The Washington Redskins received a major blow on Monday when it was reported they would be docked $36 million in salary cap space due to the way they front-loaded their contracts during the uncapped year. That loss of salary cap space, according to multiple reports, will be spread out over two years.
ESPN 980 in Washington D.C. reports, and others have confirmed that the Redskins will take an approximate $18.4 million hit this year.
Per the report, the Redskins had approximately $31 million in salary cap space on Monday, and now they're down to $12.4 million. You can add another $5 million or so to that number with the money they saved by releasing O.J. Atogwe and Mike Sellers this week. So, according to the report, the Redskins will have approximately $17.4 million in cap space after the Atogwe and Sellers releases are posted.
The Redskins released a statement on Monday indicating they "have received no written documentation from the NFL concerning adjustments to the team salary cap in 2012 as reported in various media outlets."
In other words, the Redskins (and Cowboys) aren't going down without a fight. We'll see how this plays out.
For more on the Redskins, check out Hogs Haven and SB Nation DC.