Decker is making $5 million less than Dre in "guaranteed" money D-Jax is making $4 million less. The "guaranteed" money is what you pay attention to when judging NFL contracts, not necessarily the total contract because the total contract is not "guaranteed" like in the NBA and MLB. You're just paying attention to the total contract and not the "guaranteed" money, and you have to look at the years of the contract as well. And Decker is over paid. He's not in the same category as Dre and D-Jax. But the Jets are giving him "guaranteed" money like he is... But guys like Decker and Mike Wallace teams have to over pay for on the free agent market because it's a passing league.
All NFL players have clauses in their contracts regarding conduct an comments detrimental to the franchise....criticizing your team could easily be viewed as detrimental. The more money you make, the higher the standards you are held to most of the time. Your job probably wouldn't suspend and fine you if you tweeted out something about not liking watching Sam make out with his boyfriend on TV.....NFL players would and did get fined and suspended for that. If a CEO comes out and bashes his company, he's unlikely to remain in his position long but if the kid in the mail room says the same, no one cares....or notices. Either way, this is more a hypothetical discussion than anything. Andre Johnson isn't a headcase problem player, he's just an aging player with a contract that should and likely would be terminated soon angling to get a new deal so he can actually make some of that cash.
He'll hold a clipboard. Even he admits that he's simply the backup and that there is no QB controversy.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Mike Vick says he's the backup to Geno Smith as Jets QB battle not an open competition. READ: <a href="http://t.co/dlo8ii6sZr">http://t.co/dlo8ii6sZr</a> <a href="http://t.co/6z5MHSBLLH">pic.twitter.com/6z5MHSBLLH</a></p>— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNFL/statuses/469562267127005186">May 22, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I understand his point of view... But I agree with you 100%. I don't think it's about the money but for him to stay with the Texans he could make it about the money. Read this article. Look at what Fitzgerald got compared to what Dre got. Look at what Mike Wallace got. People are talking about Dre's contracts but they are not comparing them to other receivers contracts. http://overthecap.com/thoughts-andre-johnson-lessons-learned-contract/ Dre was dumb for not having good representation over the years because he's missed out on a lot of money and put himself in no way out contract situations. But by announcing his feelings to the media he's forcing the Texans hands. Either pay him more so he will feel better or cut/trade him.
I think it's pretty clear Dre just wants to skip as much of the offseason stuff as possible. He'll be here when it counts.
Not sure why some of you think it's totally cool for Andre to make those types of comments. Sure, he's entitled to do whatever he wants. He's been a big part of the franchise and that gives him some more power than your average player. Having said that, players like Tim Brown and Blaine Bishop have mentioned that it was completely unprofessional of Andre to go public like he did. It's just something you dont do...the team has been more loyal to him than theyve needed to be. That's the whole point. Dont say things like, you dont think youre going to minicamps, OTAs, etc...You question returning to the franchise (the one that has bent backwards for a decade to keep you happy). It's unprofessional and uncalled for. Dre has every right to be upset, but shut the **** up and keep it behind closed doors. He's not getting traded and he's going to show up and play...and that's precisely why his comments were dumb, because they accomplish absolutely nothing.
if he gets hurt next year, or does not perform to his standard.. he giving the texans every reason to make a business decision on his contract.
100% WRONG. Dre has restructured his contract just about every year and taken a lot less money than the other top receivers. He has never complained and has done so much more for the team even through losing seasons. Texans have done nothing for him and only made play-offs twice. He's got every right to complain and wonder if his last few years really should be with the Texans. I don't blame him at all.
the texans ripped up AJ's contract when they did not have to. i believe he is the 3rd highest paid wideout in the game.. correct me if i am wrong? he does not have "every right" to turn his back on the team, franchise, and city.
lol. AJ complained after he signed a crap contract and the Texans then made him the highest paid WR in the NFL. The restructured contracts only delayed the money he would receive to help out with the current cap. He would always get the money he was promised. AJ was always the anti-diva WR opposite to the TO's and Chad Johnson's of the world. But the Texans have enabled him by always catering to his every demand. I do blame the Texans into turning him into a dirt bag though. The Texans should take some lessons from Ramsey Snow on how to keep people in check.
When the Texans restructure Andre's contract, they're not delaying when he gets paid. My understanding is that they convert some of his salary into a bonus (which he probably gets right away) so they can amortize that amount through the rest of his contract to free up cap dollars (not hard dollars) for the team. The cash outlay is the same, it is just cap gymnastics. They basically mortgage the future cap (AJ80 gets larger and larger cap numbers versus salary) to make moves in the current cap year. It really is credit card spending. For simplicity's sake, let's say Andre was due $30 million over three years (no bonus, no guaranteed money), his cap and salary figures would be as follows: Salary: $10MM, $10MM, $10MM Cap: $10MM, $10MM, $10MM Let's say they restructure Andre's deal to free up cap room in Year 1. They take his $10MM salary and convert $6MM into a bonus. He'll still make $10MM a year, but the cap number changes: Salary: $4MM (plus a $6MM bonus), $10MM, $10MM Cap: $6MM ($4MM salary plus $2MM amortized bonus), $12MM, $12MM In this scenario, if they cut Andre after Year 1, they stand to save considerable money in Years 2 and 3 off their cap as well as saving on salary: Salary: $4MM (plus a $6MM bonus), $0, $0 Cap: $6MM ($4MM salary plus $2MM amortized bonus), $4MM (remaining bonus money accelerated onto current cap year), $0MM So the Texans would gain back $8MM of cap space by cutting him one year 2 (and $12MM in year 3) after restructuring while saving in $20MM of salary commitments as well. This scenario is probably the reason Andre is holding out. He's seeing himself as a possible cap casualty next year. My $0.02 is that the Texans (i.e. Mr. McNair) will not want to see AJ80 leave the organization. I wonder if there are any new cap implications if the Texans guarantee his base salaries in 2015 and 2016 for injury. That way, Andre knows he'll get his remaining money due to him the next couple of years and won't get cut for cap savings. With the salary cap expected to go up with the next TV deal (2016), the Texans could conceivably absorb Andre's 2016 cap number ($14.675MM) and still be able to afford to pay JJ when his contract comes due.
^Yes, Signing Bonuses are paid upfront, even if the cap hit is delayed til later in the contract. This is why in rare cases of players retiring before their contracts are up, teams may ask for part of the signing bonus back. Because technically the player's not holding out their end of the bargain by not playing out the entire contract. There are certainly cases of players who take reduced salary when they restructure. But that only happens when the team gives them the "restructure or we'll cut you" ultimatum. When a player restructures his contract to help the team create more capspace, he's never taking less money.
As desi said, it's a bit more complicated than this. Restructuring a contract often pushes cap implications out to the future, which means that with AJ agreeing to those changes, it makes him more likely to get cut and thus not see as much of the non-guaranteed money on his contract. Basically, by restructuring his contract, he likely reduces the real length and total value of his contract. Depending on what he wants, that may be a bad or good thing from his perspective.
Actually, history has proven that this doesn't result in Andre becoming more likely to be cut. But rather someone else becoming cut. The Texans don't operate like the Patriots. The Texans keep their stars while letting the mid-level players leave. Why do you think we have no depth?
What veterans/stars have the Texans kept with a ridiculously inflated / ballooning cap figure in recent history?
