NFL GM 101: Salary Cap & Contracts

by Hawkwind on Feb 19, 2009 8:43 AM MST

The NFL salary cap has always been something that's well over my head and it seems like the more I try to understand, the more I find that blows my mind. To make matters worse, teams and agents are now masters at working around the cap and making it even more complex. If your in the same boat as myself, but are interested in dipping your toe into the 'learning pool' then your in luck. ROTB has contacted a 'cap-guru' and he's willing to field our questions in an effort to make us all more knowledge about the intricacies of the NFL salary cap. So put your thinking caps on and post your questions in this thread.

Disclaimer: For the purposes of this thread, we're not talking about "where the Cardinals stand in related to the cap," but instead more general questions regarding the cap, such as:

How and when do performance bonuses get added into the cap? (example: if a team is up against the cap and their QB has a 1.5 million dollar bonus for being named the MVP)
When do teams have to be 'under' the cap and how does that work with 80 guys during training camp?

So post some questions in this FanPost and expect some insightful answers early next week.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Revenge of the Birds' (ROTB) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of ROTB's editors.

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Great idea

Q – I know there are alot of uncertainties around the CBA and the possibilities of an uncapped year in 2011 and while I don’t think we’ll actually see it, how will the possibility effect the way that teams structure contracts this off season (if at all)?

Q – I’ve seen the terms “likely to be earned” and “not likely to be earned” when talking about bonus money. What’s the difference and how is ‘likely’ determined?

by Bezekira on Feb 19, 2009 9:41 AM MST reply actions

Prorated Money

Q — Signing bonus is paid up front but can be prorated over the length of a contract. Can a team with some leftover cap space late in a season choose to have future prorated amounts count against the cap this year? If a player is released before the contract expires, the prorated signing bonus still counts against the cap, correct? Is this what is referred to as “dead cap money”? Are there any other aspects of a player’s contract that can be prorated?

We all leave footprints in the sands of time, just watch out for the discarded fish hooks!

by Hawkwind on Feb 19, 2009 9:49 AM MST reply actions

Compensation vs. Compensatory Picks

Q — What the ’ells the difference?! In particular, compensation picks associated with “tagged” players or players with qualified offers. How does the NFL decide if a team is due compensatory picks in the draft?

We all leave footprints in the sands of time, just watch out for the discarded fish hooks!

by Hawkwind on Feb 19, 2009 9:51 AM MST reply actions