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Steelers restructured contracts of WR Antonio Brown, TE Heath Miller, Shaun Suisham, creating nearly $6 million of cap room for, per sources
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2015
The Pittsburgh Steelers have reportedly been at the negotiating table with a trio of current players to free up more salary cap space. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, the team has restructured the contracts of WR Antonio Brown, TE Heath Miller and K Shaun Suisham to free up nearly $6 million in salary cap space.
The restructuring typically refers to a player accepting some of the money they are owed and receive it in a bonus rather than throughout the season. The Steelers have typically participated in this activity to stay within the salary cap, but to do so before the beginning of the season could mean there are options available for the team.
What options would we be speaking of? The team could be freeing up salary cap space to be able to sign a veteran who is released from another team, could be looking to free up space to extend a current player's contract and could even be looking to make a trade with another NFL franchise.
Either way you look at it, to restructure contracts is to typically make moves, and the Steelers have been a very active team in that regard this offseason. Already making two trades during the preseason with the Philadelphia Eagles for CB Brandon Boykin and most recently with the Jacksonville Jaguars for K Josh Scobee, the team seems comfortable wheeling and dealing.
Stay tuned to BTSC for any news and updates surrounding any transactions the team makes with the new salary cap space created Tuesday.
UPDATE: Schefter provided further information on what the restructure means for Antonio Brown's contract. The Steelers took $2 million from his 2016 pay, and gave it to him in a signing bonus in 2015. Making his yearly earnings in 2015 roughly $8 million.
On Antonio Brown, Steelers moved $2 million in salary from next year to sign bonus this year, boosting his earnings from $6 million to $8M.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2015
UPDATE: Schefter later tweeted the team is restructuring these contracts to help offset the many injured players the team will still have to pay. Stay tuned for any further developments.
Steelers plan to use majority of $6 million of salary-cap room to offset large number of injured players counting against salary cap.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2015