2 Easy to Answer Questions...

[Big Will]

1. Is Jamie Nails still with the Dolphins or was he released? If he is still a Dolphin, is there any chance he returns to his 2002 form?

2. Exactly how do contracts work, especially signing bonuses.
For example, Peyton Mannings contract is 99 million, with a 34 million dollar signing bonus. Does that mean that the signing bonus is added onto that, or is his actual contract 65 million dollars after the bonus. And, where does the bonus come from? Does the owner personally pay for it, or does it count against the cap, or what?

Basically, for #2, HOW DO SIGNING BONUSES WORK??

 

[Rick 1966]

Originally posted by Big Will
1. Is Jamie Nails still with the Dolphins or was he released? If he is still a Dolphin, is there any chance he returns to his 2002 form?

He is a free agent. We have not given him an offer.

 

[Predaphin]

Yeah Nails is gone.

 

[Agua]

Signing bonuses are included in the total contract value. They are paid up front, but for salary cap purposes, their value is added to the salary by dividing the bonus amount over the length of the contract. If a player is released / cut prior to the expiration of the contract, the remaning years' worth of the pro-rated bonus is "accelerated" and counted as being due that year. That is what is meant by "dead money" in cap terms - a player who is no longer there but his signing bonus value is carried forward.

The base salary (the contract amount minus the bonus), is not necessarily spread out evenly over the life of the contract. Quite often the early years are light and the final years are heavy. This is what is meant by a "backloaded" contract.

 

[tenndolfan]

1.nails is history 2. ask clump

 

[Snickersbps]

the signing bonus I believe, is on top of the contract $$. So basically, Manning gets his yearly portion of that $98 mil, then gets a 1/8th-$4.25 million (8 year contract) of the signing bonus every year. The Bonus is garaunteed, so if Manning is cut after 5 years(not going to happen but for example's sake) he willhave only earned $21.25 of his $34 million signing bonus. The remaining $12.75 will be an instant cap hit, since he is garaunteed that amount. If he is cut tomorrow, he gets $34 million.