Ravens sign Ja'waun James

**pslholder96** · 06-07-2021, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by boller4president

James has been playing the long con on NFL teams for awhile. He played 64 snaps for the Broncos after signing his massive deal.

More free money for him. Jeff tweets make zero sense. He says the cap hit is just 250k (it's impossible to be that low as a veteran) he then says he gets 2.5M if he makes the team.

Sounds like 250K guarnteed but can really decipher what he is trying to say. Regardless he'll be taking a chunk of cap space (even if he doesn't make the team) which will cost us the opportunity to bring other players in.

Tweet makes perfect sense. He gets a $500k signing bonus. If he's still on the team past the 5th day of 2022 league year he's gets an additional $2m bonus. So $2.5m he gets for making the team. His $500k signing bonus is prorated over 2 years hence the $250k cap. His 2022 salary/incentive is far from guaranteed so not sure how you can say he'll be taking a chunk of cap space this year or next.

**MarkS** · 06-07-2021, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by boller4president

James has been playing the long con on NFL teams for awhile. He played 64 snaps for the Broncos after signing his massive deal.

More free money for him. Jeff tweets make zero sense. He says the cap hit is just 250k (it's impossible to be that low as a veteran) he then says he gets 2.5M if he makes the team.

Sounds like 250K guarnteed but can really decipher what he is trying to say. Regardless he'll be taking a chunk of cap space (even if he doesn't make the team) which will cost us the opportunity to bring other players in.

Some additional info: It sounds to me like the team plans to designate him as "Reserved/Non-Football Injury".

When a player is on the Reserve/NFI list, the team does not have to pay the player his base salary.

Also, the team CAN, if they wish, bring a player back from the NFI list, the same way they do for players on the PUP list. At that time, the pro-rated portion of his remaining salary for the rest of the year would count against the cap.

So Jeff Zrbiec's tweet checks out: He'll get his signing bonus of $500K, half of which will count against the cap each year ($250K). If he doesn't return this year, he draws no salary, so no other cap implications. If he does return later in the year (can't return before week #6) , he'll be paid the pro-rated portion of the veteran minimum of about $1Mil, so we'll need to account for that amount, which will be another $400-$700K, depending on when he returns.

The most he could cost us this year is $1M, and that's only if they brought him back immediately when he becomes available after week #6, which is never going to happen anyway.

It's a $500K, non-refundable deposit on a player who could help us next year, if he recovers from his injury.

**jhoff66** · 06-07-2021, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by Rygar64

Is that true? I thought a physical was just your x-rays, range of motion stuff, bloodwork and labs? I know the Ravens have their conditioning test that a player has to pass in order to practice, but I don't know if they are putting guys through the paces on a physical. It's not a tryout.

THIS

A physical is just like any physical you get from the doctors office. The physical is just going to show if there are any other red flags out there besides his leg injury he’s dealing with now.

**Jesse Stovall** · 06-07-2021, 02:01 PM

Originally Posted by boller4president

James has been playing the long con on NFL teams for awhile. He played 64 snaps for the Broncos after signing his massive deal.

More free money for him. Jeff tweets make zero sense. He says the cap hit is just 250k (it's impossible to be that low as a veteran) he then says he gets 2.5M if he makes the team.

Sounds like 250K guarnteed but can really decipher what he is trying to say. Regardless he'll be taking a chunk of cap space (even if he doesn't make the team) which will cost us the opportunity to bring other players in.

More free money??? Taking a chunk of cap space? No one seems to agree with your assessment that this is wasteful spending.

It's like buying a $500k lottery ticket that next year you will have a starting RT for between $3mill-$8mill. That is well below market value. If he doesn't get healthy, you're just out what you paid for the lottery ticket.

What is the worst possible outcome? He comes back next year and gets a major injury during the preseason and we are out $3mill. And that is possible.

Best possible outcome? He recovers in time to play in the playoffs this season while making the league minimum AND is a solid starting RT next season earning $8mill or less. No brainer.

**QtR Nevermore** · 06-07-2021, 02:26 PM

Is Ju'wuan just an alternative spelling of Joanne?

**boller4president** · 06-07-2021, 02:41 PM

Originally Posted by MarkS

Some additional info: It sounds to me like the team plans to designate him as "Reserved/Non-Football Injury".

When a player is on the Reserve/NFI list, the team does not have to pay the player his base salary.

Also, the team CAN, if they wish, bring a player back from the NFI list, the same way they do for players on the PUP list. At that time, the pro-rated portion of his remaining salary for the rest of the year would count against the cap.

So Jeff Zrbiec's tweet checks out: He'll get his signing bonus of $500K, half of which will count against the cap each year ($250K). If he doesn't return this year, he draws no salary, so no other cap implications. If he does return later in the year (can't return before week #6) , he'll be paid the pro-rated portion of the veteran minimum of about $1Mil, so we'll need to account for that amount, which will be another $400-$700K, depending on when he returns.

The most he could cost us this year is $1M, and that's only if they brought him back immediately when he becomes available after week #6, which is never going to happen anyway.

It's a $500K, non-refundable deposit on a player who could help us next year, if he recovers from his injury.

That is what I was missing thanks.

**Ravenswintitle** · 06-07-2021, 02:51 PM

with this move and Edwards signing the team actually created some additional cap space

**Kyle Cactus** · 06-07-2021, 03:01 PM

Originally Posted by MarkS

Some additional info: It sounds to me like the team plans to designate him as "Reserved/Non-Football Injury".

When a player is on the Reserve/NFI list, the team does not have to pay the player his base salary. ...

Thanks for that information. This makes much more sense now.

**BcRaven** · 06-07-2021, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by stevez51

Likely not playing this year.

Originally Posted by Raveninwoodlawn

Don't really understand signing a guy to a non min contract knowing he won't play the upcoming year.

Originally Posted by Mmcclend

Wtf?

Gentlemen, I'm on board. Mac said it best "Wtf?"

A head-scratcher

at best... Bc

**Shas** · 06-07-2021, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by GOTA

I'm with you. How could he even pass a physical at this point?

But it's not really about this year.

The assumption you have to make is if he rehabbed on his own this year and then hit the market next year he'd get a better offer in 2022 than what the Ravens will have him locked up for. (I am hearing that the $9MM max has incentives that are not likely to be reached). So, they are basically advancing him $500MM to rehab this year, with the hope they have a bargain player next year.

I say bargain, but really it's the OPTION of a bargain. Seems to me that EDC is giving the team a lot of options, and we'll just need to be patient to see how it develops. Stanley's health. Villanueva's treadwear. Phillips' development.

I see this as buying a cheap option and seeing how the market plays out. They can get out of the option easily and cheaply if it doesn't work out. ( cap hits of $500,000 in 2021 and $250,000 in 2022 if he even makes the roster). And if he shows he's better than the other options that means he's playing at the level he used to perform at, which would have paid him much more than the max this deal pays.

Seems to make sense to me.

**NjRavensFan** · 06-07-2021, 04:08 PM

Imagine getting upset about this lmao. It’s a no-risk lottery ticket that could pay off big. And for those whining that we should’ve signed a pass rusher instead, we have more cap space than we did this morning.

**Shas** · 06-07-2021, 04:15 PM

Originally Posted by NjRavensFan

for those whining that we should’ve signed a pass rusher instead

Yeah. The two things don't have anything to do with each other. Signing a guy to a futures contract has nothing to do with what they do at EDGE this year. Or Mark Andrews contract. Or Gus Edwards contract.

My assumption is that Houston and Ingram are holding out for a lot more money, with more guaranteed years, than the team wants to spend on these players. I don't think declining the option on James would change that situation.

As you imply, when they signed Gus Edwards to an extension it significantly dropped what would have been the $3.4MM hit on his second round RFA contract. With these two moves they still added $2MM in cap room. So it didn't hamper their ability to sign another player.