Disappearance of salary cap has had little effect on free agency

Business as usual in NFL free agency

NEW YORK — Business as usual.

The absence of a salary cap has caused little change in how NFL teams approach the early stages of free agency.

There still has been a spending spree, highlighted by the $42 million guaranteed the Chicago Bears gave defensive end Julius Peppers on the first day he became unrestricted. And, as always, backup quarterbacks have been on the move, following a money trail that led David Carr to San Francisco, A.J. Feeley to St. Louis and Jim Sorgi to the New York Giants.

Solid starters such as cornerback Dunta Robinson and defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch are landing solid deals. Proven veterans, even those coming off injuries such as DE Aaron Kampman and DT Jamal Williams, are getting lucrative contracts.

But the baseball-style bidding wars and stratospheric salaries some predicted simply haven’t occurred.

“I see contracts being done as if there is a cap,” says player agent Peter Schaffer, who represents Joshua Cribbs, Joe Thomas and Larry Johnson, among others. Schaffer just worked out a restructured deal with the Browns for Cribbs, who went from a six-year, $6.67 million contract to receiving $7.5 million in guaranteed money and could earn as much as $20 million by meeting incentives. Such an agreement would have looked the same in previous years.

“I see two things at work here. Instead of signing bonuses, teams are giving a roster bonus and when they kick in those bonuses under a salary cap, there will be no proration and their cap number won’t be threatened. And I see teams preparing for a cap in the next CBA.”

The current contract between the NFL and the players association expires after next season; there is no set date, although the league’s business year normally begins in early March. When the owners opted out of the 2006 agreement two years ago, it meant not reaching a new deal before this month would trigger an uncapped season.

Aside from Peppers, there have been no astonishing eye-openers. Yes, Detroit gave Nate Burleson, normally a No. 2 or No. 3 receiver, $10 million guaranteed as part of a $25 million, five-year deal. Nice money for a second banana to Calvin Johnson, but not outrageous compared to deals for wideouts in recent years.

And Karlos Dansby, probably the top talent in this diluted crop, received $43 million in a five-year deal that nets him $22 million guaranteed; Dansby gets $27 million over the next three years.

Again, hardly outrageous for a playmaking 28-year-old linebacker in his prime.

“Free agency gives a team a chance to go to their fans and say, ‘We stockpiled players and we’re doing all we can to put a winning team on the field. Come support us, we might go to the playoffs.’ Every team can legitimately say that,” Schaffer said. “But the reality in terms of the cap and contract negotiations is teams are spending to a budget whether there’s a cap or not.”

What has changed, of course, is just who is available and the length of contracts being offered. Under the uncapped system, it takes six years in the NFL to become an unrestricted free agent rather than four. That left 212 players who would require compensation if they signed with another team, a market that has been virtually untapped so far.

The attractiveness of such players as Houston linebacker DeMeco Ryans, San Diego receiver Vincent Jackson and New Orleans guard Jahri Evans is unquestioned if they are completely free. They’re not, and they aren’t seeing any windfall.

“So many players have been taken off the market because of the extra years added to free agency,” said Ralph Cindrich, agent for the Steelers’ James Farrior, the Giants’ Steve Smth and the Colts’ Jeff Saturday among others. “There are less players available than last year and years before because of it.”

Many of the contracts are front-loaded so teams aren’t penalized down the road if a salary cap is included in a new CBA — something considered likely.

“It seems throughout the league that they’re all doing the same thing — it feels like we’re the NFL version of the Stepford Wives; all the teams are going with one year deals. Maybe it will open up.”

Tom Condon, who along with partner Ben Dogra represents Ryans, Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, Jets receiver Braylon Edwards and several other prime restricted free agents, thinks the market could open up in April.

“For the restricted guys, we’ve not seen anything so far,” Condon said. “Nevertheless, potentially as we get closer to the draft maybe some of the final eight teams who are picking very late may see value in these guys, regardless if it’s a first- or second- or third-rounder they have to give up (as compensation).

“There’s absolutely no question that there are a lot of players who are in their prime and they got restricted, and right now it doesn’t look they are going to move. We should know more closer to the draft.”