The Busine$$ of Football

Andrew Brandt By Andrew Brandt
Posted August 30, 2008
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Ahman’s Rush to Texans is Downsized

 Ahman Green has agreed to a reduced contract with the Houston Texans.  In the range of options that the Texans had between keeping Ahman at his present rate of pay and releasing him outright, this appeared to be a logical compromise, although not one that the Texans anticipated making with their marquee free agent signing of 2007.  I will not soon forget the day Ahman left the Packers and went to Houston, a decision I firmly believed that both he and the Texans would regret. 

 Ahman had been a wonderful player for us at the Packers.  Acquired in a trade in 2000, he turned out to be a productive running back right away, taking over for Dorsey Levens.  We went to him in 2001, his restricted free agent year, and extended him with a five-year deal with a 5M bonus.  He actually played out that deal — a rarity in the NFL — despite many protestations by he and his agent about re-working it, especially when Clinton Portis hit the jackpot in Washington after extricating himself from Denver.

 

Ahman had a very close relationship with Mike Sherman — more on that later with the Texans — which made it difficult for me to argue against a monster contract for him.  Sherman was our head coach and general manager and had a soft spot for Ahman.  I personally liked Ahman a lot as well, but always pointed to the graveyard out there for contracts of running backs over the age of 28 or 29 — Eddie George, Jamal Anderson, Corey Dillon, etc. — that were emotional reactions by clubs to beloved players that came from their hearts and not their heads.

 

Ultimately, we never extended Ahman and in his final year of the contract he was injured for the majority of 2005 season.  We settled on a one-year contract in 2006, using a contract twist involving 45-man active roster bonuses for every game active, protecting ourselves if he became injured again.  This was the first instance where we had used these 45-man active roster bonuses as Ahman was coming off a major injury.  They have since become a staple of Packer contracts.

 

Ahman stayed injury-free in 2006 and we negotiated late in the season and into the early 2007 offseason.  We would have re-signed him but for a wildcard out there in free agency.  Mike Sherman had been terminated as our head coach by new general manager Ted Thompson and landed as offensive coordinator in Houston with, apparently, some influence over personnel.  Ahman was also visiting with Denver and Oakland, but we knew the only real suitor that mattered was Houston.

 

And what a suitor they were.  After being wined and dined and taken to a Rockets game, Ahman spent the day with his former coach Mike Sherman and rekindled that relationship.  That was all expected.  What we did not expect was the aggressive level of contract they were offering, especially 8M in the first year for a 30 year-old running back!  We had been at 5M for first-year money but with the Texans going to this level we reluctantly crossed the 7M threshold for the first year, but wanting 2M of it to be in the form of 45-man active roster bonuses.  This was one of those offers where I didn’t know whether I wanted want him to take it or not, as I had a feeling this was going to be a deal we would be re-working — as the Texans are now doing — if he took it.

 

I spent the entire time during my son’s 10th birthday party at — of course — Lambeau field on the phone with Ahman’s agent and Ahman trying to tell them that this was bigger than money, that Packer stars like Ahman have a lifetime pass wherever they go, that he would hold all the Packer records, that he would not like Houston, that he shouldn’t be fooled by all the recruiting, that Mike Sherman would not be there long, and so on.  It was all for naught. 

Ahman, although nearly 30, was smitten with the whole free agent recruiting thing — private plane, Rockets game, etc. — and the agent was smitten with the money.  I asked him how many times he thought he might fly in that private plane after that day, but got no reply.  We had lost him to Mike Sherman and the Texans.

 I was communicating with Ted Thompson throughout the process while he was driving to a college workout.  At that time of year, Ted was always on the road so I had to be able to control these free agent situations that came up fast and furiously, often with one of our players sitting in the offices of another team.

 

The rest did not go well for Ahman.  He was injured for a large part of last season; Mike Sherman left after the season to take a head coaching position at Texas A&M, and now he is taking a pay cut from 3.8M to 1.8M.  One other thing about this reduction: he can make back 3M if he is on the 45-man active roster bonus for 15 games.  These are exactly the kind of bonuses that I tried once again to put in the proposed Packer contract that Houston agreed it would not!  Now they are the basis for a salary reduction with an opportunity to make more based on health.

 

Last year Ahman gained 260 yards for his 8M, roughly $31,000 a yard.  When we lost Ahman to Houston, I felt sick from an emotional standpoint (not only due to the fact that I missed my son’s 10th birthday party).  He was one of the all-time great Packer players and should have retired a Packer.  (We’ve heard this one throughout the summer, haven’t we?)  However, I knew that this was not a deal we should have made financially.

 

We struggled for a while last season without Ahman until Ryan Grant came into his own with his stellar play, earning a stunning contract after limited experience.  Ahman was missed as a presence in Green Bay, but in the end, it was the golden rule of business in the NFL:  some of the best deals are the ones that are not made.

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Remarks

50 comments for “Ahman’s Rush to Texans is Downsized”

  1. DL
    August 29, 2008
    12:01 pm

    Fascinating stuff as usual. In the case of some players like Ahman, it is obviously better to let them go a year too early rather than a year too late. Between him and Andre Rison, GB had Batman and Spider-Man on the team within a few years of each other…

    There’s a whiff of disapproval in the description of Grant’s deal as “a stunning contract after limited experience”. Was it stunning? He deserves more than an Earnest Graham, surely.

  2. Sean
    August 29, 2008
    12:26 pm

    As much as I love Ahman for being a warrior for the Packers for 7 years, the Texans WAY overpaid for a 30-year old RB who has taken a lot of pounding in his career (missing most of the 2005 season). He doesn’t have the burst that he had in 2003 when he racked up almost 1,900 yards. You’re right Andrew, it worked out better for the Pack that they didn’t re-sign Ahman.

  3. Patrick Craig
    August 29, 2008
    12:51 pm

    Andrew Brandt, the real man behind the curtain. Here I thought it was Ted Thompson that dodged a bullet with Ahman Green and all along it was Andrew Brandt. I wished Ahman would have stayed in Green Bay and retired like William Henderson did. As a Packer.

  4. Bob
    August 29, 2008
    1:46 pm

    Thanks for the insight. I can’t fault Ahman for taking the money, but I’d love to know if he regrets any of this.

  5. Andrew Brandt
    August 29, 2008
    2:01 pm

    Patrick–
    As you can tell, I was quite torn with the decision but will always remember what a wonderful player he was for us.
    Andrew

  6. BJA
    August 29, 2008
    2:08 pm

    Good stuff. I have visited your website on a few occasions and I find your unique insight provides for good reading!

  7. Andrew Brandt
    August 29, 2008
    2:23 pm

    Thanks, BJA, for your kind comments. Enjoy the site!
    Andrew

  8. Allen
    August 29, 2008
    2:38 pm

    Ahman was the ideal team player. A hard worker who never griped. Loved him on the field. However, his numerous domestic violence incidents should have been enough to deter any big deal. Did that come into play at all, Andrew?

  9. David
    August 29, 2008
    2:42 pm

    Andrew,

    You have created one of the best “inside-sports” columns I’ve read in 30 years.

    Thanks for writing.

  10. Rick
    August 29, 2008
    2:53 pm

    The only problem with comment about (we’ve heard this one throughout the summer haven’t we) is that he is talking about Favre and Favre wanted to play for the packers and it was not about money, one problem, the packers did not want him and he MAY NOT retire a packer because of the bozo’s in the front office.

  11. Zack in Santa Barbara
    August 29, 2008
    3:34 pm

    Andrew,

    Thanks for the site and the inside information. It’s fascinating reading, not just to GB fans but to all NFL fans. I wish you were still in Green Bay working your magic, but good luck with everything.

    When Green left last year I was somewhat relieved. He was getting up there in age (for RBs), he was slowed by injuries, and I just felt that our team needed to figure out our RB for the next several years (similar to this offseason w/ Favre). I was also happy for Ahman to get that kind of a contract that he may have deserved a few years before. I tried to follow him and Houston last year as I’ll always be a fan of his, in the same way I will watch every Jets game this year.

  12. Andrew Brandt
    August 29, 2008
    3:37 pm

    David–
    Thanks for that flattering comment. Continue to enjoy the site!
    Andrew

  13. evan schanock
    August 29, 2008
    3:38 pm

    I think that the deal was dumb. Most running backs only last around 8 to 10 years. Most of them are terrible in there last couple of years. Also, if the Texans are looking for people that were good way back when, I hear that Cedric Benson is in free agency.

  14. Andrew Brandt
    August 29, 2008
    3:38 pm

    Allen–
    Ahman was cleared of any domestic violence charge. That was not an issue.
    Thanks for reading..
    Andrew

  15. Jason
    August 29, 2008
    3:52 pm

    Andrew,

    Thanks for the great articles.

    Are there any agents in this business that are truly representing the players best interests? Or are they always looking for the biggest payday? Ahman would have been so much better of in GB for the reasons you stated, even at the lower contract amount.

    By the way, care to share the inside scoop on CB Mike McKenzie leaving GB?

  16. Andrew Brandt
    August 29, 2008
    4:01 pm

    Thanks, Jason. I will get to McKenzie at some point; keep tuning in and enjoy.
    Andrew

  17. Paul Gottshall
    August 29, 2008
    4:34 pm

    What a great read! Although we miss you in Green Bay, the value that you are adding with your insights is priceless !
    Thanks for your site and keep the articles coming.

    Paul

  18. Todd
    August 29, 2008
    4:43 pm

    Every time I read your blog I wind up passing it along to my sports friends saying, “Fascinating!” Keep it up, I can’t get enough!

    I don’t suppose we can get an RSS feed for your blog, can we?…

  19. Andrew Brandt
    August 29, 2008
    5:04 pm

    Paul–
    Thanks my friend. Green Bay will always be special to me and people like yourself. Enjoy the site.
    Andrew

  20. Andrew Brandt
    August 29, 2008
    5:06 pm

    Todd–
    Thanks, pass the word. I’ll check into that RSS feed.
    Andrew

  21. Mark
    August 29, 2008
    5:08 pm

    Thanks for your insight. It’s always fascinating to hear about the “inside stories behind the stories”. Keep up the good work.

    Go Packers!

  22. tom schmidt
    August 29, 2008
    5:08 pm

    thanks for the good article on ahman green andrew. i would like your comments on the nfl having a rookie wage scale. as you know, the packers 2007 first round pick hasnt done much to earn his big signing bonus. do you think that there should be a rookie salary cap in the nfl, much like the one in the nba?

  23. Andrew Brandt
    August 29, 2008
    6:04 pm

    Tom–
    I think the rookie salary issue is overstated. Beyond the top 20 picks or so, players in their rookie contracts represent a cheap and productive labor force for NFL teams. The NBA has a wage scale but allows free agency earlier. I don’t think the NFL wants that.
    Andrew

  24. Jeff
    August 29, 2008
    6:49 pm

    Andrew,

    This is the kind of reporting that fans always wanted and never received. It is great to get this kind of insight on how the NFL operates behind the curtain. Keep up the good work, go Pack, go Favre!

  25. Andrew Brandt
    August 29, 2008
    7:59 pm

    Thanks, Jeff. Very flattering.
    Andrew

  26. Scott
    August 29, 2008
    8:06 pm

    Andrew, great stuff, we miss you in GB!

    Besides maybe hearing about the McKenzie, and Walker situations, it would be nice to hear some insight about the ‘05 season with the departures of Sharper, Rivera, Wahle, and then Longwell the next year. Also maybe some insight on how the whole atmosphere changed both positively, and negatively with the arrival of TT and MM.

    Thanks,
    Scott

  27. Charlie
    August 29, 2008
    11:18 pm

    I need to echo all the work you guys are doing on this site. I understand with this type of quality, we will not be able to get this information with this quality soon enough. That is fair enough since this is truly great reading and insight. I think you will be exploding in the Fantasy world within a year. Congrat’s to all of you and thank you.

  28. Jim Hogan
    August 29, 2008
    11:26 pm

    Great stuff Andrew and the rest of the staff. This insiders view of your Packer’s years and league business is great.

    It is a business and I am thankful for Ahman’s effort and respect his decision. Ahman must be a great human and really love Coach Sherman, especially after not getting the ball on 4th and short in Philly when we had them on the ropes! I digress. Ryan Grant contract. Makes me nervous. Aw it is football season again in America.
    Go Pack!

  29. Ryan
    August 29, 2008
    11:47 pm

    Hey Andrew, I was also really surprised when you left the Packers and am happy you’re finding continued success, this site is a staple already. Just like Al Harris said in an interview a couple weeks ago.

    To add on to Todd’s comment, I had a related one. It seems like the overall site RSS feed is limited to the last 5 items, while you often put up at least that much content in just one day. It’s compounded a little by having the same 5 stories shown on the site without a main archive.

    I’ve gotten in the habit of clicking on each of your names each day to make sure I’m not missing anything, but unless I’m having an issue with the RSS feed that no one else shares, it’d be terrific if the overall feed could somehow be expanded to show the most recent 10 or 20 updates instead.

    Thanks to you and the whole crew for sharing your knowledge and abilities!

  30. 10-s Partner
    August 29, 2008
    11:53 pm

    Your article was a great read. It is so interesting to see what happens behind the scene at 1265 Lombardi Ave.

  31. Andrew Brandt
    August 30, 2008
    8:02 am

    Thanks, guys. We are trying to add a unique perspective here at the Post. The response has been strong; spread the word.
    I will check on that RSS as well.
    Continue to enjoy the site.
    Andrew

  32. Jim
    August 30, 2008
    9:59 am

    Excellent inside info. Packers made a big mistake not naming you president.

  33. Andrew Brandt
    August 30, 2008
    11:18 am

    Jim–
    Very flattering; enjoy the site.
    Andrew

  34. Sam P
    August 30, 2008
    3:24 pm

    Nice stuff. I heard you on Sirius today & you are now bookmarked as a favorite.

  35. Andrew Brandt
    August 30, 2008
    5:37 pm

    Thanks, Sam. I’ll be teaching close by at Wharton. Enjoy the site.
    Andrew

  36. Dennis Garrity
    August 30, 2008
    11:10 pm

    Andrew,

    Fascinating insight. It’s refreshing to have intelligent commentary from someone truly in the know with the NFL battle-scars to prove it. We enjoyed your appearances for our fans in Green Bay at our tour receptions. Best wishes….Dennis Garrity, PACKER FAN TOURS

  37. JJ
    August 31, 2008
    9:34 am

    Thanks Andrew. Your articles have been fascinatingly insightful. I can hardly wait for the Mike McKenzie article. When I heard Al Harris mention this site, I was skeptical but after reading I’m a believer!

    I was wondering if you could comment on the 2003 season in Green Bay & how it ended?

    Keep up the great work, Much appreciated!

  38. Andrew Brandt
    August 31, 2008
    12:42 pm

    Thanks, JJ. Why skepticism due to Al Harris mentioning the site? He’s a good friend.
    Andrew

  39. Tom McLaughlin
    August 31, 2008
    7:41 pm

    More great insight.
    When I heard that Ahman wanted was getting $8 million, I knew it was “Aloha on the steel guitar”.

    A quick one on Grant. Other than the Packer RB situation being questionable without him, how much leverage did he have? Grant wasn’t exactly flush with options was he? Four years at $20 million plus $10 million incentives. Not too bad. I think he benifited by the drawn out nature of the Favre affair coupled with his holdout. I wonder if there wasn’t a distraction with Favre, if the Packers would have given an offer and say ‘Take it or go use your Notre Dame degree on the job market’.

  40. Jim Samolyk
    September 1, 2008
    7:32 am

    Andrew,
    While I enjoy reading “sports blogs” they are entertaining like a cartoon is. Thank you for providing REAL insight from a real insider. A must read for all sports fans!!

  41. Andrew Brandt
    September 1, 2008
    9:02 am

    Thanks, Jim. Enjoy the site and spread the word!
    Andrew

  42. Craig
    September 1, 2008
    11:54 am

    Posts and great stories like this one is why your website is quickly becoming a “must-read” for me. Thanks for the great post and keep up the good work! You could never read something this personal and in depth on ESPN, that’s for sure.

  43. Andrew Brandt
    September 1, 2008
    1:55 pm

    Thanks, Craig. Hope we can get to the ESPN level someday! Enjoy the site.
    Andrew

  44. Andrew
    September 3, 2008
    8:47 pm

    I was at his sons 10th birthday so that was why mr.brant was on the phone so much at it

  45. Andrew Miller
    September 3, 2008
    8:49 pm

    I was at his sons 10th birthday party no wonder mr.brant was on the phone a lot and didn’t look to happy

  46. Andrew Brandt
    September 4, 2008
    7:51 am

    Yes you were, my friend, eating cake while the Packers lost Ahman to the Texans.

    Andrew

  47. CJ
    September 5, 2008
    10:44 am

    see what happens when you give us the “inside dope” kid; many many page views. keep it up and you’ll soon be collecting checks instead of giving them out as grades to your students.

  48. Andrew Brandt
    September 5, 2008
    2:22 pm

    Thanks for the comment, CJ. Point taken.
    Andrew

  49. Ted Creech
    September 6, 2008
    5:37 pm

    I’m sure there are hundreds of us out here that are enjoying your site to the nth degree that you might hear from!!!
    Sure glad I founf it!!!
    T12d

  50. Andrew Brandt
    September 6, 2008
    6:37 pm

    Thanks, Ted. Enjoy the site and spread the word!
    Andrew

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