Although the NFL salary cap for each team is expected to rise by $10 million to $143 million this year, that apparently is not enough for the Steelers, who may be arming themselves to go after some free agents. 

They have restructured the contracts of tackle Marcus Gilbert and safety Mike Mitchell  to create nearly $6.2  million in salary cap room in 2015, sources close to the situation said.

The move does not cost Gilbert or Mitchell any money, it merely moves it around in different forms in 2015, when they still will be paid the same amount they had coming. The Steelers took their salaries and roster bonuses and turned them into signing bonuses, which pushes part of the cap hit into future years.Mitchell had a $2 million roster bonus due and Gilbert a $3.5 million roster bonus due. 

Teams have done this all the time and it has become a particularly popular move for the Steelers in recent years.

The moves, however, were not made so the Steelers could afford the extra cap room to extend the contract of Ben Roethlisberger, which they have been negotiating for a few weeks. When they sign their quarterback to an extension, it will actually save them salary cap room in 2015 as they turn some of his $11.6 million salary due this year into a signing bonus that will be pro-rated for cap purposes.

    However, the extra cap space may help them re-sign Jason Worilds, Arthur Moats, Brice McCain among their own free agents and look to others who will become UFAs from other teams on March 10. 

First Published: April 6, 2016, 4:09 p.m.