Bills restructure Ryan Bates contract

[No_Matter_What]

22 hours ago, Tuco said:

 

1) As we know, the $5.68 mil was converted to bonus and 3 dead years added so the cap charge would only be the $1.136 mil we see for each year. At the end of 2023 when the contract void kicks in, the final 3 years will accelerate and all be charged as the $3.408 mil in dead cap in 2024. Once a bonus is prorated the only thing that can change it is the player leaving the team, in which case it accelerates the remaining years to the next year.

 

The only way the Bills can stop the final 3 years from accelerating to $3.408 mil in dead cap in '24 is to reach a new extension that turns the voided years into real years. Even doing so, the $1.136 million figures will stay for each year and any new prorated bonus will be added on accordingly.

 

Also, if after this year the Bills decide to part ways and cut or trade him, the final 4 years would be subject to acceleration. If they simply cut him before June 1st in '23 the final 4 years would accelerate and count $4.544 million dead cap in '23. If they cut him after June 1st it would then be $1.136 mil dead in '23 and $3.408 mil dead in '24.

 

2) Right. There really isn't a lot of difference between the top 51 and 53. I suppose it was made just to give the teams more wiggle room during the off season. Either way,m you generally need more room at the start of the season as, (3) yes the PS guys do count However much they are paid X whatever the number is - I think it's up to 16 now). Plus any player that goes on IR and has to be replaced and both count. Pretty much when they get to the 53 cut down date every player under contract counts against the cap except players on the commissioner's suspended or exempt list.

 

4) Good question and I'm glad you noticed this. Shortly before Star was actually cut both Spotrac and OTC included a guaranteed $2.5 million in '22 salary in their figures for Star. He also had $2.6 million in prorated bonus for both '22 and '23. That meant if they cut him after June 1st his cap charge would be $5.1 mil dead ($2.6 prorated + $2.5 million guaranteed salary) in '22 the other $2.6 mil dead in '23. Likewise, if they didn't use the June 1st rule, the whole $7.7 mil ($2.6PR + $2.6 PR + $2.5 guaranteed) would be dead cap in '22.

 

That is what the Bills did. And I remember previously seeing the $7.7 million dead cap charge listed. Now there were some conversations (by cap nerds like me, not any of the TV guys or sports bloggers) that the guaranteed $2.5 million salary could have offset language that would relieve the Bills of that $2.5 mil obligation (or a portion of it) and also give them the $2.5 mil (or a portion) back in cap space in the event Star signed with a new team.

 

I don't believe Star signed anywhere else. But I do remember the guaranteed $2.5 mil salary only showing up on the cap tracking sites a couple weeks before Star was released. So it's possible that guarantee was never real. Or maybe it was voided for some reason we'll likely never know about. Those sites rely on 3rd party info for everything and while they do a good job, they do have inaccuracies.

 

Regardless, it certainly looks like the expected dead cap charge for Star's $2.5 mil guaranteed salary is no longer being charged and that's why it's only $5.2 instead of $7.7. And that's $2.5 mil that has at some point been rather silently added back to the Bills cap space.

Thanks man. You answered everything I asked.

 

As for Star, what you say makes sense and it is actually most plausible explanation - frmo some reason his dead cap is in fact 5,2M despite being cut now.

 

What makes it even more interesting are numbers from NFLPA public report, but there is separate thread about it going on right now so I will comment on it there.

 

Maybe one more thing here - is there a way to see some old data somewhere? I mean Sportrac shows everything what they know right now, but can I somehow find data which were valid a year ago? I.e. who was on the roster, what their contract details were, how much we had cap space, etc?