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AlbaNY_Ram
I don't think this is true: "The team trading for Gurley needs to eat the yearly salary plus the non-amortized portion of the bonus (8.4 per year). Same result for either team regardless if he is kept or traded."
As far as I know if the Rams trade Gurley all non-amortized bonus money goes against the Rams cap when the trade happens. His new team wouldn't have to account for his signing bonus at all.
That's correct. A trade does not put the signing bonus on the acquring team. That stays with the original team that traded the player.
I know you know this Albany, just laying it out. Once the Rams made a signing bonus part of the contract, that money is paid immediately--the total amount of the bonus. But for cap purposes the Rams count it each year in divided portions. So to just be basic about it for the sake of clarity, for example if the signing bonus is 20 M on a 4 year contract then it counts 5 M a year against the cap...but the player already got that money in year one.
So when they trade him, since he already GOT that money, the entire bonus is due against the cap.
If you do it any other way, then the acquiring team would be liable against the cap for money it never paid the player.
When traded, because the Rams already paid that bonus to the player, the rest of the bonus is immediately due against the cap.
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