NFL - NEWS & NOTES

56-year old man is having chest pains, you don't just send him home.

 

Depends on how he is acting about it. You can’t force somebody to stay against their will either. Not saying that’s what happened.

 

I don't know exactly, but I'm pretty confident the number of times a team doesn't honor the full term of a contract far outstrips the number of times the players do it. Hard to bash the player for doing it when the loyalty rarely goes the other way.

 

Teams don’t get fined for not honoring their contract.

 

Never heard of "dead cap money", Gid?

 

They aren’t being fined. That is money paid to the player that hasn’t been accounted to the salary cap yet.

 

So . . . Paying money for a player that isn't contributing doesn't count whereas NOT paying money to a player who CHOOSES to not contribute does?

 

They already paid. They aren’t paying any more money to the player or league at the point that they cut the player.

 

I suggest you research "Dead Money".

 

Well you know what they say;

Just follow the "dead money" trail...

 

I don't think you understand the context here, Lyman. Gidion's right on in his assessment.

Player A has guaranteed money that makes up a small percentage of their total contract, sometimes due only early in the contract, not necesarily throughout. A team can cut a player, regardless of length of contract, and only owes the guaranteed amount left to be paid. This makes up the team's "dead money".

However, a player, regardless of whether or not their remaining years/money are guaranteed, must play and participate fully in order not to be fined or to receive their payment, etc.

This means that the team holds no commitment beyond the guaranteed money, but that the player is committed to the length of contract signed.

I'm all for the players getting every cent they can. I'm not sure this is the best path to it, but whatever Julio wants to do to ensure he gets as much money as possible, he's welcome to.

 

Teams generally don’t cut players until the guaranteed part of their contract is over. Most dead money is from the prorated signing bonus. 90% of the terminated contracts only have the prorated bonus left as dead money on a contract. Which means teams aren’t writing any checks once they cut a player.

 

edit...nm gid beat me to it

 

Oh, I understand the concept of dead money.

Using your example, if player A is contracturally guaranteed, say, $1M spread out over 4 years (lets just assume $250K per year) but ends up getting cut after 2 years, then the team still owes that player $500K, right?

But, if that same player chooses to not report to camp the team has no right to fine him?

Sounds to me like the team honors the contract by STILL paying the player his guaranteed money but the player doesn't have to honor his contract without being fined?

 

But Lyman, teams usually keep guaranteed money to the first 3 seasons or less. Then year four is when they would start weighing the benefits of cutting the player.

 

No they already paid him that $500K, it just has to be accounted for on the salary cap. That's the dead money...it's not actual money, just salary cap space allotted to players no longer on the team for money previously paid to them.

I don't think anybody said a player can't be fined for holding out.

 

Take a look at Julio's (5 year) contract. Key word = CONTRACT

Then tell me why its not right for the Falcons to fine his ass until he shows up for work.

 

Nobody is saying that.

Gidion's position was that players have to honor contract length and terms, but teams ultimately don't (being able to terminate them whenever they please). Again, there's a misunderstanding here, Lyman. Just trying to find it.

 

Gid said that "teams don't get fined". I was merely pointing out that when a team pays guaranteed money for services not received, that's akin to being fined.

 

I’m not saying players shouldn’t be fined. I feel owners should have the power they have. If I work for a company they have the power to terminate me any time they feel like it. Why should overpriced athletes not get the same treatment?