It is a common bookkeeping maneuver toward the end of the season, one that serves as a reminder of how on-field and off-field business are closely intertwined.
The salary cap is expected to increase from $109 million to $116 million next season. Not including credits and the possibility of restructured contracts in the future, the Patriots currently project to have only about $5 million in salary cap space for 2008, according to NFL Players Association figures. The figure is low compared with most clubs in the league.
That's why the move with Eckel actually isn't so minor. The Patriots have other important business ahead, with cornerback Asante Samuel and receiver Randy Moss having contracts that expire after the season.
When Moss joined the Patriots, his contract included a modest $2.5 million base salary and a $500,000 roster bonus. His salary-cap charge was $3 million.
Also included in the deal was $2 million worth of incentives. Moss was to receive a $250,000 Pro Bowl bonus if he was an original selection. He also would earn $350,000 bonuses for hitting the 45-, 55-, 65-, 75-, and 85-catch marks.
Moss ended up hitting all those marks, which meant he received an additional $2 million. The moment those incentives were earned, they immediately were applied to the 2007 salary cap.
In some past cases, teams have had to cut players to account for such a sudden change. But the Patriots, who generally are considered shrewd in their cap management, had built in a cushion to absorb the hit.
Nose tackle Vince Wilfork is another example of a player whose success has changed his financial forecast.
Wilfork was scheduled to make $800,000 in base salary in 2008, with a salary cap charge of $1.3 million. But as part of the six-year contract he had signed as a rookie in 2004, Wilfork had $4 million in "escalators" that could be achieved if he reached certain performance levels.
Wilfork already has hit some of those, including a $500,000 payday for being selected to the Pro Bowl, so that will increase his salary cap charge for 2008.
A few other important financial issues ahead for the Patriots:
