But honestly, what is his talent ?
I would say in his rookie year, he was no better than the 4th most valuable player among just the skilled offensive players on the Saints team. And his soph year was disappointing to say the least and established one thing that was not a positive - Bush is not a primary running back in this league.
I think his single biggest value to his team is his celebrity, which sells tickets & jerseys to Saints fans. And that's definitely worth something.
True that..... I never saw him as a top 5 pick in the draft.
But with the money they are paying him, they obviously believe he can be a tremendous playmaker in this league. I don't believe this contract makes it any easier to cut him, not even in 2010. Either way, it's going to cost the Saints a lot of money, real & dead money to get rid of him after 2010. They will most likely cut him after the 2010 season, because his salary gets crazy in 2011, but he's just as likely to renegotiate.
If the Saints were to cut him today, they would take a hit that would include the remainder of his original Bonus. He's been in the league for 2 years, the contract was for 6, we're talking about 4 years. If his bonus was $18 million, that would be a $12million hit.
After the 2010 season, that would leave $3 million.
His salary is going to be $8 million, so it would be cheaper to dump him.
With his new contract, they took some of the "money" he was most likely not going to earn anyway. Not just because he's a "bust waiting to happen", but because they are way out there. Not Likely to be Earned.
If he doesn't earn that money, it doesn't go against the cap. He never sees it.
Anyway, they took that money, and made it much easier for him to earn it. All he has to do, is stay on the roster. He got a $4 million bonus, which adds $4 million to the hit they would take, if they were to cut him this year.
If they cut him after this season, they would take the same $12 million hit they didn't want to take this year.
If he makes the 2009 roster, he gets another $4.5 million bonus. adding $1.5 million/year to his cap hit.
To cut him after the 2009 season, it's going to cost them something like $8 to $10 million against the cap. Still, the Saints are not in a good position to cut him.
Under his old contract(if his bonus was $18 million) they could cut him after this season, and only take a $6million hit or something like that.
I know my numbers are off, but I think the general idea is correct. He's easier to cut(and cheaper too) under his original contract. They only thing they did, was make it easier for him to get some of that money.
Why??
What have they seen, that makes them think it's a good idea, to put more money in his hands??
..or not.
