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The BTSC boards are erupting with fans upset and angry after a tough loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, but for me, it is time to look toward the future and set the past where it belongs. That future starts now with the offseason. Where better to start than looking at where the Pittsburgh Steelers sit regarding the salary cap?
Before I get started, I feel the need to inform Steeler fans that Over the Cap has made changes. I’m not happy about the changes, as they’re leading to confusion about what OTC is, and isn’t, including in the cap number.
OTC has made its projection of the cap increase in 2018. There will not be much disagreement about the figure of around $10 million that is used. This figure is what the cap increased last season. It includes carryover money from 2017. This also makes sense, but is confusing because in the past, it was listed separately. Now people are unsure whether it was or wasn’t included in the 2018 cap. The last item that is not readily visible is dead cap space. It’s at the bottom of the page, and not all players who are involved in the dead money are listed. Here is Jason’s tweet regarding the changes.
Yes both are there. I dropped putting the carryover online only because we have some data we source exclusively and then its taken and never credited so its an extra step of work for them to do.
— Jason_OTC (@Jason_OTC) January 11, 2018
(I agree with his reason, as well and the logic behind it. OTC claims that Spotrac uses his info, along with that of others, while never giving credit.)
So, where do the Steelers sit regarding cap space?
It is worrisome, and not pretty.
There are 51 players under contract.
Total 2018 cap liabilities: $186,078,086
Dead money: $956,175 (This is included in the above figure.)
2017 carryover: $4,040,611 (This is included in the above figure.)
Projected top 51 2018 cap number: $178,386,911
The following are not yet included.
Pittburgh’s six draft picks: $4,933,532
52nd and 53 roster spots: $1,110,000 (This is minimum but those two spots will be taken up by draft picks. The remaining four draft picks, for simplicity, will bump off four minimum salaries of $555,000 each.)
The 10-man taxi squad: $1.4 million (estimated)
The 2019 carryover: $3.5 million (estimated)
The estimated cap space is: -$14,194,707
While the Steelers will not be over that full amount, they are currently over the cap. This is not a big deal right now, but they will need to get under the cap by March 14 for compliance.
Who do you think will be the cap casualties? Who do you think will be the biggest surprise cuts? Which player with the largest salary deserves to be cut? Who is your favorite player who you expect to be cut?
Let us know in the comment section below!