Cap Question - Performance Bonuses

[turbodiesel#44]

Can someone tell me how the performance bonuses count against the cap?

Are all the bonuses counted against the cap with the maximum possible contract amount assumed each year? That would mean we pay much less than the cap in reality.

-or-

Are the bonuses counted against the next years cap, or pro-rated out somehow in subsequent years? That might mean if we had a significant number of players performing very well, we could actually bust the cap.

-or-

Something else.

For example, Landry's contract is $18 mil guaranteed, but could be as high as $41 mil. How is the cap hit figured?

Sorry about my ignorance, but when I can't figure how something works, it just keeps bugging me.

[skinsn24]

Thats a damn good question.

I would figure a preformance bonus is only added in once the bonus is made and the money is paid (as that seems to be the way the cap works for other things).

Since it is a bonus, i would assume it gets spread over the remaining life of the contract, unless the player gets cut and then it would hit all at once.

Not sure, but that would be my understanding based on what I have seen from bonuses

[turbodiesel#44]

Surely one of the many cap wizards on this board has a definative answer?

[D-Day]

As far as I understand it.

You have Likely to be earned bonuses and other incentive bonuses. An example of each is say "Clinton Portis gets 100K if he carries the ball 10 times in 10 games." Since he is the #1 back then yeah that is likely to be earned. A other incentive bonus may be "CP will get 100k if the skins win the SB and he is the MVP". That is not likely to happen.

So

The likely to be earned is counted on the cap. If he doesn't reach the 10 carries for 10 games then it is a cap credit next year.

If the player earns the unlikely bonus then I think it is a cap charge next year. I am not sure if you have the cap space if it can be added to the present year.

That is my understanding of the incentives.

[turbodiesel#44]

As far as I understand it.

You have Likely to be earned bonuses and other incentive bonuses. An example of each is say "Clinton Portis gets 100K if he carries the ball 10 times in 10 games." Since he is the #1 back then yeah that is likely to be earned. A other incentive bonus may be "CP will get 100k if the skins win the SB and he is the MVP". That is not likely to happen.

So

The likely to be earned is counted on the cap. If he doesn't reach the 10 carries for 10 games then it is a cap credit next year.

If the player earns the unlikely bonus then I think it is a cap charge next year. I am not sure if you have the cap space if it can be added to the present year.

That is my understanding of the incentives.

Thanks for the reply. That certainly changes my perception of the cap. It seems it is really not nearly as hard a cap as I thought. Creative contract writing and restructuring can give you tons of room. It seems like the cap is mainly used as an excuse for cheap owners first, parity second.

[DiscoBob]

Thanks for the reply. That certainly changes my perception of the cap. It seems it is really not nearly as hard a cap as I thought. Creative contract writing and restructuring can give you tons of room. It seems like the cap is mainly used as an excuse for cheap owners first, parity second.

Maybe to a small extent, but the higher priced player are less likely to have a large % of their contract be tied to performance......and these likely / unlikely to be earned dollar amounts end up being a very small % of a teams overall cap number....

[turbodiesel#44]

Maybe to a small extent, but the higher priced player are less likely to have a large % of their contract be tied to performance......and these likely / unlikely to be earned dollar amounts end up being a very small % of a teams overall cap number....

I agree that's the way it is, but I think it would would be nice to set more of a players compensation on his and the coaches/teams performance rather than a GMs (or Vinny's) idea of a players potential. Performance incentives are a good idea as they reward hard work and talent in a measurable way. I realize there are many factors involved in a players performance, but his production on the field should be the main factor IMO. I really don't give a crap about agents and GMs, I like football.

But I see it would be difficult to manage a cap under a performance based system, and the cap has done a whole lot of good for parity and the NFL in general. It's too bad overacheiving ball busters get underpaid for their contribution, and multimillionaire busts laugh all the way to the bank with our hard earned fan dollars.