Bucs find way to get cap room
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Rendered all but helpless on the opening day because of a salary cap squeeze, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have carved out some spending room by extending the contract of star weakside linebacker Derrick Brooks for three more seasons. Discussions with Brooks and agent Roosevelt Barnes have been going on for several weeks as Tampa Bay officials eyed a disadvantageous cap situation, and the two sides were finally able to reach an accord that freed up about $3.75 million of cap space. The seven-time Pro Bowl performer will essentially earn the same $5.5 million that he was scheduled to make in 2004, but it will be distributed differently. The Bucs reduced Brooks’ base salary to $1 million and then guaranteed the difference, $4.5 million, in a signing bonus. The maneuver means that Brooks’ cap charge for 2005 and 2006 will be increased, by roughly $700,000 each season, and the Bucs also added $750,000 to his scheduled base salary for 2006. That likely means the Bucs and Brooks will be forced to restructure again next spring, when the veteran linebacker will carry a cap charge of $9.657 million. In addition, the team added three more seasons, binding Brooks to the team through the 2009 campaign. The base salaries for those three seasons are $10 million (for 2007), $11 million (2008) and $12 million (2009). Tampa Bay officials still are hoping that a few more veterans, like defensive end Simeon Rice and cornerback Ronde Barber, will agree to restructure their current contracts and help create further spending room. More : sports.espn.go.com |