Now, many of you have asked about Carr's contract. In March, the Texans gave him $8 million to secure him for three more years: 2006, 2007 and 2008. They were extremely shrewd go exercise the option before the deadline so they could take a $2 million cap hit off the prorated portion of the bonus. That means the bonus is prorated at $2 million in 2006, $2 million 2007 and $2 million in 2008.
Teams don't have to wait until June 1 to get the June 1 benefits of the salary cap. They can't trade or waive two players before June 1 and still get the benefit. The rules say that if you get rid of a player before June 1, everything left on his cap, including the prorated signing bonus, comes out of this year's cap. If you wait until after June 1, only the 2006 portion counts against this year's cap and everything else rolls into the next year.
That means that if the Texans trade Carr, he'll count $7.25 million under this fiscal year's cap -- $5.25 million base and the $2 million prorated bonus. The rest of what he's owed would come out of next year's cap.