Fitz Contract - the number for next year makes it a dicey situation

[ghz in pittsburgh]

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/68811/bills-can-save-millions-by-cutting-fitzpatrick

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ESPN.com's AFC East blog has learned Buffalo will save $4.45 million in cap space and $7.45 million in actual cash by cutting Fitzpatrick this offseason. Fitzpatrick is due a base salary of $4.25 million and an easy-to-obtain workout bonus of $200,000 in 2013.

However, the biggest litmus test will be a $3 million roster bonus Fitzpatrick is owed in March on the second day of the league year. If the Bills pay the bonus, Fitzpatrick's cap number jumps to $10.45 million next season, which would be suitable for a franchise quarterback.
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No one, including Nix and Gailey has ever said he's the franchise QB. Ideally they don't eant to eat the $3 million cap hit either. Maybe a re-negotiation is in order?

[X-Era]

http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/post/_/id/68811/bills-can-save-millions-by-cutting-fitzpatrick

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ESPN.com's AFC East blog has learned Buffalo will save $4.45 million in cap space and $7.45 million in actual cash by cutting Fitzpatrick this offseason. Fitzpatrick is due a base salary of $4.25 million and an easy-to-obtain workout bonus of $200,000 in 2013.

However, the biggest litmus test will be a $3 million roster bonus Fitzpatrick is owed in March on the second day of the league year. If the Bills pay the bonus, Fitzpatrick's cap number jumps to $10.45 million next season, which would be suitable for a franchise quarterback.
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No one, including Nix and Gailey has ever said he's the franchise QB. Ideally they don't eant to eat the $3 million cap hit either. Maybe a re-negotiation is in order?10+ next year? No. He needs to go. Getting 4 mill back in cap room makes it a done deal to me.

If we can manage to renegotiate him down to backup salary fine. But that won't happen.

Keeping him at 10+ mill would be a monumental failure.

[YardRat]

I don't know if they can renegotiate again so quickly under the new CBA.

[Don't Panic]

My call is that he's around next year and then cut loose in early 2014.

[X-Era]

My call is that he's around next year and then cut loose in early 2014.At 10+ mill, I seriously hope you're wrong.

[Typ0]

renegotiate? For what? I heard a conversation on the radio the other day including Vick, Smith and a couple of guys in college. I say get them all on the roster!

[Don't Panic]

At 10+ mill, I seriously hope you're wrong.

As do I, but unless Nix is axed or we draft a QB in the 1st round, I don't see it happening.

[DynaPaul]

There's no choice but to cut him at that price. He's already proven that he's not worth the money.

[Mr. Pink]

Even if we keep Fitz around next year his contract really isn't that astronomically idiotic for the position.

He's 17th in QB salary this year and is getting 9.8m

And what is Fitz? A middle of the road average NFL QB. His salary is in line with his play.

And no, he is not good enough and should be gone for someone new but it has nothing to do with his pay. It has to do with his play.

Could be worse, we could be paying 12.6m to Kevin Kolb like the Cards are.

[Goobylal]

He's a goner for sure. Which is a shame because I really like the guy and like everything about him but his arm.

[BertSquirtgum]

If Gailey is gone, like he should be, then Fitzputrid is gone. Please Jesus. I don't ask you for much.

[BertSquirtgum]

Fitz is a goner at the end of the season. Either that or he accepts a restructuring deal. We could have one of the best back ups in the league.

[don137]

Fitz has to know how bad he sucks and his play cost the Bills a lot of games and if he is cut he will not be able to sign elsewhere for anything near what he would of made it Buffalo. This I why I think he will restructure to be a mentor and tutor the Bills QB of the future after they draft him.

[Albany,n.y.]

The best way for all sides to restructure the deal is for him to accept a contract with a lot of incentives. So many $ for each game started, # wins & playoffs as a starter, etc. If he's the backup he gets backup salary but if he plays like what was expected when he signed the original contract, he gets paid the full original salary. If he thinks he can do better elsewhere, like Arizona, where he can go home & start then let him go.

[BertSquirtgum]

The best way for all sides to restructure the deal is for him to accept a contract with a lot of incentives. So many $ for each game started, # wins & playoffs as a starter, etc. If he's the backup he gets backup salary but if he plays like what was expected when he signed the original contract, he gets paid the full original salary. If he thinks he can do better elsewhere, like Arizona, where he can go home & start then let him go.

I would be so happy if he thought he could do better in Arizona. Good riddance.

[Yasgur's Farm]

Info from a poster on another board brought some info to the table... What the article doesn't tell you is that the $4.5M cap savings for 2013 is based on a new rule... the designated June 1st release rule. That allows a team to spread out amortized monies over 2 years. In this case, in addition to the $4.5M cap hit in 2013, Fits will cost the Bills an additional ~$6.5M against the cap in 2014.

[IAG]

The Bills will dominate today and all the FO, coaching staff and Fitz will be brought back.

[Yasgur's Farm]

I need to explain a couple things in my previous post above... For some reason I can't edit my own posts.

Assuming all bonuses are amortized, his signing bonus counts for $1.439M per year ($7.143M remaining against cap)... Likewise, his 2012 roster and workout bonuses add up to $5.2M and count for $.867M per year ($4.335M remaining against cap). Therefore, his 2013 cap hit if released will be ~$11.5M. That would normally become due upon his release... except for the new June 1st rule. If the $4.5M savings, as stated in the article, is true, then only about $3M ($11.5 - $7.45 salary and bonuses for 2013) of that $11.5M is accounted for in 2013. The remaining $8.5M needs to be accounted for in 2014 (my previous figure of $6.5 was not correct).

[Yasgur's Farm]

The Bills will dominate today and all the FO, coaching staff and Fitz will be brought back.Thank God you cleared that up with this very insightful post.

[BertSquirtgum]

Yeah, this 10 minute edit rule is pretty ****ing stupid.

[jimmifli]

Even if we keep Fitz around next year his contract really isn't that astronomically idiotic for the position.

He's 17th in QB salary this year and is getting 9.8m

And what is Fitz? A middle of the road average NFL QB. His salary is in line with his play.

And no, he is not good enough and should be gone for someone new but it has nothing to do with his pay. It has to do with his play.

Could be worse, we could be paying 12.6m to Kevin Kolb like the Cards are.

And when you consider how cheap the new rookie contracts are in comparison, he's pretty close to the cheapest starting QB that isn't on a rookie contract.

[Novacane]

And when you consider how cheap the new rookie contracts are in comparison, he's pretty close to the cheapest starting QB that isn't on a rookie contract.



He plays like the cheapest

[jimmifli]

He plays like the cheapest

Absolutely.

[gebobs]

Even if we keep Fitz around next year his contract really isn't that astronomically idiotic for the position.The idiotic part is that the Bills have him playing the position. As a quarterback, Fitz isn't worth a plug nickel.

[Cleve]

The astonishing part - that he was anointed starting QB in the first place years ago. Nothing in his game play at Buffalo to that point, or in his past history with other teams, indicated he had starting QB potential. Nothing. He has played as starting QB exactly as his stats previous to that time suggested he would play.

Yet again, the Bills waste years of time on a worthless QB.

[Night Train]

You don't keep him purely to save $$.

2 wrongs never make a right.

Cap hit means nothing. Draft his replacement ( that will be a low cap $$ ) and move forward.

[JohnnyGold]

I, for one, hope he stays on with a restructured deal as a backup.

He's not all-world, no, but guys on the team like him, and in a pinch, he could win 1 out of 3 games if our "qb of the future" went down to keep us in the wild card hunt.

I hate his arm, his passes, his pocket presence, his decisions in the fourth quarter, and his ability to throw the ball longer than 10 yards.

But he's still my favorite Bill since Kelly.