Revenge of the Birds - Larry Fitzgerald restructures his contract for Arizona CardinalsAn Arizona Cardinals community -- the best one there ishttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51297/rotb_fav.png2014-02-08T11:00:02-07:00http://www.revengeofthebirds.com/rss/stream/51440052014-02-08T11:00:02-07:002014-02-08T11:00:02-07:00Will 2014 be Fitz' last season with the Cards?
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/RFpDHnbpdJMit6lNqFhWCUcemEw=/0x549:2521x2230/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/28278509/20121230_mjr_su5_469.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The contract restructure saved salary cap now, but pushes a very, very difficult decision to next year. </p> <p>When <span>Larry Fitzgerald</span> agreed to a restructured contract, it saved the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a> a lot of salary cap space for 2014. It also paid him a lot of money up front. He is getting all the money he was due to have ($12.75 million), only he is getting $11.75 million of it now, rather than through the season. His 2014 salary will be a mere $1 million.</p>
<p>It saved the Cardinals about $10 million against the cap.</p>
<p>It did, though, make 2015 a very interesting offseason for Arizona. It looks like 2014 will perhaps be the final one for Fitzgerald here.</p>
<p>Fitz' cap number in 2015 balloons to $23.6 million -- an astronomical number. According to Spotrac, Fitz' contract would still hold over $14.4 million of dead money against the cap.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/mikejurecki/status/431744659304763392">Mike Jurecki reported t</a>hat part of his 2015 money includes an $8 million roster bonus, which is to be paid if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the new league year.</p>
<p>Just looking at the contract numbers, it seems impossible for Arizona to keep Fitzgerald beyond 2014.</p>
<p>There is always the possibility that his contract is restructured again, but that would simply push the problem to another year or two out, unless there was a pay cut included.</p>
<p>Now, what even points to a Fitz release next offseason before his roster bonus comes due is the fact that a team could release him before his roster bonus is due, but then also designate him as a June 1 cut. Teams are allowed to designate up to two players each year as a June 1 cut even when they cut them before that date, allowing the cap hit of dead money to be spread over two seasons. Two seasons of $7 million in dead money could be more bearable than one of over $14 million, which certainly is a lot less than the more than $23 million his being on the roster would cost the team in cap space.</p>
<p>Now, going back to the possible pay cut, it seems unlikely. However, <span>Adrian Wilson</span> agreed to a big pay cut before the 2012 season, even though he was in the middle of his contract. But that situation was different. He understood where he was in his career. He ended up getting less playing time and was eventually released the following offseason, before signing with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">Patriots</a>, only to land on injured reserve. Whether he will return in 2014 is yet to be determined.</p>
<p>Fitz, if he is released next offseason, will have plenty of suitors. He plans on playing for many more seasons.</p>
<p>Arizona feels that the team that they have is "really close," meaning that they believe that they will be competing for a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a> this season with the right moves. Fitz is still integral to that. That is why releasing him this offseason didn't make sense.</p>
<p>Success or failure for the team in 2014, it does look like it could be the last one in Arizona for perhaps the team's greatest player in history.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
<link href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css" rel="stylesheet"></p>
https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2014/2/8/5392168/will-2014-be-larry-fitzgeralds-last-with-arizona-cardinalsJess Root2014-02-05T06:00:54-07:002014-02-05T06:00:54-07:00What should Cards do now with cap space?
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Guzo2dhUsaCLA94hNW_kvWTxRwQ=/0x660:2727x2478/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/28071429/20131123_mjr_su5_302.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With $10 million now available in cap space, what should the Cardinals do now?</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Arizona Cardinals</a> suddenly find themselves with a lot more room under the salary cap than they did just two days ago. With the<a target="_blank" href="http://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2014/2/4/5379994/the-reported-numbers-for-the-restructured-larry-fitzgerald-contract#comments"> reshuffling of the money on Larry Fitzgerald's contract</a>, they gained $10 million in salary caps space they can use.</p>
<p>The question is...what now? Now, since none of his actual money changed, they likely did not have to do any sort of presentation of what the game plan is. If I were Fitz, I would have accepted that deal without a problem, too. After all, he is getting almost $12 million now, rather than getting it paid throughout the football season.</p>
<p>Fitzgerald mentioned a few players last week when <a target="_blank" href="http://arizonasports.com/40/1696358/Arizona-Cardinals-Larry-Fitzgerald-on-contract-restructuring-Ill-do-what-I-need-to-do">he was on local radio</a> and he was asked about the possibility of restructuring his deal.</p>
<p>He said that <span>Patrick Peterson</span> needs to be paid. He said that the team needed to take care of both <span>Karlos Dansby</span> and <span>Frostee Rucker</span>.</p>
<p>The team could also sit on that money until next month, when free agency begins, and target a player like a left tackle to shore up the offense line.</p>
<p>They could also bring back a guy like <span>Matt Shaughnessy</span>.</p>
<p>What should be the team's new set of offseasn targets?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
<link href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css" rel="stylesheet"></p>
https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2014/2/5/5380714/larry-fitzgerald-contract-what-should-be-the-cardinals-priority-nowJess Root2014-02-04T21:00:15-07:002014-02-04T21:00:15-07:00The numbers for Fitz' restructured deal
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ZUUrtRBMhtxnip1Z15VqBc_nd4o=/0x60:498x392/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/28065751/gyi0062006331.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Christian Petersen</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The 2014 cap hit is reduced by $10 million. </p> <p>Larry FItzgerald and the <a href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Arizona Cardinals</a> caused quite the buzz on Tuesday when it was <a target="_blank" href="http://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2014/2/4/5379224/larry-fitzgerald-announces-he-has-restructured-contract-with-arizona">announced by the receiver himself</a>.</p>
<p>At first, the numbers were not known, but reporter Kent Somers tweeted that, per two NFL sources, it was nothing more than a simple conversion from salary to bonus that lowered his cap number by about $10 million.</p>
<p>Reports have since come out that show that Fitz will still get all of the $12.75 million he was set to get in salary. $11.75 million was turned into a bonus, the cap hit of which will be prorated for the five years remaining on his contract. His new cap hit will be $8.6 million.</p>
<p>He will get paid $12.75 million, but he gets almost all of it now.</p>
<p>Now, as Spotrac has it, this is how his cap hit breaks down for 2014:</p>
<p> </p>
<ul>
<li><span>$1 million salary for the season</span></li>
<li><span>$2 million prorated hit from his original $10 million signing bonus</span></li>
<li><span>$3 million prorated hit from his $15 million option bonus from 2012</span></li>
<li><span>$250,000 workout bonus during the offseason</span></li>
<li><span>$2.35 million prorates hit for his $11.75 million restructure bonus he just agreed to. </span></li>
<li><span>The total is $8.6 million</span></li>
</ul>
<p> </p>
<p>The tricky part is moving forward. His cap number goes up substantively in 2015. It will be $23.6 million in 2015, with more than $14.4 million in dead money if he is cut. The final three years beyond that will have a cap hit over over $17 million each year.</p>
<p>The Cardinals did what they needed to for now. They just will have to address this again in a year from now.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
<link href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css" rel="stylesheet"></p>
https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2014/2/4/5379994/the-reported-numbers-for-the-restructured-larry-fitzgerald-contractJess Root2014-02-04T16:18:33-07:002014-02-04T16:18:33-07:00Fitz has a new deal!
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OXjqRM4DtagkWEaZvCsdRD_XEBE=/0x509:2521x2190/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/28053217/20121230_mjr_su5_469.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The terms are unknown, but the team gets some relief, at least in the short term, to add pieces to the team. </p> <p>It happened a lot sooner than many thought it would, but <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a> receiver <span>Larry Fitzgerald</span> has agreed to and was set to sign a restructured contract with the team.</p>
<p>How do we know? He announced it himself -- no rumors, no speculation, he announced it via his Twitter account.</p>
<blockquote data-partner="tweetdeck" class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Back in AZ from <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SB48&src=hash">#SB48</a> & the 1st order of business this AM was signing a restructured contract to help the <a href="https://twitter.com/AZCardinals">@AZCardinals</a> get better for 2014!</p>
— Larry Fitzgerald (@LarryFitzgerald) <a href="https://twitter.com/LarryFitzgerald/statuses/430822732620521472">February 4, 2014</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p>
<p>What we don't know yet is what type of restructuring it was. We don't have the numbers. It may have simply been adding guaranteed money now, there may have been a pay cut or it could have pushed the bigger salary cap numbers down the line.</p>
<p>The good news is that the team's most recognizable player will remain with the team and that there will be some salary cap relief with which to work this offseason.</p>
<p>Mark Dalton, the team's VP of Media Relations, took a jab at the national media that had said that it was anywhere between "possible" and "inevitable" that the team would have to cut ties with perhaps their best player ever.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
<p>Great news on <a href="https://twitter.com/LarryFitzgerald">@LarryFitzgerald</a> restructuring; fortunately never came close to either "possible" or "inevitable" <a href="http://t.co/qWrtY6jzPS">pic.twitter.com/qWrtY6jzPS</a></p>
— MarkDalton (@CardsMarkD) <a href="https://twitter.com/CardsMarkD/statuses/430830125374902273">February 4, 2014</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>What will the Cardinals do with the cap space? Will they use it to re-sign <span>Karlos Dansby</span>? Will they go after a player like <span>Branden Albert</span> to upgrade at left tackle? Will they use it to extend <span>Patrick Peterson</span>?</p>
<p>Those are questions that have answers coming, just not for a while.</p>
<p>What should the highest priorities be for the Cardinals moving forward? Discuss it in the comment section below.</p>
<p><b><i>Update:</i></b></p>
<p>It appears that there are some good numbers for this year's cap. It also means that some cap hit will come down the line.</p>
<blockquote data-partner="tweetdeck" class="twitter-tweet">
<p>per 2 NFL sources, Fitzgerald's is a simple restructuring. converted salary to bonus, created around $10m of cap space.</p>
— Kent Somers (@kentsomers) <a href="https://twitter.com/kentsomers/statuses/430845417971281921">February 4, 2014</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
<link href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css" rel="stylesheet"></p>
https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2014/2/4/5379224/larry-fitzgerald-announces-he-has-restructured-contract-with-arizonaJess Root2014-02-03T10:01:10-07:002014-02-03T10:01:10-07:00Cardinals going "All In" if they restructure Fitz
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iHCo47b89ehaKMncfBc-48GXxl8=/2x0:3996x2663/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/27915135/20130426_jla_ak4_209.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Cardinals are in a division with the NFC representative in the Super Bowl in back to back years, that doesn't change the way they're going forward.</p> <p>UPDATE:</p>
<blockquote lang="en" class="twitter-tweet">
<p>Back in AZ from <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SB48&src=hash">#SB48</a> & the 1st order of business this AM was signing a restructured contract to help the <a href="https://twitter.com/AZCardinals">@AZCardinals</a> get better for 2014!</p>
— Larry Fitzgerald (@LarryFitzgerald) <a href="https://twitter.com/LarryFitzgerald/statuses/430822732620521472">February 4, 2014</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></p>
<p>When the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a> hit radio row on Thursday January 30th, <span>Larry Fitzgerald</span> said the words some Cardinals fans were longing to hear, and others were dreading... "Absolutely," he answered. "If that's what's needed to be done, that's what's needed to be done."</p>
<p>With that the wheels of motion have started to turn amongst Cardinals fans, is <a href="http://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2014/1/31/5362840/larry-fitzgerald-absolutely-willing-to-restructure-contract-to-make" target="_blank">Larry willing to restructure his deal,</a> but as Kent Somers reported at the end of 2013, he's not willing to take a pay cut.</p>
<p>"The Cardinals haven’t approached Fitzgerald’s agent, Eugene Parker, about restructuring the contract, but they will. Negotiations will be interesting because Fitzgerald isn’t going to take a pay cut," <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.azcentral.com%2Fsports%2Fcardinals%2Farticles%2F20131231off-season-wont-quiet-arizona-cardinals-gm-steve-keim.html%3Fsf21201908%3D1%26nclick_check%3D1&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.revengeofthebirds.com%2F2014%2F2%2F3%2F5371136%2Fcardinals-willingness-to-restructure-fitz-shows-game-plan-going" target="_blank" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">Somers wrote</a>.</p>
<p>That's obviously a good thing in the short term for the Arizona Cardinals, as freeing up money for the 2014 season is a priority, as the Cardinals don't have much in the way of available assets going into the off season, but do have a laundry list of needs to attend to in the 2014 offseason.</p>
<p>Fitzgerald's willingness to "do the right thing" in terms for the team is admirable, but the reality is it is a short term fix to a long term problem, but that isn't what this is about.</p>
<p>This is about the Cardinals laying it out there, their short term plan that is, and showing their cards so to speak.</p>
<p>With Fitzgerald taking base salary and willing to covert it to guaranteed monies later in the contract, the Cardinals are freeing up money for the immediate.</p>
<p>Freeing up that money is absolutely necessary, as it makes them players in free agency for exactly two high profile players, <span>Karlos Dansby</span> and a left tackle.</p>
<p>This is important because it shows the fans that the Cardinals and this regime are going "all in" to compete in 2014 and 2015 for a <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a>.</p>
<p>They are willing to pay down the line in guaranteed money to an older Larry Fitzgerald, in order to get a run in for the 2014 and 2015 season.</p>
<p>The Cardinals are allegedly willing to go up to two years on a contract offer to Dansby at this juncture, so unless another team is willing to go for more money on a one-year deal than what the Cardinals will offer Dansby on a two-year deal, then things should get done.</p>
<p>The other conundrum is the left tackle position.</p>
<p>While Bruce Arians is on record as saying, <a href="http://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2014/2/1/5369180/arizona-cardinals-hc-bruce-arians-says-lt-not-highest-offseason" target="_blank">"left tackle isn't a high priority,"</a> Steve Keim is the GM and makes the overall decisions on what the team looks like.</p>
<p>There are three names that have been bandied about: <span>Branden Albert</span>, <span>Anthony Collins</span> and Jared Veldeheer, so we will see if that is something that comes to fruition, but if the Cardinals restructure Larry, those are the likely two positions the Cardinals will attack with "big money".</p>
<p>The oddity of this is the fact that in restructuring Fitzgerald the Cardinals are just pushing the problem to another day, while going "all in" while the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fieldgulls.com/">Seahawks</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.ninersnation.com/">49ers</a> are still in comfortable control of their rosters.</p>
<p>The 49ers have another year of <span>Colin Kaepernick</span> for cheap, the Seahawks have <span>Russell Wilson</span> for two.</p>
<p>The Cardinals brass is saying that keeping Dansby and adding a left tackle, while also adding through the draft, will get the Cardinals over the proverbial hump of beating the 49ers and Seahawks, the teams that own the division at this juncture.</p>
<p>That's a ballsy, and in fans' eyes, true statement.</p>
<p>There's nothing wrong with going all in right now, but the problem may come later on.</p>
<p>If the Cardinals are putting money down the line with Fitzgerald, but also say, adding Branden Albert, there comes a problem in the long term.</p>
<p>The Cardinals will have decisions to make on players like <span>Carson Palmer</span>, <span>Patrick Peterson</span>, and <span>Dan Williams</span> after the 2014 season.</p>
<p>If Palmer is the "long-term" option he'll need a new contract, say adding on 2-3 years after '14, Peterson needs a new contract, the Cardinals will have guys like <span>Michael Floyd</span>, <span>Tyrann Mathieu</span>, and any other 2013 draft pick not named <span>Jonathan Cooper</span>, up for new contracts at the same time, while still paying Fitz and whoever the LT they bring in is.</p>
<p>The longer you push off "Paying the Piper" or in this case Larry Fitzgerald, the harder things get down the line.</p>
<p>Now, all of this is moot if Fitzgerald takes a pay cut, but that's likely not to happen at this juncture and, until it comes to fruition, then let's just keep that on the back burner.</p>
<p>Of course none of this matters if the Cardinals win a Super Bowl in that two-year window, it'll just result in a mini version of the 2001 Diamondbacks where they'll be paying for that success years down the road, but if it doesn't work, in a division where the Seahawks and 49ers still hold all the "Cards", at least for another two seasons, it'll be a mess to clean up.</p>
<p>But that's another discussion for another day.</p>
https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2014/2/3/5371136/cardinals-willingness-to-restructure-fitz-shows-game-plan-goingSeth Cox2014-01-31T06:01:02-07:002014-01-31T06:01:02-07:00Fitz willing to restructure, perhaps take pay cut
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k3GiKlX-N6XPR8qwYNYsupTYWj0=/0x0:4000x2667/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/27775105/20140125_kkt_al2_092.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The ultimate team player is being, again, a team player. </p> <p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/">Arizona Cardinals</a> wide receiver <span>Larry Fitzgerald</span> has been the subject of commentary and recent rumors. His contract is a major point of emphasis because of the huge salary cap hit it has for the coming season. More recently, his name came up connected to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a>, <a href="http://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2014/1/29/5356704/new-england-patriots" target="_blank">who were interested in acquiring him last offseason</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://downloads.iheartradio.com/media/station_content/1/2014/01/mp3/default/1-30_larry_fitzgerald_0_1391100385.mp3" target="_blank">As a guest on Fox Sports Radio 910</a> with Mike Jurecki and Jody Oehler, the topic of restructuring his contract came up and, as Larry Fitzgerald would, sounded like the team player he has always been.</p>
<p><iframe width="335" height="180" scrolling="no" src="http://www.foxsports910.com/player/embed.html?autoStart=false&useFullScreen=true&mid=24262417&startButtonColor=0xA33335&share=http%3A//www.foxsports910.com/media/podcast-the-drive-featured-interviews-interviews/130-larry-fitzgerald-24262417/&podcastFeed=interviews.xml&programName=podcast" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe></p>
<p>He was asked directly if he would be willing to redo his deal and the answer was clear. "Absolutely," he answered. "If that's what's needed to be done, that's what's needed to be done."</p>
<p>He cited the great relationship he has with general manager Steve Keim and said that he is "fully committed to improving" the Cardinals.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/kentsomers/status/429006332927442944">According to a tweet by Kent Somers,</a> team president Michael Bidwill said that the team and Fitz' agent have had discussions and that the team is pleased that Fitzgerald will work with them.</p>
<p>Now, in the interview, when Fitz was asked about the talks, he said that "there hasn't been any conversation as of late," so if we can believe both Bidwill and the star receiver, the topic and discussions must have happened some time ago.</p>
<p>Something that has been emphasized by multiple writers that follow the Cardinals is the fact that Fitz is not going to take a paycut. Restructuring usually just means moving money around and giving a larger chunk right now. But when he was on with Arizona Sports 98.7 <a target="_blank" href="http://blog.azcardinals.com/2014/01/30/fitz-his-contract-and-the-never-ending-rumors/">(via the Cardinals team site)</a>, it sounded like he might be open to a reduction in pay. "I understand at 30 years old there are things that need to change," he said. "That's part of football, that's part of being an older veteran."</p>
<p>It will be interesting to see how this turns out. It sounds like this will be an inevitability.</p>
<p>Now, it isn't as if the team will just ask him to take less money. If there is going be a pay cut, then I imagine that Keim will present Fitz with a plan that shows him how that extra money will be used to make the team better. That is, in my opinion, how that should be. He should not even be approached about this without the team showing him that the money will be used to potentially put the team over the top.</p>
<p>All that is left now is for it to happen. Let's get it done!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
<link href="http://cdn3.sbnation.com/assets/3604021/nextclicks.css" rel="stylesheet"></p>
https://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2014/1/31/5362840/larry-fitzgerald-absolutely-willing-to-restructure-contract-to-makeJess Root