Datone Jones signs with the Vikings

[Half Empty]

Then we're really talking apples and oranges. I never thought about matching an individual's contract against the team's cap space to see if it was incentive-laden. If his contract was for the same amount and was structured to pay only per tackle or sack (just an example, probably not workable), it would count the same against the cap but, in my mind would entirely incentive-driven.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Then we're really talking apples and oranges. I never thought about matching an individual's contract against the team's cap space to see if it was incentive-laden.

The ongoing discussion related to widespread use of incentives.

If one guy has a $1.25 mil incentive I really don't give a sh*t, and it is hardly "laden" even in isolation. If the aggregate of all contracts had $25 or $50 mil in incentives then there is a major cash and cap predictability problem. You don't know what you'll be spending or where you're heading for the following season.

Something that has not been discussed about incentives is that once you get past games played or snaps you get into performance distortions. Let's say there's a sack count incentive in Jones contract. Are you going to expect him to balance run/pass, or jet every snap?

If he does the latter, then you bench him and everybody loses.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Just throwing my 2 cents in I would say a contract that has 25% of the potential total value in incentives.....is a step in the right direction.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Just throwing my 2 cents in I would say a contract that has 25% of the potential total value in incentives.....is a step in the right direction.

Apply that across the roster...that's over $40 mil in incentives.

1. "Likely to be Earned" incentives (generally speaking, those that match prior year performance) count against the cap anyway. One's not falling in that category create an unpredictability of where you'll be cap wise. Either way, your cash spend is uncertain.

2. So long as another team will offer few fewer incentives and more signing bonus and salary, insisting on incentives is a competitive disadvantage.

The way the whole thing is structured in the CBA and the fact it is a competitive market for talent (barring illegal collusion), that while we might like to see a pig with wings for the entertainment value, it's not going to happen.

A small incentive here or there, or on rare occasion one big one, sure. But you're not going to see 25% of the cap covered under incentives.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Apply that across the roster...that's over $40 mil in incentives.

1. "Likely to be Earned" incentives (generally speaking, those that match prior year performance) count against the cap anyway. One's not falling in that category create an unpredictability of where you'll be cap wise. Either way, your cash spend is uncertain.

2. So long as another team will offer few fewer incentives and more signing bonus and salary, insisting on incentives is a competitive disadvantage.

The way the whole thing is structured in the CBA and the fact it is a competitive market for talent (barring illegal collusion), that while we might like to see a pig with wings for the entertainment value, it's not going to happen.

A small incentive here or there, or on rare occasion one big one, sure. But you're not going to see 25% of the cap covered under incentives.

I think we danced this dance yesterday

I don't expect the NFL, NBA, MBL...pick a sport...to switch to contracts being written fully based on incentives in my lifetime. All I will keep saying is, I wish they would. I think it would provide for guys getting paid for what they actually earned and in the process make for a much better fan experience, at least for me.

 

[HardRightEdge]

I think we danced this dance yesterday

I don't expect the NFL, NBA, MBL...pick a sport...to switch to contracts being written fully based on incentives in my lifetime. All I will keep saying is, I wish they would. I think it would provide for guys getting paid for what they actually earned and in the process make for a much better fan experience, at least for me.

And like I said, I wish pigs had wings for the entertainment value.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

And like I said, I wish pigs had wings for the entertainment value.

I'm glad they don't, bacon probably wouldn't taste as good

I also might put the probability of scientists genetically engineering that feat higher than the NFL ever switching to nothing but incentive based contracts.