Can we even go get an RB?

[ksudodger]

Bradford has a cap hit of 12.5 million this season, 17.75 million in 2014 and 16.5 million in 2015. He does not even have the highest cap hit on the team, Cortland Finnegan does at close to 15.3 million. Bradford does not need to restructure...not yet anyways. Maybe if we have a shot at a big free agent in the offseason prior to 2015, then they restructure the 16.5 million, but other than that he is fine IMO.

 

[ksudodger]

In addition, Bradford already restructured his deal once prior to LAST season in order to make sure Laurinaitis and Long got new deals.

 

[Vitamike]

In addition, Bradford already restructured his deal once prior to LAST season in order to make sure Laurinaitis and Long got new deals.

There must be an echo in here..

 

[ksudodger]

There must be an echo in here..

Seems like I have heard that before!!

 

[Silas]

The Rams DEFINITELY need help with the running game. Who's available now or via Draft next season?

 

[fastforward]

Bradford's base salary this year is $9M which is fully guaranteed. His salary next year, (if we keep him), will be $14.015M of which $1.5M is guaranteed. His salary for 2015 will be $12.985M of which $1.5M is guaranteed. His cap numbers are very different because of the signing bonuses early in his career. Basically $17.975M of his early earnings was listed as a bonus rather than salary so that it could be accounted for equally over 5 years allowing us extra cap space years ago which we are repaying now. Consequently Bradford's cap figure this year is $3.595M more than his base $9M salary.

What we are really paying him in layman's terms and what it really means:

Bradford is earning exactly $12M this year. This money is fully guaranteed.
We delay paying $1.5M of it until next year to ease our cap situation.
We delay another $1.5M chunk of it until 2015 so we don't account for it until 2015.
Bradford is getting $9M of his $12M this year.
This is the final year of Bradford's contract. Other than the 2 delayed payments we don't owe him anything next year and we can cut ties with him.
We have an option to keep Bradford next year, if we wish, for $12.515M. We don't have to make a decision on keeping him until the 53 man roster deadline in September 2014. This means we can decide what to do after the Draft and the free agency period. We can also trade that option at any time to a team willing to pay Bradford both delayed $1.5M payments in addition to the $12.515M contracted salary next year - providing both teams can agree trade compensation. If we keep Bradford on those terms, or another team trades for him, or a team signs him off waivers should he be cut, the team he is with has an option on him for 2015 at $11.485M.

The Cap situation.

The $9m we are paying Bradford this year counts towards this year's cap. The 2 delayed payments will count towards 2014 and 2015 respectively. In addition Bradford has been paid money in the past that has not been accounted for in previous years caps. We have to include $3.595M of that money in this year's cap and in each of the next 2 years caps, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER WE KEEP HIM OR NOT. If we trade him we'll have to account for both $3.595M cap hits in 2014, ($7.19M). If we cut him and he's not claimed off waivers we'll have to account for both cap hits and both delayed payments in 2014, ($10.19M).

 

[UnrealTerm04]

I was not aware that we took restructured his contract last season. Thanks for the info.

 

[Vitamike]

I was not aware that we took restructured his contract last season. Thanks for the info.

NP

 

[Red_Chaos]

can't the owner just shuffle money from his soccer team to his football team :/

 

[PhilliesRamsSuns]

I always wondered why no one has gone after Ben Tate

Apparently, the Browns are planning on going after him in free agency. They are also willing to trade WRs Josh Gordon and Greg Little, sadly we don't have the cap room for a guy like Gordon.