CP24

The Buccaneers have only had four of the top 25 payed players since 2000 using the formula crediting signing bonuses as one payment as they are received. Those players were Mike Alstott, Warren Sapp, Brad Johnson, and Gaines Adams. The top payed player on this list is Gaines Adams who makes more this year then everyone else in the league besides Dwight Freeney, Marc Bulger, and Leonard Davis according to USA Today's database.

The truth is, the Buccaneers during this period have not had many of the leagues top cap killer contracts. Take for example the 2001 top 25 against the cap which is topped by Marc Brunell at $11.35 Million. Warren Sapp was our highest cap figure at $5.93 Million which was almost equal to Ryan Leaf's dead cap money.

The NFL salary cap was first instituted in 1994 with a $34.6 Million cap figure put in place to promote perity around the league. Because of continued increases in the salary cap leading into 2008 the Buccaneers along with most other teams have been able to create a bounty of loot available next year which will cause many high end free agents to be re-signed by their current team. In order to sign free agents next year teams will be forced to hand out record deals to sway players from changing teams.

Since 2000 the salary cap has increased as follows:

2000-$62.172 Million
2001-$67.4 Million
2002-$71.1 Million
2003-$75.007 Million
2004-$80.582 Million
2005-$85.5 Million
2006-$102 Million
2007-$109 Million

For five years from 2000 to 2004 the cap increased by $18.41 Million. From 2000 to our Super Bowl season in 2002 the salary cap went up $8.928 Million. From 2005 to this season the cap has gone up $23.5 Million. The biggest increases so far coming under the new collective bargaining agreement the cap increased $16.5 Million this season and next season will increase approximately $7 Million to around $116 Million which will be equal to a 36% increase in the first three years since the signing of the new CBA.

Here's a scary thought for you to consider. If a high profile free agent like Randy Moss were to decide to sign with another team, his best team to sign with to win a title and receive a lucrative contract would most likely be in Dallas, where they now reportedly have $20.61 in projected cap space and have most of their star players including Romo and T.O. signed at least through the end of 2008.

So if you are one of the people who likes to disrespect our past successed by "blaming" that success on cap figures or lack of cap space, maybe you should look at the reality and start giving credit where credit is due. Not only to the people who helped us become a great franchise, but to the league for giving us the newly found cap space. The problem, as I've stated, is that with most teams having cap space it's not going to be as easy as you think to load up on veteran stars any time soon.

PewterKrew

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