Marshawn Lynch Cap question???

So at present the team has placed Lynch on the 'reserved retired' list. He presently costs the team his prorated remaining bonus of $5 mil for the next season. The team seems to be willing to take that cap hit of $5 mil for this season instead of splitting it over 2 seasons, reducing but prolonging the cap impact. He is still technically under contract and technically he could be required to pay back the prorated bonus as he hasn't finished his contract. It appears the team won't pursue that bonus money, but that could change.

I'm not a cap expert but would appreciate understanding where the team would be at if Lynch decided he actually wasn't retiring. Could someone who is cap knowledgeable please inform us what the cap consequences would be to the team if Lynch forced the team to deal with him? Could he force a trade?

I would presume that if Lynch wasn't retiring, his cap implications would revert back to the terms of his contract.

If he is available and shows up to the team facility for training camp he has a 9 million dollar base salary (Not Guaranteed). and 2.5 million of his signing bonus to account for making his cap number 11.5 million dollars.

If Marshawn were to show up at TC, the Hawks would likely cut him... and (I believe) they would have to spread his $5M dead money hit over this year and next year at $2.5M/year... because he would e a post-June 1st cut.

June 1st is kinda the mason dixon line of decision for the Hawks.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... ague-year/

If Lynch refuses to retire before June 1st, then the balls in the Hawks court on whether they want to cut him and pro-rate his salary 2.5M per year, etc...............or keep him on the roster and carry his entire 11.5M salary in 2016.

Which ain't happening. It'd be kinda crappy for Lynch to force the Hawks hand like this to cut him so he can be a free agent, after how accommodating we've been with his practice schedule and re-working his contract twice to give him more money.

Sgt. Largent":1b1pf0ib said:

June 1st is kinda the mason dixon line of decision for the Hawks.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... ague-year/

If Lynch refuses to retire before June 1st, then the balls in the Hawks court on whether they want to cut him and pro-rate his salary 2.5M per year, etc...............or keep him on the roster and carry his entire 11.5M salary in 2016.

Which ain't happening. It'd be kinda crappy for Lynch to force the Hawks hand like this to cut him so he can be a free agent, after how accommodating we've been with his practice schedule and re-working his contract twice to give him more money.

Click to expand...

He's been placed on the reserve/retired list by the Seahawks. The ball is actually in Lynch's court to challenge his designation. His 5 million in dead money is on the books right now.

Sgt. Largent":bm1tcqfp said:

Which ain't happening. It'd be kinda crappy for Lynch to force the Hawks hand like this to cut him so he can be a free agent, after how accommodating we've been with his practice schedule and re-working his contract twice to give him more money.

Click to expand...

So I'm guessing that is what Lynch will do then.

Sgt. Largent":t6ot7w47 said:

June 1st is kinda the mason dixon line of decision for the Hawks.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... ague-year/

If Lynch refuses to retire before June 1st, then the balls in the Hawks court on whether they want to cut him and pro-rate his salary 2.5M per year, etc...............or keep him on the roster and carry his entire 11.5M salary in 2016.

Which ain't happening. It'd be kinda crappy for Lynch to force the Hawks hand like this to cut him so he can be a free agent, after how accommodating we've been with his practice schedule and re-working his contract twice to give him more money.

Click to expand...

Agreed. Would be lame on Lynch's part although he seems to get a pass from teammates and fans. I say this as a huge Lynch fan, really hope he doesn't go that route.

:17:

Basis4day":1o38c1ir said:

Sgt. Largent":1o38c1ir said:

June 1st is kinda the mason dixon line of decision for the Hawks.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/20 ... ague-year/

If Lynch refuses to retire before June 1st, then the balls in the Hawks court on whether they want to cut him and pro-rate his salary 2.5M per year, etc...............or keep him on the roster and carry his entire 11.5M salary in 2016.

Which ain't happening. It'd be kinda crappy for Lynch to force the Hawks hand like this to cut him so he can be a free agent, after how accommodating we've been with his practice schedule and re-working his contract twice to give him more money.

Click to expand...

He's been placed on the reserve/retired list by the Seahawks. The ball is actually in Lynch's court to challenge his designation. His 5 million in dead money is on the books right now.

Click to expand...

^^^^^^
This


Basis is spot on here. We already took the $5 million cap hit and designated him as retired. He can choose to come out of retirement at any time, but as of now, with the designation, his contract is frozen. If he comes back, he's under contract to us and we can either play him, trade him or cut him, but the NFL would reconfigure that cap hit back to the contract if he were to show up. I see this as an extremely unlikely scenario.

I think they mostly come in black... check his website.

Nah. mine is gray with a blue bill.
Damn thing only adjusts to fit little coconut heads though.

The cap implications are the same whether he retires or the Seahawks trade or release him. $5 million.

I don't imagine there's any plan in place to keep him on the roster if he decides to unretire.

IMO, his management is leaving open the possibility of his return just in case the team decides to arbitrate his signing bonus. If that highly unlikely event occured, he could "unretire" to force the Seahawks to eat the totality of his signing bonus. It's also probably a good PR move to keep his name relevant while he continues to grow his new businesses in Oakland.

Thanks hawknation!

I was wondering the rationale behind the delay in Lynch announcing or filing his papers and your post gives the answer even though the team has told his agent they won't arbitrate to recover the unearned SB $. Of course that doesn't account for a change of mind and a further desire to get pounded on for another season. Seems to me getting paid $5 mil. for watching isn't a bad gig.

If he did play and if the team did keep him, they'd need to restructure his deal to fit under the cap. Thanks for the above answers. That leads me to believe he'd be gone and either cut or traded. So this whole discussion may be simply a matter of understanding why he hasn't filed.

Does the team still keep his rights after his contract expires? I'm uncertain as to the rules as far as reserve retired players.

jammerhawk":2c72d9l1 said:

Does the team still keep his rights after his contract expires? I'm uncertain as to the rules as far as reserve retired players.

Click to expand...

He had two years left on his contract and would have been a FA after 2017 had he played out his contract. My understanding is that if he chose to report the Seahawks would retain his rights for 2 years. In other words, Lynch won't be a FA if he hypothetically waited till 2018 to play again.

His contract has been suspended and the Hawks continue to own his rights for two seasons should he ever change his mind.