HouseCall said

If I had to guess, I'd say 1994. Remember in the early days of Free Agency, Carmen Policy basically signed every available free agent. Guys like Rickey Jackson, Toi Cook, Chris Doleman, Gary Plummer, Ken Norton, Deion Sanders, Etc...

They won the Super Bowl that season, but were in salary cap hell for a while after. If I recall right.

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San Francisco cheat

Niners lose two draft picks, $300,000 for violating cap

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Posted: Friday December 01, 2000 3:26 PM
Updated: Friday December 01, 2000 6:38 PM

Jim Druckenmiller's side deal would have allowed him to renegotiate if he became a starter within three years. AP
By Peter King, Sports Illustrated

The National Football League finally handed out the penalties stemming from its investigation of the San Francisco 49ers salary-cap situation. San Francisco was docked a fifth-round pick in the 2001 draft and a third-rounder in 2002. The 49ers were also fined $300,000 for violating the bylaws of the NFL salary-cap system.

In addition, Cleveland executive Dwight Clark was fined $200,000. Clark admitted in a deposition before league attorneys to making a side deal in the rookie-year contract of former 49ers quarterback Jim Druckenmiller. Clark's boss with the 49ers -- and current Browns president -- Carmen Policy was fined $400,000 because the violations occurred on his watch.

"Although there are many legal and factual differences of opinion over many of the issues, everyone connected with the matter agrees that this settlement is in the best interests of everyone involved, including the NFL," Policy said in a statement.

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The San Francisco 49ers got the last laugh Sunday. They beat New Orleans, 24-13, then thumbed their noses at the Saints' front office.
Last week, you might recall, Saints owner Tom Benson complained loudly about the 49ers' signing of free-agent cornerback Deion Sanders. Benson basically accused the 49ers of playing games with the NFL's $34.6 million salary cap.
"This is a farce," said Benson, who offered Sanders $17.1 million for four years, only to see him sign with the 49ers for one year at $1.134 million. "What kind of Mickey Mouse organization are we running out there?"
Sanders made his first 49ers start Sunday against the Saints and capped it off in typical "Prime Time" fashion when he intercepted a Jim Everett pass and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown.
As the 49ers mobbed their new teammate in the end zone, the Mickey Mouse Club theme played over the Candlestick Park public-address system. Some 64,000 fans laughed and sang along: "M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E."
Upstairs in his private box, Benson fumed.
The scene symbolized this season: the 49ers giggling while the rest of the league burns.

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