[txramsfan]

The only way players get guaranteed money is bonus money. It's spread out evenly against the terms of the contract.

That's why I never really look at the money involved in a contract. Let's say that someone signs a contract for 8 years for 80 million. What will happen is that he may make 5 million in year one, 8 million in year 2, then the last year may be for 20 million. Everyone knows when that contract is signed there will be no way that player plays that last year. Both sides know that. So, they give the player a nice bonus that is either paid up front or in intervals, but they take the same cap dollar associated with that bonus every year of the contract. The only real relevant cap dollars for the future is the guaranteed bonus.

That's what has been called "dead money". We had it with Warner when he went to NY and with Turley.