Falcons can't recoup $20 million from Vick (1 Viewer)

[whodatfever]

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Atlanta Falcons cannot recover nearly $20 million in bonus money paid to suspended star quarterback Michael Vick, a federal judge ruled Monday.

The National Football League team sought to recover the bonuses after Vick pleaded guilty to federal charges in a dogfighting operation. The bonuses were paid from 2004 through 2007.

A special master ruled in October that the Falcons were entitled to recover the bonuses. The Falcons argued that Vick used proceeds from a contract he signed in 2004 to finance his illicit activities.

The NFL Players Association had asked a federal judge to overturn a special master's decision that Vick should forfeit the bonus money because of his guilty plea.

But U.S. District Judge David Doty of Minneapolis ruled that the Falcons recovering the bonus money would violate the NFL collective bargaining agreement. The agreement does not allow signing bonuses to be forfeited for years a player has already performed.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3229782


Vick is still putting it to his old team. I love it. :tup2:

 

[GoldRush26]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3229782


Vick is still putting it to his old team. I love it. :tup2:

Good. What Vick did/has done is despicable, but he deserves to get on with his prison sentence, and I was really tired of the entire wold piling on the guy.

 

[whodatfever]

Falcon fans are taking the news rather well

well there goes our cap space.... way to ruin our team even more Vick you son of a #####....

Now we can't get players b/c we're paying for a player that is rotting in ##### prison....

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


It's official, this franchise is screwed for several more years.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks Mike Vick

have fun sitting in jail.... loser

Vick should WILLINGLY give back the money, after ######## the dogs, the city, the team, the fans, and the NFL

http://life.atlantafalcons.com/forums/Topic3174878-45-1.aspx

 

[Pickz]

They shouldn't have tried to get that money back anyway... He's the reason a lot of people was in the seats and winning. Vick was the Michael Jordan of the Falcons.... Look where they at now lol top 5 draft for years to come.

 

[Nonreg]

who in the right mind would willingly give back 20 million dollars?

 

[meily]

YES!!!!!!!!


He has been through enough!!

Throw the guy a bone....pun intended.

 

[donato]

Good. Screw with their cap-space!!!

 

[LSSpam]

Good. Screw with their cap-space!!!

That was my first thought.

 

[David Robbins]

That was my first thought.

Mine too.

 

[FWtex]

Anyone have information on exactly how this affects the Falcons Cap and what their alternatives are?

If I were them I would seriously consider eating the hit in one year and getting it over with.

 

[Jeff Miller]

A signing bonus is just that a signing bonus. I have no love for Vick, but you don't give someone a signing bonus and then try to take it back if things don't pan out.

I wonder if this will impact Vick ever returning to the game. Since he won't have to come back for money now, i don't see where he'll have the motivation to do it.

 

[SaintAkira]

He may owe his lawyers more than that, so I'm not sure it will be such a windfall for him.

But, like stated above, It'll play hell with ATL's cap space.

 

[dninc]

I was actually pulling for Vick on this one, i hate what he did and he's getting his punishments and going to go on with his life and hopefully coming out a better man with a better attitude but to pile on all that stuff was just ridiculous He still has to await an Arizona Summon, Lost tons of money on a multimillion dollar home that will never sell for how much he paid for it with additions added and he was dragged through the dirt by the Animal Protection with Dolls and other crap, it was funny up until a point then it just got down right as ugly as the things he did with the dogs.

It's not Vick's fault Arthur blank tried to buy a super bowl out of this guy, that money and more belongs to him, every Jersey, Season Ticket for the past 5 years and Other Merchandise that team has lavished on was because of Micheal Vick, Without him Arthur Blank would have still been fighting with the city to build a New stadium or he'll relocate which might spark up again since the city still wont pony up the right amount to get that ugly Ga Dome in tip top shape for at least another 10 years, and they simply refuse to get a new one even with a pretty decent Tax base in a city that holds over 6 million Residents and has 4 Fortune 500 Companies.

- In other words im glad the DIRTY BIRDS ARE ABOUT TO SINK EVEN HARDER! LMAO!!!.

 

[syracuse saint]

This is still a better deal than the Joe Horn contract that they signed!

 

[SuperQuincy]

Anyone have information on exactly how this affects the Falcons Cap and what their alternatives are?

If I were them I would seriously consider eating the hit in one year and getting it over with.

The signing bonus is the lump sum of money the player receives at the begining of his deal. Its almost insurance to them incase an injury, or if they get cut, they still have that moeny that they got in the begining. The signing bonus does count against the cap, but its divided equally over the span of the contract. 5 year deal, 10 mil signing bonus gets spread 2 mil for 5 years. Players get money up front wich makes them happy, and the structure thier early years low in comparison to the end to keep the team under the cap and they are willing to structure so low because they get that huge signing bonus up front.


Well Vick I believe is under contract until 2011. They were trying to recoup 20 mil, for this past year and the next 4 to follow. This season is basicly in the books and the case didn't go through so basicly that 4 mil against thier cap for this season.

Now moving forward Vick is under contract for 4 more years, thats 16 mil. If they cut him tomorrow they are on the hook for all of that cash and it probably isn't possible unless they are minium 10 mil under the cap (20 mil would be the figure, but they can spread it out over 2 years due to a rule change a few years back) that allows you to desiginate one play for june 1st cuts even if he isn't cut June 1st. June 1st is the begining of a new year in the NFL, the 08 season kick off then from a business stand point and if a player is cut then they are allowed to spread the hit over the current and next season.

If Vick is cut tomorrow Half of what he is owed would be owed from this last seasons payroll and the other 10 mil would be on the 08 payroll. SO they would need to be 10 mil under the cap right now to cut him and would lose 10 mil next year but would be hands free of Michael Vick.

Or they wait, they didn;t get the 07 salary back (or any of it) so that gone and after June 1st it will be 4 years 16 mil owed to Vick (instead of 20 mil 5 years) So they could they Cut Vick june 1st and designate him as the june 1st for the next year and pay 8 mil in 2008 and 8 mil in 2009, or just cut him june 1st and eat the whole 16 mil against the 2008 payroll.

Basicly he is owed 16 mil over the next 4 years and the falcons are on the hook for it. they can spread it out and take it 4 mil at a time and keep Vick under contract. Or cut Ties with him tomorrow or somewhere down the road but whenever they do they will be on the hook for that money in the following amounts.

*Cut tomorrow and not designated as a June 1st cut owed 20 mil against the 07 cap (don't think they have, can't do it)

*Cut tomorrow designated as June 1st cut 10 mil against 07 and 10 mil against 08 cap (not sure if they are 10 mil under right now to do this)

*Cut June 1st, 2008 its 16 mil against 08 cap.

*Cut June 1st, 2008 designated as next years June 1st cut its 8 mil against 2008 cap and 8 mil against 2009 cap.

*Cut June 1st 2009 its 12 mil against 2009 cap

*Cut June 1st 2009 and designated as next years june 1st and its 6 mil for 2009 and 6 mil against 2010 cap.

*Cut June 1st 2010 its 8 mil against 2010 cap.

*Cut June 1st 2010 and designated as june 1st cut its 4 mil against 2010, and 4 mil against 2011.

*Keep him on roster and do nothing with him, its 4 mil against the cap for the next 4 years.

By the layout above you can see what teams mean when they say they aren't able to cut someone until a certain year etc (basicly why Sullivan was here so long) It is gonna cost the Falcons BIG TIME to part with Michael Vick anytime before June 1st 2010. Unless he is traded, which isn't likely.