Tuesday Thoughts

As I watched the Redskins-Steelers game last night, it occurred to me that Jason Campbell is in a wonderful financial position, notwithstanding the disappointing result last night.  As noted here yesterday, the Packers rewarded Aaron Rodgers with 20M guaranteed and over a 10M average contract based on the confidence they had built up in him over the past three years and the validation of that confidence through the first seven games in 2008.

 

After selecting Aaron following his excruciating green-room wait with the 24^th pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, the Redskins selected Campbell.  And, after a summer of negotiating with Rodgers’ agent in trying to fashion a fair contract not knowing when he would have an opportunity to play, we finally agreed to terms a day into training camp.  Then – and only then – did the Redskins come to terms with Campbell, mirroring Rodgers contract with a bit less money on some terms due to Campbell’s lower slot.

 

Now the stage is set again for Campbell to follow Rodgers contract again.  Campbell and his agent, of course, will try to use the Rodgers deal as a floor, as Campbell has played much more extensively in his career than Rodgers.  The Redskins made the commitment to Campbell last year, although he did play some in 2006.  With 13 games under his belt in 2007 and now 9 in 2008, and with the Rodgers deal done, Campbell and his agent have to be feeling good about negotiations to come on Campbell, perhaps as early as this bye week for the Redskins.

 

The Redskins have been know to be a team agents want negotiating with them if there is a player they want, and Campbell is their future.  Just like in 2005, Rodgers has set a benchmark for Campbell to work from…

 

Speaking of Aaron’s painful wait during the first round in 2005, there is news about the person who endured that wait in 2007, Brady Quinn (although the new Commissioner, Roger Goodell, mercifully moved Quinn away from the cameras, learning from the Rodgers situation in 2005).  Quinn now gets the nod in Cleveland over Derek Anderson, who just inked a three-year 24M deal to lead the Browns a few months ago.  Quinn’s deal, like the rookie deals of Aaron and Jason Campbell, has true value in the event escalators are earned.  Aaron’s were not, Campbell did earn them from 2007, and now Quinn has a chance to escalate his salaries going forward…

 

I thought I would clear up the confusion about veteran players getting cut and whether they are actually paid or not.  When a vested veteran such as Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila is released during the season and not claimed by another club – he was not claimed yesterday – he is entitled to the rest of his 2008 salary, although it is not paid during the season.  Thus, the contract is not “guaranteed” in that sense.

Rather, at the end of the season, vested veterans like Kabeer can file for termination pay, which is the amount of remaining salary for the season that the player was terminated.  Again, were the player claimed on waivers, he cannot file for termination pay.  I remember in 1999 we released Desmond Howard, who cleared waivers and a day later signed with Detroit.  Howard later claimed termination pay with the Packers.

 

The only kicker with termination pay is that it can only be claimed once in a career.  Thus, if Kabeer were to claim his termination pay at the end of this season and then sign a multi-year deal with another club, and be released during one of those years, he would be unable to claim termination pay (which, ironically, may increase his chances of making a future roster at cutdown time)…