IMO the Charges were completely at fault. They want to spread out the bonus money and have off-set language in the contract. It's either one or the other but you don't get both, no team gets both. No team has ever gotten both, they get one or the other.
That is not correct.
Actually, on a more technical level, in this case offset language applies to rookie deals, and it is only relevant in regard to guaranteed money. All rookie first round picks will get a contract for four years that includes a fifth year option for the team. That option must be picked up at the end of the third year, and if a team does that then the rest of the contract, including the fifth year, becomes fully guaranteed. So, in essence, the team will have to decide after year three whether they want to be on the hook for the remaining money in the now five year contract. In the fourth year offset language becomes relevant because if it is included in the contract it allows the team to save money if they release the player before the end of the rookie contract. If another team picks up the player, then whatever that team pays him must be deducted from the rookie deal signed with the original team. If it is not included, then the player can double-dip and receive both the remaining guaranteed money from their rookie deal and whatever the new team pays them.
Joey Bosa signed a fully guaranteed deal with a 17 million signing bonus. He received 85% of the signing bonus up front whereas Bosa wanted it all paid up front. The contract does include offset language.
In 2013 edge rusher Barkevious Mingo was the #6 overall pick. He signed a fully guaranteed contract with a 10.7 million signing bonus. He received 100% of the signing bonus up front. The contract did include offset language.
In 2013 offensive tackle Luke Joeckel was the #2 overall pick. He signed a fully guaranteed contract with 13.8 million in signing bonus. He received 100% of the signing bonus up front. The contract did not include offset language.
In 2017 runningback Leonard Fournette was the #4 overall pick. He signed a fully guaranteed contract with 17.9 million guaranteed. He received 100% of the signing bonus paid up front. The contract did not include any offset language.
In 2017 safety Jamal Adams was the #8 overall pick. He signed a fully guaranteed contract with a 14.3 million signing bonus. He received 100% of the signing bonus up front. The contract did include offset language.
I think the lesson is that there are different ways to structure a rookie contract and different languages that can be included, and it is impossible to know if Bosa or the Chargers are mostly at fault because we haven’t been present at the negotiations.
Teams protects themselves by including different clauses in rookie deals. For example, they can put language in the contracts that says that guaranteed money in a contract can be voided if the player gets suspended, or even if the players get a fine. Yes, being late to a team meeting can then potentially cost millions of dollars. Offset language versus signing bonus payment structure is another way of protecting a team. In reality, it is more important to the player than the team, but I guess rookies have realized in the last couple of years that it is much more important to get the second contract, and thus they are more inclined to accept the team’s demand of including offset language in the rookie contract.
As a result, the matter of offset language in rookie contracts are nowadays usually non-negotiable to teams, and though I don’t know for sure, I doubt there isn’t any offset language in Rosen’s contract. He did not receive all of the signing bonus up front.
