The NFL and NFLPA negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement in 2011 that included a minimum cash spending rule. The idea was that the union wanted teams spending more money, and while a minimum cash spending requirement is much different than a minimum cap spending requirement, it still requires an outlay of money.
The minimum spending requirement provided two periods in which teams must meet the dollar figure. The first is 2013 to 2016, and the second will be 2017 to 2020. For the 2013-16 period, the minimum cash spending requirement is $493,549,500. According to the NFLPA, the San Francisco 49ers have spent $514,488,198 in cash from 2013 to 2016.