Salary cap pressures not as tough this year
February 25, 2003
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
A year ago, the 49ers' salary-cap position looked much like it does today. The only difference is that there were more players they were determined to retain in free agency.
The 49ers had four prominent starters enter free agency a year ago and managed to keep all but safety Lance Schulters, who the team replaced with Tony Parrish.
The only starter who is scheduled for unrestricted free agency this year is defensive end Chike Okeafor.
"It's a little easier because we're not as far over the cap," 49ers general manager Terry Donahue said. "We've been working on it longer, so I don't think anyone in the building is too worried."
The 49ers have started restructuring contracts to get beneath the $74.8 million salary cap. The team must cut more than $5 million in cap costs by the Thursday deadline. The free-agent signing period begins Friday.
The two main sources of creating cap room are releasing players and restructuring contracts.
The 49ers recently saved approximately $800,000 with new deals for safety Zack Bronson and fullback Fred Beasley.
Bronson, who was scheduled to earn $1.225 million in base pay accepted $695,000 in up-front money with a $530,000 base salary.
Beasley saw his $950,000 base contract split up into a $420,000 signing bonus and a $530,000 base salary for 2003.
The team will have to clear additional cap room to offer tenders to their coveted restricted free agents, as well as make a run at Okeafor, who ranked second on the team last season with six sacks.
The 49ers received good news recently with the word from the NFL that receiver Tai Streets is a restricted free agent. The 49ers had thought through all of last season that Streets would be unrestricted.
Streets will likely be tendered a one-year deal at $1.318 million.
The 49ers would own the right to match any offer and they would receive a first-round draft pick as compensation if they declined to match.
The other notable restricted free agent is backup quarterback Tim Rattay. If the 49ers tender him at $605,000, they run the risk of losing him because the price of compensation would be only a seventh-round draft pick.
Over the course of the next few days, the 49ers plan to restructure the contracts of several players. The most likely candidates are offensive linemen Derrick Deese, Scott Gragg, Ron Stone and Jeremy Newberry, linebacker Derek Smith and safety Parrish.
The 49ers do not want to restructure the contracts of defensive tackle Bryant Young, quarterback Jeff Garcia and receiver Terrell Owens because they don't want to worsen the eventual cap hit they must absorb when those players are finished playing for the 49ers.
Donahue said he would like to work out a long-term contract with Owens. His current deal is set to expire after next season. Donahue said those negotiations will happen "much later" in the offseason.
It is uncertain what the 49ers plan to do with running back Garrison Hearst. New coach Dennis Erickson has an affinity for one-back sets and the 49ers might feel that the time is right to make the transition to two-year veteran Kevan Barlow. Hearst is scheduled to earn $2.2 million in base salary.
Offensive lineman Dave Fiore, who finished the season on injured reserve, is due a $500,000 roster bonus on Friday as part of his $2.5 million salary. Defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield is scheduled to make $2.325 million.
Erickson apparently is going to keep a low profile during free agency, as he has spent most of the nearly two weeks on the job trying to round out his coaching staff. Erickson has looked at very little 49ers game film from last season, Donahue said.
On Monday, the 49ers announced receivers coach Eric Yarber and special-teams coordinator Larry Mac Duff had been hired. The only vacancy on the coaching staff is at defensive line.
Yarber, 38, who played four NFL seasons and was a member of the 1988 Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins, spent four seasons under Erickson at Oregon State. Yarber was also the offensive quality control coach for Erickson's Seattle Seahawks in 1998.
Mac Duff, 54, served as the University of Arizona's defensive coordinator in two stints from 1987-96 and 2001-02. From '97-2000, Mac Duff coached special teams with the New York Giants.
Tell us what you think on the new 49ers Clubhouse message board.
