Bob's point was that his source said the penny-pinching was not all related to the Cap effects. Its also total dollars spent.
In the case of Lang, that would mean unwillingness to guarantee more of his money. For guarantees, cap number doesn't have to change (even the dead cap money can be massaged by not fully guaranteeing each "guarantee"), but the amount of cash spent can stay higher than it would otherwise be in the event of injuries or waiver.