| Mr. Laz |
07-30-2006 01:11 PM |
POSTED 9:54 p.m. EDT, July 29, 2006
CUTLER DEAL FULL OF FLUFF
A league source who has eyeballed the relevant provisions of the contract signed by Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler, the eleventh overall pick in the 2006 draft, has opined that the reported maximum value of $48 million over six years is an exaggeration, and that the true maximum value of the deal is $38 million.
The source also tells us that the reported maximum value of the deal includes some incentives that, as a practical matter, will be hard to obtain, such as an annual incentive based on winning the Super Bowl and an annual incentive triggered by Cutler finishing in the top five in passer rating.
We're also told that $14 million of the contract is buried in the sixth year, via a $4 million roster bonus and incentives based on minimum playing time. But none of the money is guaranteed, so if Cutler isn't a star by then the team can merely cut him loose. Alternatively, if Cutler ends up being a premier player in the NFL, the $14 million salary by 2011 likely will be less than the value of the franchise tag for quarterbacks.
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