Would you like to see this feature in future FOFs?

[AgPete]

Good article on CNNSI about how Dan Snyder is able to sign so many high profile free agents.

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/story/7145465

The Skins are one of the teams that increasingly sign big contracts with signing bonuses split over a long period so that the short-term cap damages aren't as painful and they can start a higher priced team than other clubs. I'm pretty sure a lot of teams sign high first round picks with this type of bonus now too.

Would you like to see this feature in future FOFs? Do you think it would make a significant difference in gameplay?

[Karim]

Very good article. However, I think staggered bonuses would make the game too complicated. I'm having enough difficulty with dead cap money now. Plus, I don't know if the AI would take advantage of it or even if we want to have the AI take a Dan Snyder approach.

I'd be happy with simply a little more roster consistency by the AI.

[kcchief19]

This isn't exactly a "new" concept. Other NFL teams have used this approach as well. The reason other NFL teams don't do it to the extent that the Redskins do is that everyone else has learned and realized that this approach eventually leads to salary cap hell -- as evidenced by the Redskins growing dead cap space. Other teams also don't do it because nobody else is stupid, er, willing or capable, to payout that much money in bonus money. Salary is one thing, since it's not guaranteed and spread out over several years. But when Snyder signs these guys to deals with $15 million bonuses and more, he's writing a check for that amount right now.

Another year or two of sucking -- and with washed-up Mark Brunnell at QB, they'll suck -- he'll eventually figure out what Jerry Jones learned a long time ago.

As for FOF, I think this is already in the game. First, there is the cap-out extension, which is pretty much what Tennessee just did with McNair. Second, you can always offer FOF FAs more bonus money than they are asking for and lower their base salary. I haven't tried it FOF2k4, but you used to be able to take the amount of money a player was asking for per year and move it from salary to bonus and they would sign. I'd imagine it would still work to a certain degree. That catch is that you have to pay that HUGE bonus. And with inflation in FOF, that $15 million bonus to Coles will be $20 million in a couple of FOF seasons.

[hukarez]

I'm still trying to figure out how retirement factors into the game's cap...doesn't a team in FOF still have to suffer a player's cap if he retires before the end of a contract?

[AgPete]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

This isn't exactly a "new" concept. Other NFL teams have used this approach as well. The reason other NFL teams don't do it to the extent that the Redskins do is that everyone else has learned and realized that this approach eventually leads to salary cap hell -- as evidenced by the Redskins growing dead cap space. Other teams also don't do it because nobody else is stupid, er, willing or capable, to payout that much money in bonus money. Salary is one thing, since it's not guaranteed and spread out over several years. But when Snyder signs these guys to deals with $15 million bonuses and more, he's writing a check for that amount right now. Another year or two of sucking -- and with washed-up Mark Brunnell at QB, they'll suck -- he'll eventually figure out what Jerry Jones learned a long time ago.

Maybe you could clear this up for me then because the way I understand it is Snyder is guaranteeing these separated bonuses. I know the Cowboys had a contract similar to this in Aikman's last year but I also know they cut him before the optional $7 million bonus set in thus saving themselves a bunch of cap room and only eating the $13 million that had been agreed to in the original contract. Some players had structured bonuses like this but I always thought they were optional team bonuses like Aikman's, Kurt Warner's bonus last year when everyone thought he might be cut or the same with Drew Blesdsoe this year. I know Deion Sanders was involved in something similar as well. I also don't remember many first round draft picks being given contracts like these as much as they are today.

Disagree with you though that these types of contracts are what killed the Cowboys in the mid-90's. Aikman and Sanders the only ones I recall who ever received contracts like this. Premature retirement killed the Cowboys. Players like Novacek, Tolbert, Haley, and Sanders were all expected to play longer, just like Aikman. I'm pretty sure most of those players had long contracts with big bonuses (similar to what we can sign now in FOF) and it was just unexpected early retirement which killed the cap for Dallas. Emmitt was in the same situation although the Cowboys knew they would eventually eat some of his bonus.

[kcchief19]

Originally Posted by AgPete

Maybe you could clear this up for me then because the way I understand it is Snyder is guaranteeing these separated bonuses.

By "separated" bonuses, I assume you're referring to future roster bonuses, like the $2 million bonus Coles has in year 3 of his contract. If that's the case, no, Snyder is not guaranteeing that.

Take Cole's case. Coles received a $13 million signing bonus. Dan Snyder essential wrote two checks -- one for about $4 million that went to Coles and one for about $9 million that went into escrow. Coles will get $4.5 million installments over the next two years. That $13 million, though, is still spread over the 7 years of contract. So while he essentially paid Coles $13.5 million last year (bonus, deferred bonus and salary), Coles only counted a little more than $2 million against the cap.

The only thing Snyder did that you can't do in FOF is break up bonus payments over multiple years, but that's bookkeeping not cap management. It still counts the same against the cap, it's just a different way of giving Coles $13 million guaranteed that doesn't actually cost Snyder $13 million, since Snyder will recoup some money from the interest of the bonus money placed in escrow. If he makes 5 percent off $9 million for two years, it'll save him more than $600,000.

The only thing Snyder is doing that other NFL teams don't do is pay more bonus money than they do. Other teams don't want the guaranteed money, because eventually it results in dead cap space. If Snyder keeps this up, he's no more than two years away from absolute salary cap hell.

The early retirements themselves weren't what hurt the Cowboys -- it was the dead cap space from their bonuses. If they had given players smaller bonuses and more in salary, it would have been easier to create cap space. But when you give guys guaranteed money and they retire, that bonus money is what hangs you.

I do agree with the article -- Snyder's method is a short-term approach for trying to win a Super Bowl. Eventually, it will crash. I don't think it will win him a Super Bowl, either, but that's another question.

[AgPete]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

By "separated" bonuses, I assume you're referring to future roster bonuses, like the $2 million bonus Coles has in year 3 of his contract. If that's the case, no, Snyder is not guaranteeing that.

Take Cole's case. Coles received a $13 million signing bonus. Dan Snyder essential wrote two checks -- one for about $4 million that went to Coles and one for about $9 million that went into escrow. Coles will get $4.5 million installments over the next two years. That $13 million, though, is still spread over the 7 years of contract. So while he essentially paid Coles $13.5 million last year (bonus, deferred bonus and salary), Coles only counted a little more than $2 million against the cap.

The only thing Snyder did that you can't do in FOF is break up bonus payments over multiple years, but that's bookkeeping not cap management. It still counts the same against the cap, it's just a different way of giving Coles $13 million guaranteed that doesn't actually cost Snyder $13 million, since Snyder will recoup some money from the interest of the bonus money placed in escrow. If he makes 5 percent off $9 million for two years, it'll save him more than $600,000.

The only thing Snyder is doing that other NFL teams don't do is pay more bonus money than they do. Other teams don't want the guaranteed money, because eventually it results in dead cap space. If Snyder keeps this up, he's no more than two years away from absolute salary cap hell.

The early retirements themselves weren't what hurt the Cowboys -- it was the dead cap space from their bonuses. If they had given players smaller bonuses and more in salary, it would have been easier to create cap space. But when you give guys guaranteed money and they retire, that bonus money is what hangs you.

I do agree with the article -- Snyder's method is a short-term approach for trying to win a Super Bowl. Eventually, it will crash. I don't think it will win him a Super Bowl, either, but that's another question.

I know the Skins haven't been playing well lately but I don't really think it's that bad of an idea as long as you aren't spending too much on the highest priced free agents. If he's doing this with Randy Thomas, Jeremiah Trotter and others who were near the top at their position but didn't have Champ Bailey contracts coming to them, I think it's a worthwhile risk.

As far using this in FOF, like someone else said, I think it might cause more problems than it's worth, but it would be nice to go all out and buy a two years Super Bowl team. Maybe pull a successful Ravens repeat. I can see it being AI hell though if we were allowed to do this.