2.2 million for B. Johnson?!?!

Someone said Parcells said Bryan Johnson was an outstanding blocker - the best in the NFC or something like that, I can't remember.

We don't need a blocking back in a one back system though it seems to me. Whoever is the back better be able to block, but I don't think we will have a fullback except maybe for special situations.

BJ seems like a great fit in this offense, possibly in the H-back role. Whether he's worth what the Saints are offering is another story though.

It's too bad this offer wasn't made a few days later so the coaching staff could at least have mini-camp to observe Johnson and the other backs and get a better determination of how valuable he could be to the team

I think the Redskins will figure out a way to match. I think they want to avoid setting any precedent that implies if BJ was a free agent from another team they'd undoubtedly pay the money but they don't take care of their own. Then again, 2.2 million sure seems like a lot for him

It's too bad this offer wasn't made a few days later so the coaching staff could at least have mini-camp to observe Johnson and the other backs and get a better determination of how valuable he could be to the team

I think the Redskins will figure out a way to match. I think they want to avoid setting any precedent that implies if BJ was a free agent from another team they'd undoubtedly pay the money but they don't take care of their own. Then again, 2.2 million sure seems like a lot for him

nonesense, we are talking about an also ran fullback who was bucking to lose his job to rock last year, this is not a player that is significant to this team, I really have to wonder what BJ has done for the skin's to make him so inexpendable? I would like to know 1 defining moment he has had with us, and I don't want to here about 2.2 mil. for a special teamer, the guy isn't renay thompson here. I can't blame a guy who hasen't made that much money in his carreer and probabaly won't other than a dumb contract like the saint's offered for signing the offer sheet, there is no way he would see that kind of money from us. Blocking? that's what gibb's uses TE's for, I don't see were the value for BJ is on our team, good luck and thank's for the memories, not that I can remember any.

Hear, hear! For someone who has tried just to crack and stay in the league, this is a big payday. Well done and good luck!

That's a hell of an expensive BJ! ;) (Sorry couldn't resist.)

Seriously though, he won't be badly missed. If Gibbs is running his old offensive style virtually unchanged, Johnson would have been an expensive luxury.

One thing though - according to the write up I saw the contract is heavily laden with almost unobtainable incentives. The 2.2M amount qouted is the cap hit IF all his bonuses are paid. He's unlikely to get anywhere near that, so the Saints will get a cap rebate based on what he actually earns. The big problem in reality is his $800,000 roster bonus - it's not a signing bonus so hits the cap in full this year. We can't afford that for what we get out of him.

That's a hell of an expensive BJ! ;) (Sorry couldn't resist.)

Seriously though, he won't be badly missed. If Gibbs is running his old offensive style virtually unchanged, Johnson would have been an expensive luxury.

One thing though - according to the write up I saw the contract is heavily laden with almost unobtainable incentives. The 2.2M amount qouted is the cap hit IF all his bonuses are paid. He's unlikely to get anywhere near that, so the Saints will get a cap rebate based on what he actually earns. The big problem in reality is his $800,000 roster bonus - it's not a signing bonus so hits the cap in full this year. We can't afford that for what we get out of him.
The $2.2 million cap hit sticks in 2004, so it actually is a real number and it does have to be accounted for on this year's cap. It's due to the fact that the unobtainable incentives you speak of are actually included as "likely to be earned" incentives-- which doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but it's one of the latest toys teams have started playing with to improve their future cap numbers. The Vikings did this to great success last year, and got a huge total rebate on this year's cap. It basically gives you extra cap room in future years. So the Saints would have a little more money to play with in 2005.

By including the $800,000 roster bonus up front-- rather than a prorated signing bonus--the Saints are using their 2004 cap room (around $11 million) as leverage against the Skins (around $4 million), essentially betting that the Skins can't afford to take such a large up-front hit for an unessential player. It actually makes a lot of sense-- if you have extra money in the current cap year to play with, why not use it to your advantage, while improving your outlook in future years?

Correct JC - I misquoted in my post - the rebate applies next year, but my point was it wasn't what he will really earn. As you say it's a kind of loophole they are exploiting to discourage the Skins.

Get the feeling this is the kind of thing someone will pull with McCants too.

Cecil Martin who was a hell of a blocking FB could be picked up for real cheap

I don't know what the big deal about a fullback is in gibb's offense, can someone give me the name of the blocking fullback gibb's used his last tenure?