Has Kenny Moore Played His Last Game as a Colt?

[rm1369]

Originally Posted by Chaka

I don't really agree with this in a purely technical sense. I assume you're referring to instances where the team wants a player to take a paycut, rather than a renegotiation as a pure salary cap move, right?

I'll say at the outset that none of us have seen the actual contracts, so it's not possible to say with certainty what each side is allowed to do. However, in most cases, a team can ask a player to take a pay cut because the contract has given the team that leverage. If the player is entering into a non-guaranteed year, the team is free to ask for a reduction, and the player is free to decline. However, the player knows that he risks getting cut and receiving nothing, so he'll probably work with the team.

Conversely, the shoe is on the other foot in some contracts, most notably the recent Deshaun Watson contract. That one, I understand, is a fully guaranteed, $230M contract. The team has no leverage whatsoever, so long as Watson lives up to whatever additional terms (morality clauses, etc.) might exist in the contract. Now, the Browns could always ASK him to take less at some point, sure, but he'll just give them the finger. The Browns could not realistically cut him and would save nothing by doing so.

So it comes down to the contract. While lots of people say "I prefer millionaires to billionaires" and thus reflexively side with the players, the truth is that both sides are exceedingly well represented in their contractual negotiations, so it's not like the owners can usually "put one over" on the player (unless the player goes without representation, which some decide to do for unknown reasons).

Players and teams are (almost) always free to ask the other side to make a change. Yes, who has the leverage varies by scenario, but asking is not a violation of any contract I have ever heard of in the NFL. And that was part of my point to those criticizing Moore for not “honoring his contract”. Nothing Moore has done to date has violated his contract. He is skipping voluntary workouts and letting the team know he is unhappy. That is not a violation of his contract.

As far as players taking less to stay with a team it isn’t uncommon. Off the top of my head I can name two players who did it last off-season- Funchess in GB and the Bills center. Did the Bills or GB not honor their contracts by asking those players to renegotiate? Of course not. That’s my point - guys here complaining don’t complain when a team uses their leverage (the threat of a cut) to push players to take less, yet they are quick to criticize a player outplaying his contract for using his leverage (threat of a holdout, which Moore has not even done yet to my knowledge) to push a team to pay more.