Cutler Might Not Be At April Minicamp, After All

BasX · Mar 25, 2009

It has been widely reported that the Broncos have a mandatory minicamp next month, from April 17 through 19, and that quarterback Jay Cutler will attend.

It could be coach Josh McDaniels’ only shot at getting a face-to-face meeting with Cutler absent the involvement of agent Bus Cook.

But there’s a good chance that McDaniels won’t get that chance.

According to Dave Krieger of the Denver Post, the April minicamp isn’t mandatory. And so Cutler isn’t required to attend. And so count on Cook to advise Cutler not to attend.

Even if the camp were mandatory, there’s no guarantee Cutler would attend. Because Cutler received no signing bonus when inking his rookie deal in 2006, the team would have no basis to pursue the recovery of signing bonus money from him if he ditches a mandatory offseason practice.

Under the 2006 revisions to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, only signing bonus money is suspectible to forfeiture in the event of a default. So if Cutler got no bonus money, the only downside to skipping a mandatory camp would be the daily fine for not being there.

Though it might seem incredible that Cutler didn’t receive a signing bonus, it’s a practice that has become very common in contracts given to first-round picks. As the financial packages given to guys taken at the top of round one continue to grow disproportionately in relation to the rookie salary pool (i.e., the total cash allotment available for all rookies in a given year), teams have been forced to abandon signing bonuses in order to maximize the deals given to first-round picks. (It’s a long and boring explanation, so you’ll just have to trust us on this one.)

So, instead, Cutler’s millions came in the form of roster and/or option bonuses, as well as the big-money incentive based on achieving minimum playing time.

Per Krieger, the Broncos’ mandatory minicamp comes in June. Whether Cutler decides to show up remains to be seen.

The only sure thing in this regard is that, if he opts to stay home, it won’t cost nearly as much as it would if he had gotten a multi-million-dollar signing bonus.
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http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/03/25/cutler-might-not-be-at-april-minicamp-after-all/

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Cutler Might Not Be At April Minicamp, After All

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