FOF 2004 -- Cutting players during offseason

[Passacaglia]

I'm thinking there's some rule I don't know about, but I'm just trying to be clear on something.

I'm in Carolina, and it's 2005, after Stage 1 of Free Agency. I just signed Aaron Elling out of free agency, on a 5-year deal, with a 250K signing bonus, and a salary of 750K. So he's costing me 800K toward the cap.

So I get ready to cut my old kicker, Jeff Reed. He has 2 years left on his contract -- his salary is 1.13 mil, and the prorated bonus is 60K for each of the two years left on his contract (I had just signed him the year before, in 2004). So if I'm correct, I should save 1.13 mil under the cap, and have 60K of dead cap space this year and next year. Right?

When I cut him, I'm told that I will save 1.13 mil in costs this year, but it will reduce my cap figure by 740K. Then I'm told that his contract will count 60K this season, and 60K next season.

Why don't I save 1.13 mil? I'm still in free agency -- it's not like we've started training camp, or even the draft. And where does this 740K figure come from?

[FrogMan]

do you have more than 53 players on your lineup? If so, only the top 53 salaries count against the cap. that may be the reason...

FM

[Passacaglia]

Wow. I think that's it, FrogMan. Cutting Jeff Reed took me down to 53 players, and now, when I cut other players, everything looks right. I think you were right about that. I never knew only the top 53 salaries counted. Thanks!

[FrogMan]

here's how I can repeat this to make some sense (maybe more for me to understand it than anybody else ;) )

Say you have 54 players on your lineup, Reed being the 53rd highest salary, with his 1.13 mil, and your 54th being Joe Blow, with a cap salary of 390k.

Cutting Reed saves you 1.13 mil, but that would be with only 52 players. Add up the 53rd player, Joe Blow who wasn't counted toward the cap before cutting Reed, and his 390k, you have a net effect of cutting Reed that is now 740k, or something like that...

FM