The Cardinals will no more give Lito a new deal any more than the Eagles would. It would be the same situation in Arizona thats why they won't make the deal. Its probably going to take one of those #1s next year or a 2 and 4 to even come close to getting that done. You can't trade one guy who wants more money for another guy who wants more money. Nobody wins in that scenario.

Grant it that the Cardinals have less room under the cap than Eagles but it's not just as simple as not spending money. It has to do more with spending the money in the right positions. The Cardinals can't afford to tie up any more of the cap money at the WR position because then they would have to take away from somewhere else...like their defense. They have room under the cap they are just not willing to invest that much money in the position of WR and are smart not to do so.

Agreed but do you see Arizona giving an injury plagued Lito a new deal? I can see them shelling out the money for one of the available corners on the market next year like Nnamdi Asomugha but not for Lito.

So offer him a new deal (4-5 years) with a signing bonus that is spread out throughout the contract and put the majority of the contract in the last couple of years.
If he stays healthy he gets paid, if he becomes expendable then trade or cut him.
Dallas has even less money and they would find a way to sign Boldin or Sheppard if given the opportunity.
The salary cap takes a lot of creativity but teams have been doing it since it was implemented.

Why would arizona do that? If he becomes "expendable" as you called it, Arizona has a lot of the guaranteed money on the back-end and counting against the cap for a player they have cut.

I'm starting to think that Lito just isn't that highly thought of around the league. Good young corners are at a premium in the NFL and any team that has a good one locks them up. I really think with his injury history a lot of teams are leery of giving up anything of value for an undersized,injury-prone corner seeking a new deal. i think if he were coming off of a healthy season they could have moved him months ago,but he's missed like 16 games in 2 years and that has hurt his value as far as trading him and as far as him getting a new deal.


http://www.pro-football-reference.co...S/ShepLi99.htm

He's definetly not or some team would have given him the money he wanted.

if you're going to be 1 dimensional and not play the run like Lito does, you better be lock down in coverage and he is just too inconsistent and too small for an Asante level deal

The only money that would have to be guaranteed is the signing bonus that is spread throughout the term of the contract and that is the only money that counts against your salary cap.
If you were to back load a contract and he does not live up to his end then cut him. Arizona would not be responsible for any part of that contract excluding the signing bonus.

I understand that, but what kind of signing bonus do you think Lito wants? Probably in the neighborhood of Asante so lets say $20 million guaranteed. You spread it over a 4 year deal and with Arizona's cap situation due to Fitzgerald they can only take $8 the first two years, hypothetically.

After the 2nd year in Arizona he becomes expendable due to injuries, etc and Arizona has $12 million in dead money for a guy who is playing elsewhere. NO team would do that anymore- everyone is so risk averse to the back-loaded deals after what happened when Tenn and SF got themselves in trouble with the cap at the end of the steve young era- everybody follows the eagles/pats model now when it comes to contracts- even jerry jones to an extent