NFL Spanks Redskins/Cowboys – Miami Get’s Another 1.6 Mill

Amazing what can happen when you step away from the computer for a couple of hours to pick up the kid and feed him.  For hours I sat here glued to the monitor for any news that really was no news about you know, that dude Manning.  I made a few calls, checked with a few of those “sources” I spoke of earlier and then jetted off for a couple of hours to get my eyesight back.  If only I had waited.

O.k, if I had waited my son would still be sitting at school waiting for me and he would be hungry.  You gotta do what ya gotta do.

Needless to say I was surprised when I got home and saw all the chatter about the Cowboys and Redskins getting slapped around by the NFL.  Apparently teams were told not to dump salaries during the uncapped 2010 season.  Most complied with that order.   Four that we know of for sure did not.

Dallas who was standing on a 5 million dollar cap space structure is now in the hole after getting fined 10 million in cap space for their indiscretions.  The Washington Redskins who made a massive and bold move to move up to number 2 where they will land either Andrew Luck or RGIII came into the week with around 31 million in cap space.  Today they end Monday with a 36 million dollar slap to the chin and a 5 million dollar hole that they have to dig out of.

Both teams can spread the cap hit over this season and next in any way they see fit but they have to make a decision fast as both teams must be in compliance with the salary cap tomorrow at 4:00 eastern.  The Redskins who had a plethora of funds are now looking at a 5 million dollar overage if they choose to take the hit this year in full.  Immediately following the NFL’s ruling, the Skins parted ways with FS O.J. Atogwe and FB Mike Sellers.  The smack by the NFL puts a huge damper on their expected run at WR Vincent Jackson tomorrow afternoon.

In addition to the Skins and Boyz, the Saints and Raiders were also found guilty of dumping salaries in 2010 but their infractions were deemed to be negligible.  The NFL decided that neither team would receive the 1.6 million dollar salary cap increase that the rest of the NFL received from the cap hits that the Cowboys and Redskins took.  The Dolphins are one of those teams apparently who followed the rules and as a result will now have another 1.6 million to spend bringing their cap space to around 15-16 million.

All this at a time that Miami is looking to make more room for Peyton Manning who will visit with Dolphins HC Joe Philbin later this evening…without Stephen Ross.