Also, Chillar’s deal in Green Bay and T.O. as entertainer. Andrew Brandt
Why have there been no contract extensions for MVP front-runners Peyton Manning and Drew Brees?
It would appear to be only a matter of time before the most important players on the NFL’s two undefeated teams have their contracts addressed and set new standards of pay for players. As to why it hasn’t happened yet, the future Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), or lack of one, may be keeping things in a holding pattern.
Manning has one year remaining on his contract before an uncertain 2011, although it would be a major surprise if Colts owner Jim Irsay did not extend his deal before next season.
As for Brees – host of our weekly podcast and a spokesman here at the National Football Post – he has two more years following this MVP season, with salaries and workout bonuses combined of $6.7 million in 2010 and $7.6 million in 2011. Brees – ever the team player -- restructured his contract earlier this season to allow the Saints to gain some much-needed cap room and has certainly not complained about his contract (he has the same amount of time left on his deal that Jay Cutler had before his extension with the Bears). Again, this potential MVP would have been a member of the Dolphins if they had not opted for Daunte Culpepper over him a few years ago.
Three contracts during the offseason have provided data points for their deals: the rookie contract of Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and extensions for Peyton's brother Eli and the Chargers’ Philip Rivers. Let's look at some key figures in these deals:
Player Total Value Guarantee Guarantee Rank
E. Manning $97.5M $35M 5
Rivers $98.3M* $38.15M 4
Stafford $78M** $41.7M 1
*Over seven seasons
**Including escalators
The second- and third-ranked guaranteed contracts are those of Albert Haynesworth ($41M) and DeMarcus Ware ($40M).
Eli and Rivers were in the final years of their respective deals, with their contracts set to expire prior to an uncapped 2010. Once Manning was addressed in early August, the other shoe dropped with Rivers -- to whom Manning's career is inextricably linked from draft day in 2004. The contracts are strikingly similar:
Manning will make $52.75M over the first three years of his deal; Rivers will make $50.75M over the first three years.
As for Stafford, his contract is Exhibit A for what’s wrong with the rookie compensation system. However, as much as veteran players have berated his contract, it was used in the Manning/Rivers negotiations as a data point for negotiations and will certainly be used the same way in negotiations for the older Manning and Brees.
There is another individual of interest here: the agent who negotiated the Stafford and Eli Manning contracts is the same agent set to negotiate the Brees and Peyton Manning contracts. Tom Condon does not need Scott Boras-like marketing tomes illustrating the value of these players and their worth compared to the deals above.
Condon will certainly present the Colts and Saints with some numbers that will sound crazy, but with the years these two players are having, are any numbers crazy? With salary cap football poised to end in three weeks, the first-year payout to these players could be staggering.
My guess on contract values for these guys: total values in the $125-$140-million ranges, guarantees in the $45-50M ranges and close to $60M in the first three years of each deal.
Why is Brandon Chillar, who signed an extension with the Packers on Monday, in Green Bay as a result of Larry Fitzgerald’s contract?
In the first weeks of the free-agency period of March 2008, there were two teams that were seriously negotiating with Chillar, the Packers and Cardinals. The Cardinals were offering more money but telling Chillar to cool his heels while they worked on Fitzgerald to clear enough cap room to squeeze in Chillar.
Fitzgerald’s contract had become unworkable. After being the third pick in the 2004 draft and producing at a high level, Fitzgerald’s contract escalators exploded into a cap charge of nearly $17M heading into the 2008 season. With this untenable contract on their books, the Cardinals’ hands were tied in trying to improve with players such as Chillar.
Eventually, the Cardinals and Fitzgerald worked out a new eye-popping four-year, $40M deal with an incredible 75 percent of it ($30 million) guaranteed. By that time, however, Chillar couldn’t wait any longer and had to make a move. Free agency is like musical chairs; you don’t want to be left without a seat when the music stops. He quickly grabbed a seat in Green Bay.
And the Packers are glad he did. They were delighted with their modest dip into free agency a year ago and have rewarded Chillar with his own four-year deal worth $21M in total value and $9.5M over the calendar year.
All because the Cardinals couldn’t get a deal done fast enough with Larry Fitzgerald.
Look for a couple of other things from the Packers, who are working on a long list of players set to become restricted or unrestricted free agents.
Why is Terrell Owens signing with the Wilhelmina agency for representation?
Owens is working with his second football agent, Drew Rosenhaus, after firing his previous agent, David Joseph. He has two marketing representatives, Robert Bailey of Rosenhaus Sports and longtime marketing agent Michael Ornstein. Now Owens has decided he needs representation beyond his football contract and "football marketing" deals related to his tools of the trade.
Wilhelmina will work on entertainment possibilities for Owens, including acting and other Hollywood endeavors.
This is a relatively new but hardly rare trend in athlete representation. As I know so well from my days of Ricky Williams pushing me aside for Master P, there’s a unique pull to the entertainment side for professional athletes.
The largest agency in the business of representing football players, CAA -- home to Tom Condon mentioned above -- is also the largest agency in the business of representing Hollywood entertainers. The synergy is often sold in recruiting, although the number of players for which it’s truly relevant is miniscule.
But for Owens, who starred in his own reality show and will be looking for football and entertainment employers after the season, I guess you can never have too many agents.
And for my pet peeve Why of the Week:
Why are there so many commercials during NFL games and so many of the same commercials?
I certainly understand the business of football as much as anyone and know that these are necessary evils in watching football games. However, it seems like these telecasts have become selling formats for beer, cars and men’s “vitality” products, with some football interspersed among them. Howie Long gets more air time during games – selling cars and trucks – than he does as part of pregame and halftime shows.
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To see why Green Bay's extending of Brandon Chillar may send the wrong message to Nick Collins, check out this article from Bleacher Report.
That article about Collins really pissed me off too. The GB media is terrible though. They get facts wrong, judge everything the coach says(and misinterprets 99% of it), and act as if they should be running the Pack. It stems from the fans though, they fill exactly what they want. A lot of fans don't understand football, let alone the business side. These things work themselves out, like Perry said in that article. Ted isn't cheap when it comes to worthy players.
That being said, I'm glad we have three good ILB's right now. It gives us depth and lets us get a little creative with some subpackages like the Big Okie and Psycho. LOL at people saying were going to part ways with Nick or AJ because of this.
Andrew, since you were an ex packer guy.
In regards to the above quote, "Look for a couple of other things from the Packers, who are working on a long list of players set to become restricted or unrestricted free agents", can we take this as a hint that the Packer front office is working on re-signing nick collins
Pete / frottis - the concern some of us have regarding Ted and Nick Collins is that now that Collins has shown he can succeed in the new defense, the price tag to keep him on board is going nowhere but up. A closer look at TT's history (Ryan Grant) shows that TT is not opposed in any way to waiting too long to get a player resigned, even if he likes the player. Yes, he takes care of his own but when he doesn't do it early (Jennings and Rodgers), he tends to do it too late.
Sprint may want to consider updating their commercial after the Steelers 5 games (and counting) tank job. After dropping games to 3 doormats any Steeler fan presently talking smack like in that commercial should and would be ridiculed mercilessly. That worm has turned.
For those of you who think TT is sitting no his hands by not re-signing Collins yet (and we all know it will happen), I ask you what is the incentive to do it right now? What is the sudden rush where everyone thinks Collins needs to be re-signed yesterday? We all agree, he has produced in both the 4-3 the last few years and this year in the 3-4 in a new leadership role. No one is disputing that. However, w/ the realistic potential of an uncapped year and Collins becoming a restricted free agent (or the potential to franchise him) why rush into a deal w/ Collins when there is potential to work out a better deal (for the organization) when it is certain that there won't be a cap next year? The thing is, TT can't win with many of these fans...he's criticized when he doesn't spend, then criticized when he spends too much or on the wrong person. Then he is criticized for drafting bad players but then everyone gushes when one of his draft picks deserves a new deal and isn't getting one. TT ha clearly shown that he takes care of his draft picks who become team leaders; we saw that with Rodgers and Jennings thus far and we can all expect it to happen again w/ Collins.
I agree that the amount of commercials interspersed throughout a football game is ridiculous. CBS is by far the worst, getting plugs in between snaps. I don't need a 'must watch show' ad during a game between snaps. I need to see and hear what's happening with THE GAME. CBS in particular has become nearly unwatchable.
"Yes, he takes care of his own but when he doesn't do it early (Jennings and Rodgers), he tends to do it too late."
In one instance, yeah, he was too late. I just don't see why people are getting ancy when the regular season isn't even over with yet. I would resign Pickett before Collins(both have to get done though) simply because of the possibility of the owners/PA not agreeing on a new CBA.
Pete - bottom line is that every game Collins produces well increases the amount of money it will take to resign him. If he makes a second consecutive Pro Bowl and/or makes plays in the play-offs (should the Packers get there), his market value increases by multiple millions of dollars. Right now, a typical safety gets signed for 5-7M in bonuses and a decent salary. The truely Elite safeties command 14M+ and another 3-4M in salary per year.
Yes, Pickett is also a priority, but if Collins closes out the year well, it's going to cost GB about 10-15M more over the next five years to keep him than if they were to make him a good offer now. Plus, by giving Chillar his deal now, it sets a bar for where Collins SHOULD be paid as Collins clearly should be paid more than Chillar. Real simple - unless Collins blows a knee, his price tag goes up every game he plays.
It sets the frame of reference for other negotiations in Green Bay, and with more than a third in the "calendar year" it means a lot of room will clear after that so they have extra room for negotiating in the coming season.
Take care of great performers, and leave room in the future for additonal value. The way his deal works out it leaves them room to get under a new cap in a year's time, or keeps them well ahead of the market for starters in cost benefits terms should the cap not apply.
Scott...I think that with no CBA looming Nick ends up as a restricted free agent, so it wont cost the Packers as much as you think..In fact will be in the Packers favor to wait..
However is a CBA is reached then the Packers will have to act fast to sign him
At least that is what I have read and heard
Why does anyone think that Collins getting franchised is good? Don't you think Minnesota could sign him with a poison pill like they did with Hutch? Then GB is SOL.
If Minny signed Collins after he was franchised i'd be pretty pleased to be honest.
Two first round picks is decent compensation plus the league's lowest revenue team would have to pay up for another huge contract.
Next time you hear an owner say he is concerned about losing money, remember they are the ones making the decisions to pay these guys. Even if they just hire a bad GM it's the same as signing a bad player.
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Dec 16, 2009
01:42 PM
I am simply amazed by the number of people that think Ted Thompson, Russ Ball and the rest of Packer Personnel Management are simply pushing Nick Collins aside, or ignoring him completely. Do you actually think Ted is gonna pick up the Green Bay Press Gazette or Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, read an article and storm into Russ's office saying "What the hell Russ?? Who is this Nick Collins everybody is speaking of? Why haven't we signed him?"
For fans to pretend they have some insight into the short and long term business plans of Packer Management makes them look foolish.
Ted has shown that he will take care of his own. And I believe Nick Collins feels that way too and has an understanding that things will get done.
Andrew, I am surprised you posted a link to an opinion article that doesn't offer any insight into why Collin's hasn't signed? It's only another opinion article....and seemingly from another of the "Ted's a dumbass" crowd. Disappointing...