest. I'm not well versed at who's out there, who would be a good fit and what they could bring.)

We will need to have a blazing fast guy though, I think. With the success of the tight ends, we're going to see tight ends being drafted en masse (pure tight ends, big receivers can be moved, big backs that could be moved, small linemen that can be moved. People are going to go TE nuts and we need to have an excellent, fast, pass covering LB to negate them.)