Should NFL Give Patriots $7,500,000 Relief ??

[BigKen]

For the 2013 season the Patriots had to carry $7,500,000 of dead money against the cap for Aaron Hernandez. Right now, they have to carry that same dead $7.5M against the cap for 2014. Bob Kraft has asked the league to give the Patriots that $7.5M back so they can use it for players they need to resign or replace Hernandez.

Goodell is reluctant to give them any relief. The Patriots are basically saying that Hernandez's loss had nothing to do with football and that they released him because he's in jail and probably won't get out.

From my point of view, this is a no-brainer. The Patriots were noit involved in any way with Hernandez's off season activities. Hernandez is out of football because he's been charged with murder. Finally, the loss of Hernandez has nothing to do with the NFL, other than making it look bad.

The league should give the Patriots relief from this dead money cap hit.

 

[fordman84]

Not a chance in hades. If that happens then every team is going to be looking for relief when a player gets in trouble with the law.

Unless Goodell wants to make it common for teams to cut any player who gets a DUI or has an off the field legal issue. if that is his angle, then he should do this cap relief. Otherwise, it sets a bad precedence and bails out a team who took a gamble and lost.

 

[NEhomer]

But a DUI is not homicide and players return from DUIs. If a legal harangue ends a player's season, the Cap space should be returned.

 

[MrMoJoRisin63]

For the 2013 season the Patriots had to carry $7,500,000 of dead money against the cap for Aaron Hernandez. Right now, they have to carry that same dead $7.5M against the cap for 2014. Bob Kraft has asked the league to give the Patriots that $7.5M back so they can use it for players they need to resign or replace Hernandez.

Goodell is reluctant to give them any relief. The Patriots are basically saying that Hernandez's loss had nothing to do with football and that they released him because he's in jail and probably won't get out.

From my point of view, this is a no-brainer. The Patriots were noit involved in any way with Hernandez's off season activities. Hernandez is out of football because he's been charged with murder. Finally, the loss of Hernandez has nothing to do with the NFL, other than making it look bad.

The league should give the Patriots relief from this dead money cap hit.

I don't know if they should but it would be appreciated.

Not a chance in hades. If that happens then every team is going to be looking for relief when a player gets in trouble with the law.

Unless Goodell wants to make it common for teams to cut any player who gets a DUI or has an off the field legal issue. if that is his angle, then he should do this cap relief. Otherwise, it sets a bad precedence and bails out a team who took a gamble and lost.

 

[Yankee Traveler]

Owners need to bring this to the next CBA.
If a player is incarcerated for crimes such as this, or even multiple offenses for lesser crimes they ned to be out of football.
Teams need to know that Roger has there back in situations such as this, they should get the cap space relief and the player should be banned from signing from other teams until proven innocent.

I know, innocent until proven guilty, but the NFL is not a "court of law".
Maybe some of the less desirerable players would clean up there act if they knew getting in trouble would end there career no matter how good there are.

Hell, Roger needs to institute a rule that would have required the Pats to suspend AH pending court outcome.

 

[fordman84]

But a DUI is not homicide and players return from DUIs. If a legal harangue ends a player's season, the Cap space should be returned.

So Dallas is going to get cap relief for Josh Brent?

If Dallas can't get cap relief for a player lying about an injury in order to get cut and keep his signing money, then there is little chance the Pats get relief for Hernandez, IMO.

 

[JDM]

My understanding is that incarceration is a forfeitable breach of contract and grounds to recoup most of the signing bonus; however, releasing him before he was convicted or missed any team functions as a result of it makes it an uphill battle to apply that in this case. I think that given the severity of his offense, if he is convicted they may still have a case, but not an easy one.

I know little about josh Brent or his situation so can't comment there.

 

[MISKO]

this dosent happen very often when an nfl player kills someone ... so its a gray aera

 

[MrMoJoRisin63]

If it were to happen I am not sure if it should happen this year or at the end of his contracted years. I guess it's unfair to every other team to allow this to happens, it would certainly afford the Pats a lot of FA movement. Just do not think it will happen nor am I certain it should.

 

[JDM]

If it were to happen I am not sure if it should happen this year or at the end of his contracted years. I guess it's unfair to every other team to allow this to happens, it would certainly afford the Pats a lot of FA movement. Just do not think it will happen nor am I certain it should.

All that's being talked about is not counting the hit his signing bonus would have this season, as a result of him arguably forfeiting his signing bonus by murdering someone.

 

[MrMoJoRisin63]

All that's being talked about is not counting the hit his signing bonus would have this season, as a result of him arguably forfeiting his signing bonus by murdering someone.

Right and the argument is and should be how is that fair to the rest of the league? The Patriots rolled the dice, they knew his background and knew there was a lot of flags and they extended the offer anyway, that is not fault of any other team in the league.

 

[JDM]

Because there are rules that govern these contracts, and one of them is that under certain circumstances, incarceration can void the contract. If those circumstances are met it is perfectly fair, because everyone else plays by the same rules.

 

[SDGuy73]

The Pats or any other team for that matter should get cap relief. This is a no brainer. There is no way you can for see a guy being a cold blooded killer. And he's being connected to not just one murder but multiple murders. There is a big difference between PED's, DUI, drugs and being arrested for being stupid. Josh Brent got 180 days in jail and 10 years probation. DUI's in this country aren't taken seriously. That is a whole other discussion.

 

[MrMoJoRisin63]

Because there are rules that govern these contracts, and one of them is that under certain circumstances, incarceration can void the contract. If those circumstances are met it is perfectly fair, because everyone else plays by the same rules.

Yeah, that makes sense.

 

[Drawmeomg]

If the contract is void it shouldn't count against the cap, but if Hernandez keeps the money, it should.

There are lots of reasons why a player ends up unable to play out his contract. I don't see why the league wants to tell its clubs that they can go ahead and gamble away on players with major character questions - if it doesn't work out, you'll be off the hook. That doesn't seem like a good message to send to me and I don't see why it deserves special treatment.

 

[redseat]

Nope. Not the leagues fault the Patriots signed him for the money they did. Don't get me wrong I want the money so they can spend it on other players but they did this to themselves

 

[eric5577x]

I think they should have to pay his bonus and shit like that. However, they should not have pay his game checks. I love that professional sports are said to be peoples "jobs", but professional sports don't live in the real world. If my company signs me up, we agree on a price for the work I do, then I go and kill someone, how is my employer responsible to keep paying me? I made the choice to do what I did, not my employer. They should not be on the hook to continue to pay me when I am not longer with the company. I think this should go down for EVERY team in the Every sport. If you break the law, that employer has the right to terminate your contract, no matter what the charge is. I don't think the Pats will get any money back, and that is the fault of the owners for not having this in the CBA. Live and learn I guess.

 

[MrMoJoRisin63]

I think they should have to pay his bonus and shit like that. However, they should not have pay his game checks. I love that professional sports are said to be peoples "jobs", but professional sports don't live in the real world. If my company signs me up, we agree on a price for the work I do, then I go and kill someone, how is my employer responsible to keep paying me? I made the choice to do what I did, not my employer. They should not be on the hook to continue to pay me when I am not longer with the company. I think this should go down for EVERY team in the Every sport. If you break the law, that employer has the right to terminate your contract, no matter what the charge is. I don't think the Pats will get any money back, and that is the fault of the owners for not having this in the CBA. Live and learn I guess.

So in essence Aaron gets not another dime and the team gets not a dime of what they would have paid Aaron. At least toward the cap I mean Kraft gets some money out this deal.

 

[dboy97]

What happened to the Carolina Panthers years ago when Rae Caruth shot and killed his girlfriend? I do not know how much bearing that has on this situation not even sure the salary cap was in place back then. Hell what happened with the Kansas City Chiefs when their player killed his girlfriend then shot and killed himself?

 

[Yankee Traveler]

So in essence Aaron gets not another dime and the team gets not a dime of what they would have paid Aaron. At least toward the cap I mean Kraft gets some money out this deal.

THAT is why they should get cap relief. Kraft is not paying him and is sueing him for signing bonus money back (I think I read that) They should have the cap space to give that money to other players rather than put it into Bob's pocket.