Wonder if FO new this would be difficult?

[CarMike]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1573188.html

For a second straight spring the rookie pool -- essentially a cap within the salary cap and basically the maximum amount that a team can invest on draft choices and undrafted free agents -- is set at just shy of $119 million. The leavening of the rookie allocation is the byproduct of a bilateral decision by the league and the NFL Players Association to slow the revenues to younger players and direct more compensation toward veterans, in part by programs like the playing-time incentive pool instituted for the '02 season.
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Could this be the reason why our FO struck so hard at RFA? Makes sence to me not to have a 1st round pick. It seems it'll be hard to sign some first round draft picks....

[TexSkin]

You might be right but we cant do this every year or we defiantly will be in salary cap hell.

[Spence]

That's an interesting question, Mike. I hadn't thought of that. I've always assumed the front office did it because they figured a 5th round pick was a small price to pay for a top kick returner or a decent starting safety. I think they're right about that. Perhaps, however, they also decided to bypass the rookie salary cap and not worry about getting those guys into camp so they can learn how it is done in the pros. Why not spend that money on guys who already know what the pros are like?