Contracts

• Since the year 2000 alone, Cindrich & Company has negotiated more than $.5 Billion worth of NFL Player Contracts.
• Cindrich & Company has twice negotiated the contract that has made a Cindrich & Company client the highest paid player in the NFL (Brian Griese and Jeff Blake).
• Cindrich & Company has negotiated the contract for the highest paid player in the NFL at every position with the exception of Place Kicker.
• Cindrich & Company has negotiated more than $20,000,000.00 worth of signing bonus’ for Brian Griese.
• Cindrich & Company negotiated the first significant contract under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement in 1993 (Will Wolford, Indianapolis Colts).
• Cindrich & Company’s contract between Dermontti Dawson and the Pittsburgh Steelers was the first double signing bonus contract which is now the standard for all high first round picks.

Will Wolford  

Indianapolis Colts

 

“The Wolford Rule”

 

FACT:

 

This contract caused the Collective Bargaining Agreement to be changed.  Will Wolford was a “Transition Player” as designated by the Buffalo Bills.  We negotiated a contract for him to always be the team’s highest paid offensive player.  The Bills could not match those terms because they still had to pay Thurman Thomas and Jim Kelly.  This is the concept recently used by Steve Hutchinson (in his move from Seattle) and Nate Burleson (in his move to Seattle).

Bill Fralic

 

FACT:

 

This was the first time that a large cash sum was used by a club to provide for a long term annuity.

 

Every January 1, as long as Bill Fralic wakes up, he earns $150,000, and will do so for the rest of his life.  Even before the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, we have been negotiating innovative contracts.  Fralic’s contract, that includes an annuity in addition to an outstanding signing bonus, was a widely copied and distributed contract.  Utilizing intricate tax advice and employing what was then known as a Rabbi trust to assure payment, we were able to set up Bill Fralic for the rest of his life at the ripe young age of 22.

Jason Peter

Jason Peter

 

 

FACT: 

 

 

Cindrich has always been aware of, and avoided situations like what happened to Kellen Winslow:

Kellen Winslow lost $11 Million worth of incentives when he was injured and therefore unable to participate in at least 35% of the Brown’s offensive plays in his rookie season.  When a contract that we negotiate includes playtime that ties to future income, we always provide for a catch-all that allows for a player to earn the additional money in a future season if he fails to earn it in any one season.  Below is an example from our client, Jason Peter, who was the 14^th pick overall.  Jason’s contract value was at least as high as the 8^th overall pick.  His signing bonus also exceeded several players selected before him.