Schobel leaning more towards coming back...

[Hplarrm]

Schobel isn't pulling a favre at all. He's not makign a scene or spectacle, and from all reports, the Bills were aware of what's been going with him. He's nto hanging us out to dry. He's simply taking his time.

 

Also, for guys that have played ball all their life, when this time of year comes around, football is all they know. Schobel has probably been prepping for football season at this time of year for the last 25 years of his life. Its gotta be tough to simply stop, and it doesn't surprise me that he might get the urge to come back and play 1 more year.

 

If he does, the defense is better for it.

At all?

 

Certainly the situations and the people are different. Yet, this whole thing comes off as merely Schobel's version of the same is he retired or is he not scenario that the older Farve has played for years.

 

It ain't the same thing but the simple fact is that NFL players learn from what they saw older NFL players do (for example Jason Peters saw Schobel play the Bills like a drum when he signed a new contract but within years saw how much the Bills were willing to pay a lesser talent like Kelsay. He started out by not attending voluntary practices and it became know publicly that he wanted a new contract. Lo and behold the Bills folded and let him have what he wanted.

 

Peters tried the same game, and though the Bills saw fit not to fold up the way they did for Schobel, eventually they gave Peters exactly what he was looking for contractually even though it was Philly that paid the big bucks.

 

I see this will he or won't he retirement game as being simply the Schobel version of the same game.

[Albany,n.y.]

The salary cap works like this:

 

Suppose Team X pays a player a $5 million bonus, with $1 million a year in base salary. The contract is five years long. Each year, the player's cap hit is $1 million base salary + 1/5th the bonus. The cap hit for the bonus is 1/5th the total because it's a five year deal. Each year for the next five years, this player will create a cap hit of $2 million.

 

Now suppose that, for whatever reason, the player doesn't stay with your team for the full five years. Maybe you trade him away, maybe he retires, maybe you release him. The cause of his departure doesn't really matter, at least not for cap purposes. Let's say that you get rid of him after year three. That means that there's $2 million in bonus money you paid him (back when his contract was first signed), that hasn't yet been counted against the cap. In the first year of his absence, you'll have $2 million in dead money because of that bonus. Meaning, that the remaining part of his bonus will count against your team's cap for the year, even though he's no longer with you. After that year is over, he'll be off your books completely.

 

Getting rid of a player early means that you accelerate whatever cap hit for the bonus money you paid him. You were going to take that cap hit anyway--but getting rid of the guy early means you take it all at once, in one lump. On the other hand, you no longer have to worry about the cap hit for his base salary, because he's no longer collecting a paycheck from your team.

 

The Bills are so far below the salary cap that none of the above materially affects them. The real constraint the Bills face is Ralph Wilson's ability to pay money to players. In recent years, the salary cap has increased significantly, even as a percentage of revenues. The definition of revenues has also been broadened; causing the percentage of revenues which are shared to decrease. The upshot of all this is that it has now become significantly more difficult for small market teams to have the same size payrolls as teams from larger cities.

There is no salary cap this season, therefore if you get rid of a player with an amortized signing bonus in 2010 there are no consequences.

[richNjoisy]

The salary cap works like this:

 

Suppose Team X pays a player a $5 million bonus, with $1 million a year in base salary. The contract is five years long. Each year, the player's cap hit is $1 million base salary + 1/5th the bonus. The cap hit for the bonus is 1/5th the total because it's a five year deal. Each year for the next five years, this player will create a cap hit of $2 million.

 

Now suppose that, for whatever reason, the player doesn't stay with your team for the full five years. Maybe you trade him away, maybe he retires, maybe you release him. The cause of his departure doesn't really matter, at least not for cap purposes. Let's say that you get rid of him after year three. That means that there's $2 million in bonus money you paid him (back when his contract was first signed), that hasn't yet been counted against the cap. In the first year of his absence, you'll have $2 million in dead money because of that bonus. Meaning, that the remaining part of his bonus will count against your team's cap for the year, even though he's no longer with you. After that year is over, he'll be off your books completely.

 

Getting rid of a player early means that you accelerate whatever cap hit for the bonus money you paid him. You were going to take that cap hit anyway--but getting rid of the guy early means you take it all at once, in one lump. On the other hand, you no longer have to worry about the cap hit for his base salary, because he's no longer collecting a paycheck from your team.

 

The Bills are so far below the salary cap that none of the above materially affects them. The real constraint the Bills face is Ralph Wilson's ability to pay money to players. In recent years, the salary cap has increased significantly, even as a percentage of revenues. The definition of revenues has also been broadened; causing the percentage of revenues which are shared to decrease. The upshot of all this is that it has now become significantly more difficult for small market teams to have the same size payrolls as teams from larger cities.

 

I do not think there are no monetary ramifications for Schobel if he chooses to retire. You are correct about how a bonus accelerates EXCEPT (I think) for a retirement - one would THINK a team would have the lone stipulation in a contract about the player actually not being allowed to CHOOSE not to play out his contract and be penalized an amortized part of his signing bonus. In other words, I can't sign a 10-year deal with a $50 million signing bonus and then quit in year 2 - at least not without returning a part of the bonus. One example I can think of is Ricky Williams who TRIED to retire but Miami successfully sued him for a portion of his signing bonus. So, I BELIEVE Schobel, if he retires, will be forced to return bonus money to the Bills. If I am correct, isn't he in like the third year of a six-year deal? Thus, by my reckoning, he would be forced to pay back 2/3 of his signing bonus as a penalty for retiring.

 

Does anyone know definitively what the rules/agreements are for his contract?

 

-RichNJoisy

[Coach55]

My bet of what Schobel is really thinking about at this time:

 

Think about the following, Schobel is 32, has made a ton of money, has gotten used to the lavish lifestyle and is getting tired of the football scene (as do most people with their jobs after a while). The big problem he is facing is "What am I going to do after football?". As much money as these guys make, they spend it just as fast with the big house, fancy cars, etc. When you turn the spigot off, you either need to find another source of income or cut down the spending.

 

As football season is drawing closer, I think reality is setting in. Does he go get a job making $40K a year and start working his way up the company ladder or does he play for 6 more months for $6mm. Most of this country won't see $6mm in a lifetime and he can make it in 6 months. He can always join the real world next year.

[tennesseeboy]

My bet of what Schobel is really thinking about at this time:

 

Think about the following, Schobel is 32, has made a ton of money, has gotten used to the lavish lifestyle and is getting tired of the football scene (as do most people with their jobs after a while). The big problem he is facing is "What am I going to do after football?". As much money as these guys make, they spend it just as fast with the big house, fancy cars, etc. When you turn the spigot off, you either need to find another source of income or cut down the spending.

 

As football season is drawing closer, I think reality is setting in. Does he go get a job making $40K a year and start working his way up the company ladder or does he play for 6 more months for $6mm. Most of this country won't see $6mm in a lifetime and he can make it in 6 months. He can always join the real world next year.

I think all things being equal he would retire or push for a trade. He is probably not big on playing a linebacker position. However you have a good point as to the money and it might be fine for him to skip camp/whine and ask to be traded/and then do what he has to to punch a clock and collect the money. He doesn't have to impress anyone, doesn't have to start, just go through the motions and pick up the check.

[Hossage]

My bet of what Schobel is really thinking about at this time:

 

Think about the following, Schobel is 32, has made a ton of money, has gotten used to the lavish lifestyle and is getting tired of the football scene (as do most people with their jobs after a while). The big problem he is facing is "What am I going to do after football?". As much money as these guys make, they spend it just as fast with the big house, fancy cars, etc. When you turn the spigot off, you either need to find another source of income or cut down the spending.

 

As football season is drawing closer, I think reality is setting in. Does he go get a job making $40K a year and start working his way up the company ladder or does he play for 6 more months for $6mm. Most of this country won't see $6mm in a lifetime and he can make it in 6 months. He can always join the real world next year.

 

Schobel has just built a large mansion and is not hurting for money. He owns a tree farm.

[billsfreak]

I would put money Schobel returns. I think he is working out and taking his time getting back

I kinda agree, I am thinking he wanted to spend the entire summer in Texas and not at OTAs or mini camps.