Get your roster bonus bingo scorecards ready

By Lou DiPietro  |   Tuesday, February 17, 2009  |  Comments( 4 )

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If there’s anyone out there who is still skeptical about the fact that the NFL truly is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league, this is the time of year for you.

Lost in the midst of the beginning of free agency, the upcoming scouting combine -- of which I will talk more about next week, once it’s completed -- and draft mania is another important date: March 1. For some NFL players and every general manager, March 1 may very well be the most important date of their year. Why? Because it’s roster bonus day.

Many NFL contracts contain roster bonuses that see players given a certain amount of money if they are still on the team as of a certain date every year. The most popular of those dates is March 1, as the season has officially ended, free agency has begun and teams are in prep mode for the April draft.

On the management side, roster bonuses are a twofold way to somewhat flout the salary cap. Firstly, it lessens the cap hit for big free-agent acquisitions; whether there’s a lot of guaranteed money or not, it allows teams to spread out the amount of a player’s contract. So, for instance, a player receiving a three-year, $12 million contract might see that as a $2 million signing bonus, $2 million per year and a $2 million roster bonus if he is still on the team as of March 1 after his first and second years with the team -- meaning that only $4 million is guaranteed and counts toward the cap.

Of course, the other thing it does is keep those players honest. Players signed to huge contracts that contain said bonuses need to perform, or the next February is going to be an awfully nervous four weeks for them.

This year, as in pretty much any year, there are going to be numerous big names who end up among those released between now and March 1 to avoid roster bonuses kicking in. This release doesn’t mean they’re incapable, and it doesn’t even mean those players aren’t in the team’s plans. As the old saying goes, it’s nothing personal, just business.

So while teams are obviously looking at free agents and potential draftees, the next few weeks will be interesting on the waiver wire. Under 10 days into the official offseason, already there are a handful of guys released who could become impact players for the right price, and these three diamonds in the rough are the cream of the crop so far:

Fred Taylor, RB, Jacksonville Jaguars: Thanks for coming, Fred; we hardly knew you.

Last year at this time, Taylor signed a four-year, $23 million contract coming off a 1,200-yard season. After racking up only 556 yards and suffering a season-ending injury in Week 14, he's already without a team one year later.

While his $5 million bonus wasn’t due until June 1 -- the other big day as far as bonuses go -- Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver spun the release by saying he was giving Taylor a chance to catch on elsewhere. What a guy.

Fact is, though, that even if Jacksonville had something resembling an NFL-caliber offensive line (or even an NFL-caliber passing game) in 2008 and Taylor had racked up another 1,200-yard season, he probably still would’ve been released. Maurice Jones-Drew is coming up on contract time, and the Jaguars clearly see him as the future.

Thus, coming off a bad season and because of a huge chunk of money, it makes sense that they’d release a guy who, despite being the franchise’s leading rusher (and 16th all time), is 33 years old and already past the age where most running backs decline heavily.

That said, Taylor isn’t most running backs. Albeit in a limited role, the man nicknamed “Fragile Fred” for his prior lack of durability has only missed five games in the last three seasons. And in 2007, he finally made it to his first Pro Bowl on the heels of that monster season.

Given the right opportunity, Taylor can be a huge asset for some team looking for either a proven veteran backup or a guy to share carries with its star back. The most attractive destination is San Diego, which seems to be souring a bit on LaDainian Tomlinson and may lose Darren Sproles as an unrestricted free agent. However, don’t rule out Tampa Bay or Seattle, either; Tampa’s running back situation has been a mess and a Taylor/Warrick Dunn/Earnest Graham trio might be worth a try, while Seattle could lose Maurice Morris and isn’t entirely sold on Julius Jones.

Chris McAlister, CB, Baltimore Ravens: Another one goes from Pro Bowler to having no team.

For eight years, McAlister was a top-notch cornerback. He started on the defense that helped the Ravens win Super Bowl XXV, and made the Pro Bowl three times in four years between 2003-2006. And then, he got hurt, fell out of favor and eventually out of a job.

Last season, he started five games before being benched and eventually sent to IR with a knee injury. And with an $8 million cap hit on the horizon, the Ravens decided that he wasn’t worth keeping.

As cornerback-strapped as the Ravens became at the end of last year, McAlister may very well be back for much less. In only six games, he did still have three interceptions and showed flashes of the talent that sent him to the Pro Bowl just two years earlier. At only 31, he may not be the elite shutdown corner he once was, but he’s still darn good when healthy.

Who could use him? Well, plenty of teams have secondary issues, but one possibility is the Jets. They ranked 29th in pass yards allowed in '08 and are a little thin after releasing David Barrett, Plus, former Baltimore defensive coordinator Rex Ryan is the new boss in the Meadowlands; he knows McAlister well and could bring him in, even if it’s in a mentor role for Darrelle Revis and Dwight Lowery.

Deuce McAllister, RB, New Orleans Saints: The Deuce is loose -- literally.

Sure, he’s not the running back he once was after two major knee surgeries. And he’s got the specter of last season’s near-suspension for tainted supplements still hanging over his head. Those bugaboos, not to mention New Orleans’ pass-happy offense and a $7-plus million cap hit, meant McAllister was expendable.

Even with those two knee injuries, however, he is still capable. Much like Taylor, he had a limited role last year -- 418 yards on only 107 carries and five TDs -- and at 30, he seems like he can bounce back from his previous maladies. Again, San Diego or Tampa Bay could be possible destinations, as could somewhere like Houston, which currently has only Steve Slaton and Ryan Moats in its backfield.

These three won’t be the only big names seeking new homes within the next couple weeks, as March comes in like a lion -- even on the gridiron. Good thing we at RF365.com don’t have roster bonus contracts, right, guys?
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About Lou DiPietro

Lou DiPietro is an accomplished freelance writer who is fascinated with all things sports. In addition to his duties at RealFootball365.com, Lou contributes to TheBleacherReport.com and Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazine, and has been featured on "The Sports Buffet with Matt West" on 1080-AM ESPN ...
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