2014 Pats Salary Cap Breakdown - Dead Money

[Miguel]

Hernandez, Aaron 7,500,000 - Unless Roger Goodell steps in, I do not see this number changing in 2014. There is a chance that the Pats may get a credit in future years.
Dowling, Ras-I 589,382
Fells, Daniel 333,334
Hawkins, Lavelle 75,000
Sudfeld, Zachary 8,000
Bartholomew, Ben 6,667
Davis, Kanorris 3,334
McDonald, Chris 3,334
Kline, Josh 2,667
Francis, Justin 2,334
Jones, Brandon 2,334
Ford, Brandon 2,000
Morris, Stephon 1,667
Stankiewitch, Matt 1,667
Zupancic, Mike 1,334
Cherrington, Dewayne 667
Fanene, Jonathan (1,350,000) which means that the Pats will be getting a credit for Fanene
Lloyd, Brandon (1,500,000) which means that the Pats will be getting a credit for Lloyd

Total - 5,683,721

 

[Miguel]

I should mention that if you see reports that the Patriots' dead money total in 2014 is over 8 million. Please check to see if they are giving the Patriots credit for Fanene and Lloyd.

 

[RobertWeathers]

This is great, Miguel.

Goody offering relief on AH doesn't seem likely. Is there a precedent for that occuring? Rae Careuth and that situation maybe?

 

[IllegalContact]

The pats kind of have themselves to blame for the AH thing......from the sounds of it, they ignored some obvious signs when they extended him.

 

[goheels22002]

This is great, Miguel.

Goody offering relief on AH doesn't seem likely. Is there a precedent for that occuring? Rae Careuth and that situation maybe?

I'm sure the Patriots have explored every option to compress the time of the Hernandez cap hit, and have filed for recovery of money already paid in bonuses. The NFLPA will have an interesting job ahead with any grievances.

But I don't see any reason why the Patriots should get cap relief.

From Salary Cap 101 :

Under what circumstances can a team recover money from a player?

A team can go after portions of signing bonuses already paid if a player commits what is known as a forfeitable breach.

A player commits a forfeitable breach if he:

1) Willfully fails to report, practice, or play and damages the team (holdouts)

2) Is unavailable due to incarceration

3) Is unavailable due to non-football injury

4) Retires

A player may not be asked to forfeit P5 salary already earned. A player can only forfeit money that is part of the Forfeitable Salary Allocation for the year(s) in which the breach occurs. That year’s proration of a Signing Bonus fits within that allocation, but not the whole bonus, for instance.

Are there any exceptions to the Salary Cap?

It depends on what you mean by exceptions. As noted throughout this site, there are several ways by which a team may end up with a small amount more or less to spend in a year, and there are also many ways in which they can spend more cash in one League Year than the actual salary cap (for instance with large signing bonuses, which amortize over five years). But when all the accounting for that is done, every team MUST be below the cap and above the floor, and every dollar spent must be documented. It is a hard salary cap and there are stiff penalties for cheating.

 

[Miguel]

This is great, Miguel.

Goody offering relief on AH doesn't seem likely. Is there a precedent for that occuring? Rae Careuth and that situation maybe?

As far as I can tell, there is no precedent. But since when does Goddell has needed precedence for his actions. That commentary aside, I do not think that the Patriots will be getting any credit for AH in 2014 and that any future cap credits is dependent on him being convicted for crimes that occurred before he signed his extension such as the double murders that he is alleged to have committed.

 

[Miguel]

I'm sure the Patriots have explored every option to compress the time of the Hernandez cap hit, and have filed for recovery of money already paid in bonuses.

I have not heard that the Pats have filed for recovery of money already paid in bonuses. On the contrary, AH has filed grievances for his 2013 and 2014 offseason workout bonuses and salaries.

 

[IllegalContact]

I'm sure the Patriots have explored every option to compress the time of the Hernandez cap hit, and have filed for recovery of money already paid in bonuses. The NFLPA will have an interesting job ahead with any grievances.

But I don't see any reason why the Patriots should get cap relief.

From Salary Cap 101 :

does it matter if he winds up being found not guilty? just asking .... this is not meant to be about his level of guilt , just the conditions that may facilitate bonus recovery

 

[Miguel]

does it matter if he winds up being found not guilty? just asking .... this is not meant to be about his level of guilt , just the conditions that may facilitate bonus recovery

I would hope that it did matter. It would not be fair to the player to lose signing bonus money for something that he was not found guilty of.

That being said, from what I know from the new CBA, the Pats could have received a credit for the signing bonus prorations if they had kept him on the roster until the start of training camp and then waived him. From what I know of the new CBA, if convicted of crimes committed before he signed his extension the Pats could receive a credit for the entire $12 million signing bonus.

 

[IllegalContact]

I would hope that it did matter. It would not be fair to the player to lose signing bonus money for something that he was not found guilty of.

That being said, from what I know from the new CBA, the Pats could have received a credit for the signing bonus prorations if they had kept him on the roster until the start of training camp and then waived him. From what I know of the new CBA, if convicted of crimes committed before he signed his extension the Pats could receive a credit for the entire $12 million signing bonus.

So I guess the best the pats can hope for is a credit if/when AH is found guilty....... Or hope he gets pinched for the double murder

 

[mgteich]

Are you saying that the patriots could have saved many millions in cap money simply by keeping him on the official roster for another 2 months? If so, this seems a major financial blunder.

He certainly could have been barred from any practices until his trial.

I would hope that it did matter. It would not be fair to the player to lose signing bonus money for something that he was not found guilty of.

That being said, from what I know from the new CBA, the Pats could have received a credit for the signing bonus prorations if they had kept him on the roster until the start of training camp and then waived him. From what I know of the new CBA, if convicted of crimes committed before he signed his extension the Pats could receive a credit for the entire $12 million signing bonus.

 

[Miguel]

Are you saying that the patriots could have saved many millions in cap money simply by keeping him on the official roster for another 2 months? If so, this seems a major financial blunder.

He certainly could have been barred from any practices until his trial.

Joel Corry
The salary cap implications of Hernandez's release | National Football Post
and others have made this argument -

"It appears as if the Patriots have compromised their ability to recover money from Hernandez by releasing him so quickly after his arrest. Signing bonuses can be forfeited and recouped under the CBA when a player breaches his contract. Typically, a breach occurs when a player is suspended or withholds his services from a team once training camp starts. The CBA also includes incarceration as a breach. The Patriots should have at least waited until Hernandez missed training camp practices or preseason games before releasing him if recouping money is a primary concern. Although Hernandez’s actions clearly violate the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy, it remains to be seen whether any such suspension while Hernandez isn’t under contract can be beneficial to New England."

 

[chasa]

Are you saying that the patriots could have saved many millions in cap money simply by keeping him on the official roster for another 2 months? If so, this seems a major financial blunder.

He certainly could have been barred from any practices until his trial.

When it comes down to it, you don't ruin your reputation over a few million dollars. The sooner they cut ties with him the better imo, 2 years of dead money(this year, next year) is worth being able to say the team cut him as soon as they had knowledge of his alleged guilt.

 

[mgteich]

Yes, the dead money is relatively small.

IMHO, there is no damaging of reputation for waiting until charges were filed. Some might even accept the idea of being innocent until proven guilty, but we needn't go that far.

We are talking about a technicality in the CBA. Clearly, the team could have waited until late August or August to cut Hernandez.

When it comes down to it, you don't ruin your reputation over a few million dollars. The sooner they cut ties with him the better imo, 2 years of dead money(this year, next year) is worth being able to say the team cut him as soon as they had knowledge of his alleged guilt.

 

[Miguel]

Reposting these posts as they may be of more interest now.

 

[upstater1]

Joel Corry
The salary cap implications of Hernandez's release | National Football Post
and others have made this argument -

"It appears as if the Patriots have compromised their ability to recover money from Hernandez by releasing him so quickly after his arrest. Signing bonuses can be forfeited and recouped under the CBA when a player breaches his contract. Typically, a breach occurs when a player is suspended or withholds his services from a team once training camp starts. The CBA also includes incarceration as a breach. The Patriots should have at least waited until Hernandez missed training camp practices or preseason games before releasing him if recouping money is a primary concern. Although Hernandez’s actions clearly violate the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy, it remains to be seen whether any such suspension while Hernandez isn’t under contract can be beneficial to New England."

When the CBA creates a perverse incentive to keep an incarcerated player on the team, you have to wonder if the language should be amended, and if the language here is questionable because it creates such a perverse incentive, then it does give the NFL some leeway to decide that the Patriots should be exempt here. At least to the degree it would have been had it kept AH on the roster another 2 months.

 

[Miguel]

This is great, Miguel.

Goody offering relief on AH doesn't seem likely. Is there a precedent for that occuring? Rae Careuth and that situation maybe?

I found a precedent for NOT giving the Patriots cap relief - Sean Taylor. He counted against Redskins cap in 2008 a year after his murder. If a murdered player counted against the cap a year after his death, I just do not see how the NFL can justify giving the Patriots cap relief outside of the CBA for a player accused of murder when they did not give the Redskins cap relief in 2008 for a player who was murdered.

By outside of the CBA I mean an arbitrary decision to give the Pats cap relief. That is, any cap relief that the Pats may get will come from within the CBA. Like if AH is indicted for the July 2012 double murders, the CBA then allows the Patriots to go after his entire 2012 signing bonus of $12.5 million. Even then, any credit would depend on actual money recouped. So if AH has spent the money, the Patriots will not get relief.