Injury Settlement: Crowell

[feldspar]

Does anybody know how an injury settlement is orchestrated? I just found this out:

"Injury Settlement:
occasionally a team has a player on IR but agrees with that player to a cash settlement in exchange for releasing that player. The team benefits by limiting further financial responsibility and player carrying costs while the player benefits both by receiving cash and by becoming eligible to sign with another team and begin playing as soon as physically capable (perhaps even during the same season)."

http://mbd.scout.com/mb.aspx?s=149&f=1764&t=1186834

I know I'm grasping at straws, but is it possible give Crowell a cash settlement and release him from the team...and then resign him?

Is that possible? Or does the NFL guard against this maneuver?

Anybody know how this works?

This guy had this to say:

"The only exception would be if he were to reach an injury settlement with the team within the next four days. Then, he could return to the team at a point later in the year. (It’s a little complicated as to when he could come back, and we’re a little too tired to try to figure it out right now.)"

http://www.profootballtalk.com/2008/09/05/no-surgery-yet-for-crowell/

Putting Crowell on IR is the among the stupidest things I've ever seen the Bills do, and that's saying something. I can't get over it. I was wondering if there was ANYTHING we could do to reverse this STUPID move...

[YardRat]

Putting Crowell on IR is the among the stupidest things I've ever seen the Bills do, and that's saying something. I can't get over it. I was wondering if there was ANYTHING we could do to reverse this STUPID move...

Almost as stupid as waiting until the week leading up to the season opener to elect to have surgery.

[feldspar]

Almost as stupid as waiting until the week leading up to the season opener to elect to have surgery.

Let's not make this thread about that, shall we?

[Luisito23]

Even if they could that Feldspar (which I doubt) I'm sure that they will not because it would make them look even that much dumber... Crowell will never play in a Bills' jersey ever again...

[feldspar]

Even if they could that Feldspar (which I doubt) I'm sure that they will not because it would make them look even that much dumber... Crowell will never play in a Bills' jersey ever again...

Yeah, you are probably right on all counts.

Too bad. In fact, that's terrible.

But this injury settlement thing is what Troy Vincent went through with the Bills in 2006. He got a hamstring injury in the opener against the Patriots, so the Bills put him on injured reserve. It didn't make much sense to put him on IR for a hamstring injury. Four weeks later he was fully recovered, the Bills released him, and he was signed by the Redskins, who started him almost immediately.

With Vincent, Jauron claimed that their lack of depth at Safety is why they put Vincent on IR...sound familiar? Vincent wasn't happy about that at all.

Vincent says he was placed on something called IR-minor.

At any rate, it sounds like the Bills just plain don't want Crowell around, and I would really like to know why. Vincent was old (15th year) and just about done (the Redskins cut him after the season), but Crowell isn't.

There must be something going on here that we don't know about.

[ALL D]

but who is to blame more. The Bills took somebodies word they were getting operated on and Crowell screwed them over by lying. Who gained anything out of this situation? A lot ot disrespect for both parties in this matter...

[TigerJ]

If Buffalo were to reach an injury settlement with Crowell, he effectively becomes a free agent, available to he highest bidder. Of course, he is in the last year of his contract at the end of which he becomes a free agent, available to the highest bidder. Unless the Bills make him an offer he can't refuse, he's gone either way, and I'm stuck with an obsolete jersey.

[camelcowboy]

Let's not make this thread about that, shall we?u started it

[thunderofhooves]

With the injury settlement, as mentioned he'd become a FA but wouldn't be eligible to play again until after week 10.

[Ickybaluky]

With the injury settlement, as mentioned he'd become a FA but wouldn't be eligible to play again until after week 10.

When he negotiates an injury settlement he will get paid for the number of weeks it takes him to get healthy. For instance, if the Bills agree to pay him for 4 weeks and cut him, he could sign with another team in week 5. If he were paid for 2 weeks, he would be eligible to sign with another team in week 3.

I think he would have to wait until after week 10 to sign with the Bills. When you are released of IR with an injury settlement, you have to wait longer to sign with the team that released you. That is to keep teams from circumventing the injury process.

There are different levels of IR, and I'm not sure which one the Bills used on Crowell. Minor IR is procedural, and is how teams designate players when they will release them. They remain in that status until and injury settlement is negotiated. If one can't be negotiated, it goes to a grievance process.

I'm not sure if a player can be released from major IR. However, if Crowell wants to play and doesn't agree with the designation, I imagine he can file a grievance to try and get a settlement and release.

[LABillsFan]

So let's say The Bills give him an injury settlement. He gets his cash, is able to sign with another team and play this year. If it is week 10 that he can come back who do you think signs him? Here's The Bills schdule.

<TABLE width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=A1>Nov. 9</TD><TD class=A1>@ New England</TD><TD class=A1><!-- --><!-- (http://www.billszone.com/gameday/2008/ne/previewgm1.shtml) --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=A1>Nov. 17</TD><TD class=A1>Cleveland</TD><TD class=A1><!-- --><!-- (http://www.billszone.com/gameday/2008/cle/preview.shtml) --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=A1>Nov. 23</TD><TD class=A1>@ Kansas City</TD><TD class=A1><!-- --><!-- (http://www.billszone.com/gameday/2008/kc/preview.shtml) --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=A1>Nov. 30</TD><TD class=A1>San Francisco</TD><TD class=A1><!-- --><!-- (http://www.billszone.com/gameday/2008/sf/preview.shtml) --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=A1>Dec. 7</TD><TD class=A1>Miami*</TD><TD class=A1><!-- --><!-- (http://www.billszone.com/gameday/2008/mia/previewgm2.shtml) --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=A1>Dec. 14</TD><TD class=A1>@ NY Jets</TD><TD class=A1><!-- --><!-- (http://www.billszone.com/gameday/2008/nyj/previewgm2.shtml) --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=A1>Dec. 21</TD><TD class=A1>@ Denver</TD><TD class=A1><!-- --><!-- (http://www.billszone.com/gameday/2008/den/preview.shtml) --></TD></TR><TR><TD class=A1>Dec. 28</TD><TD class=A1>New England</TD><TD class=A1>

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Do you really want Crowell playing on one of these teams?

[ServoBillieves]

So let's say The Bills give him an injury settlement. He gets his cash, is able to sign with another team and play this year. If it is week 10 that he can come back who do you think signs him? Here's The Bills schdule.

<table border="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="A1">Nov. 9</td><td class="A1">@ New England</td><td class="A1"><!-- --><!-- (http://www.billszone.com/gameday/2008/ne/previewgm1.shtml) --></td></tr><tr><td class="A1">Nov. 17</td><td class="A1">Cleveland</td><td class="A1"><!-- --><!-- (http://www.billszone.com/gameday/2008/cle/preview.shtml) --></td></tr><tr><td class="A1">Nov. 23</td><td class="A1">@ Kansas City</td><td class="A1"><!-- --><!-- (http://www.billszone.com/gameday/2008/kc/preview.shtml) --></td></tr><tr><td class="A1">Nov. 30</td><td class="A1">San Francisco</td><td class="A1"><!-- --><!-- (http://www.billszone.com/gameday/2008/sf/preview.shtml) --></td></tr><tr><td class="A1">Dec. 7</td><td class="A1">Miami*</td><td class="A1"><!-- --><!-- (http://www.billszone.com/gameday/2008/mia/previewgm2.shtml) --></td></tr><tr><td class="A1">Dec. 14</td><td class="A1">@ NY Jets</td><td class="A1"><!-- --><!-- (http://www.billszone.com/gameday/2008/nyj/previewgm2.shtml) --></td></tr><tr><td class="A1">Dec. 21</td><td class="A1">@ Denver</td><td class="A1"><!-- --><!-- (http://www.billszone.com/gameday/2008/den/preview.shtml) --></td></tr><tr><td class="A1">Dec. 28</td><td class="A1">New England</td><td class="A1">

</td></tr></tbody></table>
Do you really want Crowell playing on one of these teams?

Fairly good call, but by that time in the season, I could only see KC, the Fins, or Cleveland needing him.

My only concern is New England. If there are some injuries in their LB corp then maybe, and they do need youth with Bruschi and Vrabel going down, but I'd hope that since we'll most likely lose him at the end of this season we can get something out of it this year.

I dunno, I'm way too pumped for tomorrows game to care about anything else :D!

[LABillsFan]

NE is the front runner. They'll do whatever they can. All the other teams will be looking for an advantage especially if they and the Bills are close in record. I keep him on IR.

[Typ0]

they aren't going to reach any settlement with this jerk...screw him and let him sit out the season.

[Typ0]

I guess it makes too much sense to reach a settlement with him and let him go though. Maybe they intend on doing exactly this which is why they put him on IR.