Killing the "Can the Pats afford their rookies?" meme

[supafly]

I am not a cap expert by any stretch. But wouldn't the $3 million roster bonus be allowed to be amortized over the life of the new deal since it was money received for this year? The $6.6 million of prorated remaining signing bonus may not be touched, but the new money for 2009 might be. I always thought that you could redistribute the entire remaining dead money, but I will conceed that point. Granted Miguel may know better and you might too.

If that is the case and the Pats work it out that this year he doesn't get too much of a bonus, they may be able to free up $3-4 million of cap space on him.

I very much doubt it, Rob--but I'm no expert either, by any means

 

[Urgent]

[channeling Miguel]The Pats can create salary cap room by restructuring. They can NOT create salary cap room by extending Brady. There's already $9.6M on the books, so any restructuring would be on top of that.[/channeling]

Not quite true.

Since Brady has a $5mm salary, cap room can be created by converting some of that salary into a bonus, which would amortize over several years. Rather than recognize all of the $5mm in this year, you would split it across several years.

Moss has a similar salary and is also signed through 2009. Light has a $4.2mm salary.

You could recognize a couple million from each, if you could agree to extensions. Of course, those players might not want to re-sign, but the statement above is not factually correct. Brady's total cap bill is $14.6mm, and the $9.6mm cannot be changed, but the $5mm can.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Not quite true.

Since Brady has a $5mm salary, cap room can be created by converting some of that salary into a bonus, which would amortize over several years. Rather than recognize all of the $5mm in this year, you would split it across several years.

Moss has a similar salary and is also signed through 2009. Light has a $4.2mm salary.

You could recognize a couple million from each, if you could agree to extensions. Of course, those players might not want to re-sign, but the statement above is not factually correct. Brady's total cap bill is $14.6mm, and the $9.6mm cannot be changed, but the $5mm can.

There's only one potential sticking point: any renegotiation signed in 2009 is subject to the same restrictions (e.g., the 30% rule) as a new contract. I'm not sure you can create an extension that Brady would agree to that would simultaneously reduce his 2009 cap hit.

 

[mosslost]

There's only one potential sticking point: any renegotiation signed in 2009 is subject to the same restrictions (e.g., the 30% rule) as a new contract. I'm not sure you can create an extension that Brady would agree to that would simultaneously reduce his 2009 cap hit.

Something else to consider:

"Again, let me take a moment to explain how important it is that the CBA be extended. The proration of the signing bonus cannot extend beyond two years after the close of the existing CBA. With the CBA currently set to expire in 2010, that would mean that the bonus proration has to be fully accounted for by the end of the 2012 season."

The commissioner said this in an interview.

 

[supafly]

Not quite true.

Since Brady has a $5mm salary, cap room can be created by converting some of that salary into a bonus, which would amortize over several years. Rather than recognize all of the $5mm in this year, you would split it across several years.

Moss has a similar salary and is also signed through 2009. Light has a $4.2mm salary.

You could recognize a couple million from each, if you could agree to extensions. Of course, those players might not want to re-sign, but the statement above is not factually correct. Brady's total cap bill is $14.6mm, and the $9.6mm cannot be changed, but the $5mm can.

Not to get off topic, but isn't Moss signed through 2 more years?

 

[mosslost]

Not to get off topic, but isn't Moss signed through 2 more years?

Yeah he signed a 3 yr contract: 2008, 2009, and 2010.

 

[supafly]

Yeah he signed a 3 yr contract: 2008, 2009, and 2010.

That's what I thought, he had him signed thru 2009, didn't seem right

 

[ctpatsfan77]

Something else to consider:

"Again, let me take a moment to explain how important it is that the CBA be extended. The proration of the signing bonus cannot extend beyond two years after the close of the existing CBA. With the CBA currently set to expire in 2010, that would mean that the bonus proration has to be fully accounted for by the end of the 2012 season."

The commissioner said this in an interview.

Umm . . . I realize the commissioner said this, but that's not what the CBA says [stuff in brackets is mine]:

Article XXIV (Guaranteed League-Wide Salary, Salary Cap, & Minimum Team Salary), Section 7(b)(i)(1).

Maximum proration shall be five years . . . for contracts entered into during the period after the last regular season of the League Year preceding the Final Capped Year [2008] through the end of the Final Capped Year [2009].

 

[Urgent]

Not to get off topic, but isn't Moss signed through 2 more years?

Right, typo on my part. Both Moss and Brady are 2010.

 

[mosslost]

Umm . . . I realize the commissioner said this, but that's not what the CBA says [stuff in brackets is mine]:

Thanks for spreading the knowledge! I looked it up, but why did the commissioner say that? Was he just mistaken?