Cash to cap does NOT prevent FA signings!!!!

[X-Era]

Clump, back me up here. Im reading daily sillyness about the cash to cap concept.

Its nothing more than saying we wont spend OVER the cap by ammortizing signing bonuses into future years. That means we still can sign players to the same deals, but structure them such that we pay the bounses early.

So, rather than signing 3 big FA's with SB's that go into future years, we sign one and front load it so it doesnt kill us later.

Ralph said spend up to the cap. We have 39 mill, someone show me please how you kill 39 mill WITHOUT signing any upgrades?

Were taking this too far guys, its not a spending straight jacket, its fiscal planning.

[Jan Reimers]

This place should be renamed "The Over-Reaction to Every Statement and Event Zone."

[Carlton Bailey]

Of course it doesn't prevent big FA signings. It just prevents the Bills from signing a few players who are actually worth a damn. It'll be another offseason of Matt Bowen, etc.

[Don't Panic]

Cash to cap, from my understanding, means that you count the bonus you give a guy towards the cap right now. Cap-wise, all signing bonuses go into future years. This new philosophy says that, even though the bonus will be spread out cap-wise across the length of the contract, we're not going to spend money on bonuses that take us over the cap. Example - if we have $30 million in cap space, then we can only dole out that much in the first year of the contract and the signing bonuses COMBINED, no matter what the cap rules are. So if player A signs for 5 years/$30 million with a $10 mil. SB and a $3 mil. 1st year salary and player B signs for 4 years/$25 million with a $8 mil. SB and a $3 mil. 1st year salary, then we will have used $24 million(10 + 3 and 8 + 3) of our $30 million in cap "space" with two contracts. Basically, it is a creative way of getting cheap/fiscally responsible/realisitc (depending on your slant).

[ZacGriffi~82]

I have a couple of concerns though. So this system prevents us from signing Nate Clements. Whose to say the same situation doesn't occur with Evans, Whitner, Losman, etc.? They'll command top money at their position too.

Also why would any FA want to sign one of these contracts when the signing bonus is usually the only guaranteed money they get per year. They'd be taking a risk...

[Jan Reimers]

I have a couple of concerns though. So this system prevents us from signing Nate Clements. Whose to say the same situation doesn't occur with Evans, Whitner, Losman, etc.? They'll command top money at their position too.
You're right. We're a small market team with revenue in the bottom quarter of the league, and an owner who is not amongst the wealthiest. Without a decent revenue sharing agreement, we will become - or perhaps we already are - the Pittsburgh Pirates of the NFL.

[HHURRICANE]

What it prevents is ever re-signing Peyton Manning. He got 35 million up front which means they had to spread it across several years. The Bills want all guaranteed money paid up front. It prevents you from giving out big signing bonuses, EVER!!!

[X-Era]

What it prevents is ever re-signing Peyton Manning. He got 35 million up front which means they had to spread it across several years. The Bills want all guaranteed money paid up front. It prevents you from giving out big signing bonuses, EVER!!!

If we ever had a Peyton Manning I bet our cash to cap plan would be quickly modified to resign him.

Point is, we dont have any top star talent right now.We can safely make a plan like that knowing we wont lose a future hall of famer because we dont have any right now.

Im really not worried about this. This was the Bills plan THIS YEAR. I didnt hear them say this would ALWAYS be there plan. I may just fit this year. And why not?

Whos the bank breaker FA that we need to sign that hasnt already been tagged? Cato June? Hes a bank breaker? Not quite. Nate Clements? most of us thought he will want more than hes worth. Maybe the Bills do to, so they wont need big cash to sign him.

Seriously, we are making a cash to the cap statement when we dont have any huge names to sign...big deal.

[HHURRICANE]

If we ever had a Peyton Manning I bet our cash to cap plan would be quickly modified to resign him.

Point is, we dont have any top star talent right now.We can safely make a plan like that knowing we wont lose a future hall of famer because we dont have any right now.

Im really not worried about this. This was the Bills plan THIS YEAR. I didnt hear them say this would ALWAYS be there plan. I may just fit this year. And why not?

Whos the bank breaker FA that we need to sign that hasnt already been tagged? Cato June? Hes a bank breaker? Not quite. Nate Clements? most of us thought he will want more than hes worth. Maybe the Bills do to, so they wont need big cash to sign him.

Seriously, we are making a cash to the cap statement when we dont have any huge names to sign...big deal.

I do agree with the majority of your post. I just don't like black and white. Obviously there are no FA's of signifigance that Buffalo is signing and we would have been better off saying that.