Antonio Brown

[sambam94]

Curran’s report from yesterday.

It talks about how they’re keeping AB out, how they released a statement warning all other teams to stay away, how they aren’t in any hurry to resolve their investigation, and how Bob Kraft was unfairly blamed.

It would seem that Brady and Belichick’s displeasure is aimed at the NFL, not at Bob Kraft, which is something that we’ve discussed here on the forum.

the article was based on one executives opinion on the NFL statement. I read the statement again and it didn't imply anything. It was a straight forward statement about the situation. Some apparently think it was a warning not to sign AB...

 

[sambam94]

here is the so called warning:
“Antonio Brown was released today by the New England Patriots and is currently an unrestricted free agent. Our office is presently investigating multiple allegations, some of which are the subject of pending litigation. We have as yet made no findings regarding these issues. The investigation is ongoing and will be pursued vigorously and expeditiously. As long as Mr. Brown is a free agent, placement on the Commissioner’s exempt list is not appropriate. If he is signed by a club, such placement may become appropriate at any time depending on the status of the investigation. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, he may also be subject to discipline if the investigation finds that he has violated the law or league policies.”

 

[supafly]

the article was based on one executives opinion on the NFL statement. I read the statement again and it didn't imply anything. It was a straight forward statement about the situation. Some apparently think it was a warning not to sign AB...

So, we can take Curran’s piece on Brady being upset and somehow assume that it’s directed at Kraft, but we can’t take Curran’s next report that states that it was the NFL’s choice and not Bob Kraft? That seems odd considering that most of the issues people had were after Brady’s comments about having “personal feelings,” and that was Curran’s piece, too.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

So, we can take Curran’s piece on Brady being upset and somehow assume that it’s directed at Kraft, but we can’t take Curran’s next report that states that it was the NFL’s choice and not Bob Kraft? That seems odd.

It can’t be the NFL’s choice to force a team to release a player. That’s not possible (unless a spineless owner volunteers to something he has no obligation to do.) There’s an exempt list and a suspension option within the league’s powers. As has been noted, with the exempt list or suspension, the Patriots could still carry Brown and receive an additional roster spot. If the investigation and suspension actually occur (and Brown is asked to meet with the league) the potential outcomes are a suspension which is unlikely to last the entire season or a feet dragging investigation which the NFLPA will be pressuring them to complete in a timely manner. Kraft didn’t even wait a few days to get clarity on these answers. He folded like a cheap tent, again.

 

[supafly]

here is the so called warning:
“Antonio Brown was released today by the New England Patriots and is currently an unrestricted free agent. Our office is presently investigating multiple allegations, some of which are the subject of pending litigation. We have as yet made no findings regarding these issues. The investigation is ongoing and will be pursued vigorously and expeditiously. As long as Mr. Brown is a free agent, placement on the Commissioner’s exempt list is not appropriate. If he is signed by a club, such placement may become appropriate at any time depending on the status of the investigation. Upon the conclusion of the investigation, he may also be subject to discipline if the investigation finds that he has violated the law or league policies.”

And when you combine the report that coincidentally happened to come out within an hour of his release, along with the fact that they’re dragging their heels in the investigation, it sure seems like they’re hell bent on seeing him sit this year, and possibly longer.

Or no?

 

[supafly]

There’s an exempt list and a suspension option within the league’s powers. As has been noted, with the exempt list or suspension, the Patriots could still carry Brown and receive an additional roster spot.

Sure, they could’ve kept him so that they were forced to pay him for doing nothing, while ignoring the desires of a Goodell and the other owners. They chose a more practical route and are attempting to get the money back. Either way, I don’t see how all of this falls on Bob Kraft.

Brown is to blame. Goodell is to blame. “The” main company used to provide jerseys and apparel is to blame for cutting ties with him and making a major spectacle in doing so, but I just don’t get all of the pitchfork waving at Bob freaking Kraft, that’s all. To each his own, of course.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

And when you combine the report that coincidentally happened to come out within an hour of his release, along with the fact that they’re dragging their heels in the investigation, it sure seems like they’re hell bent on seeing him sit this year, and possibly longer.

Or no?

It would appear that way. I don’t disagree that the NFL clearly wants him out of sight. But the employer (Patriots) and NFLPA would have also been factors in deterring this from happening. It could have taken a full month of investigating and 6 game suspension, and they would have still had time for Brown to return in December, completely on the cheap because he wouldn’t hit any contract incentives. They could have gotten a superstar receiver for the postseason for very little money. Would it have happened? Can’t say now. Only point made over and over is that there are many alternative outcomes than “he’s gone for the year.”

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

Sure, they could’ve kept him so that they were forced to pay him for doing nothing, while ignoring the desires of a Goodell and the other owners. They chose a more practical route and are attempting to get the money back. Either way, I don’t see how all of this falls on Bob Kraft.

Brown is to blame. Goodell is to blame. “The” main company used to provide jerseys and apparel is to blame for cutting ties with him and making a major spectacle in doing so, but I just don’t get all of the pitchfork waving at Bob freaking Kraft, that’s all. To each his own, of course.

Arguably paying him for doing nothing and having a possible chance of getting him for the postseason > taking an accelerated cap hit (that was supposed to spread out over two years but is now doubled and cripples the 2019 cap space) is a much better move than rolling the dice on recovering that space down the road, which is far from a guarantee.

If he is on the exempt list all year, they could still file a grievance later on to recoup the money, save $5M on the 2019 cap, and have a possibility of getting him back.

My problem with Kraft has less to do with deciding to rid the team of Brown’s poor behavior and more to do with screwing up the competitive financials of the team when better options were available. Not only is Brown gone, but there’s little chance of being able to trade for anyone now. That didn’t need to happen but was the result of a knee jerk, impetuous decision that truly may cost the team a Super Bowl. All because he can’t mentally handle the idea of the league looking down on until it blows over (see 2015.)

 

[supafly]

Arguably paying him for doing nothing and having a possible chance of getting him for the postseason > taking an accelerated cap hit (that was supposed to spread out over two years but is now doubled and cripples the 2019 cap space)

I don’t want to go too far down the rabbit hole on this, since we see it differently, but nothing has changed in regards to the 2019 and 2020 cap hits. There’s no accelerated cap hit for 2019 that is crippling the team any more than it would’ve had he been placed on the CE list.

It doesn’t change the original contract in any way, and is still spread out over two years. He’s currently set to count as 4.75m of dead space for 2020, unless the team wins the grievance. As you said, it’s far from a sure thing. Quite the contrary, and the obviously knew that, but they likely felt that it was the only hand they could play.

Our difference seems to be how much blame we place on the NFL vs. Bob Kraft, that’s all.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I don’t want to go too far down the rabbit hole on this, since we see it differently, but nothing has changed in regards to the 2019 and 2020 cap hits. There’s no accelerated cap hit for 2019 that is crippling the team any more than it would’ve had he been placed on the CE list.

It doesn’t change the original contract in any way, and is still spread out over two years. He’s currently set to count as 4.75m of dead space for 2020, unless the team wins the grievance. As you said, it’s far from a sure thing. Quite the contrary, and the obviously knew that, but they likely felt that it was the only hand they could play.

Our difference seems to be how much blame we place on the NFL vs. Bob Kraft, that’s all.

Then I stand corrected about the accelerated cap hit (I thought the signing bonus is fully accelerated if a player is released.) So my criticism of Kraft is less in light of that fact.

 

[jimnance]

"Soccer" is a British term.

Whoa! Hold on a sec, pardner!
The Brits call soccer "football".
You say they invented the word " soccer".
So what the hell game do they call " soccer"? Polo? Croquet? Tiddlywinks?

 

[QuantumMechanic]

Whoa! Hold on a sec, pardner!
The Brits call soccer "football".
You say they invented the word " soccer".
So what the hell game do they call " soccer"? Polo? Croquet? Tiddlywinks?

Soccer is short for “association football” and the Brits did invent it, even if they don’t now use it.

(My guess is that “association footballer” decayed to “socc’er” and then eventually referred to the sport as a whole rather than the players.)

 

[supafly]

Then I stand corrected about the accelerated cap hit (I thought the signing bonus is fully accelerated if a player is released.) So my criticism of Kraft is less in light of that fact.

As of now, Brown is still scheduled to count as a big dead cap hit for 2020, and the team didn’t have any extra room to absorb all of the money in 2019. If what you’re suggesting is that cutting Brown now counts as 9-10m against the cap for 2019, I don’t believe that to be correct.

Dead cap hit: 5.75m 2019/4.75m 2020

I’ll let you know if I hear of anything else.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

As of now, Brown is still scheduled to count as a big dead cap hit for 2020, and the team didn’t have any extra room to absorb all of the money in 2019. If what you’re suggesting is that cutting Brown now counts as 9-10m against the cap for 2019, I don’t believe that to be correct.

Dead cap hit: 5.75m 2019/4.75m 2020

I’ll let you know if I hear of anything else.

I just don’t see how they wouldn’t be on the hook for the full amount.



I know it’s Rapoport, but this is the verified structure. The signing bonus is $9M, spread into two years. The second year is what you’d call the prorated bonus. When a player is either released or traded, the entire signing bonus is then due immediately, even if it was structured to be paid in installments (this is why the Steelers had to eat so much when they traded Brown.). Here’s an old article I found on it but thought it was commonly cited. There’s a difference between the cap hit (which I believe is the $9M due now, which impacts the cap) and the actual payments (which Kraft is disputing, though right now whether he pays or not, it would not impact the cap. That is, it may be credited back to the cap later but nonetheless would count until that determination is made.)

Contract Bonuses

Signing bonus:
The most common type of bonus, it’s typically reported at the time a contract is signed. While a player who receives an $8MM signing bonus on a new four-year contract generally receives that lump-sum payment up front, that $8MM actually prorates over the course of the deal for salary cap purposes. So it would count on the cap as $2MM per year, rather than $8MM in year one.

Signing bonuses prorate for up to a maximum of five years, so for a player inking a six- or seven-year deal with a $15MM signing bonus, that amount would count for $3MM against the cap for the first five seasons of the contract.

These prorated bonuses also represent guaranteed money, whereas other types of bonuses aren’t guaranteed at the time of the signing. That can make it tricky to release a player early on in a contract that included a large signing bonus. When a team releases a player, his remaining prorated bonus money “accelerates,” meaning it applies to his cap hit in the current league year. So if that aforementioned player who signed a four-year contract with an $8MM signing bonus is released in the second year of the deal, the remaining $6MM in prorated bonus money accelerates and counts against the cap for that season.

EDIT: I think this is what I’m missing and would explain it:

The effect of acceleration can be alleviated slightly by designating a player as a “June 1 cut,” or actually releasing the player after June 1. This allows the team to spread the so-called dead money remaining on a player’s contract over the course of two seasons rather than having it all apply to the current league year.

 

[Tony2046]

Whoa! Hold on a sec, pardner!
The Brits call soccer "football".
You say they invented the word " soccer".
So what the hell game do they call " soccer"? Polo? Croquet? Tiddlywinks?

Fyi, the British invented the word Soccer. It was their term.

 

[venecol]

They did. They released a statement when the Pats released him, basically warning other teams.

I’m saying that I don’t believe that Brady voicing his displeasure is anywhere close to being directed at Kraft, but rather the NFL.

I'm confused by your opinion on this. First of all, this isn't news, the NFL released that statement within hours of the Patriots releasing AB. Why would Brady be upset with NFL when it was Kraft that had AB released? Sure, once released the NFL put him in limbo by threatening any team that hired him with placing him on the EL, but he wouldn't be in limbo had the Pats not released him.

 

[supafly]

I just don’t see how they wouldn’t be on the hook for the full amount.



I know it’s Rapoport, but this is the verified structure. The signing bonus is $9M, spread into two years. The second year is what you’d call the prorated bonus. When a player is either released or traded, the entire signing bonus is then due immediately, even if it was structured to be paid in installments (this is why the Steelers had to eat so much when they traded Brown.). Here’s an old article I found on it but thought it was commonly cited. There’s a difference between the cap hit (which I believe is the $9M due now, which impacts the cap) and the actual payments (which Kraft is disputing, though right now whether he pays or not, it would not impact the cap. That is, it may be credited back to the cap later but nonetheless would count until that determination is made.)

Contract Bonuses

Signing bonus:
The most common type of bonus, it’s typically reported at the time a contract is signed. While a player who receives an $8MM signing bonus on a new four-year contract generally receives that lump-sum payment up front, that $8MM actually prorates over the course of the deal for salary cap purposes. So it would count on the cap as $2MM per year, rather than $8MM in year one.

Signing bonuses prorate for up to a maximum of five years, so for a player inking a six- or seven-year deal with a $15MM signing bonus, that amount would count for $3MM against the cap for the first five seasons of the contract.

These prorated bonuses also represent guaranteed money, whereas other types of bonuses aren’t guaranteed at the time of the signing. That can make it tricky to release a player early on in a contract that included a large signing bonus. When a team releases a player, his remaining prorated bonus money “accelerates,” meaning it applies to his cap hit in the current league year. So if that aforementioned player who signed a four-year contract with an $8MM signing bonus is released in the second year of the deal, the remaining $6MM in prorated bonus money accelerates and counts against the cap for that season.

EDIT: I think this is what I’m missing and would explain it:

The effect of acceleration can be alleviated slightly by designating a player as a “June 1 cut,” or actually releasing the player after June 1. This allows the team to spread the so-called dead money remaining on a player’s contract over the course of two seasons rather than having it all apply to the current league year.

Yeah, Pittsburgh had the option to spread Brown’s dead cap hit when they released him, too, but they decided not to use the post-June 1 designation and wanted to get it over with in 2019.

I don’t know a ton about the cap, but I do know that it would’ve been quite a challenge for the team to absorb a 9m dollar cap hit now, let alone do that and also have 4-5m in available space like they currently do. I think they were cutting it pretty close when they announced the Brown signing. It may have even been in the hundreds of thousands for a handful of days. They were able to free up a couple of million (I can’t remember how. Maybe Demaryius Thomas?) and then doubled that when they released Watson last week.

 

[venecol]

I think that it’s possible that they knew that Brown wasn’t going to be allowed to play, and they already know what a crock the “independent investigation” would be, so they played their only hand, which was to try and fight the contract. I’m not sure what Kraft could’ve done, since Goodell and the league are crooks who are only concerned with the PR aspect of it. The last time he tried to stand up to Goodell he got *****slapped.

The bottom line is that there’s no way that Brown was going to be allowed to continue playing. Not after the last round of articles and negative media attention, along with Nike’s decision to drop him. It had grown to be too large. The league wasn’t going to sit by and allow him to play.

I understand now what you are trying to say and agree. I said this shortly after he was released that Kraft let him go because he knew the league was going to place AB on the EL and it suited Kraft not to have AB around when all his personal crap was still ongoing (appeal, suits, vanity fair article). Kraft did the league a favor by releasing him and thus helped himself out also.

All of the above is way more credible than the nonsense being spewed by shmessy that he was released over some dumb texts, which is laughable.

 

[supafly]

I'm confused by your opinion on this. First of all, this isn't news, the NFL released that statement within hours of the Patriots releasing AB. Why would Brady be upset with NFL when it was Kraft that had AB released? Sure, once released the NFL put him in limbo by threatening any team that hired him with placing him on the EL, but he wouldn't be in limbo had the Pats not released him.

There’s some who believe that there was some type of communication from the NFL that day, either directly from Goodell and company, or via a prominent owner that suggested that Brown was going to be placed on the CE list while an investigation took place.

Otherwise, why not just cut him sometime during the morning or early afternoon? Why would it have taken them an entire day to make that decision? Also, Curran’s latest article that we’re discussing implies that Kraft was not to blame, but that it was the NFL’s call.

 

[QuantumMechanic]

The “dumb texts” are likely WHY he was going to be put on the EL (or at least were the camel-paralyzing straws).