Restructuring rookie contracts
 

There is something I have noticed recently about CPU teams. Say a teams picks third overall, like Atlanta. They'll sign a rookie player(Darren McFadden for Atlanta) to a big rookie contract at some point in the preseason, because I see a player signed to 10 million a year with like a 10 or 15 million signing bonus. I later see the same player to a 6 year contract at about 3 million a year for 6 years, with a limited signing bonus, even 0 signing bonus.

So here's what I think happens: a team will cut the rookie player at some point in their first season, even with a large bonus. They'll then sign the player to a 1 year deal with no signing bonus. When re-signing time comes around, said rookie player will get re-signed to a 6 year contract with a limited signing bonus. I've got Drew Carey signed to a fairly expensive 5 year deal with a 8 million bonus. I've already got 20 million in cap penalties for next year, so I have to be careful with cap penalties, but so I might see later if I can restructure his contract to a cheaper deal. I figure if the CPU teams can do it, why can't we? It would probably work with RFAs as well, but you would lose the draft picks.

Re: Restructuring rookie contracts
 

Let me know if that works... Now I have had after 2 games into the 08 campagin D.J. Hackett has approached me and reworked his contract to save me some money, working it down from a 5.2 million dollar the first year to a 3.3 million dollar contract... also cut his signing bonus from 5 million down to 2.5 million over a 5 year contract...

Re: Restructuring rookie contracts
 

The problem is that the cap penalities will instantly KILL you...that's why I always sign my players with the lowest bonus as possible.

Re: Restructuring rookie contracts
 

It does work, but you have to be careful not too accrue to many cap penalties before you try it, because I had a lot when i released Drew Carey, and I got a warning about being fired if I continued. I'll illustrate both with Carey, and with a typical RFA.

Carey: original contract, 6 yrs, 36.5 million, 8 million bonus, no incentives. went from 6.3-6.7-7.3-7.8-8.5. I really won't want to pay that sort of money if I don't have to , so I cut him, and signed him to 1 yr, 4.2 million, 500,000 bonus. I then simmed till I got to the re-signing period. Offer 1 was 16.65, 5yrs, 3.5 million bonus, but he kept saying out of here when I submitted that, so we eventually settled on offer 12-16.65 mill,, 5 yr, 7.5 million bonus, 1.5 mill in possibe incentives(1000 rec yds and 10 TDs). I clearly gave up too much, but the restructured contract was worth it:3.0-3.2-3.3-3.5-3.7, with a possible 1.5 mill extra in incentives. My playbook isn't big on TE receptions, so I could live with those incentives.

I used as a possible RFA Eli Allan. I cut him and re-signed him to a 1 yr,3.4 million 500,000 bonus. I then later re-signed him to a 6yr, 19.5 million, 3.5 million bonus. If you try this with an RFA, make sure to do it in the 1st year of his contract, because the price tag will be much less when you re-sign him.

Both of these strategies will only work if you have enough cap space, and a limited amount of cap penalties. Former 3rd to 7th rounders are no problem, they have no bonus. Former 2nd rounders- you can usually sign them with a 500,000 bonus, so you shouldn't have problems Overall is critical, you want to keep the overall down until you re-sign the player, so keep them low on the depth chart until you're ready to re-sign. 1st round-if you consistantly draft players in the top 10, utilize this strategy as long as you are careful with other cap penalties. If I do utilize this strategy, I won't be able to cut any other players with asigning bonus until at least training camp next year.

Re: Restructuring rookie contracts
 

One more note on this strategy; the new contract will have a signing bonus. I would only utilize this strategy with players you are pretty sure you want to keep. You may also have to give them incentives if they are a first round pick.