Proof NFL teams are getting more cap savvy

As has been expected for months, Trent Green was finally traded from the Chiefs to the Dolphins yesterday in a move eerily similar to the Steve McNair trade from last year, consummated almost exactly a year to the day. (McNair was dealt 6/7/2006, Trent Green 6/5/2007) The Chiefs (inexplicably) want to make way for 2006 3rd round pick Brodie Croyle; the Titans wanted to make way for 2006 3rd overall pick Vince Young. The Chiefs received a 2008 5th round pick that could upgrade to a 4th; the Titans received a 2007 4th round pick. The only difference is that the Dolphins will jettison Daunte Culpepper to make room while the Ravens had no backup QB in place at the time of the trade.

Both the Titans and Chiefs surprisingly held out for a slightly higher pick before finally accepting the trades, despite the fact that Green and McNair had debilitating base salaries. In the nascent days of the salary cap, players had years in their contracts with giant base salaries with the understanding that their contract would be renegotiated or they would be made a free agent at that point - an enormous base salary was a way to ensure that they wouldn't be given the franchise tag. (Like Stephen Davis's last deal with the Redskins) The Titans and Chiefs were able to absorb these players salaries and get a mid-round draft pick out of it.

In the future, agents will likely request February or March roster bonuses to force some action by the team early in free agency. Culpepper will likely hit free agency in the next few weeks with no starting job and few backup jobs available. If Culpepper, who acts as his own agent, had a March roster bonus in his contract he would have been able to explore free agency before the money and roster spots dried up.

On the flip side, the Arizona Cardinals are as inept as ever, although they are spending money. Traditionally among the lowest team salaries in the NFL, Arizona actually had to clear cap room in order to sign their rookies, cutting Kendrick Clancy and Milford Brown (both starters last season who figured to be backups this season) yesterday. The reason Arizona was up against the cap was because they are loathe to give large signing bonuses, preferring to give larger base salaries.