Saints Gain Cap Relief From Suspensions

With the news today that New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma (entire season) and defensive end Will Smith (4 games) will be suspended for their alleged roles in "bountygate," the franchise should gain around $2 million in cap space.

Both players restructured their contracts earlier this offseason to free up cap space for the team this upcoming season. While Smith's restructuring didn't amount to lost wages, Vilma took a paycut in his restructuring. Now he won't be paid for the entire season, losing his base salary of $1.6 million, and his roster bonus of $600,000. Smith will lose $206, 250.

However, the one caveat will be the appeals process. If both Vilma and Smith take their appeal to the federal or supreme court system, it's possible their salaries could remain on the books until the appeals process ends.