Cooley Restructures

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by Ruhskins

Changing his contract to get under the cap so the team can get more players. I know it's no sacrifice or anything like that, but not all players do it.

Originally Posted by Buster

Exactly. I don't understand why it's so hard to figure out.

He's helping the team out, not just himself.

Actually, it was probably written into the contract that it could be converted at the team's option. It's just one way that the Skins massage the cap. As a roster bonus, it's a one time hit and, if the team wants to absorb it in the bonus year, it stays a roster bonus. On the other hand, if the team wants to increase flexibility under the cap, they can (again - at their option) turn it into a signing bonus and spread it over the remaining course of the contract.

Not saying Cooley's not a good guy, just saying he probably had no say in it. In fact, he may even have pumped the club for money when originally signed. "Fine - you want to make it a optional signing/roster bonus next year rather than more up front money today (when he originally signed the contract), that's fine but it's gonna cost you an extra million next year."

Again, not saying that he did, just suggesting that, perhaps, he had a financial benefit from writing his contract a certain way. Win-Win's are how contracts get done.

[JoeRedskin]

And ... for those of you constantly slamming DS. It is his willingness to spend "cash over cap" that keeps players around and lets the Skins pay top dollar - always.

DS willingness to pay cash is what the small market teams complain about. They can't/won't massage the cap in the way the Skins do b/c they simply do not have the money to do it. That's why cap hits are now spread over four years as opposed to seven in the prior CBA - so that rich teams can't simply outspend poorer teams. Cinci, Jax and Buffalo simply can't/won't (depending on who you speak to) spend cash over cap to the degree that teams like the Patriots, Skins and other can and will do.

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by freddyg12

At the end of the collective bargaining agreement, all bonuses have to be accounted for in one year, correct? That was the situation in the 06 offseason when for a period, we were in cap hell, or maybe cap purgatory better explains it.

W/the cba set to expire & no new deal in place, all of those deals come due essentially. Am I right on this generally? From what I read in 06 that's the way I understand it.

My point is simply that while there isn't a 'ceiling' for these extensions, the whole strategy is dependent upon a cba being agreed to. If the cba expires w/out a new one in place, the Skins would face cap hell for real.

In the last CBA, there was a "nuclear option" written into the agreement - that being to accelerate the bonuses. That was done to encourage a new agreement b/c, it was assumed, no one wanted to deal those consequences. I do not know if such a clause has been written into the new agreement. If not, then when the CBA expires, the salary cap disappears. The only reason it exists is b/c the players agreed to it. Once gone, it will be hard (if not impossible) to replace b/c salaries in the short term will skyrocket.