Buccaneers have NFL-high $30 million in cash on injured reserve list

[michael89156]

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Buccaneers have NFL-high $30 million in cash on injured reserve list


By Brian McIntyre | Shutdown Corner – 9 hours ago.. .

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Carl Nicks was a big free agent asset for the Bucs. (Getty Images)
 




The NFL is a league of attrition and no team is feeling the financial brunt of that fact quite like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who currently have a league-high $30.1 million of their 2012 cash payroll on injured reserve, according to league-wide salary data maintained by Shutdown Corner.
 
No other team in the NFL has more than $18 million of their 2012 cash payroll (defined as base salaries, signing/option bonuses, roster bonuses, workout bonuses and likely to be earned incentives) tied up on players currently on injured reserve and the $22 million that the Buccaneers' expected starting guard tandem of Carl Nicks and Davin Joseph is earning is nearly $5 million more than the second-place team in this category.
 
In addition to bad luck, the Buccaneers' lead in "Cash on IR" is due, in part, to their shift to a "pay as you go" approach to player contracts. Instead of handing out large signing bonuses, the Buccaneers are guaranteeing large amounts of current and future base salaries when signing or retaining free agents. For example, in the opening days of free agency in 2012, the Buccaneers went out and signed Nicks, wide receiver Vincent Jackson and cornerback Eric Wright to contracts totaling $140.5 million, with $72 million in guarantees, and did so without using a single signing bonus. Of the $33.25 million in first-year cash those three free agents will receive from the Buccaneers, $24.75 million (nearly 75 percent) is being paid in the form of fully guaranteed base salaries this season, while $8 million was paid out of "fifth day of the league year" roster bonuses to Jackson ($2 million) and Nicks ($6 million). (Wright received a $500,000 workout bonus)
 
The Buccaneers crossed the $30 million threshold when they placed linebacker Quincy Black ($5.75 million in cash in 2012) on injured reserve.
 
The second-highest amount on "Cash on IR" belongs to the New York Jets, who have $17.3 million in cash on injured reserve, mostly tied up in cornerback Darrelle Revis ($7.5 million) and wide receiver Santonio Holmes ($8 million). The Atlanta Falcons ($14.8 million), Cincinnati Bengals ($14.5 million) and Baltimore Ravens ($13.7 million) round out the Top 5, though the Bengals deserve an asterisk as $2.7 million of their total is attributed to center Kyle Cook, who is on injured reserve, but with a "Designated for Return" label.
 
While they're in the middle of the pack in terms of "Cash on IR," the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles would be just outside of the Top 5 if we included players on other reserve lists, such as "Non-Football Injury" or "Physically Unable to Perform." Left tackle Jason Peters will earn $4 million while on the Eagles' "Non-Football Injury" list this season. Jaguars linebacker Clint Session, who is on the physically unable to perform list due to a concussion, received a $2 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the 2012 league year and is earning a $1.9 million base salary this season.
 


The five teams who currently have the least amount of cash stuck on injured reserve are the Seattle Seahawks ($3.155 million), San Francisco 49ers ($2.554 million), Minnesota Vikings ($1.789 million), Chicago Bears ($1.137 million) and San Diego Chargers ($1.005 million), who have just two players — wide receivers Vincent Brown and Richard Goodman — on injured reserve after releasing kicker Nate Kaeding ($2 million in cash compensation this season) from the IR list last month. San Diego's number also increases when you factor in that the team's third-largest cash earner this season, left tackle Jared Gaither ($9 million, fully guaranteed), has missed five of nine games and could miss Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos. Gaither has played in just 41.25 percent of the Chargers' snaps, nearly 20 percent less than his replacement Mike Harris, who received $3,500 guaranteed as an undrafted rookie out of UCLA.

[JavaRay]

Black is the big loss here.

[chace1986]

Hopefully he is a "big loss" to FA next year.

[Freddy]

Hopefully he is a "big loss" to FA next year.

lol  +1

[JavaRay]

Black signed a 5 year deal.   He's not a free agent next year.

[chace1986]

As of 12/31/12, all guaranteed money would have been paid. It's essentially like handing Dom-iano a cleaver to "trim the fat"

[tripblood]

As of 12/31/12, all guaranteed money would have been paid. It's essentially like handing Dom-iano a cleaver to "trim the fat"

HA. Trimming the fat. Have you seen Horrible Bosses?

[chace1986]

Sure have. Love him in that movie.

[Legend]

Dunno why people are hating on Black now, he actually was playing much better as the year went on. He was also having the best game of his career vs the Chargers.

[chace1986]

While he was playing better, we could insert a player who could match his production, at about a tenth of the cost.

Next year we will be a little more cap strapped than usual, and it doesn't fiscally make sense that your 3rd highest paid defender only sees the field 47% of the time.

[BaghdadJoe54]

Do you think we add Eric Wright to the list this week?

[chace1986]

Do you think we add Eric Wright to the list this week?

Probably so.

I feel kind of bad. I rather coldheartedly let out a "sweet, wright is injured" when he was hobbling. The fellow Buc fan I was watching the game with was like.."wtf?". I was like, oops...I'm not glad he is hurt, just that he will now be off the field. I honestly hope he is OK. I don't feel that it is a coincidence though, that the pass D gets better when he is off the field.

[The Anti-Java]

Stephen Holder‏@HolderStephen

 Keep an eye on #Bucs CB Eric Wright. That Achilles isnt getting better. Couldn't finish today. Told me "We'll have to make a decision."

[BaghdadJoe54]

Do you think we add Eric Wright to the list this week?

Probably so.

I feel kind of bad. I rather coldheartedly let out a "sweet, wright is injured" when he was hobbling. The fellow Buc fan I was watching the game with was like.."wtf?". I was like, oops...I'm not glad he is hurt, just that he will now be off the field. I honestly hope he is OK. I don't feel that it is a coincidence though, that the pass D gets better when he is off the field.

I hope we go ahead and put him on IR as he clearly needs to heal.  The half game efforts show strong desire, but don't do either party any good.

I also would like to get a bigger peak at Q Lewis and Danny G.  I would assume Myron Lewis would see the field, but not sure how I feel about that...