Interesting Cap Casualty?

A few years back, James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley were a dynamic set of 3-4 OLBs. Harrison is now in Cincy and the Steelers might think about cutting Woodley. Steelers beat writer Ed Bouchette thinks that would be the prudent move.

If #Steelers want to save $ AND cap space, it makes more sense to release Woodley than to keep him. Here’s why

Woodley is due an $8 million salary in 2014, when he will count $13,590,000 on their salary cap, according to overthecap.com. He is signed through the 2016 season with salaries (and cap hits) of $8.5 million ($14.09M) in 2015 and $9 million ($11.99M) in 2016.

So, let’s say they would cut Woodley today. They would save all the salaries they owe him, including the $8 million this year. According to the league’s CBA rules, however, all of the pro-rated bonus money that has been spread out over the next three seasons would count this year.

If they cut Woodley today, he would count $14.17 million on their salary cap this year, nearly a wash for what he will count — $13.59 million — if you keep him. But by cutting him now, he is wiped off their books for 2015 and 2016 and for a team that many say is in salary-cap hell, that’s a significant cap savings — a total of $25.5 million (his salaries) in both real money and cap savings over three seasons with none of it counting after this one.

I was surprised to read that Woodley could be cut. That got me to check out his numbers. Woodley is a declining player. He has only totaled 9 sacks in the last 2 seasons. That’s not good for a 3-4 OLB that plays for the Steelers. Woodley is going to be 30 this year so that works against him as well.

If he does get cut, don’t assume the Eagles will have interest.