02-17-2025, 11:52 AM
(02-15-2025, 01:14 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: There is a major difference between cap hit and contract dollars. If you factor in guaranteed dollars at signing, the cap number will be a lot less. For example, if Tee signs a deal for 4 years and 120 million, but only 70 million is guaranteed, it is not 30 million each year in cap. Let's say they give him a 30 million bonus for the 120 million with 70 guaranteed, it could look like this:
30 million bonus split as follows towards cap: Year 1 - 5 million Year 2 - 7 million, year 3 - 15 million, year 4 - 3 million
Cap hits and Guarantee
Year 1 - Bonus = 5 million + Salary 12 million = 17 million cap hit all guaranteed
Year 2 - Bonus = 7 million + Salary 17 million = 24 million cap hit all guaranteed
Year 3 - Bonus = 15 million + Salary 18 million + 10 million roster bonus = 43 million cap hit (11 million guaranteed)
Year 4 Bonus = 3 million + Salary 25 million + Roster Bonus 15 million = 53 million (none guaranteed))
Tee would get
Year 1 = 35 million - All guaranteed
Year 2 - 17 million - All guaranteed
Year 2 - 28 million = 11 million guaranteed
Year 4 - 40 million = None guaranteed
Bengals have out in year 4 of only 3 million dead cap hit. If he plays well, they can convert roster bonus and or salary to extend him
Many ways to restructure, but in this example, Tee has a very manageable cap hit in 2025 of only 17 million and 2026 of 24 million as the NFL cap expands each year. Bengals projected to have 226 million in cap space in 2026.
I completely agree with you, but you and I are talking about 2 different things. I'm saying that Tee isn't signing a deal worth an average of 25 million per. It's going to be 30 or more. I get that we can structure that however we need to.
The money isn't the issue, the cash and the escrow will be the issue.
