9.17 Million Dollar Cap Hit For Mike Williams...

[Bill from NYC]

I have been letting this sink in for a few days now to come to some sort of opinion.

I contend that under any conditions except RT play which resembles that of Erik Williams in his prime, this cap hit is nothing short of a horror show and a literal crisis for the Buffalo Bills football team.

Make no mistake, MW played well last season after he came out of his "funk." Not splendid mind you, but he certainly was a better than average RT. Now, 9.17 million dollars???????? Please. This is a higher figure than that of Walter Jones, Orlando Pace and probably even Ogden. Mike Williams has not even approached their level of play. No, not close.

This contract, as it stands, will prevent the Bills from signing a prominent free agent. It consists of more than 10% of the Bills entire salary cap allotment. It was a bad move by TD, but he has also made some great moves.

I have the feeling that this will be resolved one way or the other before the season. MW seems to have us over a barrel, whereas cutting him would cost us a ton of dead cap money. He also does not have to renegotiate as did Moulds because even if he were to be released (which wont happen), another team will give him a big bonus.

I dont know how this will work itself out, but under ANY conditions, a 9.17 cap hit for Big Mike is nothing short of a football "sin!"

Any thought on what should/will happen?

[San-O]

I have been letting this sink in for a few days now to come to some sort of opinion.

I contend that under any conditions except RT play which resembles that of Erik Williams in his prime, this cap hit is nothing short of a horror show and a literal crisis for the Buffalo Bills football team.

Make no mistake, MW played well last season after he came out of his "funk." Not splendid mind you, but he certainly was a better than average RT. Now, 9.17 million dollars???????? Please. This is a higher figure than that of Walter Jones, Orlando Pace and probably even Ogden. Mike Williams has not even approached their level of play. No, not close.

This contract, as it stands, will prevent the Bills from signing a prominent free agent. It consists of more than 10% of the Bills entire salary cap allotment. It was a bad move by TD, but he has also made some great moves.

I have the feeling that this will be resolved one way or the other before the season. MW seems to have us over a barrel, whereas cutting him would cost us a ton of dead cap money. He also does not have to renegotiate as did Moulds because even if he were to be released (which wont happen), another team will give him a big bonus.

I dont know how this will work itself out, but under ANY conditions, a 9.17 cap hit for Big Mike is nothing short of a football "sin!"

Any thought on what should/will happen?

 

PS: The 9.17 figure is compliments of CP.

246311[/snapback]

 

TD should be absolutely SHOT for this if true.

 

Where are the TD spinners now.

[Bill from NYC]

TD should be absolutely SHOT for this if true.

 

Where are the TD spinners now.

246312[/snapback]

 

I am a fan of the moves TD has made wrt free agency. As for the draft, I am not very impressed, but I suppose it IS early.

The whole MW thing has been a fiasco so far. It needs to be resolved.

[jahnyc]

I agree, this is a disaster. How do we fix this? I don't think it makes sense to restructure because I doubt MW will be willing to take less money in the additional years that we would want to add to the contract. In addition, with MW's past issues, why would we restructure by giving him a cash bonus now to lower the current cap hit? Makes no sense to me. Cutting him also makes little sense. We likely will need to replace J. Jennings at LT, so cutting your starting RT would make filling the holes on the o-line that much more difficult.

[Mark Vader]

I find it extremely doubtful that the Bills would just let this slip by. They must be wholly aware of Mike Williams' cap hit, and I am sure they will do something to fix it. If they do not, I will be shocked.

[BADOLBILZ]

I have been letting this sink in for a few days now to come to some sort of opinion.

I contend that under any conditions except RT play which resembles that of Erik Williams in his prime, this cap hit is nothing short of a horror show and a literal crisis for the Buffalo Bills football team.

Make no mistake, MW played well last season after he came out of his "funk." Not splendid mind you, but he certainly was a better than average RT. Now, 9.17 million dollars???????? Please. This is a higher figure than that of Walter Jones, Orlando Pace and probably even Ogden. Mike Williams has not even approached their level of play. No, not close.

This contract, as it stands, will prevent the Bills from signing a prominent free agent. It consists of more than 10% of the Bills entire salary cap allotment. It was a bad move by TD, but he has also made some great moves.

I have the feeling that this will be resolved one way or the other before the season. MW seems to have us over a barrel, whereas cutting him would cost us a ton of dead cap money. He also does not have to renegotiate as did Moulds because even if he were to be released (which wont happen), another team will give him a big bonus.

I dont know how this will work itself out, but under ANY conditions, a 9.17 cap hit for Big Mike is nothing short of a football "sin!"

Any thought on what should/will happen?

246311[/snapback]

 

The cap hit is large, but that is what happens with a high first round pick later in his rookie contract.

 

Question is whether or not to extend Williams deal. Is he reliable enough to extend? He played better last season, but he also showed up to camp in bad shape and it carried over into poor performances during the early part of the season.

 

The other issue is how much a right tackle is worth. Certainly not what he got in his rookie contract. This was part of the argument when he was drafted.......even if he's All-Pro he's overpaid at those kind of dollars because he's just a right tackle. So, in essence, in a re-negotiation he may be asked to take a "paycut" just as he could/should be entering his prime.

[KnightRider]

I have been letting this sink in for a few days now to come to some sort of opinion.

I contend that under any conditions except RT play which resembles that of Erik Williams in his prime, this cap hit is nothing short of a horror show and a literal crisis for the Buffalo Bills football team.

Make no mistake, MW played well last season after he came out of his "funk." Not splendid mind you, but he certainly was a better than average RT. Now, 9.17 million dollars???????? Please. This is a higher figure than that of Walter Jones, Orlando Pace and probably even Ogden. Mike Williams has not even approached their level of play. No, not close.

This contract, as it stands, will prevent the Bills from signing a prominent free agent. It consists of more than 10% of the Bills entire salary cap allotment. It was a bad move by TD, but he has also made some great moves.

I have the feeling that this will be resolved one way or the other before the season. MW seems to have us over a barrel, whereas cutting him would cost us a ton of dead cap money. He also does not have to renegotiate as did Moulds because even if he were to be released (which wont happen), another team will give him a big bonus.

I dont know how this will work itself out, but under ANY conditions, a 9.17 cap hit for Big Mike is nothing short of a football "sin!"

Any thought on what should/will happen?

246311[/snapback]

 

What player in the 2002 draft should we have taken? The only other two that might be contributing more would be Roy Williams and Dwight Freeney. I'm not sure either one of them is worth 9.17 either.

 

Just be glad we didn't take Harrington...

[San-O]

The cap hit is large, but that is what happens with a high first round pick later in his rookie contract.

 

  Question is whether or not to extend Williams deal.  Is he reliable enough to extend?  He played better last season, but he also showed up to camp in bad shape and it carried over into poor performances during the early part of the season.

 

  The other issue is how much a right tackle is worth.  Certainly not what he got in his rookie contract.  This was part of the argument when he was drafted.......even if he's All-Pro he's overpaid at those kind of dollars because he's just a right tackle.  So, in essence, in a re-negotiation he may be asked to take a "paycut" just as he could/should be entering his prime.

246331[/snapback]

 

 

He was # 4 overall I think when drafted. TD must have envisioned him as

a starting LT at some point, which will never happen. I think this is yet another

case of TD drafting a guy and hoping to turn him into something esle at the

Pro level. Just doesn't seem to work. I would also be interested to know where

WM falls in terms of RT salaries.

[DC Tom]

TD should be absolutely SHOT for this if true.

 

Where are the TD spinners now.

246312[/snapback]

 

Yeah, imagine that...a top-5 pick has a hideously large cap hit late in his first contract. Why, I bet that never happens to any other GMs...

[Fezmid]

Millbank was right, MW is the next whipping boy.

 

WTG Millbank!

 

CW

[KnightRider]

Millbank was right, MW is the next whipping boy.

 

WTG Millbank!

 

CW

246338[/snapback]

 

My guess is it will be JPL as soon as he throws a non garbage time INT...

 

It's always the QB... (unless he is named Lonnie...)

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

Assuming these numbers are correct, I think one of the things it indicates is that the way TD seems to place value on first round picks in the draft (at best they are a tool to use and in many ways using this tool to minimize the damage done to your team by picking a 1st rounder is a good way to think about them).

 

TDs record with use of the 1st round pick is this:

 

2001- traded down for needed extra help as recovery from the cap purge was the first order of business. Still getting the first CN chosen with a lower pick and to have that CB make the Pro Bowl is a pretty nice job, though already the pressure is mounting to extend the contract of this pick.

 

2002- Perhaps the biggest drafting miscue of the TD era was the selection of MW who ironically was the consensus pick to make to fill the Bills needs and has generally been regarded as a better pick than the hold-out and disappointing (one MN paper is talking about them cutting hm this year even though they have tons of cap room) alternative choice McKinnie. TD does begin to show that he views 1st round choices as a simple commodity as he trades the 203 1st rounder for Bledsoe. Bledsoe not only initially pays off big time in 2002 but the Bills essentially got something in the present for nothing in the present as TG found a way to gain value in 2002 for a 2003 pick.

 

2003- Again TD thinks outside of the box and scored big in the draft for the Bills, He did this by turning PP who we were owed nothing for into a 1st round pick which he surprised everyone by choosing WM. The choice turned out to be nothing short of brilliant as the conventional wisdom viewed this pick as illogical because we already had an RB coming off a Pro Bowl year, when in fact it was quality of Henry's play that made the selection of WM doable so he could sit with little real pressure to start him.

 

In addition by signing a wounded player, TD was able to slot a #3-5 rated player (if WM recovered which he has to date) at $23 money and get him to sign a unusal deal for a draft pick which rewards WM for playing well and reduced the Bills risk if he did not produce,

 

An extra piece of notable 1st round pick manipulation was that few would have complained if TD had used the #23 pick on Chris Kelsay who filled a need beyind those who feel he should have traded up for a DE. However, by reading the market correctly due to the rush on DL picks in the first, he was able to get Kelsay with a second and Kelsay broke into our starting line-up in his second year.

 

2004- TD chose Evans who filled a definite need for us (ironically one left by our past speed receiver being traded for a pick who became WM and Reed (a consensus first rounder who slipped to the 2nd round in the 2002 drat) failing to equal his first year showing. Evans is viewed as a success by almost all filling out need and being among the best players available at the time.

 

He continued his wheeling and dealing with firsts by dealing our 2005 1st for a 2004 1st who became JP Losman. Again this has proved to be agreat move as not only is the 2005 class of QBs viewed as a weak one with their not being anyone who equals the raw talent of Losman at the Bills position (or maybe in the entire draft) but Losman is a raw talent who needed at least a year of practice before he was able to start (which he will) at the time a 2005 pick would have been able to.

 

Overall the totals are these

 

6 total 1st round picks on his time in Buffalo (the extra is ATs pick he acquired and turned into McGhee.

 

6 starters acquired with these picks and also two draftees he got in the second round who were talked about as 1st round talents (Kelsay, Reed) who became starters for this team in his 5 years.

 

Of these 6, 2 qualified for the Pro Bowl (Clements this year and Bledsoe acquired in a trade for the 03 choice his first year) and most of us feel that WM and Evans are probable Pro Bowl talents and we hope JP proves to be one.

 

Even if you consider the MW pick and contract a failed effort on TDs part (the jury is still out as MW s deal can and should be renegotiated and his play improved last year to a level which is still inadequate as he should be playing well enough to switch sides to LT and this maneuver would be risky because though he is better he is not quite there (yet).

 

Still overall, I think TD has to be given plaudits for his handling pf the 1st round pick resource. I think if one looks back in a few years (first you will look to see whether we made the playoffs or won the SB under his leadership and since we have not so far he is a failure as a GM so far) if you want to take apart the individual aspects of his work its hard to imagine a GM doing a lot better handling the 1st round pick than TD has to date.

[clumping platelets]

[Bill from NYC]

Millbank was right, MW is the next whipping boy.

 

WTG Millbank!

 

CW

246338[/snapback]

 

As I see it, it will be up to him. If he reports to camp out of shape or has a bad year, yes, he will catch some grief.

He needs to be very focused and play extremely well (as he did in some games in 04) for that salary, but whipping boy?

He did not sign himself to that contract, and as I said, TD has done his job pretty well imo. If MW beats people up in 05 and has a pro bowl type season, people will praise him, and for that price, this is what fans have a right to expect imo.

[Nanker]

2002 was the year TD should have traded down for a 1st and a 2nd.

 

The Jints picked 14th and took Jeremy Shockey and WR Tim Carter in the 2nd.

Hell, Denver took Clinton Portis in the 2nd that year at #19.

 

Remember the "Miracle Worker" Anne Sullivan, oops - Jim McNally was OL coach in NY. Don't you think the Jints would have taken McKinnie or MW at #4. Yes they would have. And, they'd have been very smug about it too.

 

Yeah, yeah, yeah. OL was a NEED in 2002. Well, guess what? It's STILL a need.

Fat Boy Mike hasn't been the Be-all, End-all answer. We could have paid some other tackling sled a lot less than what we're giving him - and we'd have a TE with an attitude and another quality player.

 

Should'a traded down, I say. Should'a traded down.

[todd]

TD should be absolutely SHOT for this if true.

 

Where are the TD spinners now.

246312[/snapback]

 

Right here, baby. He signed a rookie contract that was slotted per position and there is littel wiggle room in that. I challenge you to find an argument as to how rookie contracts could be changed. Go ahead. Give it your best shot.

[DeeRay]

This contract, as it stands, will prevent the Bills from signing a prominent free agent

 

PROVE IT!!! according to the latest figures, the bills are approx. $14 m under the cap. you think that aint enough under the cap to sign a prominant FA??? well, if it aint, then how much under do the bills have to be to grab a "prominant" FA?

 

granted the cap numbers are ridiculous for a RT, and even worse an underachieving RT.... but, let's face it, that's the price you have to pay for a #4 pick. Most every Bills fan supported the drafting of MW... who should the bills have taken, McKinnie??? If Mike Williams turns out to be a bust, it's no one elses's fault but his own... all of the scouting done on him league wide had him in the top 7.

[Albany,n.y.]

246370[/snapback]

 

Your chart as of 1/14/05 says MW is a $5,896,875 cap hit for 05. Which info is correct?

[Nanker]

Right here, baby. He signed a rookie contract that was slotted per position and there is littel wiggle room in that. I challenge you to find an argument as to how rookie contracts could be changed. Go ahead. Give it your best shot.

246406[/snapback]

 

No shot. Like you say, there's no real flexibility at all.

That's why he should have traded down.

Happens all the time.

[Fezmid]

No shot. Like you say, there's no real flexibility at all.

That's why he should have traded down.

Happens all the time.

246451[/snapback]

 

Which would've been all well in good if another team had wanted to trade. TD said that he did want to trade, but there there were no suitors available. So it was between making a pick or forfeiting your pick. I think he made the right decision.

 

CW

[cåblelady]

Maybe it's a good thing we don't have a 1st this year?

 

[AKC]

Maybe it's a good thing we don't have a 1st this year?

 

246462[/snapback]

 

That's surely a conclusion you might reach even if you acknowledge BadOl/DC Tom and Todd's point that draft slotting simply makes the GMs "decision" on his contract offer to the high pick less a negotiation than a hostage demand. A GM's contract skills can be scrutinized very accurately by the contract offers made to players resigning, players renogotiating and players signing on in Free Agency, but in the area of contact negotiation it's hardly fair to hold a GM over the coals on the initial contracts of early round draft picks. The reality of slotting due in part to the rookie cap simply make the deals too cookie cutter and IMO less debatable as far as the wisdom of the original deals. You can argue the pick, but the deal is far less arguable.

[Estro]

I still find it hard to believe that there is a possibility Mike Williams cap hit this season could be $9+ million. How could the Bills organization ever construct a contract that even enabled the possibility for a RT to make $9 million for one season? Exactly that's why I'm not buying it. The elite left tackles in the game ala Walter Jones don't even have cap figures this large. If this is true, the Bills need to look at what type of escalators there putting into the contracts because $9 million is way too much for a guy who still hasnt proved he can play LT or even dominate at the RT position thus far. For $9 million we could get a decent tackle and a stud guard (Shelton, and Rivera, DeMulling, or Mayberry). I know that would never happen, but I'm just saying that to show how that big of a contract will prevent us from going out and getting key FA's.

Also if this increase is due to escalators, what were the escalators has he achieved? He hasn't played a down at LT, nor has he made the Pro Bowl. I can't imagine that an escalator would simply be games started. Basically I really hope all of this is false because if we do owe him that type of money it's absolutely ludicrous and will it will prevent us from upgrading in other areas. Big Mike better take a big pay cut if it is true, but like I said I won't believe this cap hit until its actually put out or mentioned by the Bills.

[DC Tom]

I still find it hard to believe that there is a possibility Mike Williams cap hit this season could be $9+ million.  How could the Bills organization ever construct a contract that even enabled the possibility for a RT to make $9 million for one season?  Exactly that's why I'm not buying it.  The elite left tackles in the game ala Walter Jones don't even have cap figures this large.  If this is true, the Bills need to look at what type of escalators there putting into the contracts because $9 million is way too much for a guy who still hasnt proved he can play LT or even dominate at the RT position thus far.  For $9 million we could get a decent tackle and a stud guard (Shelton, and Rivera, DeMulling, or Mayberry).  I know that would never happen, but I'm just saying that to show how that big of a contract will prevent us from going out and getting key FA's.

Also if this increase is due to escalators, what were the escalators has he achieved?  He hasn't played a down at LT, nor has he made the Pro Bowl.  I can't imagine that an escalator would simply be games started.  Basically I really hope all of this is false because if we do owe him that type of money it's absolutely ludicrous and will it will prevent us from upgrading in other areas.  Big Mike better take a big pay cut if it is true, but like I said I won't believe this cap hit until its actually put out or mentioned by the Bills.

246500[/snapback]

 

As has been pointed out...when you're talking about a #4 pick, there's not a whole lot of negotiation involved.  Most of the negotiations for high first round picks that I can recall are mostly about the length of the contract - 4, 5, or 6 years - with little movement on dollar value. 

[seq004]

I am a fan of the moves TD has made wrt free agency. As for the draft, I am not very impressed, but I suppose it IS early.

The whole MW thing has been a fiasco so far. It needs to be resolved.

246314[/snapback]

I totally agree Bill. I think he's done very well in free agency, but like Pittsburg his drafts are not all that good. He did well in 2001 and taking a chance on Willis but the 2002 draft is a disaster. The Vikings also have a big dissapointment with Mckinnie so it wasn't like we should have taken him but he totally whiffed at Reed and Denny.

[d_wag]

Right here, baby. He signed a rookie contract that was slotted per position and there is littel wiggle room in that. I challenge you to find an argument as to how rookie contracts could be changed. Go ahead. Give it your best shot.

246406[/snapback]

 

how about a one tier bonus vs. the two tier bonus that donahoe gave him?

 

how about bigger salaries in the first few years of the deal and smaller escalators in the back end?

 

both of these moves would have allowed the bills to space out the cap hit more evenly......donahoe made a choice to backend the deal........

[Snorom]

how about a one tier bonus vs. the two tier bonus that donahoe gave him?

 

how about bigger salaries in the first few years of the deal and smaller escalators in the back end?

 

both of these moves would have allowed the bills to space out the cap hit more evenly......donahoe made a choice to backend the deal........

246540[/snapback]

 

Front loading MW's contract would have changed the team. We wouldn't have had the cap room to sign a few of the palyers we did.

 

The multi tiered bonus protect the Bills in case a player is a complete bust or has a career ending injury.

 

smaller esculators would be fine, but a#4 draft pick has expectation to the amount of money they would expect to be able to make through the lifetime of the deal based upon thise drafted in front of them and in back of them, and the contracts of picks from previous years.

[Stussy109]

I personally do not believe this. The man is still in his rookie contract, and word is his base salary will be higher than that of a premier LT in his 2nd contract out of Free agency. Very hard to believe. It would be easier to believe if he had made the pro bowl, and hit an escalator clause. But a rookie's contract jumping from say a salary of 4million to 9 million due to healthy starts, I doubt it.

[d_wag]

Front loading MW's contract would have changed the team. We wouldn't have had the cap room to sign a few of the palyers we did.

 

The multi tiered bonus protect the Bills in case a player is a complete bust or has a career ending injury.

 

smaller esculators would be fine, but a#4 draft pick has expectation to the amount of money they would expect to be able to make through the lifetime of the deal based upon thise drafted in front of them and in back of them, and the contracts of picks from previous years.

246548[/snapback]

 

did we make the playoffs in the past 4 years? we obviously didn't need them that bad, seeing they couldn't get us over the hump.......now if we took bigger hits on williams' contract back then we'd have more room to make a run this year.......it was a choice, and the wrong one.........

 

i understand williams had a number in mind of what he wanted to earn over the life of the deal.........the key is he didn't care how it hit the cap........he obviously would have welcomed bigger salaries in the first few years and would have taken smaller escalators to get his money up front.........

[cåblelady]

how about bigger salaries in the first few years of the deal and smaller escalators in the back end?

 

246540[/snapback]

 

I think big Mike needs a smaller salary and a bigger escalator for his big back end.

[obie_wan]

2002 was the year TD should have traded down for a 1st and a 2nd.

 

The Jints picked 14th and took Jeremy Shockey and WR Tim Carter in the 2nd.

Hell, Denver took Clinton Portis in the 2nd that year at #19.

 

Remember the "Miracle Worker" Anne Sullivan, oops - Jim McNally was OL coach in NY. Don't you think the Jints would have taken McKinnie or MW at #4. Yes they would have. And, they'd have been very smug about it too.

 

Yeah, yeah, yeah. OL was a NEED in 2002. Well, guess what? It's STILL a need.

Fat Boy Mike hasn't been the Be-all, End-all answer. We could have paid some other tackling sled a lot less than what we're giving him - and we'd have a TE with an attitude and another quality player.

 

Should'a traded down, I say. Should'a traded down.

246401[/snapback]

 

 

agree that the proper move would have been to trade down, even if it meant giving away the pick for little value to do so.

 

The Bills should have taken Mike Pearson from UF to play LT in the 2nd round. This also would have prevented the questions surrounding Josh Reed

[billsfaninnyc]

where is the 9.17 million figure from? i havent seen anything even close to that in the media....

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

agree that the proper move would have been to trade down, even if it meant giving away the pick for little value to do so.

 

The Bills should have taken Mike Pearson from UF to play LT in the 2nd round. This  also would have prevented the questions surrounding Josh Reed

246580[/snapback]

 

Yeah but hindsight is 20/20 and woulda, coulda, shoulda. If Reed had not been taken how free would we have felt to let Peerless go and the Peerless trade yielded a 1st rounder who turned out to be Willis McGahee.

 

The second guessing is fine because afterall we're just fans and this is just the internet, but I think all of the second guessing (which I have invested in myself on issues like what we would have used the 1st and the 4th for if we had not made the trade for RJ I'm proud to say I advocated using them for Tra Thomas and Tim Dwight long before these two were stars, but even these flights of fancy came with the proper caveats that these suggestions meant little in hindsight) must come with the appropriate acknowledgement that the best arguments for these views is based on hindsight.

[d_wag]

I'm proud to say I advocated using them for Tra Thomas and Tim Dwight long before these two were stars

246588[/snapback]

 

tim dwight a "star"?

 

i think you exaggarate......

[Bill from NYC]

PROVE IT!!! according to the latest figures, the bills are approx. $14 m under the cap.  you think that aint enough under the cap to sign a prominant FA??? well, if it aint, then how much under do the bills have to be to grab a "prominant" FA?

 

granted the cap numbers are ridiculous for a RT, and even worse an underachieving RT.... but, let's face it, that's the price you have to pay for a #4 pick.  Most every Bills fan supported the drafting of MW... who should the bills have taken, McKinnie???  If Mike Williams turns out to be a bust, it's no one elses's fault but his own... all of the scouting done on him league wide had him in the top 7.

246441[/snapback]

 

OK. I am sure that my choice of words was incorrect.

Even if the Bills are 14 mil under the cap (which is heavily disputed by clumping platelets), a 9.17 million dollar cap hit.....more than 10% of what the entire franchise is allowed to spend, would in fact prevent the Bills from signing Hasselback, or another highly sought after free agent because there are other needs, and we have our own ufas to sign.

 

>>>>>If Mike Williams turns out to be a bust, it's no one elses's fault but his own... all of the scouting done on him league wide had him in the top 7.<<<<<

 

Not true. Mike Williams did not draft himself, nor did he give himself this type of obscene money. He was drafted by TD, and TD gave him the money.

I am fairly happy with TD as a GM, but let's not absolve him from responsibility for any moves that go bad, shall we?

[Fake-Fat Sunny]

where is the 9.17 million figure from? i havent seen anything even close to that in the media....

246582[/snapback]

 

Just clarify and not to assert, I think these numbers come from:

 

1. A $4 million MW base pay for 2005 according to NFL.com which can be found soecifically at > http://www.nflpa.org/media/playerProfile.asp?ID=32980 < which is his individual profile of this web site. This number is relatively trustworthy as this number represents what the NFL and NFLPA are reporting to each other and if this is wrong one of them lied to the other and broke the trust the CBA is based on. This is double-checked because this is the NFLPA reporting to its members and the press and if it lied to them there would be hell to pay.

 

This number is the fact as best as I can tell and represents a rise in MWs bas salary from a previously reported $726,000 to $4 million.

 

2. A prorated allocation of about $2.1 million from the original bonus of $12+ million MW received as the bonus he was entitled to from his draft position due to slotting. The $12+ million was prorated over the 5 year length of the original deal though MW has already pocketed the money.

 

3. A bonus payment due to MW of $3 million at some point prior to the cap casualty date (6/1) and probably prior to the draft this year (Bledsoe's escalator for example was due 3/22). These escalators are agreed to by the players and the owner essentially as a tool to force these contracts to be subjected to the free market. Clumpy has been great enough to do the work to ferret out these numbers amd I have little reason to doubt him but I do not know where this number comes from.

 

It makes a huge difference in terms of an actual deal getting done, but actually does not make a difference in terms of what the Bills should do because even a $5.1 million cap hit (the base salary and prorated bonus I can publicly see) is a lot more than MW deserves from his prior play and is more than the Bills should pay MW to play RT and they should do the same thing of restructuring the deal whether the total is $6.1 million or $9.1 million.

 

Further, regardless of which amount is correct, the combination of the MW cap hit with resigning JJ to amount of $5 million or more would likely make it exceed the Bills OL budget to get more talent at LG.

 

This is what I know and what I think regarding MW's salary and I would love to be corrected with more factual numbers and links to them.

[clumping platelets]

Your chart as of 1/14/05 says MW is a $5,896,875 cap hit for 05.  Which info is correct?

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Use link in my sig

[clumping platelets]

Again, the $14.8 million under number that some have was BEFORE NFLPA had changed the salaries on their website after these players achieved their escalators. The increase in salaries have taken slightly more than $5 million off everyone's numbers but some HAVE updated their cap pages and others have not. No indictment on those who haven't...I was fortunate to have the time to make the changes.

 

 

If you go to the sticky threads at the top (Salary cap status of all 32 teams), I mentioned Mike Williams' escalator back in January.

[Bill from NYC]

Again, the $14.8 million under number that some have was BEFORE NFLPA had changed the salaries on their website after these players achieved their escalators. The increase in salaries have taken slightly more than $5 million off everyone's numbers but some HAVE updated their cap pages and others have not. No indictment on those who haven't...I was fortunate to have the time to make the changes.

If you go to the sticky threads at the top (Salary cap status of all 32 teams), I mentioned Mike Williams' escalator back in January.

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CP, thanks for doing so much work, and providing us with numbers. On TBD, we are fanatics, and salary cap issues matter a great deal.

Please disregard the disrespectful statement from the one particular moderator who likes to dish out insults, sometimes personal insults at that, while bringing oh so little to the table. He would rather threaten to ban you than talk about football, and clearly does NOT put the effort into his work that do you.

Thanks again.

[clumping platelets]

CP, thanks for doing so much work, and providing us with numbers. On TBD, we are fanatics, and salary cap issues matter a great deal.

Please disregard the disrespectful statement from the one particular moderator who likes to dish out insults, sometimes personal insults at that, while bringing oh so little to the table. He would rather threaten to ban you than talk about football, and clearly does NOT put the effort into his work than do you.

Thanks again.

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Thanks

 

I've become used to the criticism......I wish the Bills had more cap space as well, it truly makes the off-season more exciting.