So where does Freeney land?

[Superman]

http://www.askthecommish.com/salarycap/FAQ.aspx

 

Admittedly I dont know alot about the cap and its rules but I thought his contract could be restructured after 12 months after his most recent restructuring

 

It can. But when a player is in the final year of his contract, there's no restructuring to do.

 

Restructuring a contract is basically just a process that moves a player's cap figure around. If you have a five year, $50m contract, all $50m of that money has to hit the cap at some point, unless the contract is terminated early. So in Freeney's case, $53m of his $72m contract had counted against the cap already. There was $19m remaining, and because there was only one year left on the deal, all $19m had to hit the cap in 2012. They could have converted his base salary to bonus, but without adding more years to the contract, the same total would still have had to count against the cap in 2012.

 

The team and the player would have had to agree to a contract extension, thereby adding more years to the contract, and some of that $19m could have been moved out of the 2012 cap into future years. But there had to be future years. That's not a restructure; that's an extension.

 

Some people use the words "restructure" and "extension" synonymously, and that leads to confusion. You can do both at the same time, but in Freeney's case, a simple restructure -- like what Brady did last year, and what the Saints just did with Curtis Lofton -- would not have done anything to help the cap situation.

[Superman]

I guess that is your opinion but Freeney did state he was not open to doing anything different with his contract last season. It was almost pay me 14 mil or cut me stance IMO. The team could have done an extension that would have lowered his cap, his salary and him still make money but allow the team an out if he didn't fit. Also, nowhere did I say he would make a vet min. 3 mil is not vet min. I take the talk as PR and nothing more. Freeney would not have taken 3 mil a yr from the Colts. He may take it from another team because that's about the worth of an aging situational pass rusher. Can he come to terms with that? We shall see.

 

I asked you to source your claim. Here I am sourcing mine:

NO PROMOTIONAL POSTING ON THE SITE2012-archives/june/colts-authority-participates-in-press-conference-at-dwight-freeneys-football-procamp.html

 

Q: You’re going into the last season of your contract. Have

you and the Colts had any discussions about an extension or moving

forward?

A: No, we haven’t. They’re probably just waiting. This is a new

staff, they have to get to know me, I need to get to know them.  We’ll

find out what happens after we do.

 

...

 

Q: A lot of Colts fans never would have thought that Peyton

Manning would play anywhere else, we just talked about you going into

the last season of your contract, have you given any thought to playing

somewhere else?

A: No I haven’t. All I know is Indianapolis so for me this is home

and this is where I want to be. We all understand though, this is a

business and we don’t know what is going to happen at the end of the

day. But I am just going to cherish every moment of the time that I have

here. Hopefully it will last forever.

[Gavin]

It can. But when a player is in the final year of his contract, there's no restructuring to do.

 

Restructuring a contract is basically just a process that moves a player's cap figure around. If you have a five year, $50m contract, all $50m of that money has to hit the cap at some point, unless the contract is terminated early. So in Freeney's case, $53m of his $72m contract had counted against the cap already. There was $19m remaining, and because there was only one year left on the deal, all $19m had to hit the cap in 2012. They could have converted his base salary to bonus, but without adding more years to the contract, the same total would still have had to count against the cap in 2012.

 

The team and the player would have had to agree to a contract extension, thereby adding more years to the contract, and some of that $19m could have been moved out of the 2012 cap into future years. But there had to be future years. That's not a restructure; that's an extension.

 

Some people use the words "restructure" and "extension" synonymously, and that leads to confusion. You can do both at the same time, but in Freeney's case, a simple restructure -- like what Brady did last year, and what the Saints just did with Curtis Lofton -- would not have done anything to help the cap situation.

"Some people use the words "restructure" and "extension" synonymously, and that leads to confusion"

 

I almost did, I actually typed it and deleted it. So what it comes down to is neither side seemed (from an outsiders point of view) to want to extend his contract 

[Superman]

"Some people use the words "restructure" and "extension" synonymously, and that leads to confusion"

 

I almost did, I actually typed it and deleted it. So what it comes down to is neither side seemed (from an outsiders point of view) to want to extend his contract 

 

Freeney certainly doesn't seem to have made a big deal about wanting an extension. But it's quite obvious that the team wasn't interested in extending him at any point after Pagano was hired and the scheme changed. Maybe Freeney would have turned down an extension offer (doubtful, given the circumstances and his base salary last season, especially in light of his recent comments about expecting a low offer from the team), but he was never offered one.

[Gavin]

Freeney certainly doesn't seem to have made a big deal about wanting an extension. But it's quite obvious that the team wasn't interested in extending him at any point after Pagano was hired and the scheme changed. Maybe Freeney would have turned down an extension offer (doubtful, given the circumstances and his base salary last season, especially in light of his recent comments about expecting a low offer from the team), but he was never offered one.

My question is why would he want to extend the contract just to be in a defense that was unfamilar to him, for the record I think if Freeney was about 3-5 years younger and this change took place back then, then I think he could have gotten the concepts of the defense and also performed well in it but as it is both sides were pressed for time with the one year deal and I just dont see Freeney wanting to jump into an extended deal at the possible expense of his on field production suffering during the term of that extended deal 

[jwilli69]

I asked you to source your claim. Here I am sourcing mine:

NO PROMOTIONAL POSTING ON THE SITE2012-archives/june/colts-authority-participates-in-press-conference-at-dwight-freeneys-football-procamp.html

Alright I am glad you went searching for a quote made many months ago, I'm not that ambitious about it really. I know the way I recall hearing him answer the question at some time last year, it was stated in a way that he was not going to redo the contract. As for the money he would have taken or not, we're all speculating on everything until its done and then we speculate on the motive. So it's a message board and you have heard Freeney state it one way and I recall hearing him state it both ways and that's why I call his latest line PR only.

[GwinnettColt]

I hate saying this, but I think either Denver or New England.

 

They've been talking about Atlanta, which I wouldn't mind as I root for the Falcons also (Colts are #1 to me, though).

[bavanlan]

I just hope he ends up somewhere he can sack Peyton; that's a dream of his.

[Superman]

My question is why would he want to extend the contract just to be in a defense that was unfamilar to him, for the record I think if Freeney was about 3-5 years younger and this change took place back then, then I think he could have gotten the concepts of the defense and also performed well in it but as it is both sides were pressed for time with the one year deal and I just dont see Freeney wanting to jump into an extended deal at the possible expense of his on field production suffering during the term of that extended deal 

 

I get that, and if his recent comments are 100% posturing, then okay maybe. But he said that he was prepared to accept a low offer from the Colts to retire here, and he's said for the past year that he wanted to retire with the Colts. A lot of people have assumed that Dwight wouldn't want to be here, but everything he's said, everything he's done, even his community outreach, speak to his desire and willingness to be a Colt. Even with the scheme changes. I'm willing to take him at his word.

 

The other angle is that, by him saying that a) he was willing to take a lower offer from the Colts, and b) that he wants to play for a contender above all else, he's hurting his earning potential moving forward. If he considers himself a premiere pass rusher and thinks maybe he could get $7-9m/year or something like that, the worst thing he could do would be to say that he was prepared to accept a lowball offer. Because now that's all he's gonna get, particularly from a current contender. He just gave up all his game.

[jwilli69]

He was never gonna get 7-9. If he gets that, some GM gonna have to explain himself at seasons end I would bet. Just cause a guy says he would have taken a home discount to retire there, you think it destroys his bargaining power? Really?

If freeney wanted go stay and was gonna take a low ball offer, I would think his rep would have mentioned this desire to the front office before they said they wouldn't be resigning him. The whole thing just reeks of PR to me, sorry

[Superman]

He was never gonna get 7-9. If he gets that, some GM gonna have to explain himself at seasons end I would bet. Just cause a guy says he would have taken a home discount to retire there, you think it destroys his bargaining power? Really?

If freeney wanted go stay and was gonna take a low ball offer, I would think his rep would have mentioned this desire to the front office before they said they wouldn't be resigning him. The whole thing just reeks of PR to me, sorry

 

Doesn't matter if the team already decided to move on. And in this case, the team did decide to move on.

 

And I'm not saying I think Freeney is going to get $7-9m. I'm saying that, based on Freeney's comments about what he can bring to a new team, that's probably what he and his agent have their sights set on. At least for right now. And by him saying "I figured they would offer me something low and I would just accept it," it does hurt his bargaining power.

 

Again, maybe it is PR. That might be true. But my original comment was just that Freeney didn't decline the opportunity to discuss an extension with the team, as you claimed. I'm not trying to be hardheaded about it, I just sincerely think you have it wrong. He never said he wouldn't consider an extension, and the team never offered him one. Like I said, I paid pretty careful attention to the Freeney situation last season.

[chad72]

He was never gonna get 7-9. If he gets that, some GM gonna have to explain himself at seasons end I would bet. Just cause a guy says he would have taken a home discount to retire there, you think it destroys his bargaining power? Really?

If freeney wanted go stay and was gonna take a low ball offer, I would think his rep would have mentioned this desire to the front office before they said they wouldn't be resigning him. The whole thing just reeks of PR to me, sorry

 

I do think he will get a $7 mil. avg. at least from a 4-3 team but it wont be for more than 2 or 3 years.

 

However, I do agree on the PR aspect you mention.

[illdubb]

I thought I heard talk about he wanted to go back to NY and play for the Giants? That would be crazy, as he would have played with both Mannings in this era. Maybe Archie can start coaching and he can be the Defensive Coordinator... . jk. I think he lands with either the GIants or the Falcons.

[subvet]

Now that everyone has posted their opinion, I think he'll go to Seattle.  Their defense is young, fast, and would benefit immensely from his experience and leadership, give him a 2 or 3 year contract then he'll retire and come back for his one day contract.

[John Dee]

Atlanta, Dallas, NE, Minny...     all nice spots with good teams..   

[Jules]

per rotoworld:

 

The Falcons have reportedly had internal discussions regarding free agent
defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Osi Umenyiora.

 

If the Falcons move on from John Abraham, they'll free up some
money and need situational pass-rushing help. Veteran free agents such as
Freeney and Umenyiora could see themselves as a piece that helps a true
championship contender get over the hump. Both are veterans of the 4-3 scheme.

 

Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution

 

[subvet]

The only reason I'd like him to go to Atlanta is he wouldn't have many opportunities to introduce Andrew Luck to his way of saying hello....