I keep seeing all these teams clearing cap by "restructuring" deals.

Why are the Bengals not doing this to some extent? If there were ever a time to try and clear cap space, you would think this would be it. Super Bowl window, QB still technically on his rookie deal, and one or two players away from a championship...

(03-10-2023, 03:48 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I keep seeing all these teams clearing cap by "restructuring" deals.

Why are the Bengals not doing this to some extent? If there were ever a time to try and clear cap space, you would think this would be it. Super Bowl window, QB still technically on his rookie deal, and one or two players away from a championship...

Because...they very rarely, if ever, do?

It might be a financial thing.

Mike Brown likes his money.

Every time you clear cap by restructuring, you're giving large chunks of cash up front rather than paying them smaller amounts weekly months from now when you have even bigger income coming in and making money off of that money for the months in the meantime.

If you're only spending to the cap right now, you're at a disadvantage because there's other teams spending cash to maneuver the cap around to fit even more talent onto their teams now. Sure would love the Bengals to make some extra effort to fit even more and just go get that Lombardi.

Bengals probably even more reluctant to do it than normal because they're getting ready to put $150m+ into escrow for Burrow's extension.

(03-10-2023, 03:48 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: I keep seeing all these teams clearing cap by "restructuring" deals.

Why are the Bengals not doing this to some extent? If there were ever a time to try and clear cap space, you would think this would be it. Super Bowl window, QB still technically on his rookie deal, and one or two players away from a championship...

A lot of the restructures from other teams are players with massive salaries. We don’t have many of those.

Yeah they tend to structure them right the first time. You could try to get Mixon to take less before you cut him, but its unlikely he does so just to be a lame duck RB.

A couple reasons:

1) Because we don't need to. We have $35 million in cap space. 6th most in the league, I believe.

2) Because Brown prefers not to do it.

Also we tend to front load our contracts as opposed to back loading like a lot of the other teams do.

Maybe they've tried...it takes two to get a restructure done.

(03-10-2023, 05:44 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: A couple reasons:

1) Because we don't need to. We have $35 million in cap space. 6th most in the league, I believe.

2) Because Brown prefers not to do it.

^ I believe this is the correct answer.

Brown loves to let guys play their contract out. He always misses out on cutting guys he should’ve probably cut.

I think he values honoring the deals he signs

(03-10-2023, 07:16 PM)pally Wrote: Maybe they've tried...it takes two to get a restructure done.

Nobody turns down money, Pally. Imagine in March someone asked you...

"Hey, would you like $1m a week for 17 weeks in Sept-Jan, or would you like $8.5m right now and then $500k a week for 17 weeks in Sept-Jan?"

You get $17m both ways, but in one way you get $8.5m of it 7-10 months in advance. That's 7-10 months of being able to use that $8.5m to make more money for you.

Nobody turns down getting a large chunk of their pay in advance.

(03-10-2023, 07:29 PM)Housh Wrote: Brown loves to let guys play their contract out. He always misses out on cutting guys he should’ve probably cut.

I think he values honoring the deals he signs

It is playing out their contract, money doesn't reduce or increase from restructuring. It's giving the player money in advance as a cap accounting tool.


Also the whole honoring the deals thing hasn't applied to the Bengals for years and is an outdated belief...
Trae Waynes
Trey Hopkins
Geno Atkins
Bobby Hart
Giovani Bernard
Cordy Glenn
John Miller
BW Webb
Dre Kirkpatrick
Andy Dalton

All cut by the Bengals in the previous 3 offseasons.

We had like 14 FA this year and almost played in back-to-back Superbowls. We can bring in some better talent and upgrade some spots this season. If we can get a guy for close to the same price and a better player than we had, then we should look to improve the team.

Players test the water in FA the teams can do the same. The media said back up that Superbowl run with another good year, and we did that. Maybe a lot of free agents seen that and now want on that train.

We do not have a ton of money to spend but we still might get a few new faces.

We pay people expecting a certain amount of production from them. If they do not produce or play up to a certain standard, then why keep the guy around for a pay cut and stay mediocre when we are trying to win a Superbowl. If the guy is not worth the money, then send him down the road and upgrade the talent to match the dollar value.

Because the front office is unimaginative .

Because we're not cash rich

I saw somewhere that to restructure for example someone somewhere restructured theirs into a signing bonus which as others say is paid out up front.

(03-11-2023, 12:47 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Because we're not cash rich

Believe this to be a very big part of it

Yet actually think we may see this done in the future.  Since Katie has gotten more involved many of the old Bengals ways have changed, and with success as well.

Plus with the Burrow and Chase contracts looming cash is of utmost importance presently. After their deals get done can see the Bengals being forced to go this direction to stay competitive.  

Fortunately for us don't believe the Bengals have to do that at this moment. All the great moves the FO has made in last few years has the Bengals in good shape to be a contender if just tweaked slightly and hit on a couple players in draft imo. 

  

From my understanding it kicks the can down the road. Which is where the monster contracts of the future live. Why spread someones hit to future years which will be in an even bigger crunch?

(03-11-2023, 03:14 AM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: From my understanding it kicks the can down the road. Which is where the monster contracts of the future live. Why spread someones hit to future years which will be in an even bigger crunch?

Agreed. You aren't getting more cap by restructuring, you are just moving around when you have to pay it. 

2023 will be the biggest cap hit of Tom Brady's career. He's not playing. Tampa Bay just has to work with those numbers. Now I am sure they are happy to do so, they got their Superbowl win so a little pain later is alright, but the point remains, there is no free lunch through restructuring. 

(03-11-2023, 03:14 AM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: From my understanding it kicks the can down the road. Which is where the monster contracts of the future live. Why spread someones hit to future years which will be in an even bigger crunch?

Is a Super Bowl win the only thing that matters? From a financial standpoint as an owner you want a solid sustainable team. The Rams are losing Bobby Wagner, Jalen Ramsey, Lost Von Miller, and are shopping Matt Stafford. Tampa Bay? How’d you like to be their prognosis? Brandon Beane woke up Monday morning after we drilled the the Bills and looked through his binoculars and saw the rosters of KC & Cincy and looked at his cap situation and had a huge meltdown. JMHO the ownership,Zac, and FO are trying to win a SB but it’s not boom or bust. Personally I like being in the media and discussion through the playoffs. I’ve never seen such reckless front office decisions as the Browns with Watson, Denver with Russell Wilson, Carolina this weekend. Giving away all these top draft choices rarely works. You need these superstars on rookie contracts for cap purposes.