The NFL released a generic statement about the confiscation of $36 million of the Washington Redskins’ salary cap, without actually using the words “Washington” or “Redskins.” 
“The Management Council Executive Committee determined that the contract practices of a small number of clubs during the 2010 league year created an unacceptable risk to future competitive balance, particularly in light of the relatively modest salary cap growth projected for the new agreement’s early years,” the NFL said in a statement.
“To remedy these effects and preserve competitive balance throughout the league, the parties to the CBA agreed to adjustments to team salary for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. These agreed-upon adjustments were structured in a manner that will not affect the salary cap or player spending on a league-wide basis.”
Meh, sounds like the 99 percent of OccupyNFL, for the sake of “competitive balance,” drop kicked the league’s two wealthiest teams for doing what no one else was aggressive enough to do.
Albert Breer’s story on NFL.com says the league’s competition committee warned teams that penalties would follow for engaging in the practices Washington followed. The Redskins pulled payment owed to Albert Haynesworth and DeAngelo Hall into ahead to 2010 as base salary. The no cap year let the Redskins escape the cap penalty that would otherwise have occurred. The value of the 2010 salaries was $36 million, the very amount of the league’s assessment.
The Cowboys were assessed $10 million for taking similar action with Miles Austin’s contract.
Both Haynesworth and Hall’s contracts were thought by football analyst at the time to be unwise. Fixing them were major goals of Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen. Until today, we applauded them for doing so.
Ease your mind on two points, Redskins fans.
The Redskins do have salary cap room. We just do not know how much yet. The NFL allows the team to spread the hit over two years to cushion the blow. The Redskins could push the entire amount into 2013, but that is unlikely. Who knows more about restructuring player contracts to find cap room than Mr. Snyder. (I can’t believe I just wrote that as a good thing.)
The league is not taking away Draft picks as it did to New England for videogate. The trade with the Rams for Robert Griffin III is safe.
Like trading up for RG3, maybe this is a price Shanallenhan had to pay to make the move they had to make. I can’t believe this development came as news to them today. They had to know it was coming.
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