http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2010/07/more_on_the_dbrickashaw_fergus.html Since left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson signed his new deal last week -- a six-year, $60 million extension that will keep him with the Jets through 2017 -- it has been a talking point. The numbers officially went on the books yesterday (ProFootballTalk first obtained a copy of the contract last week). Here’s a full breakdown and our second look at the deal, as well as the big picture: Signing Bonus: $1.6 million Option Bonus: $3.9 million (in the next league year) Roster Bonus (due yesterday): $3.092 million Base Salaries: 2010 $630,000 2011 $5.615 million (guaranteed for skill only if on roster Feb. 15, 2011) 2012 $9.985 million (guaranteed for skill only if on roster Feb. 15, 2011) 2013 $7.25 million (guaranteed for skill only*) 2014 $5.95 million 2015 $5.95 million 2016 $8.625 million 2017 $11.275 million *If he is on the roster at some date in the future; haven’t confirmed if this is Feb. 2011 or Feb. 2012. Other Bonuses: $750k workout bonus each year from 2011 through 2017 ($500k was already earned in 2010); $1 million training camp completion bonus each year from 2014 through 2017 These numbers add up to the total value of $73.6 million over eight years that was reported last week. Additional incentives -- reported by PFT last week to be special-teams triggers that are essentially unattainable -- don’t appear to have been included in the total reported value of the deal. Ferguson will make more this year than if had he not signed his new deal. In addition to the workout bonus already earned, he will now be paid $5.3 million in 2010, a bump from the $3.1 base salary he was slated to make. His rookie deal had an option for 2011 of the greater of $10 million or the franchise tag, though the team may not have let him play for that salary next year had he not struck a new deal this summer. In the worst-case scenario of Ferguson suffering a career-ending injury this year, the Jets would not have picked up the option. There is a gamble involved with the so-called rolling guarantees in this deal. The only up-front and fully guaranteed money is a small portion of the reported $34.8 million in guarantees; the rest of those guarantees trigger after a period of months during which an injury could happen, and those guarantees are just for skill and not for injury. If Ferguson does make it to certain checkpoints without catastrophic injuries, though, he will lock in more of the money. Only money that is guaranteed fully and up front can be relied on, so the more of that there is in a contract, the safer and more appealing it is. But contracts with rolling guarantees, involving guarantees for either injury or skill but not both, seem to be the approach the Jets are committed to in this uncapped year. Teams in general don’t like to load a lot of money into the signing bonus, and with the possibility of no football in 2011, this approach is one way to keep spending down in this final league year. There might be more to it. There is a rule in the CBA that seems to limit the amount of fully guaranteed money teams close to or at the 2009 salary cap can dole out in renegotiations or extensions this year. In other words, teams need to have cap room left at the end of 2009 to absorb any reallocations of fully guaranteed money, or else face a penalty. The NFL Players Association primer on negotiating in the uncapped year explains this applies to renegotiations or extensions of existing 2009 contracts, but not “new” contracts negotiated in 2010. According to a person with direct knowledge of the Jets’ approach to negotiations in the uncapped year, this rule is a factor for them -- and the team believes any renegotiation/extension for the “core four” this summer needs to have rolling guarantees like Ferguson’s, involving guarantees for either skill or injury but not both. The person requested anonymity because they are not authorized to speak for the team. Within this template, Ferguson may have picked the rolling guarantees for skill with the idea that he would take out injury insurance policies. What that means in negotiations for the other players – cornerback Darrelle Revis, center Nick Mangold and linebacker David Harris – remains to be seen. Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum has said he doesn’t think it is realistic for four long-term deals to get done this year. Mangold and Harris are hampered by the 30 percent rule limiting raises on renegotiations and extensions entered into in the uncapped year, and it seems like contract talks for one or both will be shelved until after 2010. Revis is a different matter, because he has said the team promised him a new deal before training camp. Tannenbaum opened negotiations with the All-Pro player this offseason, calling it “the right thing to do.” The proposals the team has made so far have not included any fully guaranteed money, Revis has said (meaning there are guarantees for injury or skill but not both, and no signing bonus, we can infer). Revis won't sign without fully guaranteed money and, on the other end, it appears the Jets are not prepared to offer much, or any. This speaks to the impasse which has not lifted this summer. If Revis does not get a new deal before the season, he’ll be compensated $1 million in 2010, in line to rank behind six other defensive backs on the team this year – Antonio Cromartie, Jim Leonhard, Brodney Pool, Eric Smith, Drew Coleman and first-round pick Kyle Wilson (if you include the signing bonus Wilson is in line to receive). The last two years of Revis' rookie deal are voidable after this season based on playing-time incentives reached, and the team would have the chance to buy them back for a fully guaranteed $20 million. * * * The Jets yesterday waived DT Simi Toeaina, an undrafted rookie from Oregon. The team has room to sign Wilson as well as one more player, possibly quarterback Mark Brunell when the Final Eight rules lift on July 22.
There might be more to it. There is a rule in the CBA that seems to limit the amount of fully guaranteed money teams close to or at the 2009 salary cap can dole out in renegotiations or extensions this year. In other words, teams need to have cap room left at the end of 2009 to absorb any reallocations of fully guaranteed money, or else face a penalty. The NFL Players Association primer on negotiating in the uncapped year explains this applies to renegotiations or extensions of existing 2009 contracts, but not “new” contracts negotiated in 2010. This is probably what's causing the Jets problems in addition to the 30% rule.
I don't think anyone can. She's basically saying teams aren't sure what's going to happen and don't want to get caught in a bad position.
