(03-16-2018, 03:41 PM)Jaguarmeister Wrote: (03-16-2018, 02:47 PM)Predator Wrote: If I am not mistaken, offset language only applies to salaries and not bonus money.
For us to recoup any savings, Bortles would have to receive a 6.5 mil+ salary from whomever signs him for the year 2019 which would be high for a back up. If Bortles gets cut after 1 year and goes on to be a back up, he would most likely get a deal that would pay him the veteran minimum salary in 2019 of 805k forcing us to compensate him for the remaining amount of the 6.5 mil he was due. So there would be no benefit to cut him if his play relegates him to a back up player.
So for us to take advantage of the offset language Bortles would have to play next year at a high enough level to command a starter level contract on the open market and we would have to have a player that plays even better than that.
So unless we find a Russel Wilson type transcending player in the draft who immediately plays at a high level or we decide to spend big bucks in the the FA market next year for a top notch QB even if Bortles is playing well ( both of which are unlikely scenarios), Bortles contract is effectively a 2 year deal.
Yes the offset applies to his the portion of his base salary that is guaranteed for 2019 ($6.5 million) and not the signing bonus.
I think you're glossing over the "why was the offset language put in there" question. They've provided themselves flexibility with the deal, even in 2019. They piss that away if they don't get a legitimate heir on the roster this year. And Bortles doesn't have to play poorly necessarily for the front office to decide to move on, it could be just continued inconsistency.
Also, you're grossly under estimating backup QB salaries especially for a guy that now has playoff wins under his belt and is still young. Chad Henne got $3.25 million from us last year and $4.75 million the year before. Chad Henne. Nick Foles got $7.6 million last year to backup Wentz. Chase Daniel just signed a 2 year $10 million dollar deal to back up Brees. In Jet land, McCown just got a 1 year $10 million dollar deal to start and Teddy got $5 million to back him up.
There's a handful of vet backup QBs getting vet minimum or something close to it and those guys have never done anything in their career. The rest are either on their rookie deals or they're vets getting $2 to $4 million. I don't know that there are any with playoff experience let alone playoff wins. In the scenario where Bortles is cut next year, vet minimum isn't happening for him. He'll get at least $5 million to back someone up next year and probably more in a situation where he's holding the seat warm for a rookie in waiting.
He would get the vet minimum not based on his skill level but because it would be smart for the signing team to force us to pay the bulk of his salary in 2019.
6.5 mil is a high salary for a back up. It's higher than the salary than we are paying him this year.
Just look at the deal McCown got. A team could pay Bortles a base salary of 800k give him a 3.5 mil signing bonus and then we would be on the hook for 5.7 mil, effectively giving him a 1 year 10 mil contract just like McCown.
So the offset language doesn't protect us unless Bortles signs a big contract somewhere and may not even protect us then based on how the new contract is structured.
