Re: Predicted 53 Roster
 

Chamberlain looked good last year. I hope he comes back and gets some playing time.......I could care less about Herring.

Re: Predicted 53 Roster
 

Don't quite understand the whole dead money thing. That's why I keep you guys around:-)

This is going to be an interesting year as we have a bunch of guys coming back from injuries and those who played were caught in a system set up for failure. On top of that we have quite a few kids coming into their second and third year who haven't been given the chance to play balls out. My thinking is we really don't know what we have here. We could be sitting much prettier than we ever imagined.

Re: Predicted 53 Roster
 

I also do not understand thing either, and I don't care about it. But I do care about players that can play and one's that can't. I feel this year some of those sentimental veterans will be beat out right at their positions but because of money a player that would be much cheaper and much better will be let go. Because of this type of money a scrub will be playing at a position that he has not earned, sad, purely sad!!

Re: Predicted 53 Roster
 

Sean's on a mission this year like never before. He's not going to let that happen.

Re: Predicted 53 Roster
 

When we are talking about "dead money" it's referring to the guaranteed portion of the salary still owed to the player in question - usually in the form of the prorated signing bonus - which the team will still be on the hook if they cut the said player before his contract is up.

The term "dead money" comes from the fact that it directly reduces the salary cap by the same amount while not providing anything of substance in return, or at least that is how I've understood it.

For example, in the case of Chamberlain, when he signed the 3-yr contract with the Saints prior to last season, it included a $1.2M signing bonus. While Chamberlain immediately received that full amount to his bank account as soon as the ink had dried on the contract; the team is afforded the luxury of prorating that signing bonus into equal portions to count against the cap for each of the years on the said players contract. Signing bonuses are always guaranteed because the nature of the transaction doesn't allow for the money to be taken back once it's paid to the player signing the contract. So, when Chamberlain signed a 3-yr contract with a $1.2M signing bonus, it meant that the prorated amount of it would be $400K for each of the three years. He has been paid (from an accounting perspective) $400K of that $1.2M during last season, which still leaves $800K of guaranteed money on his contract. So, if the Saints were to cut him now - they'd still be on the hook for that remaining $800K (= dead money). If they decide to keep him around for this coming season, but cut him before next season - they'd end up saving $1.1M in cap as opposed to just $650K this offseason.

That probably ended up being an overcomplicated and unnecessarily long-winded explanation, but what can you do? ;-)

Re: Predicted 53 Roster
 

Can a team choose how long to prorate the bonuses?

And thanks by the way - a little less dirt in the water.

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The signing bonus is prorated for the length of the contract; so the longer the contract the less you pay per year...

Getting the player to agree to a longer contract becomes the issue here...

Re: Predicted 53 Roster
 

Seer1 I really hope you are right!!

Re: Predicted 53 Roster
 

Never knew that, thanks. I've never got into the money thing, only mine!!

Re: Predicted 53 Roster
 

There's just something in the way he's clenchin' his jaw...