Fitz restructures contract

[DemsMyBoys]

lol… People can praise LF all they want and I agree its a good ting if it helps the team. But Anyone thinking this doesn't benefit Fitz is kidding themselves. A deal like this usually does benefit the player its not like they are outright taking a pay cut. As it seems he now takes salary as a bonus in an upfront check of almost 10 million?? Poor Fitz for having to restructure.

If he did that the I will drop to my knees and praise the guy as though he's a god.

Of course it benefits Larry. Eugene Parker is a genius. (I'll always believe that if he were Q's agent Q would have remained a Cardinal.)

But everything Larry has said for years now points to him wanting to be a Cardinal until he retires a Cardinal. He's absolutely brilliant in the PR aspects of his career. Stay here, take the Cardinals back to the Super Bowl (please Baby Jesus), retire a Cardinal, be forever beloved by Cardinals fans and..... move to a broadcasting career. (Which he pretty much assured with a VERY professional appearance on CNN last Saturday.)

 

[BillsCarnage]

But everything Larry has said for years now points to him wanting to be a Cardinal until he retires a Cardinal. He's absolutely brilliant in the PR aspects of his career. Stay here, take the Cardinals back to the Super Bowl (please Baby Jesus), retire a Cardinal, be forever beloved by Cardinals fans and..... move to a broadcasting career. (Which he pretty much assured with a VERY professional appearance on CNN last Saturday.)

There's only 2 ways Fitz retires a Cardinal with his current contract.
1 - Cards win the SB and he decides to retire.
2 - He comes back down the road to sign one of those "one-day" type contracts to officially retire a Cardinal.

 

[GatorAZ]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ing-clears-plenty-of-cap-space-for-cardinals/

24M cap hit in 2015 woooow!

 

[BillsCarnage]

Here's more based on a speculative restructure, but what is most likely
http://overthecap.com/initial-reaction-larry-fitzgeralds-restructured-contract/

 

[kerouac9]

That's the most awesome deal in the history of sports.

Listen Larry has made almost 100 million so far in his career, that's guaranteed money. Let's not act like he's taken a vow of poverty here, he's going to get his money its just going to be later. This is not a paycut

Yeah... a lot of people have already jumped on this. I'd just like to add that the money that the Cards have paid to Larry Fitzgerald over his 10 year career have been staggering. Just staggering.

Of course it benefits Larry. Eugene Parker is a genius. (I'll always believe that if he were Q's agent Q would have remained a Cardinal.)

But everything Larry has said for years now points to him wanting to be a Cardinal until he retires a Cardinal. He's absolutely brilliant in the PR aspects of his career. Stay here, take the Cardinals back to the Super Bowl (please Baby Jesus), retire a Cardinal, be forever beloved by Cardinals fans and..... move to a broadcasting career. (Which he pretty much assured with a VERY professional appearance on CNN last Saturday.)

Yup. Eugene Parker has done a great job negotiating contracts on Fitz's behalf. Only Mitch has squealed the three times that Fitz and Parker have absolutely had the Cards bent over a barrel.

If Fitz can't get a 1000 yard season in 2014, I hope that he'll accept a paycut. He's due $16M in 2015 alone in bonuses and salary. Even he must realize that's not a fair deal. Unfortunately, the dead money created by cutting him following the 2014 season would be nearly as much as the dead money we'll be carrying into 2014 altogether.

 

[GatorAZ]

Only Mitch has squealed the three times that Fitz and Parker have absolutely had the Cards bent over a barrel.

Eugene Parker = Zed

Cardinals = Marsellus Wallace

 

[Bodha]

That bill is going to have to be paid eventually, and when that happens, Fitz will only be older and that further down the hill



So Im getting a little nervous. A day will come when we wont be able to maneuver around it anymore, and well have to pay him + probably need to resign someone, and be unable.

 

[BillsCarnage]

And just to set the stage, Calais should be the next one up for a restructure in the next two years.

 

[WildBB]

That bill is going to have to be paid eventually, and when that happens, Fitz will only be older and that further down the hill



So Im getting a little nervous. A day will come when we wont be able to maneuver around it anymore, and well have to pay him + probably need to resign someone, and be unable.

Unless he willing to tear up the contract, the FO will almost certainly need to release Larry in 2015. Na gon happen.

 

[CardsFan88]

Personally I wonder if you can do an extension and then restructure again to push signing bonus into the extended year or two.

Say you added a year to his deal for 4 million...yes he'd need to take a huge pay cut, but then restructure the deal so that you push some of the base salary of other years into it, and balance it out. If, and it's a big if Larry is willing to take less for a season or two after his current contract length, and if this is legal under the CBA, they could push that base salary and absorb the higher signing bonus hits.

I wonder if such a thing is legal and if it has been done before, if a team ever had a willing player to do something like this. Probably would be rare since it would have to be a player winding down his career, but extending the contract to 2019 or 2020 might constitute that. Highly doubtful even if cut he'd make a ton that year. Of course at some point the cap should go up quite a bit under this CBA so, perhaps all this is moot and we only need to run out the clock until those big cap increases that are expected to hit at some point, hit.

 

[WildBB]

Personally I wonder if you can do an extension and then restructure again to push signing bonus into the extended year or two.

Say you added a year to his deal for 4 million...yes he'd need to take a huge pay cut, but then restructure the deal so that you push some of the base salary of other years into it, and balance it out. If, and it's a big if Larry is willing to take less for a season or two after his current contract length, and if this is legal under the CBA, they could push that base salary and absorb the higher signing bonus hits.

I wonder if such a thing is legal and if it has been done before, if a team ever had a willing player to do something like this. Probably would be rare since it would have to be a player winding down his career, but extending the contract to 2019 or 2020 might constitute that. Highly doubtful even if cut he'd make a ton that year. Of course at some point the cap should go up quite a bit under this CBA so, perhaps all this is moot and we only need to run out the clock until those big cap increases that are expected to hit at some point, hit.

I don't think it makes sense for him to extend it out more. He's already still got 5 yrs. left if I'm not mistaken. The only money guaranteed should be the bonus as well. It's the team that's on the hook for CAP monies mainly right now. There's really no way around it unless he flat out takes a cut, or the CAP is drastically increased. He just takes up way too much against it.

 

[jefftheshark]

Eugene Parker = Zed

Cardinals = Marsellus Wallace

Would that make Larry "The Gimp"?

JTS

 

[ASUCHRIS]

Maybe, but isn't the cap supposed to make a big jump over the next 2 years? If so pushing money out to those years where it won't hurt as much is smart.

Even if the cap makes a big jump, it still doesn't make sense to pay Fitz as a top 10 player. He's barely a top 10 receiver at this point. At a 20 million dollar plus cap hit, Fitz is simply not worth it, even if the cap goes up.

 

[Shane]

Even if the cap makes a big jump, it still doesn't make sense to pay Fitz as a top 10 player. He's barely a top 10 receiver at this point. At a 20 million dollar plus cap hit, Fitz is simply not worth it, even if the cap goes up.

And thats the bottom line.

A WR who can't even get 1000 yards for 24 million cap hit? INSANE!

He should be getting 1500 plus regularly for that cap hit. It would still be too high. Megatron will never see numbers like that.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

The canonizing of Fitz and vilifying Boldin is pretty annoying as well. Anquan came here as almost a complete unknown and was much more instrumental in changing the "Cardinal way" than any other player. Sure, things were acrimonious in the end, but it also seems to me at least *possible* that the Bidwills screwed Boldin.

Compare their cost and production over the last couple years, and it's hard to make an argument in Fitz's favor. I know he's the most loved athlete in AZ right now, but let's try to have some perspective.

 

[juza76]

he didnt renounce to 1 cents he just converted part of his base salary in bonus.
was noble if he take a pay cut,but rich people dont like this idea

 

[Jetstream Green]

The canonizing of Fitz and vilifying Boldin is pretty annoying as well. Anquan came here as almost a complete unknown and was much more instrumental in changing the "Cardinal way" than any other player. Sure, things were acrimonious in the end, but it also seems to me at least *possible* that the Bidwills screwed Boldin.

Compare their cost and production over the last couple years, and it's hard to make an argument in Fitz's favor. I know he's the most loved athlete in AZ right now, but let's try to have some perspective.

Oh, it is freaking easy to make an argument in Fitz's favor. Look at the team Fitz was on and the guy throwing the ball at that time and the situation the signal caller was in and then look at Boldin's in Baltimore and San Francisco

 

[TJ]

Oh, it is freaking easy to make an argument in Fitz's favor. Look at the team Fitz was on and the guy throwing the ball at that time and the situation the signal caller was in and then look at Boldin's in Baltimore and San Francisco

Since 2010, Q has only had to adjust to two QBs throwing his way.

Since 2010, Fitz has had to adjust to eight QBs. How many elite-type receivers can make that dubious declaration? Guarantee the instability at QB has significantly impacted his "numbers."

 

[Shane]

Since 2010, Q has only had to adjust to two QBs throwing his way.

Since 2010, Fitz has had to adjust to eight QBs. How many elite-type receivers can make that dubious declaration? Guarantee the instability at QB has significantly impacted on "numbers."

Q's beginning of his career went from Jeff Blake, Josh McCown, Shaun King, John Navarre, Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, Back to Kurt. In his first year with Kaepernick in a completely new system he had over 80 catches and almost 1200 yards.

Didn't seem to affect his production much. the only thing that affected it was the knee injury in year 2.

So what I'm trying to say is I'm not buying what your selling.

 

[TJ]

Q's beginning of his career went from Jeff Blake, Josh McCown, Shaun King, John Navarre, Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, Back to Kurt. In his first year with Kaepernick in a completely new system he had over 80 catches and almost 1200 yards.



Didn't seem to affect his production much. the only thing that affected it was the knee injury in year 2.



So what I'm trying to say is I'm not buying what your selling.

As did Fitz's career, who played with the same QBs except Blake; yet, when they were on the same team, Fitz outperformed Q.

I'm not sure what you're inferring, but if you're trying to tell me that Q > Fitz, then you'd be in a minority.

 

[Buckybird]

Q's beginning of his career went from Jeff Blake, Josh McCown, Shaun King, John Navarre, Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, Back to Kurt. In his first year with Kaepernick in a completely new system he had over 80 catches and almost 1200 yards.

Didn't seem to affect his production much. the only thing that affected it was the knee injury in year 2.

So what I'm trying to say is I'm not buying what your selling.

Come on Shane, luv ya man but They both played with bad QBs & even Q's stats haven't been what they were back in the day of his youth. I get that Q's ur boy...hell I loved Quan when he was here & still root for the guy but Fitz is the better player & if all the teams in the NFL had their choice of the 2 right now...or any other day, 99.9% of them would pick #11 and you know it.

 

[Shane]

As did Fitz's career, who played with the same QBs except Blake; yet, when they were on the same team, Fitz outperformed Q.

I'm not sure what you're inferring, but if you're trying to tell me that Q > Fitz, then you'd be in a minority.

I don't think he (Q) is better. Im saying that you blaming the QB's for Fitz lack of production is just an excuse. He just isn't the same player he was. And the bottom line for his level of production come 2015 with a 24 million dollar cap hit he won't be playing in AZ anymore. JMO!

 

[ASUCHRIS]

if all the teams in the NFL had their choice of the 2 right now...or any other day, 99.9% of them would pick #11 and you know it.

What a ridiculously limited statement. How about if you phrase it like this:

Anquan for less than 10 million, or Larry for around 20.

I'm sure 99% would take Larry, nearly the same production for double the cost!

 

[Jetstream Green]

Q's beginning of his career went from Jeff Blake, Josh McCown, Shaun King, John Navarre, Kurt Warner, Matt Leinart, Back to Kurt. In his first year with Kaepernick in a completely new system he had over 80 catches and almost 1200 yards.

Didn't seem to affect his production much. the only thing that affected it was the knee injury in year 2.

So what I'm trying to say is I'm not buying what your selling.

So your selling that Anderson, Hall, Skelton, Kolb and Lindley to Palmer with Palmer a season into a new system (yes, being a QB in a new system is a lot harder than adjusting as a WR entering a new system) is as good as Joe Flacco and Kaepernick (on two teams with enough overall team talent to both reach well into the playoffs). I'm not buying that. So your saying our OL, and our running game and our TEs are just as good as San Francisco... because those factors define how well the QB can perform and get the ball to his WRs. All Fitz had is Floyd and Ellington (a rookie still) and now maybe some consistent play from a starting caliber QB in Palmer
Boldin is a great stud WR but Fitz in my opinion is worth more (though, no professional players to me should be paid that kind of jack but that is a question of what society values and not me)... and I would still take Boldin or Fitz over a lot of teams number 1 wide receivers now

 

[sunsfan88]

I think it's funny that people in this thread think he's taking a paycut...

Fitz is a great guy but not because of this. He still getting every penny that's owed to him.