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Titans attempt to free cap room by restructuring McNair's contract
The Tennessee Titans have made an early offer to rework Steve McNair's contract and are waiting for a counter proposal from the quarterback and his agent.
A new deal would help lower McNair's salary cap number, which has been estimated at $14.5 million for 2006. General manager Floyd Reese said Monday a lower cap number would give the Titans more room to add help for a team that went 4-12 last season.
"We're of course prepared to live with that cap number. If that has to be the case and if we have to, we will. But we'd prefer to lower it," Reese told the Associated Press.
Agent Bus Cook did not return a message left by The Associated Press on Monday. But he told The Tennessean last week that McNair wants his full salary, which is scheduled for $9 million this season. The Titans face a $50 million option to extend his contract through 2009.
Agreeing on a new deal sooner would give the Titans more cap room to spend in free agency.
"We're kind of waiting on a counter from them," Reese said. "We're still way early in the negotiations. We're just getting started. It's just a matter of trying to find some common ground and going to work on that common ground."
McNair said at the end of the season that he's open to a deal for three or four years.
The Titans also have had preliminary talks with agents for defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, who's going to the Pro Bowl next week, and center Justin Hartwig, both unrestricted free agents. Reese said the talks with McNair won't affect Tennessee's ability to sign those players to new deals.
"That's the intention -- at least talking to their agents, it sounds like both would like to be back, and we'd like to have them both back," Reese said.
Source: AP
A new deal would help lower McNair's salary cap number, which has been estimated at $14.5 million for 2006. General manager Floyd Reese said Monday a lower cap number would give the Titans more room to add help for a team that went 4-12 last season.
"We're of course prepared to live with that cap number. If that has to be the case and if we have to, we will. But we'd prefer to lower it," Reese told the Associated Press.
Agent Bus Cook did not return a message left by The Associated Press on Monday. But he told The Tennessean last week that McNair wants his full salary, which is scheduled for $9 million this season. The Titans face a $50 million option to extend his contract through 2009.
Agreeing on a new deal sooner would give the Titans more cap room to spend in free agency.
"We're kind of waiting on a counter from them," Reese said. "We're still way early in the negotiations. We're just getting started. It's just a matter of trying to find some common ground and going to work on that common ground."
McNair said at the end of the season that he's open to a deal for three or four years.
The Titans also have had preliminary talks with agents for defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, who's going to the Pro Bowl next week, and center Justin Hartwig, both unrestricted free agents. Reese said the talks with McNair won't affect Tennessee's ability to sign those players to new deals.
"That's the intention -- at least talking to their agents, it sounds like both would like to be back, and we'd like to have them both back," Reese said.
Source: AP