As Expected, Two Years Of Guarantees For Martin
March 11th, 2016
So details emerged on Doug Martin’s contract. The real stuff, not the fluffy five-year contract totals.
Per Aaron Wilson of NationalFootballPost.com, Martin is guaranteed $8 million this season, plus $7 million in 2017. And that’s it.
There also are performance incentive monies available through those first two years for Martin, the amount of which is unclear. After 2017, the Bucs can cut ties with no loose ends if they don’t want to keep paying Martin big Bucs in 2018.
Joe is rooting for Martin without question. But Joe doesn’t want to hear one fan cry this time next year if Martin has a so-so season and the Bucs appear stuck with him for 2017. Tampa Bay could have franchised Martin for $11.75 million and minimized its risk.
Instead, the Bucs chose to invest more/gamble on Martin. Let’s hope it pays off.
March 11th, 2016 at 8:06 am
Amen. This is the only detail I was worried about. Licht got this right. Now the Bucs can cut his salary when production slows and they need the $ for Jameis new deal.
March 11th, 2016 at 8:06 am
15 mil for 2 years is better than 11 for one. 2 years is still low risk. That money isnt going anywhere else anyways lol
March 11th, 2016 at 8:10 am
Any visits lined up, or are we “showing interest” in any players right now? Reported interest from the bucs not players we the fans are interested in.
March 11th, 2016 at 8:16 am
We needed to wait for the official numbers? Since the rock star days the bucs have been guaranteeing the first two years for the most part. Thats why our cap has been in the shape it has been. You can move on from bad contracts after two years with very minimal or no dead money. I assumed it was 7.5 mil for the first two years. Way to catch up with the bucs’ 8 year trend joe.
March 11th, 2016 at 8:21 am
Get over the franchise tag we got him for an extra year for only 3.25 million for that extra year by this contract. That is an easy gamble in my eyes.
March 11th, 2016 at 8:29 am
Joe….you only present one side of the argument…..that if Martin doesn’t perform we could have had him for only 11.75 instead of 15……
What if he does perform……then, instead of facing the need to franchise him again and the likelihood of 13 mil…..we get him for only 3.25 mil.
My money is on Martin doing well.
March 11th, 2016 at 8:34 am
I sense they’ll still likely be drafting a back next months.
March 11th, 2016 at 8:54 am
Joe I’m a little saddened this morning,I had to bid a farewell good by to the only individual in the world of entertainment that I held at slightly higher regard for than Jamies WINSton. The Dos XX man jettisoned off the planet in a rocketship last night. I vote for Clooney to replace him.
March 11th, 2016 at 9:22 am
“15 mil for 2 years is better than 11.25 for one. 2 years is still low risk.” Agreed.
This is a fair deal for both sides. The in essence the Bucs have 3 option years at a reasonable number, and can still negotiate down if appropriate.
I don’t understand all the brain damage (by Joe and many comments) leading up to signing. All the signs pointed to his return. It’s just how negotiations go (see Stamkos)
And if you want to talk about RISK, signing a defensive end to $50 million guaranteed, someone that was let go by his previous team…..that is SERIOUS risk.
March 11th, 2016 at 9:38 am
it was a good deal all the way around. win win for everyone yet also safe for the future if things don’t work out.
March 11th, 2016 at 9:40 am
Well, at least it’s something.
Now they need to do a few more things before they get my money this season.
I like Joe’s line of “salary cap space never won a game.” And as long as the Glazers try to disprove that line, I’m not spending a dime.
It’s like going to Bern’s, paying that price and then being served Burger King quality food. Screw that.
March 11th, 2016 at 9:41 am
Ummm.. The Bucs have been doing these types of contracts for years. This is not an innovation of Jason Licht. All the FA signings that are multi year deals are either 2 or 3 year deals. Been that way for a long time…
March 11th, 2016 at 10:10 am
Joe still trying to justify all the foolish calls for franchise tagging Doug Martin? SMH
Give it up man – anyone with 1/2 a brain can see that a 2 year deal for $15M is better than a 1 year deal for $12M. DUH
March 11th, 2016 at 10:14 am
“Instead, the Bucs chose to invest more/gamble on Martin. Let’s hope it pays off.”
Passive aggressive negativity there Joe, are you guys letting JBF fellow poster Mike Johnson write for you now? 🙂
It’ll be fine…this will more than likely be a far better deal for the Bucs than the franchise tag. You’ve got a top 10 arguably top 5 RB locked up in a reasonable contract for the remainder of his prime years…WIN!
March 11th, 2016 at 10:52 am
And if we had not signed The Dougernaut, the spin would have been the Bucs don’t sign their own free agents. I prefer this conversation to that one.
Plus, we have enough problems recruiting players. We don’t need to tag people to make other players think the Bucs do not take care of their own and that we hold them hostage with the tag. The players typically do not like the tag. The Bucs front office reputation needs to improve in that regards. I remember when Dungy was in his second and third year, players were lining up to come here. We have not had that environment since. Gruden would not even speak to a player once they were cut (including Brooks)….hence all the negative comments that inevitably got him fired. I hope player friendly signings are a step in the right direction.
And as a club seat season ticket holder, if this move had not happened, I would not have renewed my seats. I am sure I was not alone. Spend the money on our players. Don’t spend it on mid level free agents.
March 11th, 2016 at 11:22 am
To all the uneducated like joe in this instance, Rick stroud tweeted that the bucs have spent the 4th most money of any team in free agency since 2012. Our record during that time is 19-45. Yea, spending boatloads of money on unproven talent ie micael johnson, collins and vernon this year is not a recipe for success nor is it a guaranteed upgrade. Im cool with signing FAs, but it has to be the right one at the right price. Signing deshaun goldson when you already hava a safety who could hit but was horrible against the pass was just idiotic.
March 11th, 2016 at 12:46 pm
LOL Joe, yes the Bucs could have “minimized the risk” of having to pay 15 million for two years by paying nearly 12 million for one year.
Doug would have to be truly awful in 2016 to not merit the 3.25 million different in guaranteed money he would have received if GM Joe foolishly gave him a franchise deal.
And to Joe’s inane point about it being “the Glazers money” and irrelevant how much we overpay a RB: Unused cap space can be rolled over from one year to the next. So GM Joe’s plan of handing out big money like free candy just because we have the cap space this year would affect future years because we couldn’t roll the unused portion over.
March 11th, 2016 at 2:02 pm
So for 3.25mil more, you have him on your team for 2 years guaranteed, and much longer if he’s still playing at a high level, and you want him.
Just don’t understand why you keep pounding this point joe? 3.25 for a second year makes wayyyyyyyyy more sense.