Bears sign Manning to offer sheet

[Walter34 3]

Panthers | Chicago signs Manning Jr. to an offer sheet

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 14:42:25 -0700

 

Pat Yasinskas, of the Charlotte Observer, reports the Chicago Bears have signed Carolina Panthers restricted free agent CB Ricky Manning Jr. to an offer sheet. The Panthers will have seven days to match the deal or they will receive a third-round draft choice from the Bears in this year's NFL Draft.

 

 

Bears | R. Manning offer sheet update

Fri, 21 Apr 2006 14:36:45 -0700

 

ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports the offer sheet CB Ricky Manning Jr. (Panthers) signed with the Chicago Bears is a five-year deal that can be worth as much as $21 million. He would receive about $7.5 million over the next year.

 

This likely pushes CB out as the top priority in the early rounds. TE and LB or Wr are the likely first two picks.

[DrJ 0]

Not only do they have to give up a 3rd rounder, but they overpaid by a ton.

 

Terrible, terrible move here.

 

 

You also forgot Safety - Chris Harris has to get out of this lineup.

[Walter34 3]

Not only do they have to give up a 3rd rounder, but they overpaid by a ton.

 

Terrible, terrible move here.

 

 

You also forgot Safety - Chris Harris has to get out of this lineup.

 

They may have. It depends on how the whole deal is structured. They may be frontloading the entire bonus this year to stop the Panthers from matching. I dont think they needed to go this far with it though. Manning is still young and is proven, but Car gave up on him for a reason. Its good to have the depth at CB - that was the primary need. It seems a pretty steep price however.

[Walter34 3]

... offer to include escalators that would significantly increase his pay if he ends up winning a starting job.

 

Looks like a good part of the deal is based on performance and starting, so it may not be 21 mill unless he performs up to it.

[t.j 35]

I like this move by the Bears. I think he's worth what they're paying for him. And a 3rd rounder isn't a lot to pay for a good young corner with plenty of experience. The Bears could have tried to draft a corner in say, the 2nd round. Would have been much cheaper, but I wouldn't like their chances of getting as good of a player there. (Would be much riskier from a contribution standpoint.) So I think it was a good way to get more talent out of their pick. Obviously you can't do this all the time... you need to draft good young players to stay ahead of the cap game... but there's room for a few moves like this here and there.

 

What I really like about this is how Chicago waited until Carolina used up some of their cap room... they stand a good chance to get him without paying him over market value.

[Zap 0]

Not only do they have to give up a 3rd rounder, but they overpaid by a ton.

 

Terrible, terrible move here.

 

 

You also forgot Safety - Chris Harris has to get out of this lineup.

 

It's no secret they want to move Tillman to FS, where he may be one of the best in the league.

[t.j 35]

Looks like a good part of the deal is based on performance and starting, so it may not be 21 mill unless he performs up to it.

 

[Raider 84 29]

[swamp dog 0]

if i'm a bear fan i'm praying carolina matches...which would be stupid at those numbers

 

 

bad time to do that in one of the deepest corner drafts in history. manning is nothing more than nickel/depth cb.

[DrJ 0]

It's no secret they want to move Tillman to FS, where he may be one of the best in the league.

 

If they do that, Manning will get the $21 million and that really sucks.

 

It would have been way cheaper to draft a safety - a 2nd round guy like Bullocks or Bing would have been an upgrade over Harris in the short term with a whole lot more upside long term.

 

If they got really lucky and scored Whitner in the 1st

 

If this is indeed the plan, we'll have a nickel CB like swamp says, and be paying him starting money. Not to mention the 3rd we had to give up here. Just to get a safety? Blah... Might as well have paid Archuletta a bazillion dollars.

[t.j 35]

if i'm a bear fan i'm praying carolina matches...which would be stupid at those numbers

 

You really think so? Let's break the numbers down:

 

ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports the offer sheet CB Ricky Manning Jr. (Panthers) signed with the Chicago Bears is a five-year deal that can be worth as much as $21 million. He would receive about $7.5 million over the next year.

 

Here's how it probably breaks down in terms of what he gets paid, something like this:

Signing Bonus: $7M

2006: $0.5M

2007: $1M

2008: $1.5M

2009: $2.5M

2010: $3.5M

Incentives here and there: $5M

 

If so, here's how it would break down for the cap:

2006: $1.9M + possible incentives

2007: $2.4M + possible incentives

2008: $2.9M + possible incentives

2009: $3.9M + possible incentives

2010: $4.9M + possible incentives

 

Accelerated cap hit to cut would be $4.2M in 2008 or $2.8M in 2009.

 

Keep in mind, the average salary of a player on the 55-man roster is $1.8M. And corners get paid pretty well in the scheme of things. If that's the contract, and I bet it's pretty close to that, these numbers are a very reasonable amount to pay a guy if you believe he's at least a good nickel back and perhaps a capable starting CB.

 

 

It would have been way cheaper to draft a safety - a 2nd round guy like Bullocks or Bing would have been an upgrade over Harris in the short term with a whole lot more upside long term.

I seriously doubt Bing or Bullocks will make it to pick 57.

 

If they got really lucky and scored Whitner in the 1st

Also unlikely.

[DrJ 0]

You really think so? Let's break the numbers down:

Here's how it probably breaks down in terms of what he gets paid, something like this:

Signing Bonus: $7M

2006: $0.5M

2007: $1M

2008: $1.5M

2009: $2.5M

2010: $3.5M

Incentives here and there: $5M

 

If so, here's how it would break down for the cap:

2006: $1.9M + possible incentives

2007: $2.4M + possible incentives

2008: $2.9M + possible incentives

2009: $3.9M + possible incentives

2010: $4.9M + possible incentives

 

Accelerated cap hit to cut would be $4.2M in 2008 or $2.8M in 2009.

 

Keep in mind, the average salary of a player on the 55-man roster is $1.8M. If that's the contract, and I bet it's pretty close to that, these numbers are a very reasonable amount to pay a guy if you believe he's at least a good nickel back and likely a capable starting CB.

 

You have to wonder if that's a signing bonus or a roster bonus. The Bears could actually afford to give him the 7 million straight, which would make it most difficult for Carolina to match.

[t.j 35]

You have to wonder if that's a signing bonus or a roster bonus.

 

True.

[Walter34 3]

You have to wonder if that's a signing bonus or a roster bonus. The Bears could actually afford to give him the 7 million straight, which would make it most difficult for Carolina to match.

 

Its probably a roster bonus or part of both. They frontloaded Taits cap hit so the chiefs couldnt match. This is likely a similar strategy, but not on the same scale of course. I'd bet that year 1 is the highest cap hit in the contract.

 

Moving Tillman to safety doesnt solve the problem. We would still lack corner depth. I agree we need a safety, but I thought Harris did a pretty good job overall. He was slow coming across on a few key deep balls, but was a hard hitter, decent overall and good in run support.

[Yo Son!!! 0]

Assuming Carolina doesn't match...

 

 

26. Chicago Bears - TE Leonard Pope - Georgia?

 

 

...if not who do they take at 26? Trade down and take M.Lewis possibly getting that 3rd rounder back (as I think someone on this board suggested)?

[CurleyQ 0]

I really was not in favor of the Manning signing either. I am sure they structured it to be okay money-wise, but I might have kept the pick and used the 1st rounder on a CB.

 

I think who they take is really up in the air now. Personally, I feel they can wait until the 2nd round to take a TE. I would be happy with Fasano or maybe even the big kid from Colorrado (Joe Klop...), although he might be more of a 3rd or 4th rounder.

 

With the Briggs situation not settled, maybe they take a LB (Howard?).

 

There is a chance a WR could slip to them like Chad Jackson. I have seen that in a couple of expert mocks. I think anything could happen in this draft depending what happens with the RBs. If Jackson fell to them I guess I would take him. I know the WRs are weaker this year, but his speed and height would be interesting on this team.

[Walter34 3]

It really becomes a best player available scenario now. Several minor needs, but nothing glaring. There is no need to reach for a position if the right player doesnt fall.

 

TE, WR, LB, S, OL would all be acceptable.

 

They can wait for their pick and take someone they like or they could decide then to trade down for a 2nd and 3rd.

[jdswan922 0]

Would this really eliminate any possility of drafting a CB? Especially if it is true that they want to move Tillman to safety. I don't see Manning as more than a nickleback, and I hope the Bears do not either. I think they could still draft a CB early if the value is there.

 

I do not like this signing. Maybe if the price was right . I could have dealt with giving up the 3rd rounder, though I think that was a little steep. But at $21M, I cannot say that is a good price.