PHOENIX — The Washington Redskins met with the NFL twice in the past 30 days to try to recoup salary cap space the team lost to a $36 million penalty, but efforts were unsuccessful, commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday afternoon.
“I’ve told the Redskins directly that there will be no change in the modification to their cap,” he said.
Goodell addressed the Redskins’ salary cap penalty during his news conference on the first day of the league’s annual meetings at the Arizona Biltmore hotel.
The NFL management council last March penalized the Redskins $36 million in salary cap space, accusing the team of attempting to gain a competitive advantage in 2010 by restructuring contracts to move bonus money into that season, which did not include a salary cap. The NFL Players Association agreed to amend the collective bargaining agreement to include the penalty against the Redskins.
Washington disputed the penalty but lost in arbitration in May. The team March 11 effectively abandoned its effort to retrieve salary cap space.
General manager Bruce Allen defiantly called the $36 million penalty a “travesty of fairness,” but he went on to say: “We are not going to allow this to be a distraction to our team for the upcoming season.”
Goodell on Monday said he had no reaction to Allen’s characterization of the penalty.
He also would not say whether he ever considered it a possibility that the Redskins would pursue legal action against the league outside of the arbitration process. Allen on March 11 said the Redskins never considered suing the league.
Washington has been limited by its lack of cap space since the new league year began last week. The team released top cornerback DeAngelo Hall to save $8 million and comply with the adjusted salary cap by 4 p.m. on March 12
The Redskins have re-signed 10 of their free agents since March 9. The only two free agents they have signed from outside the organization, however, are veteran right tackles Jeremy Trueblood and Tony Pashos, who agreed to contracts worth the minimum base salary commensurate with their experience. Their lack of salary cap space has precluded the Redskins from signing a top cornerback, several league sources have said.
Free agent tight end Fred Davis remains unsigned. General manager Bruce Allen met with Davis’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, here Sunday night, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
Davis is expected to command a multimillion-dollar contract despite the surgery he had in October to repair his torn left Achilles’ tendon. In order to re-sign Davis, Washington would have to create salary cap space by restructuring a current player’s contract or by releasing a player.
Washington on Monday agreed to re-sign right tackle Tyler Polumbus to a two-year contract. The club now has under contract all five starting offensive linemen from last year’s team, which ranked second in the NFL with 5.22 yards per rush.
Polumbus, who turns 28 in April, visited Jacksonville last week but opted to re-sign. Run blocking is his strength.
“Well Jacksonville was tempting…but I couldn’t leave these Coaches and Teammates. 2 more years! #HTTR#Redskins,” he tweeted Monday.
Polumbus is expected to compete with Trueblood and Pashos to retain his starting spot.
• Rich Campbell can be reached at rcampbell@washingtontimes.com.
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