Card's Fitzgerald future

What will happen to Fitzgerald in 2015?

  • He will take a paycut to remain with team

    Votes: 30 43.5%
  • They will keep him at his current salary

    Votes: 12 17.4%
  • They will release him.

    Votes: 27 39.1%

  • Total voters
    69

PDXChris

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Where is the option for "Who knows, but there will at least a thread a week on the subject until the day he retires"? That is my choice.
 

az jam

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I don't think he will rework his contract with a pay cut. Cards will release him and there will be some teams out here like the Vikings that will give him one last big contract. However, a lot will depend on what kind of season he has this year.
 

Dr. Jones

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Dude's gonna take a paycut or get cut. Period.
 

Cheesebeef

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I will enjoy every minute of Fitz's last season with us. That's where my head's at.
 

Totally_Red

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The option not offered. He will have a banner year in 2014 and his roster bonus will be converted to a prorated bonus and he will retire a Cardinal.

Depends on his 2014 season.

With the salary cap going up and no huge quarterback salary on the payroll, the Cardinals can convert the roster bonus to a signing bonus and carry him at $17 million or so for 2015 IMO IF he has a very good year in 2014. So in summation, it all depends on his 2014 season.
 

Duckjake

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The option not offered. He will have a banner year in 2014 and his roster bonus will be converted to a prorated bonus and he will retire a Cardinal.

Depends on his 2014 season.

With the salary cap going up and no huge quarterback salary on the payroll, the Cardinals can convert the roster bonus to a signing bonus and carry him at $17 million or so for 2015 IMO IF he has a very good year in 2014. So in summation, it all depends on his 2014 season.

I'm with you. Contract will be restructured to fit into the cap but no pay cut.
 

RON_IN_OC

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The option not offered. He will have a banner year in 2014 and his roster bonus will be converted to a prorated bonus and he will retire a Cardinal.

Depends on his 2014 season.

With the salary cap going up and no huge quarterback salary on the payroll, the Cardinals can convert the roster bonus to a signing bonus and carry him at $17 million or so for 2015 IMO IF he has a very good year in 2014. So in summation, it all depends on his 2014 season.

Can't thus only happen if he signs a new contract?

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Jetstream Green

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I do not see Fitz taking a pay cut, but believe it or not I do see Dockett doing so because that crazy DD really does bleed Cardinal red. Fitz loves this team but I look at his Dad (Fitz is his own man which he has proven before, but his Dad on this one may be too much pressure when it comes to believe his financial success if for the benefit of the whole family), and all his friends across the NFL and he will just leave the team for richer pastures... but he will do it with class lol
 

kerouac9

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I'm with you. Contract will be restructured to fit into the cap but no pay cut.

Restructuring that contract isn't going to provide any release. He has to take a pay cut to stay with the team. Maybe as part of a restructuring, but he's going to have to take less money.

Fitzgerald just converted $11.5M of his 2014 salary into signing/roster bonus that is pro-rated over the remaining 5 years of his deal. That's $2.3M per season carrying forward. The Cards still have to account for two more years (2014 and 2015) of $5M per year pro-rated cap charge.

So, without counting salary, Fitz's cap hold in 2015 is going to be no less than $7.3M. But Fitz is due an $8M roster bonus and 2015 salary of $8M sometime in early 2015. That pushes his 2015 cap number to $23.6M.

A re-structure might convert that roster bonus into a signing bonus, or the Cards may elect to pro-rate that bonus over the remaining four years of the deal--$2M per season until he's cut.

Then his non-salary cap charge in 2015 would be $7.3M. He's due an additional $8M in salary in 2015. His cap charge by just re-accounting for the roster bonus would be around $15M. Enough to swallow, but only if he's a 1300+ yard receiver scoring 8 TDs or more per year.

Either way, in 2016 and beyond, Fitz is scheduled for salaries in excess of $14.75M per year (not accounting for pro-rated bonuses, which in this scenario would be about $4M per year, for a cap charge of nearly $20M per season.

I think Fitz is going to have to give back some money at some point. Maybe not 2015, but it's seeming increasingly likely we're going to have $10M in dead money from one player in the next 2 to 3 years.
 

82CardsGrad

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I think Fitz is going to have to give back some money at some point. Maybe not 2015, but it's seeming increasingly likely we're going to have $10M in dead money from one player in the next 2 to 3 years.

I think it would take an extraordinary act of humility for Fitz to do what clearly needs to be done in order to keep him a Cardinal for the balance of his career. There is no getting around it - the ONLY way this can happen is if he makes the choice to give back $$.
Is Fitz the type of human being that would do such a thing? Absolutely... However, I really couldn't blame him if he doesn't. The guy is 30 years old and still has 5-6 years of being able to be a solid, if not top-shelf contributor. If some other teams are willing to shower him with millions above and beyond what it would take to keep him a Cardinal, it would be very difficult for him to say no.
That said - would I be surprised if Fitz makes the incredible choice to give back enough $$ in order to keep him in AZ until he retires? Absolutely not! ;)
 

Shane

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I think it would take an extraordinary act of humility for Fitz to do what clearly needs to be done in order to keep him a Cardinal for the balance of his career. There is no getting around it - the ONLY way this can happen is if he makes the choice to give back $$.
Is Fitz the type of human being that would do such a thing? Absolutely... However, I really couldn't blame him if he doesn't. The guy is 30 years old and still has 5-6 years of being able to be a solid, if not top-shelf contributor. If some other teams are willing to shower him with millions above and beyond what it would take to keep him a Cardinal, it would be very difficult for him to say no.
That said - would I be surprised if Fitz makes the incredible choice to give back enough $$ in order to keep him in AZ until he retires? Absolutely not! ;)

He hasn't been top shelf for 3 years. Odds of him being "top shelf" again get slimmer by the day.
 

82CardsGrad

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He hasn't been top shelf for 3 years. Odds of him being "top shelf" again get slimmer by the day.

Been discussed on many occasions... 2011 he had 1,411 yards catching ducks from Skelton and Kolb - but Beanie ran for over 1,000 yards that season. 2012 he dipped to 750 yards, again catching ducks from the dyanmic duo of Skelton and Kolb, but Beanie was non-existent...
Last season was the first year with BA & Palmer and he nearly got to 1,000 yards (950) and still had 10 TD's....
I think this season is huge for Larry in terms of determining whether or not he can still be a top-shelf WR.
 

TimTheToolmanTebow

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Been discussed on many occasions... 2011 he had 1,411 yards catching ducks from Skelton and Kolb - but Beanie ran for over 1,000 yards that season. 2012 he dipped to 750 yards, again catching ducks from the dyanmic duo of Skelton and Kolb, but Beanie was non-existent...
Last season was the first year with BA & Palmer and he nearly got to 1,000 yards (950) and still had 10 TD's....
I think this season is huge for Larry in terms of determining whether or not he can still be a top-shelf WR.

larry is done man. he's just a move the chains wr now that he can't gain yac or jump
 

Buckybird

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larry is done man. he's just a move the chains wr now that he can't gain yac or jump

Well I don't agree! I think he had some long ones last year where he did indeed outrace the defenders to pay dirt. He's not the fastest WR, but neither was jerry rice. Done? I don't think so...but he ain't Fitz of 2008 either.

I still say what's hurting Fitz production (yardage & yds/per catch) is playing him in the slot more than when he was younger, which limits his big play potential because there's more traffic inside.
 

82CardsGrad

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Well I don't agree! I think he had some long ones last year where he did indeed outrace the defenders to pay dirt. He's not the fastest WR, but neither was jerry rice. Done? I don't think so...but he ain't Fitz of 2008 either.

I still say what's hurting Fitz production (yardage & yds/per catch) is playing him in the slot more than when he was younger, which limits his big play potential because there's more traffic inside.


I chose not to respond to that post... clearly, the tool man has been spending too much time in the tool shed... :D
 
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