Tuco

I thought they said it was only reported because somebody at the NFLPA screwed up and put it with the "signed" contracts instead of with the other ones that have to be sent in but aren't signed yet. If that's the case it wasn't really the agent's fault at all. EDIT: I see now it looks like they probably aren't supposed to share the info from the signed ones either they just always do. So yeah, this is what happens when everybody has to be the first to report and the inside source screws up.

Stop speaking in riddles. What's a crossing route?

Next year? What do your sources say about this year?

There's a big difference between tagging and trading now compared to back when they did it with Peerless Price. In PP's days you could tag the guy and then try to trade him. If you couldn't find a trade partner you could just let him go at any time all the way through training camp or even the season, or keep him at the tag rate and continue to negotiate or try to trade him. Ever since the 2006 CBA a tagged player can sign the tag tender and that money then becomes 100% guaranteed. Additionally, teams and tagged players only have until mid-July to reach long term deals or the player must play under the tag amount for the season. Those two factors make tagging a player with the intent of trading him much riskier than it used to be. In Gilmore's case, all he has to do is walk in and sign the tender and either the Bills or a new team are stuck paying a guaranteed $12+ million (with a $12+ million cap charge). This is a huge bargaining chip for Gilmore. Not only against the Bills but against any team that might want to trade for him. This is why you almost never see any players tagged and traded any more. And also why if a team is intent on not letting the player go for nothing they usually use the franchise tag instead. It's usually only a couple million more but gives the team a few more advantages if the player really wants to leave.

He already has $40.5 mil guaranteed in his first 2 years if he stays two years - or $30.5 mil guaranteed if he's only here 1 year. Your scenario doesn't add any money in the first 2 years.

$12M

Right. They either keep him beyond March 11th and choose how to apply his guaranteed money (exercise the option) or they cut him before March 11th to avoid paying any guaranteed money.

That is not true at all. He is under contract. The option isn't an option to extend his contract - a lot of people think it is, but it isn't. Tyrod Taylor's contract calls for him to make $27.5 mil in 2017. That money becomes guaranteed if he's still on the roster on March 11th. The option everyone refers to is the option to take $15.5 million of that salary and convert it into a proratable signing bonus. It's a misnomer when people say "pick up the option" to think that means not picking up the option means cutting him. They are 2 different things. What people really mean is the Bills have to decide whether to cut Taylor or keep him before March 11th when it all becomes guaranteed, and if they keep him they have the option to convert a large chunk of it into a bonus.

The franchise tag is only good for players whose contracts expire on March 9th. And it has to be applied to a player before March 1st. TT's contract doesn't expire on March 8th. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn't expire on March 11th either - regardless of whether they pick up the option. The option in Taylor's contract isn't an option for the Bills to extend his contract. His contract runs through 2021. The option is whether the Bills decide to either pay TT's guaranteed $27.5 mil entirely as 2017 salary or to convert $15.5 million of that salary into a signing bonus that can be prorated. The other option the Bills have is to release (cut) Taylor before the guarantee kicks in (March 11th). If they do that, TT immediately becomes an unrestricted free agent - not a pending free agent whose contract is set to run out. And they all knew exactly what they were doing. Lots of players have large option bonuses due in the first couple days of the league year. This is nothing new. It's negotiated that way by the players in order to force a team into deciding whether to keep them or cut them loose without making the player wait until July or August to find out.

No I was talking about guaranteed money to the other poster who was claiming he's only guaranteed $27 mil on a 5 year deal. But that's not true. As soon as the league year starts in 2018 TT's entire 2018 salary becomes guaranteed. That means it's a $27.5 mil guarantee if we only keep him one year. If we keep him for 2+ years as everyone suggests, it's a $40.5 million guarantee.

Neither tag is an option. The tags are for players who will become free agents when their contracts expire on March 9th. TT is under contract through 2021 unless the Bills release him. You can't cut a player and then put the tag on him.

It's $27.5 mil guaranteed if we keep him for 1 year. That's higher than top 15ish. As soon as the second year starts his guaranteed money goes up to $40.5 mil on the 5 year contract..

$18.35M

This thread reminds me of typing "misheard lyrics - Yellow Ledbetter" on Utoob. But for all intensive purposes it's good for a laugh. I couldn't go from one post to the next without chuckling, little lone trying to read the whole thing at once. PS - I voted for Tom Coughlin. Not for nothin' but I figure since he started his head coaching career at RIT that's close enough to Buffalo to qualify him as the best Particle Sun this half-fast thread can a bite by. Make me fries.

Ha ha good catch. Last I knew the place was actually making that "Jamaican" Red Stripe beer.

Whenever I'm flying back from Florida on New Year's Day I always stop off in Latrobe, PA. Gotta get a six pack of Rolling Rock to start the year off right ya know.

I understand that. My response was mostly in response to the article questioning whether it was an illegal act - which seems like quite a stretch.

Maybe the ref screwed up but it's not a question of legality - or broken rules. It's not like the kicker brings his own ball out on the field and says I'll kick this one. The official is supposed to bring out a K ball (which he's supposed to get from the official K ball ball boy) when it's an obvious kicking play. If the ref screwed up he screwed up. Are we looking for a conspiracy? Did the ball boy purposely slip the official a QB ball for the kick? Ball boys are employees of the home team. Did the Phish secretly plant a double agent ball boy in our midst? I can see the Pats* doing something like that. But the Phish? Come on man.

Taken by itself it looks to be very clear. But keep in mind the whole paragraph is precluded by "Not withstanding any language to the contrary in this Contract but subject to the terms and conditions of this section . . . " -- These kinds of introductory sentences are common in all contracts and usually point to some other area where other things are written that often make the meaning of the rest of the paragraph less clear (without being able to see the other sections). Additionally, all NFL contracts are drawn from a standard form that includes a paragraph that describes the player's right to injury grievance if terminated while injured (including second opinions and appealing the team physician's opinion), as well as language in the CBA regarding the same thing - and the CBA supercedes all contract language. While there are provisions in the CBA and in the standard contract that allow for certain changes from the standard contract form (they all start with a clause using the "notwithstanding" phrase too, LOL), I personally find it hard to believe this one sentence we're being shown is enough to overrule all those other provisions. I tend to believe it's written this way knowing full well the player has the right to a second opinion and an appeal, rather than redundantly specify all that information all over again. Basically saying, if our doc says you're fit you're fit - and there's no reason for us to further specify that you can disagree and appeal because all that is already included in the CBA and the standard part of the contract. But I have been wrong before. EDIT: I'd like to add writing it this way also allows for a definite time line. The doc says he's fit, contract voided. Now it's up to the player to appeal. But writing it saying the player has the rights to a second opinion, etc. before he can be terminated could drag the process of actually cutting TT well beyond the trigger date. And that would add a whole extra layer of cloudiness in the event they do cut him and he says he's injured.

Yes, they do count against the cap. So you can't throw them out or ignore them when talking about the contract.

10-4. Way too much to risk unless someone really thinks the light will come on in the next 3 weeks. But I wouldn't bench him. He's a hard worker, giving us his best. And he gave us an out with his contract that still paid him well for the year. So I'm all for the pulled a hamstring in practice Wednesday morning routine so he's be relegated to 3rd string emergency QB. At which point I would wrap him in bubble wrap, hand him a clipboard, and not let him stand too close to the sidelines.

It's not fully guaranteed. Skurski says in the video that the "option" the Bills have is fully guaranteed. The OP mis-stated that the contract is fully guaranteed. If the Bills exercise the option bonus, that's $15.5 mil next year that is then treated like a signing bonus (guaranteed and paid but prorated for cap purposes over 5 years). Additionally his $12 mil salary for 2017 would also be guaranteed. If they don't pay the option as a bonus but also don't cut him before then either, it becomes a guaranteed $27.5 mil salary for 2017. Either way it's $27.5 mil guaranteed if we don't cut him loose. And, if TT gets injured playing football and is still injured on March 11th (or whatever day it is) 2017, that same $27.5 mil is still guaranteed. That's a lot to risk if you are convinced TT's not the future (too much to risk IMO), but it's nowhere near the same as saying his whole contract is fully guaranteed if he's injured.

Probably the Jest. Big city and all.

Dude's going to have so many tags on his bags they'll think he's carrying a peacock.

The game is already at 4:00. And we're talking about flexing into prime time at 8:30.