Interesting cap question and answer from ESPN

[Brinker]

Q: How long will the Steelers be trapped in salary-cap purgatory? I'm growing tired of the strategy of extending key players and pushing cap charges into the future.

Sam in Seattle

A: The Steelers are on the verge of getting out of cap hell. They will probably end the 2013 season $10-12 million over the cap instead of the $20-30 million they have endured the past several years. One adjustment on Ben Roethlisberger's contract will eat up almost $10 million of that overage. It might be a little tight in 2014, but after that, they should be fine. The worst is over.

John Clayton

[jonzr]

And to stay out of hell they'll need to hit on draft picks at a higher rate than recently.

[steelerfaninCO]

I will believe it when I see it. I'm sure they will find some way to keep having cap problems after 2014. Would be great if they didn't, but what kind of contract do you think Pouncy will want in '15? He is due to make around $977,000 this year. I think he got a little over $10 mil guaranteed with his last one.

Do you give Heat another contract in '15? He is due 5 then 6 million a year for the next two years. Cap hit over 7 mil. Do you resign Clark? He is getting 3.5 mil this year with a cap hit of 4.75 mil. Sanders? Troy and Ike are through '15. Keisel is going into the last year of his contract. How do you like a  Heyward, McClendon, Hood DL? And it's Ziggy's last year. And Heyward is up in '15.

Obviously, some tough decisions are going to have to be made in the next couple of years. Hopefully we get a couple of quality starters from this draft. Here's one to think about, Ben will be 33 going into the last year of his contract ('16). What do you do there? Last contract was 8 years 102 mil, 33.2 guaranteed.

[aj_law]

Q: How long will the Steelers be trapped in salary-cap purgatory? I'm growing tired of the strategy of extending key players and pushing cap charges into the future.

Sam in Seattle

A: The Steelers are on the verge of getting out of cap hell. They will probably end the 2013 season $10-12 million over the cap instead of the $20-30 million they have endured the past several years. One adjustment on Ben Roethlisberger's contract will eat up almost $10 million of that overage. It might be a little tight in 2014, but after that, they should be fine. The worst is over.

John Clayton

Double edged sword.

They wouldn't be in cap hell if they didn't have quality players to extend.

As others have alluded to, they need to start hitting more home runs (instead of just singles and doubles) with the kids to keep them out of it.