There have been a lot of reports, and statements from the NFL how their 32 owners are unified and on the same page in regards to the labor situation and an uncapped 2010 NFL season. Many teams have set budgets from themselves, but apparently Washington Redskins owner, Daniel Snyder, didn’t get that memo, and as usual he is on his own page.
Think about it like this the salary cap was barely able to control Snyder and his over spending each spring on big name free agents. In 2009 he signed Albert Haynesworth to a seven year 100 million dollar deal. This team already owes him 21 million dollars in guarantees on April 1st of this year and a 2010 salary of 3.4 million dollars. He was just the latest on a long list of over priced free agents that have come to this team since Snyder bought them.
Now there are reports that they will break the bank yet again for DE Julius Peppers, and that they are targeting RB Darren Sproles in free agency. Since Pro football talk.com is reporting that Peppers has already turned down a multi year deal worth 14 million a year from the Carolina Panthers it seems that the ‘Skins would have to pony up a Haynesworth size deal to land Peppers.
Even though the Haynesworth deal contains a poison pill of 29 million dollars in 2013, which would effectively make his deal a four year 48.2 million dollar deal. 29 million dollars is a still a lot of money, and Peppers is not going to come to Washington on the cheap.
That means that the Redskins could have a couple of hundred million dollars tied up in just two of their players. Adding Sproles to the mix, who will be due a hefty pay raise, could mean that the Redskins could be one of the few NFL teams who spend in 2010 like nothing is amiss.
This is very bad news, while it is only in the rumor stage now, having a team like the Redskins, who are not limited in anyway, could effectively smash the NFL salary Cap system beyond repair.
Most NFL teams look to conduct themselves in a responsible manner in 2010. They will set a budget and adhere to it, since the salary cap may be back as early as 2011.
It seems unlikely that if one or two teams spends freely in an uncapped year that the other NFL owners will cut them a break when, and if the salary cap returns. If the Redskins spend this amount of money they could find themselves in a very precarious position in the very near future.
Related Links:
• Washington Redskins news and notes
• The Business of the NFL
• NFL Complete.com
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