NFL Salary-cap savvy 49ers go about business wisely

Money management has the team poised to retain their elite status.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
When the 2001 NFL season began, Terry Donahue had no idea just how well the overhauled San Francisco 49ers would play.
What the 49ers general manager did know was that, because the team was loaded with youth, trimming payroll to meet the 2002 salary cap would not be as difficult a chore as in recent seasons.
So, the 49ers surprised many with their 12-4 record that earned the franchise its first playoff berth in three years.
Not strapped: Unlike some NFL teams that soar to the top then quickly self-destruct by cutting expensive players (see the 2002 Baltimore Ravens), wise salary cap managing has the 49ers poised to retain their elite status. At present, there aren't that many huge contracts on the San Francisco payroll eating up future cap space.
In the past three off-seasons, the San Francisco franchise, owned by John and Denise DeBartolo York of Canfield, had to trim as much as $30 million in payroll to comply with the NFL salary cap.
Those days are over.
In January, when the NFL set the 2002 salary at $71.1 million, the mission of Dominic Corsell, the 49ers' salary cap coordinator, was to eliminate just $3 million by March 1.
To outsiders, Corsell's task seemed a breeze, especially after having to trim $19 million in 2000 and $12 million last year.
The Youngstown State University graduate disagreed.
"When you compare what we had to go through before to trimming $3 million, I know that it sounds easy," Corsell said in a telephone interview from the 49ers' headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif. "It wasn't because this time we had a lot of good young players that we don't want to lose."
Tinier target: Unlike the past three seasons when Corsell could recommend dozens of expensive veteran contracts that could be targeted, this year's team "only had about eight players making enough of a salary to be worth restructuring," Corsell said.
"What we do is group the players most conducive to conversion," Corsell said. "Some may be players in line to have salaries reduced and some might be players targeted to be released."
Corsell and John McVay, the 49ers' director of football operations, went to work on the contracts of defensive tackle Junior Bryant, tackle Derrick Deese, guard Dave Fiore, tackle Scott Gragg, linebacker Derek Smith, defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield and defensive tackle Bryant Young.
New deals with those seven shaved more than $4 million off the 49ers' 2002 budget.
"We received great cooperation from our seven guys," Donahue said. "Once again, John McVay and Dominic Corsell have worked hard to get this done."
Another $1 million was saved by releasing tight end Greg Clark, who missed the 2001 season with an injury.
Where cap managing becomes tricky is when teams overload on signing bonuses that eventually must be paid off.
Payroll strained: In the 49ers' case, many signing bonuses were doled out from 1994-98. When the team was $30 million over the salary cap in January 1999, the 49ers had to release the highest-paid veterans to create cap space.
To free up money for pursuing free agents, the 49ers needed more room. That led Corsell, McVay and Donahue to their biggest challenge of the off-season -- restructuring the contract of star quarterback Jeff Garcia.
In just his third NFL season, the 31-year-old Garcia enjoyed his second Pro Bowl season, finishing behind only the Rams' Kurt Warner and the Raiders' Rich Gannon in the passer ratings.
Garcia joined the NFL in 1999 after five seasons with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League. He became the 49ers starter that fall when Steve Young's career ended with a midseason concussion.
Following his first Pro Bowl season in 2000 when he started all 16 games in a 6-10 season, Garcia signed what Corsell called "a moderate level quarterback contract" loaded with performance incentives.
Garcia's strong season (316-of-504 passes, 3,538 yards, 32 touchdowns, 12 interceptions) put him in position for a huge pay increase.
Move benefited both: "By leading us to the playoffs, Jeff's contract was due to escalate," Corsell said. "Based on his performance, he maxed out on everything last year. Restructuring and extending his contract was best for both parties. He earned it."
On Feb. 28, the 49ers announced a restructured deal that freed up approximately $3.5 million and still made Garcia one of the NFL's highest paid quarterbacks.
Under the old contract which ran through 2006, Garcia was to receive a base salary of $4.5 million for the 2002 season. Corsell said the cap value of that pact was $6.086 million and the years 2005 and 2006 were voidable by the team.
The new deal changed his 2002 salary into a base of $450,000 with a $4.05 million signing bonus that will be spread out over the next seven seasons (approximately $578,000 per year). The 49ers added two voidable years to the contract, tying Garcia to the team until 2008.
By restructuring the deal, the 49ers reduced Garcia's cap value from $6.1 million to $2.6 million.
The deal provides Garcia with security: he receives the bonus immediately whereas his old deal could have been eliminated if the quarterback was released. Unlike Major League Baseball, NFL contracts are not guaranteed.
Good either way: Should the 49ers ever cut Garcia, the signing bonus would come due immediately in the team's next budget.
By reducing Garcia's cap figure about $3.5 million, the 49ers created cap space to go shopping for free agents.
williams@vindy.com