The Steelers’ dire salary cap position is so 2012.
As of May 31, the Steelers are 22nd in the league in cap space with $8.179 million, according to ESPN's roster management system. That ranking might sound unimpressive, but it means the Steelers have the 11th-worst cap situation in the NFL. As in, outside the worst 10.
And that’s a victory for the Steelers, who in 2015 ranked 27th league-wide with $998,283 in cap space.
Years before that, bloated contracts for aging veterans thrust the Steelers into deep red numbers. The Steelers became known for having cap issues, a convenient storyline to pair with the back-to-back eight-win seasons from 2012-13.
Smartly, the Steelers refused to rebuild while managing the cap back to health. Though cap space can be overblown -- teams with the four best cap situations in 2015 combined for 14 wins the previous year -- it caused the Steelers to face difficult decisions with several veterans, restructuring Ben Roethlisberger’s deal twice before his recent extension and watching Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor retire. The team also cut defensive end Brett Keisel.
The Steelers gained roughly $3.7 million in cap space by Polamalu’s departure. Roethlisberger’s new five-year deal worth up to $108 million changes his 2015 cap hit from $18.4 million to $17.25 million.
Overall, the Steelers’ cap value is $121.4 million. When combined with $14.5 million of dead money (used cap space for players no longer on the roster), the Steelers sit comfortably under the adjusted cap value of $144 million.
The league's salary cap jumps to $150 million in 2015, leaving Pittsburgh with $22.15 million in space.
The key for the Steelers is keeping the bottom line manageable while staying aggressive with their roster.
Last year, the Steelers finalized new deals for cornerback Cortez Allen, offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert and center Maurkice Pouncey that absorb $18-plus million in 2015 cap room.
More ascending players could be in line for new deals. The 2016 free agency class includes defensive end Cam Heyward, left tackle Kelvin Beachem and nose tackle Steve McLendon.
Since the Steelers typically aren’t active in free agency, they value productive and relatively young in-house players.
McLendon, 29, could be in a prove-it year after playing hurt for part of 2014. The Steelers have made clear they want to lock up Heyward, 26, and Beachum, 25, long term. The team must decide whether cutting deals now or after the season is most cost-effective. If those players have career years, their market value will rise.
Now the Steelers can make that decision with a clear conscious, instead of worrying how many players they must cut to clear enough cap room.