Players hoping to get new deals or force trades isn’t new. Andrew Brandt
Before getting to my opinion and similar experiences regarding the Brandon Marshall imbroglio, it’s worth noting that we are down to one unsigned rookie in football.
APAndre Smith signed. Will Michael Crabtree be next?
Andre Smith has agreed to terms with the Bengals, leaving Michael Crabtree as the last pick standing from the 2009 NFL Draft. I’ll have complete numbers on Smith soon, but it appears the Bengals have successfully disregarded the Raiders’ contract with Darrius Heyward-Bey immediately below Smith, the No. 6 pick, and used the Jaguars’ deal with another offensive lineman, Eugene Monroe, picked No. 8, as the most relevant comparable. As to reports that Smith’s deal is for four years, do not believe it for a minute. No team in the first round is going to pay the type of guaranteed money required and not tie up the player for at least one year of potential free agency. The option on Smith will be exercised in March. The Bengals would not commit $21 million in guaranteed money for a four-year contract.
As for Crabtree, my strong sense is that he and his agent, Eugene Parker, have a date in mind when they will close this deal and finally report. That date is in the next two weeks, probably Sept. 6, 7 or 8. Do not fret. Crabtree will sign. They all do. More on him later this week.
Baby Brandon
Brandon Marshall has become the latest test case in the NFL for players who engage in insubordinate and team-destructive behavior in their ongoing attempts to get out of their current situations. Marshall is the latest in a line of players who resort to conduct that’s detrimental to the team and their teammates, all orchestrated to become such a pain in the you-know-what that the team just wants to rid itself of the player/problem.
APWill Brandon Marshall sour the Broncos' season?
The most celebrated of these distractions were Keyshawn Johnson with the Buccaneers and Terrell Owens with the Eagles. In those cases, the coaches and front office literally paid the players to stay away, lest they infect the locker room any more than they already had with their petulance.
Packer Petulance
In Green Bay, I dealt with these situations a couple of different times with Mike McKenzie and Javon Walker. For reasons I still don’t completely understand, both players wanted out of Green Bay. Their initial problems were with their contracts, but there was much more to it than that – they felt disrespected by coaches, they felt uncomfortable with the social scene in Green Bay, they felt some animosity from teammates, etc. Simply, they wanted out.
As I said, both players claimed it was not about the money (which translates to “It’s all about the money”). In the case of McKenzie, he perceived racist comments about his dreadlocks. In the case of Walker, he felt that Brett Favre had betrayed him in criticizing his contract stance and had an ongoing rivalry/jealousy/competition on and off the field with Donald Driver. In both cases, these players were not the same people who came to Green Bay as high draft choices. Success had clearly changed them. Ultimately, they were dealt for second-round draft choices (who turned into Pro Bowlers Nick Collins and Greg Jennings).
The Marshall Plan
APIs Marshall following in T.O.'s Philly footsteps?
The game plan for players such as Marshall has been laid out repeatedly. Step One is a request to have the contract renegotiated to reflect the new marketplace, pointing to recent deals of players who the player thinks are inferior in talent. When rebuffed in those efforts, the player usually moves to Step Two: the trade demand. When the team expresses no interest in trading the player, it’s on to Step Three: express a rumble of discontent throughout the offseason and training camp, followed by a repeated request for the agent to be granted permission to seek a trade.
The goal of this behavior, usually orchestrated by the agent, is to try and create enough angst and worry among the front office and coaching staff that they feel like the best option is to try and get value for the player and move on. Marshall has taken the syllabus to another level – used by McKenzie in Green Bay and Owens in Philadelphia – in Step Four: not trying in practice, showing no respect for the game or his team and infecting young players in the locker room with negativity.
The Portis Principle
It’s ironic that the team involved is the Broncos. For those out there who do not like the tactics of one Drew Rosenhaus in his efforts to get players out of their current situations, this whole game plan began with a Bronco, Clinton Portis. Portis, who switched to Rosenhaus from his previous agent in hopes of getting out of Denver, hit the trifecta: he got out of Denver, got his wish with a trade to Washington and landed the biggest running back contract in the NFL -- all in the same transaction. Rosenhaus has traded on that experience in attracting many new clients, including McKenzie, Walker, Owens, Anquan Boldin, Lito Sheppard, Plaxico Burress and many others.
Tough Precedent
APClinton Portis triggered a long list of recent headaches for Broncos management.
The Broncos were also the unfortunate losers in an arbitration involving former player Ashley Lelie, another player who wanted out and eventually got his wish. When the Broncos pursued arbitration to recover bonus money paid to Lelie after he refused to report to camp, they lost a landmark case that allows NFL players to keep option bonuses previously paid, a ruling that deemed those monies “earned,” unlike signing bonus money that has forfeiture provisions. The Lelie case has had dramatic ramifications in structuring contracts of top picks in the draft, including the deal for one of the Broncos’ two top picks this year, Robert Ayers.
And, of course, the Broncos dealt with a similar situation earlier this year with their quarterback, Jay Cutler. Cutler had an unpleasant introductory meeting with new coach Josh McDaniels and that relationship never recovered, leading to the trade of the year in the NFL.
Now the Broncos are dealing with this issue again. They have suspended Marshall and issued a warning of “escalating discipline” to come. Marshall will likely continue his bad behavior with the goal of a Portis/Cutler type of result. Meanwhile, the NFL Management Council is advising the Broncos’ front office to document, document and document some more, advising copious notes on every action or non-action by Marshall toward whatever discipline they want to impose.
The option of renegotiating Marshall’s contract has to be off the table now. It would not only set a terrible precedent in the Broncos’ locker room but also continue to enable Marshall and his questionable conduct. If Marshall – who barely has escaped a league suspension after two domestic violence incidents – has been a problem making lower wages, he will certainly not become a better citizen with money in the bank. Throwing money at this problem will not solve it.
A Common Problem
In talking to many people in NFL management, there’s a common theme that this is a problem that needs fixing -- soon. Agents and players are realizing there is little downside to this strategy. Marshall probably feels he can act out for a while during training camp and the per diem of less than $2,000 per week and eventually shape up to collect his $2.2-million salary when the season starts. Or he can continue this formula and see if he actually gets traded and perhaps even a sparkling new contract. At this point, there are very limited financial consequences to Marshall for his childish behavior.
There will be a lot of focus on the economics of the coming collective bargaining negotiations between the NFL Players Association and the NFL in the coming months, specifically the percentage of football revenues shared with players, rookie salaries, etc. Beyond these matters, however, this Marshall issue of bad behavior to force a trade is something that will draw a lot of attention from the league.
Every team in the league has dealt with or is dealing with some form of this. If a team says otherwise, it is lying. This is a problem that’s getting worse, not better, and Marshall’s behavior is cause for concern for every team and league official. Something needs to be done here as it represents another important issue teed up for bargaining.
Follow me on Twitter: @adbrandt
I think you mean precedent...not precedence. Aren't you guys supposed to be somewhat journalistic?
I made same statement last week, any contract negotiation has to be off the table now, can't reward this behaviour.
Never thought of the Ashley Lelie effect that came out of that, interesting.
I really wish I was a fly in the wall of Bowlen's office to see how he is handling all this, his franchise crumbling in front of him! Maybe that gut feeling was just the hot wings and you should of really took some time off before firing Mike, if only we could go back sometimes eh Mr. Bowlen!
To blame the Broncos for Marshall's behavior is idiotic. This is the punk who hammered Broncos fans for leaving early when they were getting hammered by the Chargers and then later that night gets a DUI for getting hammered at a bar. He has been in trouble with the law numerous more times and was suspended for 2 games. Is still going to make $2.25 MILLION dollars this year for playing a game and he acts like a turd.?. If a kid on the team that I coach acted like him, I would send them home too. The difference is my 5th and 6th graders act more professional than Baby TO (aka Marshall).
The Broncos are just dealing with a ton of crap. This whole offseason has been a mess. It is obvious that they do not want to cave on this one, but how much will Bowlen take before he steps in and says to get rid of the problem. If they start losing games it is going to be a huge mess out there, and they certainly look like they are gonna lose some games.
I am a Bronco fan who does blame the new regime for all the negative garbage . They have destroyed my team and I hope the new gm and hc are gone before it gets even worse , they don't appear to have a clue . Also , Marshall should be paid like the better players at their positions are , so the team just continues to get what it deserves .
I enjoyed the article, but I honestly enjoyed the title even more. Well referenced. :D
However, I would question (from an outsider's standpoint) whether the Broncos have an alternative to paying Marshall what he wants. The Broncos' offense was the only thing realistically keeping them in contention at all last year; now that their QB is gone, if their best receiver is undermining what's left of the offense and not making an effort to learn the new offense, the front office might not have any choice but to pay him and make it stop.
The tradeoff, of course, is the following: Whether a probable losing season in the first year of the regime combined with the dissatisfaction McDaniels has already earned with the Broncos' fan base outweighs the precedent the front office would set by paying or trading Marshall. Either way, they're screwed. Of course, they might have already set the precedent with Cutler's deal.
One also wonders if Marshall is still willing to stay in Denver, even at an inflated price.
I have previously put the blame for this largely on the Broncos. They unceremonioulsy canned the coach who produced the league's number 2 offense, then allowed their new kid coach to piss off the team's franchise QB, then traded him for a journey man, then refused to redo Marshall's deal. Of course he is upset. This is not an ordinary job or a kid's league. Careers are short, the contract rules are stacked to favor the teams and players see yesterday's heroes getting cut right and left. So they want to maxmize their situations. Who can blame them? Don't tell me a deal's a deal, or contracts mean anything. NFL contracts only bind the players. They are not guaranteed. If Marshall got hurt, he could be cut tomorrow.
There is a growing list of these cases, and they tend to have one thing in common. The player produced at a level far above his compensation. Take the poster boy, TO. He led the Eagles to the Super Bowl, playing on a broken ankle. He risked a career-ending injury for the team. Everyone knew he gave them a bargain deal when he came to them. When it was time to pay up, they tried to skip out on the bill.
Unload him, already. Trade him. I am a Packer fan, no idea the situation. Still, just because he is pouting does not mean every other player will do so. WRs are all crazy. Deal him. Be realistic, though.
A 1st and a 3rd, you will not get.
A 2nd and a 4th sounds about right.
Alright, just a 2nd.
As a journalist, you should know what the word "ironic" means.
We had one of these go rounds in NE with the great Ty Law. The Pats had just picked u[ his option for like 8 million or whatever it was, but Ty was 31 or so and some huge CB contracts had been signed.
I can do Ty Law no justice by documenting his quotes but he was hilarious....all the standard stuff...gotta eat....no respect plus some personal flair. When they asked Ty about his contract he said "My contract? What about his contract? Anybody know ANYTHING about Belichicks contract? There's your story boys!"
He went on and on, day after day. When Belichick was asked how he felt about the "Ty Law dust up?" He dead panned; "What dust is that?" Claimed he hadn't seen anything Ty had said but his door was always open.
Finally; just when the fines were about to start or when training camp came around, after a performance that went on for months, Ty Law met with Coach Belichick for 5 mts, came out of the meeting and said "It was all a misunderstanding...I was misquoted...taken out of context....everything is fine now."
As great a CB as Ty Law was I'll never forget him getting Bob Kraft to dance and the most entertaining effort to get out of a contract the NFL has seen. As far as he went, he never took it on the field though. He was a great guy to cheer for.
BTW Josh McDaniels can just flat coach. Give the guy a chance.
Scott-
Thanks for the "ironic" clarification, I do get a little liberal with that word. In fact, I always hate it when I hear the Alanis Morrisette song "Isn't it Ironic?" No, those things are not ironic, they are coincidental.
Andrew,
Meateater has a point -- players often outperform contracts, and that can become a big problem. Is this a situation where someone (agent or team) should be blamed for not anticipating the player's degree of success and having enough incentive bonuses in the contract? Or is this more likely a situation where the player opted for a larger signing bonus in exchange for less incentive clauses?
There's talk that the previous regime promised Cutler, Marshall and Scheffler reworked contracts with larger salaries for the coming season(s) based on how they performed during their initial contracts. With the ouster of Shanahan and the Goodmans, all three likely panicked and tried to hold Bowlen, McDaniels and Xanders to a promise that they didn't make.
Also, it is widely known that it is more lucrative for a player to land in a larger city/market. Is there any chance that players in small markets like Denver and Green Bay are under the impression that they are missing out on endorsement opportunities as an adjunct to their salary? How often do you see a Broncos or Packers player (post-Favre) in a Gatorade or Nike commercial? Is it possible that Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall both think they're missing out on shilling donuts and watches because of the relatively low-profile city in which they work? To me, this whole thing is about sports drink and shoe contracts. Any thoughts?
Kory, I'd have to disagree. I'm a huge Packers fan and I know that in the big Wisconsin markets, Green Bay and Milwaukee, Packers regularly advertise for one company or another. Donald Driver would be the best example; he runs advertisements for Time Warner Cable and Goodwill, and many Packers appear regularly on TV and radio shows. I know that's not a Tiger Woods-type market, but small-town players (in Green Bay, anyway) work more on endearing themselves to the home fans. I don't know much about the Denver markets, but I'm sure Broncos have the same opportunities.
Of course, when you're dealing with the egoes that some NFL players exhibit (or rather, the ids), the boundaries are limitless. It's entirely possible that Marshall wants to showcase himself to a national audience and get the money he wants from it; but he's effectively done the former already and won't get the latter.
Who can side with Bmarsh on this? Have any of you gone into your boss and said, "by the way, that contract I signed last year...yeah, I'm gonna need you to pay me double that." And then if you didn't get it, start telling your coworkers that your life is unfair? Then consider that you make 2 million dollars for that job in 6 months. Pretty ridiculous. Brandon didn't get a huge contract because of character issues and until he stops having those he shouldn't get paid at all. NFL teams really do need to get this figured out because it's lame for them to have to renegotiate contracts every 2 years because a player is having a hissy fit.
Packers got Nick Collins and Greg Jennings for Mike McKenzie and Javon Walker? I did not know that. Good deal--well done, Brandt!
Fruit of the Loom could sign him to endorse their line of wife-beaters....
I have a fantasy conundrum.
I got Marshall for cheap in my ff league.
If I put him on waivers (fantasy principles)
One of my fellow ff team owners will scarf him up in a minute.
(No fantasy prinicples)
I'm gonna waive him anyway.
I'm going to do the pretend honorable thing.
Excellent article. I guess the guy who said the ownership "asked" for it is right , up to a fine point. They (team officials) should be able to afford better lawyers. The older I get, the less tolerant I become of football players who act in ways detrimental to their teams and to the league. Marshall did sign a contract?
Personally, I may be in favor of "second chances" like the one handed to Vick, and the many handed to Pac Man Jones. Heck of a double standard though. While it's convenient for fans to suddenly become liberal about "second chances" when it concerns players they want to see play, it does not carry over to regular folks "second chances", does it? Society does not give many "second chances" to ordinary people who have been in prison. Therefore, I propose a "zero tolerance" policy to protect us from our own hypocrisy.
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Aug 31, 2009
01:57 PM
Marshall is correct, he should be paid at the top of the game. Denver brought this on themselves, this is their player, management gets paid to manage him. All his moves are logical. They hired a 14 year-old coach, there are consequences to that decision. This is part of the fall out of Bronco decisions, firing Shanahan, hiring a kid, trading Cutler, not paying your best player.....DUH! Don't blame Marshall for being who he is. !!!!! And has always been.! Then then send out the kid-Coach to explain what happened.....