Join *Jaguars Inside Report *Senior Editor Vic Ketchman as he tackles the fans' tough questions.
Tom Rusk from Malabar, FL:
How exactly does the cap money transfer to the Texans if they select a player with signing bonus amortization? Is the bonus money totally counted against the Texans' 2002 cap, or is it prorated as if the player were still on his original team? If it's prorated, does the entire bonus count toward the 38 percent requirement or just the prorated amount?
Vic: The Texans will assume the contract and the remaining bonus amortization of any player they select in the expansion draft. Signing bonus amortization must be divided equally over the life of the player's contract; roster bonuses must be declared in full in the year they are paid. The Texans must select 30-42 players in the expansion draft, or select players whose total salary cap hits equal 38 percent (about $27 million) of the Texans' 2002 salary cap. In simple language, unless the Texans' re-do the contract of a player they select, that player will appear on their 2002 salary cap as he would've appeared on his original team's cap.
JStormy Neal from Jackson, TN:
What do you think are the chances the Texans will pick Tony Boselli in the expansion draft, now that he has been exposed?
Vic:
I expect the Texans to bring Tony Boselli to Houston for a physical exam within the next couple of weeks. If he passes that physical, I expect Boselli to be drafted by the Texans.
Tom Crumpton from Jacksonville:
I must admit I am stunned the Jags would expose Tony Boselli to the expansion draft. Is Tony's contract that bad for the Jags? Is his injury more severe than we have been led to believe? Tony Boselli is THE Jaguar. Considering the last two drafts have been criminally bad, I fear for the immediate future of this team. Help us to understand, Vic.
Vic:
Understanding is very simple. The Jaguars have a severe salary cap problem from which they can no longer run. Years of salary-cap abuse now require an at-all-costs approach. I urge you to accept that answer because it is the absolute truth.
John Michaels from Woodbine, GA:
Please make some sense out of the move to expose Boselli. I trust your opinion. Could Weaver also be shopping Brunell to the Texans for their number one draft choice? It would make sense if Houston takes Boselli. The cap room would be there to sign McKinnie. What is your take?
Vic: John, you're reading too much into this. It is what it is. The Jaguars' back is against the salary-cap wall. They re-structured contracts and pushed money onto future caps last winter, which only worsened the problem, and Wayne Weaver has decided he won't allow it to happen again.
Matt William from Jacksonville:
Do you agree with Tony Boselli being placed in the expansion draft?
Vic:
It's difficult for me to say I agree because I am angry it had to come to this. Tony Boselli is a player I wanted to cover into the Hall of Fame. But I understand and accept why the Jaguars have made this decision. This is the signal to us all that salary-cap repair begins now and no one is sacred. I applaud the commitment to fix the salary cap, but I remain angry at the callous disregard for the salary cap that got the Jaguars into this mess.
Tim McClellan from Jacksonville:
The talk of the town among Jag fans the past 24 hours has been the surprise revelation that Tony Boselli, the cornerstone for our franchise, is on the blocks for Houston in the expansion draft. It's clear the Jaguars have decided to initiate an aggressive approach to restoring fiscal responsibility to the team. If the Jaguars do not get the relief they are hoping for from the Texans by unloading Tony Boselli or Tony Brackens, do you believe they would actually consider releasing Boselli? In the case of Brackens, they can't afford to do it, but what about Boselli? And how substantive are rumors the Jaguars are actively pursuing some sort of trade deal to remove Mark Brunell from the roster as well?
Vic:
My reporter's instincts tell me that any player on the expansion list who is not selected by the Texans will be cut. In the case of especially high-amortization players, I would expect the cut to be made after June 1. They didn't put these guys on the expansion list because they want to keep them. Clearly, the Jaguars are announcing their intention to do whatever it takes to fix their salary cap. That causes me to put more credence in the Mark Brunell trade rumors.
Vic Ketchman is the Senior Editor of Jaguars Inside Report, the official team newspaper of the Jacksonville Jaguars. One-year subscriptions may be purchased by calling 1-888-846-5247.
