Ray Lewis resigns with Ravens.

[Guest LexLugerRules]

This is the biggest contract in the NFL right?

 

He signed 5 years for 50 million.

[Guest Kingpk]

Guess the Ravens didn't learn from their cap purge this year. Well, they're gonna suck anyway, so give 'ol Ray whatever he wants.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

Bledsoe had a 10 year 103 million

 

but...much like the Lewis deal...it freed up cap dollars.

 

Lewis deal gives them enough to sign Sam Adams again.

 

Bledsoes was structured in tiers...and after the PAts sucked up his bonus for the first teir...he costs the Bills 5.5 mil this year against the cap, 6.0 mil the next and 6.5 the year after before they have to worry about the next tier.

 

At that point they could cut him and it would cost nothing.

 

Amazing the shit they do with these contracts.

[Guest starvenger]

>Amazing the shit they do with these contracts.

 

I still don't really understand NFL contracts. Only the first year si guaranteed, right?

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

I'm sure I'll get something wrong...but here goes.

 

Let's look at a basic contract.

 

A guy gets a 25 million dollar contract for 5 years with a 10 million dollar signing bonus.

 

The bonus he gets right away...but it counts against the teams cap evenly over the length of the contract.

 

so 10 million over 5 years...means that it counts 2 mill a year against the cap.

 

the Base salary of 25 million will be spread out something like:

 

year 1: 3.5 million

year 2: 4.5 million

year 3: 5.0 million

year 4: 6.0 million

year 5: 7.5 million

 

the first year the teams cap is the 3.5 + the 2 mill of the bonus

 

the second year is the 4.5 + 2 mill bonus.

 

Now...

 

If they cut the guy before the season starts they don't have to pay his base salary for that year...but they do have to take the hit for the rest of his bonus.

 

So lets say they cut the guy after year 2.

 

They don't have to pay his base salary...but they do have to take a cap hit for the other 3 years that they gave him his up front bonus for...so the cap hit would be 2+2+2 for a total of 6 million.

 

If you cut him before June 1st...you take the whole hit THAT season.

 

After June 1st you pay it the next year.

 

The Bledsoe contract was set up in three parts...under those guidlines...like 3 contracts that the team can get out of at any of the three points.

 

That's pretty close anyway.

[Guest DrTom]

Actually, Lewis signed for 7 years. At least that's what the local news reported.

 

The Ravens are also trying to get Peter Boulware locked in under a similar contract that, like the Lewis deal, would free up cap money short-term. Doing that (which Boulware is receptive to, as this is the final year of his current deal) would easily free up enough money to bring Sam Adams back, which would greatly improve what's shaping up as a middle-of-the-pack defense.

 

I like the idea of a salary cap, but the NFL's implementation of it seems a bit quirky. Teams shouldn't have to restructure their star players' deals every three years just to try and sign enough people to be competitive.

[Guest LexLugerRules]

Actually, Lewis signed for 7 years. At least that's what the local news reported.

Really? My local Sports news TV said it was 5.

[Guest razazteca]

it looks like Ray Lewis got $19 million signing bonus for winning the Superbowl. I doubt that Lewis will get the full 50 million but if the Ravens somehow makes it deep in the playoffs again then it will be money well spent.

[Guest DrTom]

"it looks like Ray Lewis got $19 million signing bonus for winning the Superbowl."

 

Watching him play every week for the last six years... he's good. Really good. It's not just the Super Bowl he's getting paid for. He's getting paid for being the best linebacker in football, and the anchor of the Ravens' defense.

[Guest pinnacleofallthingsmanly]

Ray Lewis isn't really good, he's damn good. I am a Ginats fan, but I will always give the devil his due.

[Guest LexLugerRules]

Ray Lewis is the best linebacker since LT.