Suspended players don't count on the opening day 53-man roster

This happened to start the year last year with Tyler Sash when he began the season serving a 4-game suspension due to P.E.D.s ("Adderall" again).

While suspended, Hill's cap number of $480,000 won't count against the Giants' 2013 salary cap. When he's eligible to return from suspension after the 4th game, then the Giants will have to make a decision about releasing a player on the 53-man roster to make room for Hill, or to just flat out place Hill on waivers. If Hill does in fact return after 4 games, then only 13/17ths of his cap number will count on the Giants' salary cap this year. While he's suspended though, as stated above, he does not count against the Giants' cap (the Giants essentially get a cap credit).


NOTE: If teams release players with less than 4 accrued seasons at any point during the regular season, their full cap numbers will NOT count on the Giants' cap. Only the weeks that they played on the team will count (i.e., if a player with 3 accrued seasons like Tyler Sash is released from the 53-man roster to make room for Hill after the 4th game, then only 4/17ths of Sash's salary will count against the cap due to his experience--or more accurately his lack thereof).

This approach to salary cap management in these situations undoubtedly has an impact on personnel moves throughout the league. This is why younger players tend to make rosters over older players (marginal to middling players with more than 4 years of experience), so that if roster moves need to be made in-season the team can save cap room. It is for this reason that if two players of equal ability are on the table for a final discussion to make a roster--one a younger player with 2 accrued years and the other an experienced vet with 5 seasons, than the younger player will always win.

On the other hand, players who are released during the regular season with more than 4 accrued years of experience will have their full cap numbers count against their 2013 salary cap.