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Dion Jordan and offset language

finsfan4life

In Dawn We Trust!
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Florio has an article on profootballtalk about the Dolphins possibly insisting on offset contract language. This basically means that the Dolphins would recoup part of the money if they cut him, and another team signs him. I understand what the Fins are trying to do from a business perspective, but I also don't fault Jordan at all if he doesn't agree to it, and it results in a lengthy holdout. I hope they can get it resolved and it becomes a non-issue, but if it doesn't, I understand. Where do you guys stand on it?
 
It probably ends up the way Tannehill's did. Pay a little more than the spot calls for and get the "bust protection"
 
After doing the same with Tannehill, it is etched in stone, and Jordan will deal with it. It's a non-issue.
 
Ireland, etc have said that it's a practice that they've done for a while now. They didn't budge on Tannehill and they probably won't budge with Dion Jordan. They'll pay up a bit more to get it in the contract.

The offset language typically becomes an issue with the top-10 picks, which is why you didn't hear a lot of griping about Pouncey's contract.
 
This could end up a problem.

There were reasons Ryan Tannehill caved on the offset issue a year ago, even though most of the draft prospects drafted around him did not. Tannehill hoped to be the quarterback of the Dolphins even as a rookie. He knows that at his position it is absolutely imperative he not miss any time. You can't walk in even a week late and still win the job. Plus he had familiarity with some of the coaches on the team including and especially the offensive coordinator. He felt safe in their commitment to him, he felt urgent about getting to practice, and so he caved on the issue. But only after the Dolphins compromised and threw Ryan a little extra bone in the deal. Why did the Dolphins do that? Because they felt just as urgent about it. This is the team's quarterback and I think they had a feeling he might start immediately. They couldn't have him missing much time.

This situation with Dion Jordan is different. He's a pass rusher, not a quarterback. It's not the same, as far as him feeling urgency to get into camp on time. He's more likely to "let the agents handle it" rather than end up forcing the issue and overruling them which is what Ryan did. Meanwhile, the Dolphins are not as incentivized to throw the agents an extra bone in compromise, because again this is not a quarterback. It's a defensive end/linebacker. Further, this is a top 3 pick. Ezekiel Ansah is the #5 pick and he already signed a deal without offset language. I don't think any other pick in the top five will get offset language put into their contract. Maybe no prospect in the top ten will. I believe last year Tannehill may have been the only one, or one of the only ones. I know Kuechly at #9 overall didn't get offset language.

So this battle is definitely setting up to be WORSE than the Tannehill battle.

The whole thing is stupid.

Last year Trent Richardson got a $20.4 million deal fully guaranteed. His fourth year salary is $3.2 million which is guaranteed. If he had offset language and the Browns cut him prior to 2015 then the Browns would be off the hook for whatever his new team pays him. If he makes $2.5 million from the Redskins then the Browns pay $700k of the $3.2 million guaranteed salary.

The problem with this is if you're the Redskins why do you offer Trent Richardson $2.5 million in 2015 when you know you can offer him $0.5 million (vet's minimum) and have the Browns pick up the rest of the tab? Richardson is going to get $3.2 million either way. He don't care whether it comes from his new team or old team. In fact as a means of revenge, and a showing of good faith, he may prefer his old team foot more of the bill than his new team.

For the team, the offset language only becomes useful if Trent Richardson is worth MORE on the free agent market in 2015 than $3.2 million. And if that's the case, why the hell did you cut him? If he's worth $4 or $5 million on the market and you're only paying him $3.2 million salary, why the hell are you cutting him?

On the other hand you think about it from the player's perspective. Say you succeed in negotiations and there's no offset language. Your fourth year salary becomes fully guaranteed. Under what circumstances would you find yourself being cut when your fourth year salary is guaranteed no matter what? A team would have to decide you're just not even worth a 53 man roster spot. You're that bad (and/or that injured). If that's the case then how much can you really hope to "double dip"? Maybe half a million, or a million?

On the other hand, to you as a player, half a million or a million means a WHOLE LOT MORE to you than it does to the team. The team is awash in money. You're not. A dollar means more to you than it does them...which is why the players are for the most part winning this negotiations battle over offset language.
 
Florio has an article on profootballtalk about the Dolphins possibly insisting on offset contract language. This basically means that the Dolphins would recoup part of the money if they cut him, and another team signs him. I understand what the Fins are trying to do from a business perspective, but I also don't fault Jordan at all if he doesn't agree to it, and it results in a lengthy holdout. I hope they can get it resolved and it becomes a non-issue, but if it doesn't, I understand. Where do you guys stand on it?

Its an idiotic issue. If we cut the 3rd overall pick, we have bigger problems then a few dollars.

By the way, i made this post to point out: the wench in your profile is the one insisting on fighting a no-brainer contract agreement. In Dawn We Trust indeed.
 
I understand the teams perspective on this.....the rookies are still unproven commodities on the pro level, therefore should they not pan out and another team is willing to basically pick up his deal to some degree, why shouldn't the team receive that much relief on their cap structure?

In essence the deal is still guaranteed...and why should a rookie who underperforms for whatever reason be rewarded with double or any extra salary at all?
 
Not sure why anyone is surprised or worried about this. Offset language is a Dolphins standard and has been since Aponte joined the team in 2010. All players they have signed with guaranteed money, whether it was Odrick, Pouncey, Tannehill and even Wake have offset language built into the contract. I am sure all this year's free agent signings such as Wallace, Ellerbe and Wheeler have offset language in their contract also. It isn't that they don't have faith in these players it is just a standard they decided to go forward with and it is a standard that EVERY team in the league would love to be successful in. Most teams just cave and don't want to push the issue, the Dolphins stick to their guns and so far has worked everytime.

This stance may cause a holdout with Jordan, he might miss a few training camp practices, but I hardly doubt you will see any holdout that lasts a week or more. Plus in the Dolphins favor this year is that there is an extra week of practice since the team plays in the Hall Of Fame game.

For all the people complaining and worrying about future salary cap issues and not being "smart" with money, getting offset money is "smart" for the franchise as it protects them in a worst case scenario. Every year since 2010 the topic of offset language comes up and people get all worked up about it but the fear and worry never amounts to anything. In the end Jordan will be signed either before training camp or a few days in and his contract WILL contain offset language.
 
Should be noted that offset language only applies to guaranteed SALARIES.

Saying offset language has been a part of every Dolphins contract since 2010 is not necessarily accurate as not all of those contracts have involved guaranteed salaries.
 
Should be noted that offset language only applies to guaranteed SALARIES.

Saying offset language has been a part of every Dolphins contract since 2010 is not necessarily accurate as not all of those contracts have involved guaranteed salaries.

True, but I still feel its a smart move for the franchise and I feel teams that don't demand it from rookies at a minimum are operating foolishly.
 
Should be noted that offset language only applies to guaranteed SALARIES.

Saying offset language has been a part of every Dolphins contract since 2010 is not necessarily accurate as not all of those contracts have involved guaranteed salaries.

Read again, I said that.
 
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