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Falcons | Sticking with Sam Baker
Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:28:37 -0700

The Atlanta Falcons re-signed free-agent OT Sam Baker Tuesday, March 12. Terms of the deal are undisclosed.

Comment | Source: FOXSports.com - Alex Marvez

Read more: http://www.kffl.com/hotw/nfl#ixzz2NNqDSiSm

Falcons | Sam Baker gets six-year deal
Tue, 12 Mar 2013 19:39:13 -0700

Updating a previous report, the Atlanta Falcons re-signed OT Sam Baker to a six-year contract Tuesday, March 12. Financial terms of the deal were undisclosed.

Comment | Source: CBSSports.com - Jason La Canfora

Read more: http://www.kffl.com/hotw/nfl#ixzz2NNrkoE5j

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcsouth/post/_/id/46000/breaking-down-sam-bakers-deal

Just raw numbers, it's $6.85M/year. If I'm reading the breakdown right, it's $14.25M for the first two years, guaranteed. Not sure how I feel about it, seems a bit like TD overpaid.

No one sees the last year--and often not the last 2--of a 6-year deal. The numbers have to be to set up sign Ryan, who really should have to consider what Flacco's contract is doing to the Ravens. I gotta think trading Boldin had a bit of "F-U" from Ozzie to Joe. Yeah, he had to, but Flacco really could have lived w/ less. Here's to the cap increasing.

I don't know how reliable walter is with facts, but he seems pretty good.

If this is what it is, this is a darn good deal for a starting LT.

Those numbers are misleading. Look, Baker got a $10 million signing bonus. Because of the way contracts are treated by the cap, you always count the signing bonus. Because it ALWAYS gets paid in full. Because even if you cut him before the contract ends, the remainder of that bonus accelerates as dead money.

So Baker got a $10 million signing bonus.

His first year base is $1 million. $3.25 million base in 2014, and $4.25 million. So that it's really 3 yrs, $18.5 million.

Now but there is also a $4 million option bonus. Typically the Falcons structure their contracts so the option bonus hits in Year 2, as essentially the "falling off the log" bonus because that's all you really have to do to earn it. Because you basically have to be atrocious to not get it.

Now more than likely that $4 million is prorated cap-wise over the final 5 years, but again like a signing bonus, once it's paid, you don't get that money back.

So then it's really a 3-yr. $22.5 million deal.

Baker is set to count $8.05 million against the cap in 2016 (Year 4 of the deal). Now if he was cut at that point, it would only garner $1.65 million in savings (as $6.4 million of the combined signing bonus and option bonus are left). Now, Baker would need to be a Pro Bowler (unlikely) to merit that high a cap charge, but given the relatively meager savings (basically enough to sign 3 undrafted free agents at that point), it probably means the Falcons opt to restructure rather than cut him outright.

Now how that restructuring works, so it's hard to calculate, but maybe they reduce his base salary and turn the difference into signing bonus, which the simplest restructure there. Essentially that means that while his cap hit is lowered, he's still making the same amount. So then maybe it's still a 4-yr. $27.75 million deal.

But regardless of the exact figure, I think the beef many (including myself) is that it's essentially a 3 (and likely 4) year commitment to Baker, which given his past is probably too long. I think you rather make a 2-yr. commitment and then reassess, which really with this team that doesn't happen until after Year 3 at the earliest, but it's structured that it's going to be hard to get out of until Year 5.

My question on this deal is who were the Falcons bidding against. Were other teams interested in him or was this like his neighbor Blalock?