Hey Eb...Winfield's contract

[YardRat]

I honestly don't remember the details of the contract Winfield signed with Minnesota, or the offers the Bills had on the table to attempt to keep him.

Could you please post the particulars?

Thanks in advance.

[Ickybaluky]

6 Years/$35M

$10.8M Roster Bonus

The $10.8M Roster Bonus all counted against the 2004 cap. If it were paid as a signing bonus, it would have counted as $1.8M per year against the cap from 2004 to 2009.

That means the remaining money is charged off mostly in the form of base salary, which is not guaranteed. His base salaries for the next 4 years are $4.7M, $4.9M, $5.6M and $6M, and his cap numbers are probably not much more than that each season.

The contract has two benefits to the Vikings. The $5.3M per season left on the deal is below market for a top CB, because so much of the contract was charged off the first year. The second benefit is the lack of guarantee on the deal, which will allow the Vikings to release or trade Winfield without any dead money effect on the cap (since there is no amortized signing bonus, nothing is left to be charged off) should he fail to perform to a level of satisfaction.

I don't know the details of the Buffalo's efforts to keep him.

[YardRat]

Thanks, NE....I understand the caponomics of the deal, just couldn't remember the actual dollar amounts, and I'd still like to see what Buffalo was offering.

[HHURRICANE]

Should have kept Winfield and Pat.

[Mitchy moo]

Should have kept Winfield and Pat.

would of mattered w/ mm/td here?

[Ebenezer]

6 Years/$35M

$10.8M Roster Bonus

The $10.8M Roster Bonus all counted against the 2004 cap. If it were paid as a signing bonus, it would have counted as $1.8M per year against the cap from 2004 to 2009.

That means the remaining money is charged off mostly in the form of base salary, which is not guaranteed. His base salaries for the next 4 years are $4.7M, $4.9M, $5.6M and $6M, and his cap numbers are probably not much more than that each season.

The contract has two benefits to the Vikings. The $5.3M per season left on the deal is below market for a top CB, because so much of the contract was charged off the first year. The second benefit is the lack of guarantee on the deal, which will allow the Vikings to release or trade Winfield without any dead money effect on the cap (since there is no amortized signing bonus, nothing is left to be charged off) should he fail to perform to a level of satisfaction.

I don't know the details of the Buffalo's efforts to keep him.
what he said...

[YardRat]

what he said...

He didn't say anything about what the Bills had on the table :D

My contention with the Winfield contract is that I believe the Bills didn't offer the same signing bonus, regardless of whether it was roster or signing, and the dollar amount was a larger factor in Antoine leaving than what type of bonus he got.

It should have been easier for Buffalo to top the Vikings offer and keep Winfield, as they could have offered 12mil in the form of a signing bonus, 'outbid' Minnesota and not suffer the same cap hit that the Vikes were willing to and in a position to absorb.

[Ebenezer]

One problem with your logic...

There was no way RW/TD was going to give Winfield that kind of contract ($$ wise). Just wasn't going to happen.

[YardRat]

One problem with your logic...

There was no way RW/TD was going to give Winfield that kind of contract ($$ wise). Just wasn't going to happen.

That is what I'm saying...we didn't lose Winfield because because of a technical difference between a roster bonus and a signing bonus...we let him walk because we weren't willing to spend that much cash.