texan279
Hall of Fame
I don't have a link for this, I got it off of the Jags MB....
The Titans appear to be on the verge of a major personnel overhaul this offseason, ready and willing to dump several key veterans as many, perhaps, as seven starters from last season because of their high salaries and the teams tough salary-cap situation.
According to various reports, the team will be about $23 million over the cap next season, and the Titans salary purge could mirror what the Ravens did in 2002, one season after winning the Super Bowl. The Titans, of course, have fallen short in recent years, losing the Super Bowl following the 1999 season, falling to the eventual-champion Patriots in the playoffs last season and plummeting to a 5-11 record in 2004 amid major losses because of injury.
The team now is paying for its overspending the past few years, and several veterans could be in serious danger. Among them: WR Derrick Mason, CB Samari Rolle, DT Kevin Carter, FS Lance Schulters and both starting offensive tackles, Brad Hopkins and Brad Miller. Even PK Joe Nedney could be cut.
The most unwieldy contract numbers belong to Carter ($13.97 million), Rolle ($9.81 million), Miller ($9.32 million) and Hopkins ($8.11 million). Sources close to the team say Hopkins could stay put under a reworked deal. The team would love to bring back Mason, a favorite of the organization, but not likely at his $6.65 million figure. Veterans such as Mason and ORG Benji Olson ($4.86 million cap number) could be approached to take a pay cut, but Mason and Rolle have balked at such moves in the past.
Then theres the situation with QB Steve McNair, whos due to count $12.63 million against next years cap. McNair injured his sternum for the second time in his career last season and openly pondered retirement. Titans GM Floyd Reese told PFW last month that the team will let McNair be for the time being and allow him the space to make a decision on whether to return or retire. And though sources feel McNair will not walk away just yet, the longer the team is in limbo over his future, the harder it will be to keep the higher-priced veterans around and carve out a long-term plan. There are some who feel the teams roster purge might lead McNair to retire instead of leading a rebuilding charge.
Adding insult to injury, offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger perhaps sensing the sinking ship took more money to accept a similar position with the Jets. There was talk that defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who interviewed for the 49ers head-coaching job, could find another job elsewhere, but sources tell PFW he will stay put.
In a recent Q&A with The Tennessean, Reese admitted his team was handcuffed financially: Really, for about the past four years weve been through the same process of trying to decide. ... There is a time, and we talk about this, when we are going to have to pay for all of this.
We are overspending. Everybody knows it. Everybody understands. They know why we are doing it, and the reality is at some point and time we are going to have to pay for it. The process is the same. At some point and time we put all of this into a formula and say, When is it not profitable? When is it not smart? When we finally decide we've had enough, then it is time to get the cap right and do it as quick as possible and go on.
The Titans will pick sixth overall in this Aprils draft. Last years No. 6 pick, Kellen Winslow, earned a six-year, $40 million deal that included a $16.5 million bonus.
The Titans appear to be on the verge of a major personnel overhaul this offseason, ready and willing to dump several key veterans as many, perhaps, as seven starters from last season because of their high salaries and the teams tough salary-cap situation.
According to various reports, the team will be about $23 million over the cap next season, and the Titans salary purge could mirror what the Ravens did in 2002, one season after winning the Super Bowl. The Titans, of course, have fallen short in recent years, losing the Super Bowl following the 1999 season, falling to the eventual-champion Patriots in the playoffs last season and plummeting to a 5-11 record in 2004 amid major losses because of injury.
The team now is paying for its overspending the past few years, and several veterans could be in serious danger. Among them: WR Derrick Mason, CB Samari Rolle, DT Kevin Carter, FS Lance Schulters and both starting offensive tackles, Brad Hopkins and Brad Miller. Even PK Joe Nedney could be cut.
The most unwieldy contract numbers belong to Carter ($13.97 million), Rolle ($9.81 million), Miller ($9.32 million) and Hopkins ($8.11 million). Sources close to the team say Hopkins could stay put under a reworked deal. The team would love to bring back Mason, a favorite of the organization, but not likely at his $6.65 million figure. Veterans such as Mason and ORG Benji Olson ($4.86 million cap number) could be approached to take a pay cut, but Mason and Rolle have balked at such moves in the past.
Then theres the situation with QB Steve McNair, whos due to count $12.63 million against next years cap. McNair injured his sternum for the second time in his career last season and openly pondered retirement. Titans GM Floyd Reese told PFW last month that the team will let McNair be for the time being and allow him the space to make a decision on whether to return or retire. And though sources feel McNair will not walk away just yet, the longer the team is in limbo over his future, the harder it will be to keep the higher-priced veterans around and carve out a long-term plan. There are some who feel the teams roster purge might lead McNair to retire instead of leading a rebuilding charge.
Adding insult to injury, offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger perhaps sensing the sinking ship took more money to accept a similar position with the Jets. There was talk that defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, who interviewed for the 49ers head-coaching job, could find another job elsewhere, but sources tell PFW he will stay put.
In a recent Q&A with The Tennessean, Reese admitted his team was handcuffed financially: Really, for about the past four years weve been through the same process of trying to decide. ... There is a time, and we talk about this, when we are going to have to pay for all of this.
We are overspending. Everybody knows it. Everybody understands. They know why we are doing it, and the reality is at some point and time we are going to have to pay for it. The process is the same. At some point and time we put all of this into a formula and say, When is it not profitable? When is it not smart? When we finally decide we've had enough, then it is time to get the cap right and do it as quick as possible and go on.
The Titans will pick sixth overall in this Aprils draft. Last years No. 6 pick, Kellen Winslow, earned a six-year, $40 million deal that included a $16.5 million bonus.
With the ebb and flow of the NFL these days with success comes paying your players . You ride that wave as long as you can come to shore wash the sand off and go back and try to catch another. Thats what makes the draft fun . You try to guess which players will be the missing links to the puzzle .
thats kinda funny. The titans will no doubt be kissing our butts come next season !