This will be a simple review of where we are at the moment with the 2009 Steelers roster. The NFL Salary Cap raises 6 percent this year to $123M per club. Also, first-year players in 2009 must receive at least $310k in salary; second-year players get $385k; third-year players get $460k. On Friday, February 27 the following Steelers will no longer be Steelers and do show up on any 2009 payroll at the moment (of course, any or all can be re-signed):
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS - (three NFL seasons accumulated, the Steelers can match any offer or receive compensatory picks):
Willie Colon, Carey Davis, Jon Dekker, Trai Essex, Arnold Harrison, Anthony Madison, Sean McHugh, Anthony Smith,
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS: (four years of service, can sign with anyone with no strings attached):
Mitch Berger, Charlie Batch, Fernando Bryant, Keyaron Fox, Andre Fraizer, Chris Kemoeatu, Byron Leftwich, Bryant McFadden, Jared Retkofsky, Orpheus Roye, Marvel Smith, Max Starks, Nate Washington
The Steelers have added the following 10 players who, at the moment, are counted under the 2009 salary cap:
Dallas Baker ($460), Doug Legursky ($385), Roy Lewis ($385), Stefan logan ($385), Ryan Mundy ($385), Ryan Powdrell ($310), Dezmond Sherrod ($385), Justin Vincent ($385), Brandon Williams (($460) and Donovan Woods ($385).
This leaves our roster currently at 51 players scheduled to use $103,332,000 off the salary cap. This leaves us roughly $20 million under the cap at the moment. This money will get eaten up by re-signing our own free agents, re-negotiating current salaries (e.g. Deebo), signing other free agents and signing players from the NFL draft.
KEY 2009 DATES:
Feb. 19 - Deadline to place a Franchise Tag or Transition Tag.
Feb. 27 - Free Agency begins; trading period begins.
Apr. 17 - Signing period ends for Restricted Free Agents.
Apr. 24 - Deadline for current team to exercise right-of-first-refusal to Restricted Free Agents.
June 1 - Deadline for current teams to send tender to unsigned Unrestricted Free Agents to receive exclusive negotiating rights if player is not signed by another team by July 22; or to extend qualifying offer to retain exclusive negotiating rights.
June 15 - Deadline for current teams to withdraw original qualifying offer to unsigned Unrestricted Free Agents and still retain exclusive negotiating rights by substituting tender of 110 percent of previous year's salary.
July 22 - Signing period ends at 4:00 p.m. for Unrestricted Free Agents who received tender June 1.
Thus, our 2009 Salary Cap situation is currently as follows:
| Name | 2009 Base Salary | Bonuses | 2009 Salary Cap Hit |
|
Bailey, Patrick |
$ 385,000 | $ 0 | $ 385,000 |
| Baker, Dallas | $ 460,000 | $ 0 | $ 460,000 |
| Capizzi, Jason | $ 385,000 | $ 0 | $ 385,000 |
| Carter, Tyrone | $ 745,000 | $ 93,000 | $ 838,000 |
| Clark, Ryan | $ 1,700,000 | $ 713,000 | $ 2,413,000 |
|
Clement, Kyle |
$ 310,000 | $ 0 | $ 310,000 |
|
Davis, Bruce |
$ 385,000 | $ 169,000 | $ 554,000 |
|
Dixon, Dennis |
$ 385,000 | $ 43,000 | $ 428,000 |
|
Eason, Nick |
$ 620,000 | $ 58,000 | $ 678,000 |
|
Farrior, James |
$ 2,975,000 | $ 1,000,000 | $ 3,975,000 |
|
Foote, Larry |
$ 2,885,000 | $ 1,048,000 | $ 3,933,000 |
|
Gay, William |
$ 460,000 | $ 35,000 | $ 495,000 |
|
Hampton, Casey |
$ 3,075,000 | $ 3,577,000 | $ 6,652,000 |
|
Harrison, James |
$ 1,400,000 | $ 344,000 | $ 1,744,000 |
|
Hartwig, Justin |
$ 1,750,000 | $ 488,000 | $ 2,238,000 |
|
Hills, Tony |
$ 385,000 | $102,000 | $ 487,000 |
| Hoke, Chris | $1,300,000 | $ 375,000 | $ 1,675,000 |
| Holmes, Santonio | $700,000 | $ 890,000 | $ 1,590,000 |
| Humpal, Mike | $ 385,000 | $ 24,000 | $ 409,000 |
| Keisel, Brett | $ 3,250,000 | $ 1,748,000 | $ 4,998,000 |
| Kirschke, Travis | $ 1,150,000 | $150,000 | $ 1,300,000 |
| Legursky, Doug | $ 385,000 | $ 0 | $ 385,000 |
| Lewis, Roy | $ 385,000 | $ 0 | $ 385,000 |
| Logan, Stefan | $ 385,000 | $ 0 | $ 385,000 |
| Mendenhall, Rashard | $ 385,000 | $ 1,103,000 | $ 1,488,000 |
| Miller, Heath | $ 800,000 | $ 1,613,000 | $ 2,413,000 |
| Moore, Mewelde | $ 1,475,000 | $ 450,000 | $ 1,925,000 |
| Mundy, Ryan | $ 385,000 | $ 0 | $ 385,000 |
| Parker, Willie | $ 3,350,000 | $ 1,188,000 | $ 4,538,000 |
| Paxson, Scott | $ 385,000 | $ 0 | $ 385,000 |
| Polamalu, Troy | $ 2,900,000 | $ 3,595,000 | $ 6,495,000 |
| Powdrell, Ryan | $ 310,000 | $ 0 | $310,000 |
| Reed, Jeff | $ 1,375,000 | $ 583,000 | $ 1,958,000 |
| Roethlisberger, Ben | $ 4,750,000 | $ 8,470,000 | $ 13,220,000 |
| Russell, Gary | $ 460,000 | $ 0 | $ 460,000 |
| Sepulveda, Daniel | $ 460,000 | $ 115,000 | $ 575,000 |
| Sherrod, Dezmond | $ 385,000 | $0 | $ 385,000 |
| Simmons, Kendall | $ 3,100,000 | $ 1,570,000 | $ 4,670,000 |
| Smith, Aaron | $ 2,350,000 | $ 1,600,000 | $ 3,950,000 |
| Spaeth, Matt | $ 460,000 | $ 228,000 | $ 648,000 |
| Stapleton, Darnell | $ 460,000 | $ 3,000 | $ 463,000 |
| Sweed, Limas | $ 385,000 | $ 383,000 | $ 768,000 |
| Taylor, Ike | $ 3,500,000 | $ 2,600,000 | $ 6,100,000 |
| Timmons, Lawrence | $ 460,000 | $ 1,639,000 | $ 2,099,000 |
| Townsend, Deshea | $ 1,800,000 | $ 573,000 | $ 2,373,000 |
| Vincent, Justin | $ 385,000 | $0 | $ 385,000 |
| Ward, Hines | $ 5,800,000 | $ 2,000,000 | $ 7,800,000 |
| Warren, Greg | $ 650,000 | $ 132,000 | $ 782,000 |
| Woodley, LaMarr | $ 460,000 | $ 350,000 | $ 810,000 |
| Woods, Donovan | $ 385,000 | $ 0 | $ 385,000 |
| Williams, Brandon | $ 460,000 | $ 0 | $ 460,000 |
|
|
--------- $ 103,332,000
|