It would appear that yesterday was not only the Grey Cup; it was also the deadline to take advantage of the loophole that allows teams to sign players to contract extensions with signing bonuses, and not have the bonus money count against next years cap. Of course, this means nothing if the salary cap is not enforced next year, but here's hoping that it is.
I'm sure other teams have been taking advantage of this as well, but according to this article, the Eskimos signed their sack leader, Robert Brown, as well as 4 more unnamed players, to contracts with signing bonuses before the deadline.
If you were hoping your team would take advantage of this loophole in the off season to sign their free agents, it's too late now!!!
Lol...I bet the Als and Lions are gonna be pissed! I adoubt they had time to work on those. Especially since their GMs were also the coaches in the big game! :lol:
.....Brendan Taman was a busy man....the Bombers beat the cash crunch....I heard Popp had picked up on the little 'loop-hole' late....so he was trying to do deals during Cup week....he said it was tough to offer a player 'X' amount of dollars....and then expect them to go out and play for you....is this the reason the Als. played so poorly?....and were some of the players thinking that they were getting shafted!....one has to wonder... :roll: :roll:
Pardon? Free agency doesn’t begin until February. I hardly think that signing a free agent in November, is “stringing them out”. Didn’t Higgins, in his infinite wisdom, sign Lewis and Copeland to big signing bonuses earlier this year? How did that work out for you?
....a team can sign their free agents at any time....since when did this become rocket scientry?....'stringing them out' is just that, waiting until the last possible day to make a FA an offer....
It’s nowhere near rocket scientry… yet it still seems to be confusing you. Free agents are not available to sign with other teams until sometime in February. And even then, it’s not too late to sign them until some other team has signed them. Signing a free agent 3 months before they officially become free agents, is hardly “waiting until the last possible day”. There’s something to be said for waiting until the season is over before evaluating who you want back next year, who deserves a big raise, etc. Copeland and Lewis did not live up to the large signing bonuses they were paid early in the season. They likely could have been signed for less.
The deadline is the same for all teams, not just the Eskimos. Therefore, whether you are referring to an individual team, or any “other team”, it is the same deadline. I apologize for giving you too much credit, as I assumed you were intelligent to figure this point out for yourself.
You see, I think I know where your confusion stems from. Yesterday was NOT the deadline to sign your free agents. Yesterday was the deadline to take advantage of the loophole that allows signing bonus money to not count against next years cap. The Eskimos chose to wait until the end of the season to decide who deserved big signing bonus money to extend their contracts; and still signed many of their key free agents 3 months before the deadline. I hope your confusion is starting to clear up?
...nice try at confusing the discussion, double-speak I think it's called.....sorry, anyone reading this will see it all makes sense, but an A for effort goes your way....
...."The Eskimos chose to wait until the end of the season to decide who deserved big signing bonus money".....thanks for agreeing with me...
Actually, I am not using “double-speak” at all. Just simple English to explain the simple facts. Since I am not using purely monosyllabic words, I understand that you may interpret it as “double speak”, or “confusing the discussion”. Have a friend explain it to you in simpler terms.
Waiting until the end of the season to evaluate your free agent situation, and determining who deserves what in a salary cap environment, is just good business sense. Throwing out big signing bonus money to players that then turn around and have mediocre seasons is not very smart. Signing your free agents 3 full months before the free agent deadline is not “stringing anybody out”. I know that trying to comprehend this is hurting your head right now, as there are 2 seperate deadlines to deal with, but try to read it over a few times before replying, and it might start to sink in.
I have apologized for your confusion, and not being able to explain the difference between the two deadlines in simple enough terms for you. Not really sure how I can make it any easier for you. All I know, is that there would be very few GM’s, players or agents in any league, that would think that signing a free agent on the FIRST day of the off season, is in any way, shape or form, “stringing them out”.
...the funny thing is anyone reading this will not see the same confusion that you apparently do....nowhere did I make this alleged confusion error you speak of so your 'apology' just makes you appear to be confused yourself...
....I'll re-state my original position to you so you can re-evaluate what I meant and thereby we can reach an understanding of position, I won't insult you by saying it will be in monosyllabic words or in basic english because thats something that doesn't need to be really said.....any team can sign their FA's up to the February deadline, some teams did so long before the loophole deadline yesterday, some will do so from now until then, but will have to declare signing bonuses against the cap...for Macocia to wait until the latest possible time to do so and still take advantage of the loophole reminds me of how he treated a lot of the Eskimo players this year, like they were on yo-yos....see, simple enough, and no insults either, isn't that refreshing?....
....PS, I do agree with your last statement, but TODAY is the first day of the off season, not yesterday....thanks anyway for the cerebral workout, it's always fun sparring with you....
A total of 22 players ink new deals before deadline
MONTREAL (CFL.ca wire) – With the new CFL salary management system coming into effect this morning at midnight, the Montreal Alouettes signed 22 players to new contracts, including receivers Ben Cahoon, Kerry Watkins and guard Scott Flory. Ten of those 22 players would have become free agents after the 2006 season.
Cahoon, linebacker Kai Ellis, fullback Mike Vilimek, rush end John Bowman, long snappers Chris Vrantsis and Scott Mennie, receiver Chris Davis, defensive backs Joel Wright and Janssen Patton and offensive lineman Skip Seagraves all signed new contracts.
A dozen more players extended their current deals for the year to come: Watkins, Flory, kicker/punter Damon Duval, guards Paul Lambert and Paul Archer, tackle Luke Fritz, receivers Dave Stala, Shaun Diner and O’Neil Wilson, defensive end D.D. Acholonu, linebacker Louis Mackey and defensive back Thomas Whitfield.
Only four players could become free agents on February 16, 2007; linebacker Patrick Dorvélus, return specialist Ezra Landry, tackle Uzooma Okeke and defensive tackle Adriano Belli.
he has to register the deals with the league before he can give names and not after vanier
some time this week.he is going to talk to danny this week aswell.
Once again, you contradict yourself, and your logic is fatally flawed. I am beginning to expect this from you, but your arrogant attitude seems a bit foolish, when you are so clearly ignorant. I wish I could say it has been fun sparring with you, but when all you do is repeat the same nonsense, it becomes boring quickly.
As has been posted by other members here, several teams waited until the end of the season to make final decisions on who to provide signing bonuses to, and who not to. THIS WAS NOWHERE NEAR THE FREE AGENT DEADLINE, AND THEREFORE ISN’T EVEN REMOTELY LIKE TREATING YOUR PLAYERS LIKE “YO-YO’S”. You see, this has been my main point all along, but I will repeat it again, in the futile hope that you will be able to grasp it this time. You have made it sound like waiting until the Grey Cup to sign your free agents, is treating them poorly. This is simply wrong, and so completely nonsensical, that I am having trouble comprehending if you are really that stupid, or just looking to pick a fight. The deadline to sign free agents is not for another 3 months. I hardly think that signing free agents 3 full months before the deadline is making them feel unwanted. Wake up and smell the roses dude. You would have a hard time finding any players or agents that were signed yesterday that feel like “yo-yo’s”. To claim that that is the case is simply childish.
...lol, you're having tons of fun aren't you?...it called an OPINION and in my case yes waiting until yesterday to sign your FAs to take advantage of the loophole is playing your men like yo-yos....couldn't care less if you disagree.....and insults are making you look childish btw, but that's not anything new to anyone here so don't worry about your impecable reputation, it's still pretty much status quo.....