Lions awarded extra cap space

every team does it...the vikings are probably the best at it.

this isn't news to me, I knew it 13 months ago.

Jan. 7, 2005.


By Tom Kowalski

ALLEN PARK – Unless Shaun Rogers can replace Jason Hanson, Nick Harris and Eddie Drummond, the Detroit Lions’ Pro Bowl defensive tackle just took a huge pay cut.

It was widely reported last week that Rogers had become the highest paid defensive tackle in the NFL when he signed a six-year, $46 million contract, which included a $15 million signing bonus. The ultimate reality is that Rogers will play three years on this contract and earn $15.5 million

The devil is in the details.

Upon closer examination of Rogers’ contract, his signing bonus is only $9 million. He is scheduled to earn a $3.5 million roster bonus this year, which he will receive. However, he has another $3 million in roster bonuses in later years, beginning in 2008, that he isn’t likely to reach.

While Rogers’ representatives weren’t objecting to reports that Rogers’ contract eclipsed the previous NFL-high of $6 million a year for Warren Sapp, that simply isn’t true.

One of the key numbers in Rogers’ contract is an $11.75 million incentive bonus in 2006 if he plays in 95 percent of the special teams plays. Unless Rogers also becomes the Lions’ kicker, punter and return specialist, that’s not going to happen. He has no chance of reaching that clause, immediately dropping his contract number from $46 million to about $34 million. When you also eliminate the $3 million in unlikely roster bonuses, it drops to $31 million.

There are two reasons for the inflated incentive bonus. One, the agents want it in there so they can parade their guy as the highest paid – which helps greatly in the recruiting of other players – and the Lions needed to do it for bookkeeping reasons.

It’s called the Deion Sanders Rule. Without delving deep into the intricacies of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement, the rule was basically put into place to stop teams from inflating pro-rated salary figures into future “uncapped’’ seasons (where no salary cap exists).

The current CBA ends after 2007 which means that final year of 2007 is uncapped. For many years, the league and the players association kept extending the CBA, putting off that final uncapped year. It’s highly unlikely the owners will ever allow the agreement to reach that uncapped year. If the players refuse to extend the deal by 2007, it’s more likely there would be a lockout, much like the NHL.

Because of the complicated Deion Sanders Rule, though, teams are forced to get creative with big contracts, inserting unlikely-to-be-earned incentives to balance the books.

Lions chief operating officer Tom Lewand, refusing to discuss Rogers’ contract directly, said: “When you deal with a contract that covers capped and uncapped years, you have to pay careful attention to the numerous rules that apply and make sure you’re in compliance with all of them.’’

In the first three years of his deal, Rogers will make a total of $15.5 million, still making him one of the highest paid defensive tackles in the league.

Beginning in 2008, however, his salary jumps from $1.5 million to $4.25 million and that doesn’t include an additional $1 million roster bonus.

Based on recent contract history, Rogers would have to restructure his deal at that point. If he’s still a productive player, he’d have to sign a more cap-friendly contract. If he’s no longer a dominating defensive tackle, most of that money currently in his contract (after 2007) will vanish.