Contract Negotiations: Don’t believe just the dollar amount

[TwentyOne]

How many times has information been “leaked” from the Star that player X has been offered $___ in contract negotiations but according to the Cowboys, “turned it down”? We as fans need to stop falling for the old “We offered them $___ and they turned it down” leak that in reality is (according to Cowboys beat writers) coming from the Jones boys to sway public opinion and put pressure on the player. Most other NFL teams do this too btw.

Here’s the hidden truth about what holds up NFL contract negotiations: The “dollar amounts” are usually not the big divide. The devil is always in the details.

In fact, NFL contracts are very complex, usually broken in several chunks of payment and bonus options. To avoid making this post too long, here are some of the main elements of an NFL contract:

• Base salary- This is the foundation of every player contract- players are paid their base salary in 17 payments (for the 16-game schedule and one bye week), one per week during the season. Base salary can be non-guaranteed or guaranteed depending on various clauses and conditions. This is the amount most often talked about- “He’s been offered $__million a year”, which usually means base salary. This does not include other payments or guarantees or bonuses. (And is often misleading)

• Guaranteed Money- One thing that is somewhat misunderstood is that not all guaranteed money is the same. There are several types of guaranteed money that teams can use when constructing a contract. Here are the most common:
  • Injury Gurantee- This guarantee kicks in if a player is released but is unable to partake in football activities or pass a physical. If a player is released and this condition is met, the player is entitled to money that is protected against injury. If a player has guaranteed money for injury and they are healthy, then the money guaranteed for injury is lost when the player is cut.
  • Cap guarantee- this will protect a player from being released so the team can get under the cap, sign a free agent, or re-sign another player. A player with this guarantee cannot be cut as a money savings move.
  • There are other types of guarantees too complex for me to describe.

• Length of contract- supposedly a sticking point in the 2020 Dak negotiations because allegedly the team wanted a 5 year deal and Dak wanted a 4 year deal. This is actually becoming a more common sticking point for all players, especially those under 28 (like Dak) who figure to have more than one contract in their careers.
  
  
• Signing, roster and workout bonuses- these parts are fairly self explanatory. But they are often parts of hard negotiations by both sides, the details of which most fans never know about.

This is a very complex issue and one that is difficult to explain in a short post. But just remember the next time we as fans are told by the owner’s side of negotiations that a player has been offered $__ amount of money, that’s like offering someone dinner but not telling that what food will be served.

Seriously i can understand that some people feel like this is a complex thing. Where i do think it is not even that.
But for sure it isnt a complicated thing.

Dont let you get fooled by SJ who has no clue. Or JJ who is more drunk than sober.

 

[FVSTONE]

How many times has information been “leaked” from the Star that player X has been offered $___ in contract negotiations but according to the Cowboys, “turned it down”? We as fans need to stop falling for the old “We offered them $___ and they turned it down” leak that in reality is (according to Cowboys beat writers) coming from the Jones boys to sway public opinion and put pressure on the player. Most other NFL teams do this too btw.

Here’s the hidden truth about what holds up NFL contract negotiations: The “dollar amounts” are usually not the big divide. The devil is always in the details.

In fact, NFL contracts are very complex, usually broken in several chunks of payment and bonus options. To avoid making this post too long, here are some of the main elements of an NFL contract:

• Base salary- This is the foundation of every player contract- players are paid their base salary in 17 payments (for the 16-game schedule and one bye week), one per week during the season. Base salary can be non-guaranteed or guaranteed depending on various clauses and conditions. This is the amount most often talked about- “He’s been offered $__million a year”, which usually means base salary. This does not include other payments or guarantees or bonuses. (And is often misleading)

• Guaranteed Money- One thing that is somewhat misunderstood is that not all guaranteed money is the same. There are several types of guaranteed money that teams can use when constructing a contract. Here are the most common:
  • Injury Gurantee- This guarantee kicks in if a player is released but is unable to partake in football activities or pass a physical. If a player is released and this condition is met, the player is entitled to money that is protected against injury. If a player has guaranteed money for injury and they are healthy, then the money guaranteed for injury is lost when the player is cut.
  • Cap guarantee- this will protect a player from being released so the team can get under the cap, sign a free agent, or re-sign another player. A player with this guarantee cannot be cut as a money savings move.
  • There are other types of guarantees too complex for me to describe.

• Length of contract- supposedly a sticking point in the 2020 Dak negotiations because allegedly the team wanted a 5 year deal and Dak wanted a 4 year deal. This is actually becoming a more common sticking point for all players, especially those under 28 (like Dak) who figure to have more than one contract in their careers.
  
  
• Signing, roster and workout bonuses- these parts are fairly self explanatory. But they are often parts of hard negotiations by both sides, the details of which most fans never know about.

This is a very complex issue and one that is difficult to explain in a short post. But just remember the next time we as fans are told by the owner’s side of negotiations that a player has been offered $__ amount of money, that’s like offering someone dinner but not telling that what food will be served.

That's the problem with the players under 28 , they're more interested in future contracts!!!!!!!!! Dak needs to sign his 5 yr contract and if he wins a couple of SB's then I'm sure the Jones would be more than happy to up his take home. Unfortunately for us fans Dak is an average QB who isn't going to take us to any SB's.

 

[DeaconBlues]

Mahomes was an *extension*. The average yearly salary looks lower because an increase in pay for a year KC already owned. Factor out his fourth year and then calculate the average.

Then his guarantees are structured so that KC is always on the hook for year N+1 by march of year N.

KC has to eat a year of salary in March if they ever want to get out of him. That should also be factored into average salary.

Mahomes has a good deal. Unlike Dak, he arranged his salary so that he *stays* with KC forever. He's got a good coach. Good management. A SB team. Tons of money in a low cost, low tax, low wealth state.

Question: If Dak signed a 10 year, $500,000 contract, $250,000 guaranteed deal, would you be in favor?

 

[Winonesoon]

Is the Dak deal the hardest deal ever done by the Cowboys or just the most discussed?

 

[buybuydandavis]

Question: If Dak signed a 10 year, $500,000 contract, $250,000 guaranteed deal, would you be in favor?

Maybe you want to rephrase that question.

That's only 5mil total over 10 years. Of course I'd be in favor of that. But Dak wouldn't.

 

[Bobhaze]

That's the problem with the players under 28 , they're more interested in future contracts!!!!!!!!! Dak needs to sign his 5 yr contract and if he wins a couple of SB's then I'm sure the Jones would be more than happy to up his take home. Unfortunately for us fans Dak is an average QB who isn't going to take us to any SB's.

I think there’s a fundamental fan misunderstanding about starting QBs in the NFL- unless it’s Brady or Mahomes or Rodgers or Peyton Manning in his day- there aren’t a bunch of QBs who are capable of literally carrying a team on their backs to the SB.

I compare Dak to a bunch of QBs who have led their teams to SBs but not as THE guy. Someone like Phil Simms, Joe Flacco, Doug Williams, Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb, and others. Not all won SBs but they were really good QBs on good teams that won conference championships and some even the SB. Is Dak Pat Mahomes? No. But there are only a couple of guys like that. On a decent team with an above average defense, Dak is capable of winning a SB.

This fan base seems too quick to say Dak “isn’t good enough” based on comparisons to QBs who no one else can be either, or based on the talent level of this current Cowboys roster that I think not even Tom Brady could win with.

 

[KeepinTime]

These are also numbers so ridiculous and beyond the reality of the average working person that nobody involved should be looked upon with sympathy. There are no victims here.

But fair market value, yada, yada, yada....

So sick of people chiming in with that old standby. Pro athletes make crazy stupid money. I love my sports but sometimes I gotta wonder how it got so ridiculous.

 

[5Stars]

 

[FVSTONE]

I think there’s a fundamental fan misunderstanding about starting QBs in the NFL- unless it’s Brady or Mahomes or Rodgers or Peyton Manning in his day- there aren’t a bunch of QBs who are capable of literally carrying a team on their backs to the SB.

I compare Dak to a bunch of QBs who have led their teams to SBs but not as THE guy. Someone like Phil Simms, Joe Flacco, Doug Williams, Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb, and others. Not all won SBs but they were really good QBs on good teams that won conference championships and some even the SB. Is Dak Pat Mahomes? No. But there are only a couple of guys like that. On a decent team with an above average defense, Dak is capable of winning a SB.

This fan base seems too quick to say Dak “isn’t good enough” based on comparisons to QBs who no one else can be either, or based on the talent level of this current Cowboys roster that I think not even Tom Brady could win with.

I've watched Dak struggle big time against average teams, hell I can't remember the last time he beat a team with a winning record. He's showed us that he's capable of beating the bottom feeders in this league, but unfortunately that's not enough in this league.

 

[DeaconBlues]

Maybe you want to rephrase that question.

That's only 5mil total over 10 years. Of course I'd be in favor of that. But Dak wouldn't.

Yeah, I meant $500 million over 10 years, $250 million, similar to but less than Mahomes.

 

[Bobhaze]

For everyone who thinks all you have to do is draft one of these first round QBs and we have a future....
There were 22 Qbs drafted in the 1st round between 2009 and 2016. One remains with the team that drafted him: Carson Wentz. And who still thinks that’s a great pick?

Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan and Ben Roethlisberger are the only first round QBs before 2016 still with their original team. And Rodgers may be gone from GB.

Finding even a decent QB is extremely difficult. Thinking all we need is to draft one early- especially with this front office is probably asking for a long walk in the NFL wilderness.

 

[buybuydandavis]

For everyone who thinks all you have to do is draft one of these first round QBs and we have a future....
...
Finding even a decent QB is extremely difficult. Thinking all we need is to draft one early- especially with this front office is probably asking for a long walk in the NFL wilderness.

Note that you cut off the evaluation of QBs at 2016, just before Mahomes and Watson, picked 10 and 12.

But I'll take your point on the first round in one way. It's more of a crapshoot than teams plan for. It's not easy. Spending high picks doesn't necessarily get you a good QB. But they pick high and get locked into developing that guy. Seems like a bad strategy.

Dak's history should tell us something. He was a "development project", forced into playing by two fluke preseason injuries, no cheapo veteran QB on the market, and Romo expected to come back before season end. The stars had to align to get Dak on the field as a rookie. He could have just as well ended up a career backup, never getting a *favorable* chance to shine, get snaps, and develop.

I believe that there's more QB talent out there than makes the field. I'd rather see the draft ammo and development spread among more players. Draft running QBs. Churn them like RBs. See if you hit on one. In the meantime, you get the extra that a running QB can bring when you don't have a jillion dollars of dead cap pending at risk. And, you didn't spend all that cap on QB at all.

Compare what we've *spent* versus what we've *gotten* since Aikman. Yeah, a lot of bums in the early 2000s. A lot of bums we spent nothing to acquire too. But we *got* Romo, Moore, and Dak.

How much *more* might we have had if we just spent more and churned more?

If the starter goes down, instead of carrying a fading geezer bus driver, put in a young running QB and let him show us the magic. We get the running. We get the development. We get the evaluation. If he stinks, oh well. How many games are you going to win with a backup QB anyway?

Instead of carrying a McGee, a White, a Rush after they've shown their limits, always bring in competition and make the vet backups clearly beat out the rookies to stay on the roster. If you ain't showing progress, you're shown the door.

Unfortunately, we *haven't* been doing this. I did think Gilbert showed some juice last year, but nothing to keep anyone else off the team. But he's not enough for this year.

The other part of this strategy is what to do when your churning hasn't yielded returns. Then you hit the veteran free agent market. Maybe spend a higher pick at QB and give him a year. Sometimes that will give you a bad year, but that isn't a tragedy, and it brings more draft capital than our endless twilight of 8-8.

This year the GOAT was on the market, and went for 25 mil/year for 2 years. Maybe a better option than Dak doing two years of franchise tags then leaving? Maybe better than signing Dak long term?

If you find you have a Stauback, then sign him long term. Dak isn't Staubach. Looking at recent SBs, it's been a lot of pending HOFers. Anyone think Dak is a HOFer?

Churn baby, churn, as *policy* going forward. Stop looking only at next year and run the Cowboys with an effective long term strategy.