Elway says Broncos to spend more than NFL salary cap in 2012

[VA BroncosFan]

Didn't see this posted anywhere, apologize if it has been.

http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_19971672

[PlaxOnPlax]

Is this cause of the roll over?

[Denver Mike]

Campbell, Mario Williams, and Landry


C'mon down! :thumb:

[BroncoSexyDaddy]

Elway says Broncos to spend more than NFL salary cap in 2012
Updated: 02/15/2012 03:27:06 PM MST

By Mike Klis
The Denver Post

Because of the complexity of the NFL salary cap, comparing cap figures can be like comparing apples to oranges to bananas to walnuts.

Apples to apples? The Broncos will spend more on their 2012 payroll than they did in 2011.

"Cash-wise we'll spend more than cap this year," John Elway, the Broncos' head of football operations, said today. "But that's where it comes down to how everybody accounts and how the numbers get skewed. Whether you're over the cap or under the cap it just comes down to the accounting."

Each year, the Broncos' cash budget for player salaries always has been around 95 percent of what the NFL lists as the salary cap. Cash versus cap? Say the Broncos gave Von Miller a five-year contract with a $10 million signing bonus. The 2011 salary cap figure is $2 million because that $10 million can be spread out equally over the length of the five-year contract. While that $10 million can be reduced for cap purposes by accounting, it's real money.

To the Broncos, Miller's $10 million bonus counts as $10 million towards their cash payroll.

Sometimes a team's cash number is lower than the actual cap. In 2012, for instance, Miller's bonus will still count $2 million against the Broncos' salary cap, but because the Broncos paid it all a year ago, it's counts zero against the cash budget.

The Broncos usually keep back the extra 5 percent in order to pay players they may need to sign during the season to replace players who wind up on the season-ending injured reserve list.

In 2011, the Broncos spent $117.5 million in cash on salaries, or 98 percent of the $120.375 million salary cap. The cap is expected to again come in at $120.375 million for the 2012 season.

"That $3 million difference, we'll roll that over to this year," Elway said. "And that really came from the savings of (Kyle) Orton, so we'll have that money to spend this year."

The Broncos waived quarterback Kyle Orton with six weeks remaining in the 2011 season. When he was claimed by Kansas City, the Chiefs assumed the final $2.6 million of Orton's contract.

Before the Broncos start spending in the free agent market, though, they will have to budget plenty of money for their own players. The Broncos have 17 players — including Eddie Royal, Matt Prater, Brian Dawkins, Joe Mays, Brodrick Bunkley, Marcus Thomas, Wesley Woodyard, Mario Haggan, Spencer Larsen and Jason Hunter — who become eligible for free agency on March 13.

The Broncos are expected to open negotiations with their own potential free agents next week during the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

"We're in draft meetings right now, getting ready for the combine, but there's no question those 17 guys are our first priority," Elway said. "We'd like to have them all back to come in and compete because we know them. But bottom-line is, until we start talking to them and figure out where they're coming in (with contract expectations) and whether they want to see where their value is on the market, or if we can get a deal done with them before they hit the market, we won't know for sure (who can be signed

[BroncosFanInPA]

In 2011, the Broncos spent $117.5 million in cash on salaries, or 98 percent of the $120.375 million salary cap. The cap is expected to again come in at $120.375 million for the 2012 season.

"That $3 million difference, we'll roll that over to this year," Elway said. "And that really came from the savings of (Kyle) Orton, so we'll have that money to spend this year."

I really don't understand this part of the article because i thought we were alot further under the cap in 2011 than what is being claimed just $3 million under & according to this article that $3 million only is because we let orton go.

So in other words they are saying we was like literally dead on the cap number until we released orton. Am i missing something here? Can somebody explain this?

[HUMCALC]

Campbell, Mario Williams, and Landry


C'mon down! :thumb:

Throw in Hines Ward or Donald Driver & I'm sold

[elway 1987]

I really don't understand this part of the article because i thought we were alot further under the cap in 2011 than what is being claimed just $3 million under & according to this article that $3 million only is because we let orton go.

So in other words they are saying we was like literally dead on the cap number until we released orton. Am i missing something here? Can somebody explain this?

Pretty much what it is saying there is that cash wise the Broncos spent what the salary cap was. If you look at what was written before about Von's contract, it is saying that the Broncos gave him a 5 yr 10 million dollar contract which means that the salary cap number is $2 million (10 million a year divided by 5 years). Now that number won't be added to the cash that the team is going to spend this season on the roster. It still counts towards the salary cap but not the cash cap.

So what Elway is saying is that the team is going to go over the 120 million dollar salary cap number, meaning that the amount of money given out in contracts to free agents and draft picks is going to go over $120 million but the actual salary cap amount is probably going to be under $120 million.

Hope that clears up at least some of the confusion.

[ERoyal248]

Throw in Hines Ward or Donald Driver & I'm sold

No thanks, someone younger with upside.

[HUMCALC]

No thanks, someone younger with upside.

I want a veteran WR who knows how to win to lead our young group

[ERoyal248]

I want a veteran WR who knows how to win to lead our young group

Driver aint a FA, neither is Hines, and i doubt either comes here anyway.

[jcdavey]

it's a fact that teams who spend alot in FA , don't have success because of it, the latest being the eagles of 2011

that being said, if a team was going to unload a brinks truck in FA, this upcoming one, looks to be the year to do so

there's going to be ALOT of exceptional talent in FA this offseason

[shawinkerpoppin]

Maybe I read wrong. But this means were gonna spend a little over 3 million more than usual?

So if im understanding correctly we are under the actual cap. But the cash cap is at the cap already. So we are spending more than the cap by default since we are already at it? Idk something about this just isn't giving me the thought that I had from reading the title.

The title makes me think Denver is gonna ball out and bring in some big names and spend some money. But the article makes me believe denver is still penny pinching but has to spend slightly more becuase they have to.

[HUMCALC]

Driver aint a FA, neither is Hines, and i doubt either comes here anyway.

Ward was cut & it seems that Driver will be, too

[ERoyal248]

Ward was cut & it seems that Driver will be, too

Ward wasn't, yet.

And even if Driver is, i doubt he comes here since we don't pass it much.

[Yakka27]

If we spend a lot this off-season, I hope it's on younger guys.