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Source: Mark Gaughan, The Buffalo News [ Full Article ]

The Buffalo Bills have not spent more than they were planning to spend thus far in free agency, but they're getting close to their spending limit.

The Bills currently are committed to spending about $103 million in real dollars in 2007, according to figures compiled by The Buffalo News. That's money the team will pay players in base salaries, signing bonuses and other roster bonuses this year.

The Bills' salary cap for 2007 is $112 million. The team has said it will not spend over the salary cap limit in real cash, even though it could do so under the NFL's salary cap accounting rules.

The $103 million does not count money the Bills will pay their draft choices, plus about $2 million in extra space they will need during the season in case of injuries. Nor does it count the money they will need to add a couple of veteran role players, such as a free agent running back. The rookies will cost $5 million or more, depending on how the Bills structure the contracts. So that brings the Bills very close to $112 million in cash payments.

Conclusion: The financial picture is even further evidence that a trade of linebacker Takeo Spikes is likely. Spikes is due to earn $4.6 million from the Bills this year, and thats space they probably want to use for several less expensive players.

The Bills have handed out a lot of money since the free agency season began.

The Bills' have committed to pay roughly $37 million in salary and bonuses in 2007 to the players they have signed. That's a lot more than many observers were expecting.

The Bills handed out an $8.1 million signing bonus to guard Derrick Dockery on a deal that will pay him an average of $7 million a year. Dockery will get $13.5 million this year, according to two league sources. Defensive end Chris Kelsay got an $8 million signing bonus, and its believed he will get $12 million total compensation this year. Tackle Langston Walker got a $5 million signing bonus. He also will get a $1 million base salary and a $1 million roster bonus for $7 million total this year. The Bills also committed money to guard Jason Whittle and four younger players Anthony Hargrove, Tim Anderson, Jabari Greer and Shaud Williams.

It has been a big financial outlay by owner Ralph C. Wilson Jr.

However, the Bills are not diverting from their relatively conservative fiscal plan, which is not to spend cash over the cap limit. It's not a new policy. It's one they have been committed to ever since they got out of cap trouble after the end of John Butler's tenure as general manager.

The Bills are not likely to finish among the top dozen or so in the NFL in actual spending this year.

The NFL cap system is structured so that it's easy for teams to spend more in a given year than the cap total. Take Walker's bonus, for instance. He got $5 million on a five-year deal, so for cap purposes the bonus counts $1 million per year. Add that to his base salary ($1 million) and the roster bonus he will get ($1 million) and he counts $3 million toward the Bills' cap this year, even though he's actually getting $7 million.

The Bills have plenty of room under the cap, according to the NFL's accounting method. They're at roughly $17 million under the cap, according to News estimates.

A high-revenue team such as Washington or New England in the same situation probably would not feel any financial pressure to move a player such as Spikes. It also might consider an early extension of a contract for a player whose deal runs out in 2008, two seasons down the road. The Bills probably aren't going to be in position to do something like that this offseason.

Teams do not reveal their official cap numbers. According to News calculations, the Bills have $47.4 million committed to the base salaries of their top 53 players this year, about $39 million committed to signing bonuses and about $16.7 million committed to other bonuses.

The signing bonuses do not only reflect money in contracts signed this year. Donte Whitner, for instance, got an $8.3 million bonus this month as part of his first-round rookie contract signed last summer.