Steelers restructure LB Vince Williams' deal to create cap space
The Pittsburgh Steelers have started restructuring contracts in order to create salary cap room for 2019, and NFL Network reported that linebacker Vince Williams recently had his deal altered.
Williams helped the Steelers create almost $2.9 million in cap room by having his base salary reduced to $805,000 and having a roster bonus and almost $4.3 million in salary converted into a signing bonus.
Because of the restructuring, the Steelers are $7.2 million under the salary cap, according to spotrac.com. That figure apparently does not include the salary to inside linebacker Mark Barron, who signed a two-year, $12 million contract over the weekend.
The Steelers will need to clear more cap room because they will need $8.15 million to sign their 10 draft picks.
Also, wide receiver Donte Moncrief’s contract is worth $9 million over two seasons. He received a $3.5 million signing bonus and will have a $1.5 million base salary in 2019. Moncrief will earn $3.5 million with a $500,000 roster bonus in 2020.
When the Barron signing becomes official, the Steelers could counter it by releasing safety Morgan Burnett. That move would save $3.6 million on the salary cap.
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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