If the Bills cut bait with Fitzpatrick after this season....

[BertSquirtgum]

They won't be out a ton of money. It appears Buddy was smart enough to put the higher numbers at the end of the contract.

Contract: 7 yr(s) / $62,195,000

Signing Bonus $10,000,000

Average Salary $8,885,000

End Year: 2017 Free Agent: 2018 / Unrestricted

Base Salary S. Bonus Misc. Bonus Cap Hit

2012 2,800,000 2,000,000 1,200,000 6,000,000
2013 4,250,000 2,000,000 4,200,000 10,450,000
2014 4,350,000 2,000,000 4,200,000 10,550,000
2015 7,200,000 2,000,000 1,200,000 10,400,000
2016 8,750,000 - 1,200,000 9,950,000
2017 9,450,000 - 200,000 9,650,000

http://www.spotrac.com/nfl/buffalo-bills/ryan-fitzpatrick/

[kingJofNYC]

Re: If the Bills cut bait with Fitzpatrick after this season....

They can get out of the contract easily, will take a cap hit but it won't be that big. He'll be on the roster for one more year for sure.

[YardRat]

Re: If the Bills cut bait with Fitzpatrick after this season....

It's been pretty well documented that the contract terms were team-friendly if they needed to go in a different direction.

[clumping platelets]

Re: If the Bills cut bait with Fitzpatrick after this season....

The $4.2 million misc bonus is likely a roster or option bonus. Now declining that bonus does not mean that he is released. It could just void part of the contract and base salaries change upward. Signing bonus proration is loikely unaffected. Would need more details in order to determine if there is "dead cap" if released

[SABURZFAN]

Re: If the Bills cut bait with Fitzpatrick after this season....

just get rid of him and bring Kelly out of mothballs. he can't do any worse.

[Night Train]

Re: If the Bills cut bait with Fitzpatrick after this season....

The $4.2 million misc bonus is likely a roster or option bonus. Now declining that bonus does not mean that he is released. It could just void part of the contract and base salaries change upward. Signing bonus proration is loikely unaffected. Would need more details in order to determine if there is "dead cap" if released

My understanding was it's a buyout and that would give them a clean start with someone else without taking any cap hit. It was mentioned a couple times by Buff News Mark Gaughan.

If the Bills suffer another losing season, Brandon will have great difficulty marketing this team for ticket sales going forward unless a new coach and QB are shown to the buying public.

[RedEyE]

Re: If the Bills cut bait with Fitzpatrick after this season....

I think Chan really needs to get TJack some snaps during the BYE. If Fitz comes out of the gates against Houston in the same way he has all season, it is time to inject another option. I'm not suggestion TJackson would be better, but what the Bills have in Jackson is an unknown and a bit of an investment. They need to test that investment and it would be the prime opportunity to do so.

Because what I don't want to see happen is the Bills play out the season with the inept Fitzpatrick and roll into next season with their unknown investment (TJack) at the helm. If both of these QBs are ****, we need to know well before the draft.

[jdaltroy5]

Re: If the Bills cut bait with Fitzpatrick after this season....

I think Chan really needs to get TJack some snaps during the BYE. If Fitz comes out of the gates against Houston in the same way he has all season, it is time to inject another option. I'm not suggestion TJackson would be better, but what the Bills have in Jackson is an unknown and a bit of an investment. They need to test that investment and it would be the prime opportunity to do so.

Because what I don't want to see happen is the Bills play out the season with the inept Fitzpatrick and roll into next season with their unknown investment (TJack) at the helm. If both of these QBs are ****, we need to know well before the draft.

T Jax won't be dressing until the 12th game.

Mark my words.

[OpIv37]

Re: If the Bills cut bait with Fitzpatrick after this season....

How much dead cap would there be if he was cut?

[better days]

Re: If the Bills cut bait with Fitzpatrick after this season....

I think Chan really needs to get TJack some snaps during the BYE. If Fitz comes out of the gates against Houston in the same way he has all season, it is time to inject another option. I'm not suggestion TJackson would be better, but what the Bills have in Jackson is an unknown and a bit of an investment. They need to test that investment and it would be the prime opportunity to do so.

Because what I don't want to see happen is the Bills play out the season with the inept Fitzpatrick and roll into next season with their unknown investment (TJack) at the helm. If both of these QBs are ****, we need to know well before the draft.

Before the new CBA, teams could use the bye week to change things up, but with the new CBA not so much. The bye week now is vacation time for the players.

[OpIv37]

Re: If the Bills cut bait with Fitzpatrick after this season....

Before the new CBA, teams could use the bye week to change things up, but with the new CBA not so much. The bye week now is vacation time for the players.

That's annoying. Players can't go 17 weeks without a vacation when they already have 35 weeks a year off? Well, take out OTAs.mini came and training camp- they STILL have half the year where their only job is to stay in shape. Whiny *****es.

[GingerP]

Re: If the Bills cut bait with Fitzpatrick after this season....

The $4.2 million misc bonus is likely a roster or option bonus. Now declining that bonus does not mean that he is released. It could just void part of the contract and base salaries change upward. Signing bonus proration is loikely unaffected. Would need more details in order to determine if there is "dead cap" if released

The $4.2M is made up of $200K in workout bonus (he has this each year), $3M roster bonus (he has this in 2012 and 2013) and $1M is amortization from his $5M option bonus paid this year. Fitzpatrick received a $10M signing bonus spread at $2M per season from 2011 - 2015. He received a $5M option bonus spread at $1M per year from 2012 - 2016.

The decision comes down to this:

- The Bills are due to pay Fitzpatrick $7.45M in cash next year ($4.25M salary, $200K workout, $3M roster)
- If they cut him, he will have $10M in remaining bonus money to charge off (3 years of his $10M SB, 4 years of his $5M option), that is the dead money.

Do they want to pay Fitz $7.45M? Doubtful, unless they still see him as the starter. You don't pay a backup that much. Thus, they likely cut him and take the $10M dead money charge.

[GingerP]

Re: If the Bills cut bait with Fitzpatrick after this season....

How much dead cap would there be if he was cut?

$10M.

[stuckincincy]

Re: If the Bills cut bait with Fitzpatrick after this season....

Before the new CBA, teams could use the bye week to change things up, but with the new CBA not so much. The bye week now is vacation time for the players.

There's no business, like show business, ...

[BertSquirtgum]

Re: If the Bills cut bait with Fitzpatrick after this season....

This just makes me wonder. Did Buddy know Fitz wasn't good but wanted to give his chosen head coach the man he wanted? I'm probably giving Buddy too much credit.