Oliver Ross in the house!!

[SECTION 11]

Ross & Berry have a great deal in common. Neither was highly thought of when they first hit the league. Both got caught and both developed solid careers with another team. The hope is that Ross can continue the trend and become even a better player for the Cards, as Berry did. Ross is proof what good coaching can do. Ross got his best Pitt opportunity after illness and injury devastated the Steelers line in 2003. He and Todd Fordham split time at tackle. Neither was a force, but Oliver was enough better to get the nod as the starter in 2004. He started all 16 games and improved steadily as the season went on. He has good, though not great footwork. He blocks adequately enough in space to make some second level blocks. He displays improving technique in pass coverage, really getting much better in 2004 at using his hands to gain leverage. He is a more physical player than either Clement or Shelton. In an ideal world, I would like him better at guard, but he is a definite upgrade over what the Cards had.

Harry rocks.

 

[DieHardFromMO]

I dont think so. Bonus money is spread out over the 5 year contract. His total cap hit will be 6.3 this year according to the article. He probably has a high base salary his first year to go along with the spread out signing bonus.

Or we may have done what the Vikings did with Winfield last year. His 12 mill gauranteed money was really a roster bonus not a signing bonus so all of that counted towards the cap the first year, he counted something like 15 mill against the cap that year but it also means they didnt have to spread out his signing bonus over the life of the contract and he is now only counting his base salary against the cap every year afterwards. If you have the cap room this is the smart way to go, becuase it makes your cap in later years that much better becuase the all of the bonus was already paid against the cap.

Here is an example with Ross.

2005 - 5 mill roster bonus + 1.3 base salary = 6.3 cap hit.
2006 through 2009 - 2.8 base salary = 2.8 cap hit.

I have twisted my brain on this one, the article says he will earn 6.3 million in 2005, it doesn't say that is his cap hit. I think my original guess is correct with a signing bonus of $3.5 million and flat salaries of $2.8million per year with a cap hit of $3.5million per season.

 

[kerouac9]

Can we really trust the opinion of a scouting report that has him as a gaurd. When he played nothing but Tackle last year, and mostly Tackle the year before.

It's just an opinion. I have no idea about the guy. Hopefully he picked up some stuff playing with Alan Faneca.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Offensive tackles

Featured attraction: Oliver Ross, Steelers. With Walter Jones re-signed and Orlando Pace a virtual lock to return to the Rams, Ross is a less-than-thrilling top option at right tackle, but he is a solid perimeter run blocker.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/3426448

Now if we can lock up Warner and another guard, with Mili added we can focus on the draft to fill the RB hole, and have plenty of money to spend on the defense. Great signing, and relatively cheap for a tackle.

 

[joeshmo]

It's just an opinion. I have no idea about the guy. Hopefully he picked up some stuff playing with Alan Faneca.

I know its an opinion and Scouts inc is pretty good about stuff like this but a few question marks get raised when they have him on the gaurd list, thats all.

 

[Twist18]

Lets sign OG Kendrick Vincent and just take the right side of the Steeler line.

 

[WildBB]

Lets sign OG Kendrick Vincent and just take the right side of the Steeler line.

Sounds like a plan.

 

[kerouac9]

I know its an opinion and Scouts inc is pretty good about stuff like this but a few question marks get raised when they have him on the gaurd list, thats all.

Yeah, I don't know. I wonder if maybe he was listed with the NFLPA as a guard, maybe. But then I checked NFL.com, and with the NFLPA, and they had him listed as a tackle. I have no idea.

 

[ThunderCard]

Lets sign OG Kendrick Vincent and just take the right side of the Steeler line.

I would be happy. Talk about instant chemistry

 

[Twist18]

Talk about some wimpering LDT and LDE's. Vincent is an absolute road grader.

 

[MadCardDisease]

Yeah, I don't know. I wonder if maybe he was listed with the NFLPA as a guard, maybe. But then I checked NFL.com, and with the NFLPA, and they had him listed as a tackle. I have no idea.

He has played both positions. Which is another plus.

 

[BigRedArk]

He sounds like a young 31 though. He virtually played no games for the enitire 1999 and 2000 seasons acording to his Bio.

 

[freebyrd]

i like the idea of signing his buddy as well, hope we can pull that off, what kind of money is he asking for ya think?
freebyrd

 

[Scott MS]

Great signing, now sign 5 more guys like this -- including Warner.

 

[MadCardDisease]

Maybe he can convince his old teammate Vincent to join us also!

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Ross
????
Step
Wells
Davis



5 Yrs!
That is sweet!

 

[Shane]

6.3 million sure does eat up one helluva lot a room on our cap this season! I dont see us signing 6 solid FAs at that rate.

I wish it could have been for less money like in the 4 million range but oh what the hell good signing IMO!

 

[azdad1978]

Its about time. We finally sign somebody!

 

[jefftheshark]

The article states that he will earn $6.3M this year. I'm not sure that means his cap hit will be 6.3, as his signing bonus is generally split up over the contract, right?

The Shark

 

[Shane]

The article states that he will earn $6.3M this year. I'm not sure that means his cap hit will be 6.3, as his signing bonus is generally split up over the contract, right?

The Shark

It doesnt mtter how long the bonus is split up. If its 6.3 million this year then every dime of that is on the salary cap.

I wanna know where the scratch is gonna come from to sign 5 more good ones.

 

[joeshmo]

It doesnt mtter how long the bonus is split up. If its 6.3 million this year then every dime of that is on the salary cap.

I wanna know where the scratch is gonna come from to sign 5 more good ones.

The trading or release of Clement, Thompson, Shelton, Shaun King will more then do it. We get 3 mill alone for letting Shelton go.

We just happened to give Ross a front loaded contract, others will get back loaded or more straight line deal.

 

[WildBB]

The trading or release of Clement, Thompson, Shelton, Shaun King will more then do it. We get 3 mill alone for letting Shelton go.

We just happened to give Ross a front loaded contract, others will get back loaded or more straight line deal.

Yea that was the most important signing for us this FA season (RT). We needed that one badly. Now the others can fall into line. CB, OG, QB , DT?, LB depth, TE.

 

[ajcardfan]

Guys, there's no way in hell his cap hit is 6.3 million this season. DieHard got it right. He's making that much this year with the bonus. His cap hit is 17.5/5 = 3.5 million. That is probably right about the average, league wide, for a starting RT.

 

[jefftheshark]

It doesnt mtter how long the bonus is split up. If its 6.3 million this year then every dime of that is on the salary cap.

I wanna know where the scratch is gonna come from to sign 5 more good ones.

Direct quote from the ESPN link on the first page of this thread:

"Ross will sign a five-year, $17.5 million deal. Between the signing bonus and base salary, he will earn $6.3 million in 2005."

See "Question 1.7e" in the following link that states that the signing bonus is prorated over the length of the contract, which in this case is five years.

http://www.askthecommish.com/salarycap/faq.asp

Unless the signing bonus was $1 the entire $6.3 he earns will not hit the 2005 cap.

The Shark

 

[CardinalChris]

Was it just me or was that scouting raport all puppies, bunnies and flowers, then in the middle the sky got overcast and Satan himself was playing football. Were they talking about the same player, or did the lithuim run out?