Rams make moves to comply with cap
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11344/rams-make-moves-to-comply-with-cap
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- In an effort to become salary-cap compliant as the first week of the regular season begins, the St. Louis Rams made a couple of contract tweaks this week in order to clear more than $2 million in cap space.
Defensive end Chris Long and wide receiver Austin Pettis are the two players who reconfigured some things in their deal to provide the relief. Long, who has regularly been flexible with his willingness to restructure, had $3 million of his guaranteed base salary for this season converted into signing bonus, which means that $3 million is paid immediately but will be prorated at a tag of $1 million over the next three seasons on the salary cap.
In addition, the Rams converted $1 million of Long's 2015 base salary into a roster bonus the team will pay on the third day of the next league year. That brings Long's total of roster bonuses due early next year to $3 million.
Long's restructured deal saves the Rams an even $2 million on this year's cap but adds that guaranteed $1 million cap charge over the next couple of seasons. This is the third time since signing a lucrative four-year contract extension in 2012 that Long's deal has been reconfigured, each time in an effort to clear some salary cap space.
For 2014, Long's salary cap hit now checks in at $12,905,600 with a cash payout of $13,405,600, nearly all of which is guaranteed.
With only this season left on his deal, Pettis re-did his deal to help the Rams shave even more money from the cap. Pettis took a pay cut that lowered his 2014 salary to $700,000 and includes a $250,000 signing bonus. Pettis was originally slated to make $1.431 million. The move saves the Rams $481,000.
Before the moves, ESPN Stats & Information had the Rams fitting about as snugly as possible to the salary cap with less than $200,000 in available space. Now the team has a little room to breathe and cover the expense of the 10-man practice squad as well as fill any holes that might be created by injury.
