how do the colts do it?

Tags last TV deal kept the whole thing from collapsing. Dolts were dirty dealing with backloaded contracts and the League - in a fit of sanity and fairness - called Indy on it.

If memory serves Poulan was exceeding the 25%, pretty sure that is the max, limit on base salary increases. Whatever it takes there ponie boy

 

Something isn't right about it. Ah well. It'll come out eventually. This is another episode of drug dealer buying 10 benzes with no other way of income. Someone's gonna get suspicious.

 

You can admit they cheat ....

 

Come on now, don't throw out the "C" word when it comes to MY ballclub! That's reserved for the Cheatriots.

A couple reasons why the Colts' roster has worked out so well:

1. Long-term contracts for guys that actually stick around long-term.

We've got all of our core players signed to 5+ year deals, and it just so happens that they have stayed healthy enough to actually PLAY during those long deals. Big Manning contracts have to be spread out over many, many years in order to not kill the cap.

2. Quality characters that re-structure every year.

When you've got a guy like Peyton, Marvin, Reggie, Freeney, ect. you can afford to pay them early or pay them for a job they have not yet completed because they are low-risk players. Peyton and Marvin will once again re-structure this year to add cap space. This will involve paying out some big chunks of cash to them NOW, but it will lessen their cap hit. You can't do that with guys that are high risk.

3. Placing the correct priorities on individual positions.

We've got QB, WR's, TE, DE, and one safety locked in for the long haul. This costs a lot of money to do, and it makes you take a risk with your LB's, CB's, RB's, and most of your O-line because those guys go in and out like a revolving door. We have to depend on our system to make the most out of any player in those spots. So far, it has generally worked, but we'll never have a stud linebacker as a result.

4. Luck or Coaching?

Gary Brackett, Kelvin Hayden, Eddie Johnson, Saturday, Lilja - they're all no-namers who have performed at Pro Bowl levels for us. I'd be willing to bet that a lot of our no-namer, non-drafted average Joes who won a Super Bowl at Indy wouldn't be worth a crap for most other teams. Look at Dominic Rhodes! But when you put them on the Colts, with our system and our stars at the core positions, they seem to become superman. Could be luck, could be coaching, could be both.

 

Nice breakdown Swing.

I don't see any proof or evidence that the Colts cheated on the salary cap.

The one thing I'd like to add is timing. I'm not sure if the Colts knew the cap was possibly going to increase or if it was luck, but if team schedules their biggest cap hits to come when the salary cap has a chance to increase, then that is just good salary cap management.

 

Thanks.

I just want to add that what you're seeing right now with Dallas Clark and Lilja is exactly why the Colts are a perennial powerhouse. Neither of these 2 have ever been to a Pro Bowl. They're not "Stars," but they are essential pieces of our puzzle. If Polian is right about them, then in a couple years maybe they're both obvious Pro Bowlers, and everyone else will say, "How the heck do the Colts do it?"

We signed most of these guys long-term before they were well known stars. Even Reggie Wayne had never been to a Pro Bowl when we penciled him in for a 7-year, bajillion dollar contract. Again, it looks like luck.

 

Nobody cares about those guys. Saturday and Brackett are good, but eh.

 

Thats the whole point he was making though... nobody cares about them, yet they are essential components of our victories.

 

A lot of it is the timing of their contracts. Manning had the biggest QB contract, yet he has been making $1 million a year in base salary... until this upcoming season. This upcoming season, he will account for over $18 million against their cap. Also, they look to be in a bit of trouble this upcoming season, unless you consider they don't intend on having Harrison and McFarland around. Harrison's (possible retirement) and McFarland's release will save them enough cap to get them by. They've got by so far through good coaching. Some would like to say good drafting, but I say bull****. Almost every player is the product of a system. The players that aren't are Manning, and Bob Sanders. The systems are built around them. They have had numerous cap casualties, but they keep their core. It might catch up with them, it might not. Personally, I think we'll be playing under a new CBA in the '09-'10 season. With each new mention of "lock out", that's the best we can hope for.