22 replies to this topic

[Grogansghost]

I had a question about contracts. Not trying to wind up Steelers fans, but the rumors about Mike Wallace reportedly not planning to sign his restricted free agent tender had me wondering.

What happens if he doesn't sign his tender and sits out for the full season 2012 season? I know that means he loses a year toward becoming an unrestricted free agent - but where does that leave him in 2013? Still under contract with the Steelers who could offer him a new restricted free agent tender  - or does sitting out the full season let him out of his contract?

Basically - if a player could afford to sit out for a full season what does he gain?

Just wondering how this works.

[Big John]

He would still be a restricted free agent next year as he is now.

[flemingd]

Nothing happens.  He doesn't accrue the season of seniority, he doesn't get any closer to UFA, he remains a RFA.

[Grogansghost]

Does a RFA who doesn't sign his tender count towards the cap? I'm just wondering if a player feels he shouldn't sign his tender - is there a way for him to wait out his contract and be able to move on?

While I can't imagine feeling underpaid by one of these contracts (I also don't possess elite NFL talent) - I hate when players sign one of these tenders and then campaign for their new contract by causing trouble when they show up.

[Big John]

He currently does not have a contract, but does not have the vested experience to be a UFA.  Sitting out the season does not add that year towards the needed experience.  In other words, he can't move on unless the Steelers revoke their RFA tender.

But since the Steelers offered him a RFA tender, they are still on the hook for that amount for salary-cap purposes

[Savage Beatings]

If the team revokes the tender, is the player then free to sign somewhere else?

[Big John]

Savage Beatings, on 13 April 2012 - 04:41 PM, said:

If the team revokes the tender, is the player then free to sign somewhere else?

Yes.

[Savage Beatings]

So the way it used to work is that the unhappy player would sit out as long as possible (like week 10 or something like that) and then report just in time to gain one more full year of eligibility.  But I thought I heard that the latest agreement between the league and the players has altered this somehow, or made it harder to do.  Am I just imagining that?

[flemingd]

Savage Beatings, on 13 April 2012 - 04:54 PM, said:

So the way it used to work is that the unhappy player would sit out as long as possible (like week 10 or something like that) and then report just in time to gain one more full year of eligibility.  But I thought I heard that the latest agreement between the league and the players has altered this somehow, or made it harder to do.  Am I just imagining that?

Well there are a few extra factors at play.  But to answer your question, yes, the new CBA pushes the "must report" date to 10 days after the start of camp iirc.  It's very close to that if not exact.

Wallace has even less leverage though.  Once June 15 hits PIT picks up another option.  They can (after notifying him and giving him 5 days to sign) pull the existing offer and replace it with one that's just 10% more than prior year's pay.  They don't have to, and I recall someone not doing that recently (SD with McNeil maybe?), but they can.  For Wallace that's another $2.1 million lost for this season.

[HowboutthemCowboys]

is there  a deadline for other teams to offer him a contract?

[Big John]

HowboutthemCowboys, on 13 April 2012 - 06:59 PM, said:

is there  a deadline for other teams to offer him a contract?

It is about a week prior to the draft.

April 21 according to this

[boltnlava]

I wonder why he is not being offered a contract by other teams? Is he viewed as a one trick pony? He really was making a difference in the Steelers offense I thought. I know he wants a lot of money but no one biting? Isn't that kinda odd?

[Bronco Billy]

boltnlava, on 13 April 2012 - 08:48 PM, said:

I wonder why he is not being offered a contract by other teams? Is he viewed as a one trick pony? He really was making a difference in the Steelers offense I thought. I know he wants a lot of money but no one biting? Isn't that kinda odd?

Because it would cost the team acquiring him beaucoup bucks for his contract AND the loss of draft picks.

And to answer what he'd lose by sitting out a year:  A year closer to the closing of his earning window in the NFL, with no opportunity to recover the lost compensation.

[LordOpie]

boltnlava, on 13 April 2012 - 08:48 PM, said:

I wonder why he is not being offered a contract by other teams? Is he viewed as a one trick pony? He really was making a difference in the Steelers offense I thought. I know he wants a lot of money but no one biting? Isn't that kinda odd?

typically, real offers don't come in until close to the tender deadline.

[HowboutthemCowboys]

Big John, on 13 April 2012 - 07:06 PM, said:

It is about a week prior to the draft.

April 21 according to this

thx John

[detlef]

Bronco Billy, on 13 April 2012 - 08:54 PM, said:

Because it would cost the team acquiring him beaucoup bucks for his contract AND the loss of draft picks.

And to answer what he'd lose by sitting out a year:  A year closer to the closing of his earning window in the NFL, with no opportunity to recover the lost compensation.

Yeah, I'm guessing the "I want Fitzgerald money" may have scared off a few suitors.

[flemingd]

Big John, on 13 April 2012 - 07:06 PM, said:

It is about a week prior to the draft.

April 21 according to this

LordOpie, on 13 April 2012 - 09:03 PM, said:

typically, real offers don't come in until close to the tender deadline.

Exactly.  The original team gets 7 days to match the offer and since declining to would give them a draft pick the offer has to be in 7 days prior to the draft at the latest. There are a number of reasons why teams typically wait until the last minute to offer RFA contracts:

1.  They are doing their scouting still.  This is by far the biggest impact for waiting.  Who rises, who falls, just how good is that kid from Central Timbuktu anyway?  Do you think you have the magic sleeper that's the next Mike Wallace in the fourth round?  If you're the Jets Plan A might be Upshaw in the first and Randle/Hill in the second, but would Wallace and Shea McClellin be better bang for the buck?  If you're Baltimore would you rather have Wallace, or Jeffrey and about $5 million of extra cap space?  (psst: choosing not to sign Ben Grubbs saved them around $5 million a year)

2. They are hoping the original team spends some money.  Hasn't happened with PIT, but they are already up against the cap so even filling a few backup spots at 800k each adds up to make it harder to match any offer to Wallace.  (psst: this tells me PIT has every intention of matching an offer).   This has the added effect of handcuffing the team in the process - until they know what they have to match they can't really get too aggressive.  If they knew Wallace wasn't going to get offered, or was only going to get maybe $4 mill a year they could have maybe made some moves and shored up some spots, but since they had to wait on Wallace they couldn't afford to.

3.  Make the guy sweat.  If you're sitting there for 5 weeks with zero phone calls you might get a bit jumpy at the first offer that comes in.  Maybe a team can save a few bucks and get a contract they can live with rather than Fitz money.

I fully expect Cincinnatti to be where he ends up.  They have an absurd amount of cap space and images of Wallace and AJ Green have to be dancing in Andy Dalton's dreams. Giving up 21 seems worth it and the money isn't going to do anything else for them at this point.  Starting next year they are required to spend it all, may as well get a great investment started.  If not for the Mike Brown factor I'd put money on it.

[Kris N]

nice perspective on why the teams wait til the end. I never even looked at it that way....PITT is somewhat limited in their FA moves so far because of the unknown with what they will have to match for wallace. definitely an advantage other teams have over them in this case. I think wallace ends up in PITT after its all said and done, but cinci would be very interesting fantasy wise.....

[Seahawks21]

It is just a game of chicken.  Players always hope the team caves, but they barely ever do.  But what else is he supposed to do?  Is he supposed to come out with a press conference saying "i'm happy to be backed into a corner with no freedom and I'll report on time and be a joy to be around all season?"

[detlef]

Well Seahawks, he could simply play out the contract he signed and become a UFA.  There is that.

[SEC=UGA]

Mike Wallace is dead.

[Ice1]

detlef, on 14 April 2012 - 04:18 PM, said:

Yeah, I'm guessing the "I want Fitzgerald money" may have scared off a few suitors.

We have a winner!

[Bronco Billy]

Seahawks21, on 15 April 2012 - 10:24 PM, said:

It is just a game of chicken.  Players always hope the team caves, but they barely ever do.  But what else is he supposed to do?  Is he supposed to come out with a press conference saying "i'm happy to be backed into a corner with no freedom and I'll report on time and be a joy to be around all season?"

Nope.  He should simply declare himself to be worth what a top 3 WR in the league is, and then have all the teams in the league beat a path to his door to not only pay him that much, but also give up high draft picks to PIT in a trade to be able to do it.

:shakinghead:  How did his plan work out for him?