Gunzlingr
07-15-2003, 08:16 AM
Floyd Reese, the general manager of the Tennessee Titans, is walking on a salary cap tightrope these days and he's in danger of falling off.
The Titans have had a good run the past four years, making the playoffs three times and the Super Bowl once, and appear to be in good shape for another playoff run this year.
Reese, though, knows that in the salary cap era, it's difficult to keep a run going for very long. The idea of a team of the decade seems passe. The trick now is to be a team for half a decade.
"Everybody forgets that the NFL is setup for everybody to go 8-8," he said. "It's impossible to continue (winning) for a real length of time. We're going into our fifth year. We hope we can do it for another couple of years. I don't see anybody going much longer than that."
Keeping it going next year will be a chore. The team already has a leaguehigh $102 million in contracts next season when the cap is likely to be around $80 million.
Three players, Kevin Carter, Steve McNair and Mark Brunell's old buddy, Samari Rolle, are down for $31 million. The top ten are due to get $68.4 million. It means the Titans will be doing some pruning
MORE (http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/071303/jag_13014030.shtml)
The Titans have had a good run the past four years, making the playoffs three times and the Super Bowl once, and appear to be in good shape for another playoff run this year.
Reese, though, knows that in the salary cap era, it's difficult to keep a run going for very long. The idea of a team of the decade seems passe. The trick now is to be a team for half a decade.
"Everybody forgets that the NFL is setup for everybody to go 8-8," he said. "It's impossible to continue (winning) for a real length of time. We're going into our fifth year. We hope we can do it for another couple of years. I don't see anybody going much longer than that."
Keeping it going next year will be a chore. The team already has a leaguehigh $102 million in contracts next season when the cap is likely to be around $80 million.
Three players, Kevin Carter, Steve McNair and Mark Brunell's old buddy, Samari Rolle, are down for $31 million. The top ten are due to get $68.4 million. It means the Titans will be doing some pruning
MORE (http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/071303/jag_13014030.shtml)