I found this here, it is a very interesting read on Shaun Rogers new contract

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

HARD NUMBERS ON THE ROGERS DEAL
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We've now gotten a look-see at the actual contract numbers for Lions defensive tackle Shaun Rogers, who supposedly signed a six-year, $46 million deal on January 1.? To clarify Wednesday's story, here are a few tidbits regarding the deal.
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The signing bonus wasn't $15 million (as reported when the deal broke).? It was only (only?) $9 million, with a roster bonusdue in 2005 of $3.5 million.
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In 2005, Rogers will earn a base salary of $650,000.
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In 2006, Rogers has a base of $850,000.? Also in 2006 appearsthat ridiculous $11,750,000 incentive based on participation in 95 percent of the team's special-teams plays.? The purpose of the incentive was to aid compliance with the 30 percent rule regarding contracts that stretch from capped to uncapped years, we're told.? (We don't understand it, by the way, but there's a legitimate reason for the huge incentive payment, apparently.)? The reality is that the number, as we explained on Wednesday, artificially inflates the value of the deal, since Rogers undoubtedly will not participate in 95 percent of the special-teams plays.
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In 2007, Rogers' salary moves to $1.5 million.
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In 2008, Rogers' salary increases to $4.25 million, with a $1 million roster bonus.
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In 2009, Rogers' salary increases to $5.25 million, with a $1 million roster bonus.
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In 2010, the salary is $7 million with another $1 million roster bonus.
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As we explained on Wednesday, the final year of the deal -- with $8 million in new money -- is unlikely to be honored.? So it's really a five-year deal, not a six-year contract.
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Given the $1 million roster bonus and $5.25 million salary due in 2009, there's also a chance that it could be, in the end, a four-year deal -- if Rogers' performance over the next few seasons doesn't justify the total investment of $6.25 million come 2009.
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Also, the guaranteed money under the deal is the $12.5 million in bonuses plus, as a practical matter, $650,000 in 2005 salary, since Rogers gets it all if he's on the roster come the first day of the season.? He's very, very unlikely to be cut before then, given the $9 million signing bonus and $3.5 million roster bonus.
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The "real" numbers, then, are five years, $27 million, with a chance that it'll be only a four-year, $20.75 million deal.??
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Not chump change, but hardly the six-year commitment with a $7.7 million annual average that the "real" media painted it to be.

I know there aren't too many people that respect that site......but occaisonally they do have good info, it would be interesting if this were one of those times.......

So, if this is true, does anyone think that Rogers got shafted??? or is this still a good contract for one of the premier DTs in the league

I also confirmed the story before posting it. Much of the confusion stems from the fact that the contract involves both cap and non-cap (after the current CBA runs out) years. You can find a similar story on MLive today.

http://www.mlive.com/lions/stories/inde ... 234460.xml

You can read the rest of the article but here is the Quick Take from MLive:

Here are the real numbers in the contract of Detroit Lions Pro Bowl defensive tackle Shaun Rogers:

2005: $9 million signing bonus; $3.5 million roster bonus; $650,000 salary.

2006: $11.75 million incentive bonus (95% of special teams plays); $850,00 salary.

2007: No bonuses; $1.5 million salary.

2008: $1 million roster bonus; $4.25 million salary.

2009: $1 million roster bonus; $5.25 million salary.

2010: $1 million roster bonus; 7 million salary.

more money for other free agents - cool.

yeah, I saw that on MLive too.

I just read in the GPress that the Big Baby has to participate in 95% of all special teams plays to recieve one of the bonuses that he got. Even Jhans isn't in 95% of all plays (opp. punt, kick). Doesn't make any sense. Here is the link.

http://www.mlive.com/lions/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1105033200234460.xml

Can someone explain the Deion Sanders Rule to me. Killer doesn't make sense when he is talking about this, and I don't think it is his fault. Pablo, do you know? Also, what is the likelyhood of a strike/lockout after the CBA ends? I'm hearing some rumbleings that I don't like the sound of.

First, I don't see the same sort of issues in football that you see in hockey or baseball for that matter. As in the past, I expect the CBA to be extended for another term sooner rather than later.

As for the Deon Sanders rule, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones tried to find away to get around the cap to add Neon Deon and beat the 49ers. Mr. Jones came up with a contract that paid Sanders a $13M signing bonus (considered a gigantic amount at that time) and combined it with the minimum salary ($178K back then) for the first 3 years (time until the CBA ran out back then) of the contract to fit him under the cap.

The Cowboys won the Super Bowl and the league decided to put in new on rule to close the loophole. The Deon Sanders rule means that in a contract that extends into an uncapped year (right now, 2007 and beyond), the player's combined salary, roster bonuses and reporting bonuses in all capped years must be equal to or greater than the combined prorated signing bonus allocations in the capped years.

In the case of Rogers, the original contract was reported so high because initial reports accelerated a bonus that won't be meet into the early years of the contract. Because they won't be meet, you can't include those figure in the contract. It's a very confusing topic I know.

If you are enough of a geek and want to look at the CBA, I have hidden it on LB but you can access it here (it's a big file).

http://www.lionbacker.com/?id=freeagency&sub=cba

FYI - there is also a CBA rule that was due to the Lionsthe ?Barry Sanders Rule?

Due to the Salary Cap, owners are now investing a greater amount of money up front for players in the form of guaranteed signing bonuses. Thus, the owners must try to protect their investments by including language in the contract that calls for a player to return a portion of the signing bonus to the team if the player ?fails or refuses? to practice or play with the team. In certain situations, a team will be repaid some of the signing bonus it paid to a player (i.e., a refund), or a team will fail to pay part of a signing bonus that was already allocated toward team salary. If this happens, the amount previously included in team salary will be added to the team?s Salary Cap in the next year.

Now wasn't that fun!

Thanks Pablo. I hope youre right about a new CBA.


Now is the time that all good football fans watch the playoffs.

Great job Pablo