It's not easy to get into salary-cap heaven.
It's not just about cap space. That's not all you need to reach the NFL's financial paradise. Any wannabe Moneyballer can purge a payroll and leave a team with lots of money—but also empty cupboards. And that's hardly a heavenly situation. As for veteran-heavy contenders: it's easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than to keep a Super Bowl roster together for very long.
Salary-cap heaven is a magical place where the franchise quarterback is in his prime and under contract for years to come; the overall roster is young, talented and affordable; and of course there's lots of dough to spend both now and in the future.