Bengals Are $27.1 Million Under The Salary Cap

by Josh Kirkendall on Aug 4, 2011 4:26 PM EDT

MIAMI FL - DECEMBER 19: Tight end Anthony Fasano #80 of the Miami Dolphins is upended by cornerback Donte Whitner #20 of the Buffalo Bills during a game at Sun Life Stadium on December 19 2010 in Miami Florida. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

With so many signings in three days, the Bengals have reduced their money under the cap from $41 million to their current standing of $27,164,000 under the cap. Originally leading the NFL with their glorious $41 million under the cap figure with signings from guys like Manny Lawson, Cedric Benson, Max Jean-Gilles applying to the cap now that they're signed, Cincinnati's updated number puts them fifth in the NFL now behind teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ($29.5 million), Kansas City Chiefs ($28.4 million), Jacksonville Jaguars ($28 million) and Cleveland Browns ($27.6 million) round out the top ten.

Once those numbers are updated, it will apply to the contracts of Brandon Johnson (which may or may not have applied) and the team's most recent signing, safety Donte Whitner.

Eventually once the free agent signings are finished, we have to believe the Bengals will look towards extensions with a number of players entering the final year under contract, including cornerback Leon Hall, offensive guard Bobbie Williams, wide receivers Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell, center Kyle Cook, tight end Chase Coffman, defensive end Frostee Rucker, defensive tackle Pat Sims and linebacker Brandon Johnson among others.

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Front loaded extensions?

Change gone come mane! Trust me! Cause i Bleed tigerblood!--Jerome Simpson

by Grizzlyfox on Aug 4, 2011 4:32 PM EDT reply actions

Absolutely

I understand that the bonus money is counted in full against the cap without pro-rating. So if Hall signs for a $20 mill signing bonus, then if the 89% rule were in affect, that 20 mill goes against the 89% floor.

by BENGALS69 on Aug 4, 2011 4:40 PM EDT reply actions

The cash and cap rules are completely separate.

If there was a minimum cash spend this year (there isn’t, but let’s pretend) then the signing bonus would all be “cash spent” and would count towards that number. So we could give out a 20 million signing bonus and boost our cash spend up over the minimum pretty easily. But that 20 million signing bonus on a 5 year deal would only use up 4 million of our salary cap, leaving us with 23 million more to look at signing other players… if we wanted to.

To be honest, I find this overly complicated. They should just go to a flat cash system, minimum and maximum cash and we’re done. But they didn’t. So we get to have fun now with not just the cap but also the floor.

by FriarBob on Aug 5, 2011 2:23 AM EDT up reply actions

What's better: J Jo.....or.....D Whitner + N Clements ???

by ephram on Aug 4, 2011 4:46 PM EDT reply actions

The later...JJoe gets hurt easier it seems

by sofakingood on Aug 4, 2011 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions

+1

"Next season will be better" circa 1990
Twitter @Rcklarue

by Yarin on Aug 4, 2011 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions

No way they get closer than $20M

Mike insists on having cushion going into the year, plus he will hold back Carson’s $11.5M for this year so Carson cannot show up and force a trade through putting him over the cap.

"The only thing we have to fear is... Mike Brown himself."

by DrainBamage on Aug 4, 2011 4:48 PM EDT reply actions