WhoDat!656

PALM BEACH, Fla. – Very quietly, the New Orleans Saints have restructured a pair of contracts to free up about $2.3 million in salary-cap room.

According to contract details obtained by ESPN.com, the Saints restructured the contracts of wide receiver Lance Moore and cornerback Patrick Robinson in recent days. The moves put the Saints at $3.285 million under the salary cap, but that’s not counting the new contracts signed by linebacker Curtis Lofton on Saturday night and linebacker Chris Chamberlain on Friday night. Those deals are expected to be turned in to the league Monday.

It’s possible that Lofton’s deal is structured in such a way that the Saints might not have to make any other moves before turning in his contract. The Saints recently signed defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley to a very cap-friendly deal by giving him a low base salary this season, but including a large signing bonus that’s prorated over the life of his contract. Bunkley’s cap figure for this year is $1.6 million. Chamberlain’s total contract and cap figure for this year aren’t likely to be too large because he’s been a backup most of his career.

The Saints dropped Moore’s cap figure for this year from $4.3 million to $2.9 million. Moore didn’t lose any money. His base salary was dropped from $2 million to $825,000, but he made that up by receiving a $1.175 million signing bonus that will be prorated over the life of the contract.

Robinson’s cap figured dropped from $2.9 million to $2.06 million. That was accomplished by turning a $1.267 million roster bonus into a signing bonus that Robinson received up front. Instead of counting the full $1.267 million against this year’s cap, that number now is spread over the three remaining seasons on his contract.

Saints re-do contracts for cap room - NFC South Blog - ESPN

"A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."

|Mitch|

nice!

WhoDat!656

Prelude to getting Brees to sign a contract that will make him happy?

|Mitch|

or like the article said; moves necessary before the Lofton contract is turned in and final

Danno

The only real risk converting salary to bonus money is severe injury and we have dead money for a couple of years, or the player tanks and we're forced to cut him and take a cap hit.

I like it that we're restructuring guys that I'd consider low risk of going all Johnathan Sullivan on us.

The Dude

we wouldn't have been able to sign Lofton if they didn't restructure. I don't think Brees gets a contract.

TheKillerBs

Danno

Why not? I'm no expert but I think a long term deal can actually be structured so that his cap number is less than what it is as a franchised player.

I could be dead wrong on that but I remember someone discussing that earlier.

voodooido

I agree. A signing bonus could lower it to under 15 im sure.

LBCutta

I'm not a cap genius but if I were all these guys restructuring contracts, I would be thinking that its almost like Brees is taking money out of they're pockets!