With no salary floor and fewer free agents, some players will look to change teams. Jack Bechta
This offseason, I guarantee you we’ll see more players initiate public trade demands than ever before. I may even a have client or two on the list.
These demands will come from players in three categories. The first is those on smaller market teams whose owners will take advantage of the limitless salary floor (story here: owners will embrace uncapped year) and determined to pocket some monies normally earmarked for player salaries. Agents and players are getting a good sense of who these teams are, and players will begin their trade campaigns relatively soon. We’ve already heard from the Dolphins’ Joey Porter and the Ravens’ Troy Smith. Although not necessarily victims of frugal owners, they’re the first of many more to come.
The second group that will clamor for a change of address will be marquee players who are part of the 212 restricted free agents who would have been unrestricted had we not rolled into an uncapped year, as we most likely will. Although these players are victims of the current labor agreement, they will look to their teams to “do the right thing” and sign them to long-term contracts. However, many teams will give them a high tender and say, “We’re just working within the system that the players agreed to.” Once those tenders are assigned and players feel their teams are not making efforts to secure them to long-term deals, more trade demands will come.
The Chargers probably have more marquee players in this group than any team in the league. They are LB Shawne Merriman, RB Darren Sproles, WR Malcom Floyd, WR Vincent Jackson, and LT Marcus McNeill. Also, Pro Bowl special teams star Kassim Osgood has asked for a trade in the past, and starting center Nick Hardwick is grossly underpaid and could be knocking on the door soon. So don’t be surprised if we see some demands coming out of San Diego sooner than later. I suspect the Chargers will assign all these players with first-round high tenders to show them some love. However, I doubt the Chargers will complete five or more long-term deals for restricted free agents. After all, precedent is a big part of this business. The Chargers are one team that may benefit greatly from an uncapped year, but the challenge is making sure the players in the locker room are happy.
The third group is simply those who are unhappy with their roles and feel they’re underpaid, or both. Regardless, many agents and players believe there will still be several teams who will pay handsomely for premium players and take advantage of an uncapped year. Those players will seek trades, sometimes publicly and sometimes quietly. But it’s coming, and it’s coming fast.
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Kassim Osgood is an unrestricted free agent this year so he can go where he wants. Since Sproles was the franchise player last year ($6.6M), his tender will have to be that +10% (~$7.2M) no matter the draft pick compensation assigned, so I assume the Chargers won't tender him and he will end up unrestricted. But otherwise, I think the Chargers tender all those other guys and then only try to sign McNiell long term.
Troy Smith and Porter are in completely different situations. Porter is basically finished but still wants to be paid like an impact player. Not likely with the Tuna running things, so he wants out. Smith by contrast is stuck behind Flacco and wants a chance to be a starter somewhere. Seems fair to me, but you can't blame the Ravens for wanting to keep him as a backup or at least get fair value for him in a deal.
As for "doing the right thing" for RFAs who would have been UFAs, I would think teams would like to get the productive ones under long term deals, just not at the inflated salaries they might have been able to get as UFAs. It's not a matter of right or wrong, just who has the leverage.
"The third group is simply those who are unhappy with their roles and feel they're underpaid or both."
LMAO .........With the EGOS NFL players have (nurtured by agents) that covers just about everyone of them.
Stephen -
Good catch on Osgood. Since he'll be a UFA, you're right that he won't be traded, but he should be able to get a nice payout wherever he goes.
Jack:
If you're going to insinuate, "I may even have a client or two on my list." why don't you just come out and say who, instead of "foreshadowing". This isn't an Agatha Cristie novel.
Speaking of your clients, how will the Packers deal with Al Harris? He has a Million dollar bonus coming up doesn't he?
Jack:
If you're going to insinuate, "I may even have a client or two on my list." why don't you just come out and say who, instead of "foreshadowing". This isn't an Agatha Cristie novel.
Speaking of your clients, how will the Packers deal with Al Harris? He has a Million dollar bonus coming up doesn't he?
Good article.
Thanks
So I guess the owners should trade all the players who request and give new contracts to all who complain they are underpaid? Is it any wonder the owners want to lock these greedy, self-absorbed player, out. Agents like yourself are gonna be part of the demise of the NFL as we know it. BTW, seems a real conflict to be driving your agent agenda thru this site.
Jackson.....................Glad to see someone agrees with me. See my comment on this thread 3 February @ 6:26 PM......... THE MERCENARY PLAYERS EGO IS FED BY THE MEDIA AND THEIR AGENTS WHERE THEY CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CHARACTER AND CARACITURE AND THERE ON FIELD ANTICS RESEMBLE PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING MORE THAN FOOTBALL. THERE OFF THE FIELD ANTICS MORE AN EPISODE OF "LAW AND ORDER".
"Also, Pro Bowl special teams star Kassim Osgood has asked for a trade in the pass..."
Jack, great article, I believe you meant, "pasT", not "pasS".
The Raiders should trade Nnamdi to the Jets, load up on picks and draft some stud O-Lineman, pick up a quality veteran WR and draft Lefevbre at QB. JaCarcass is a bust, cut your losses and hire a knowledgeable GM. But then this is Al we're talking about so none of this will happen. He'll keep running it his way, into the ground...
Jack, are we going to see an overwhelming amount of holdouts this year? No way the players who were going to be UFAs and get 8 figure signing bonuses are going to be happy about a 1 year tender that is cheap by NFL standards.
eremiah ??????? ???? spotter ?? ?????? ????? ????????? ?? ?????? ?? TJ McCreight ??? ??? ???????? ?? ??????? ? ?????? ???? ?, ???? ????, ?? ????? ?? ???? ?? Baltimore Ravens '???????? ?????. McCreight ???? ???????? ????? ???????? ???? ????????, ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ?? front-office.
the trick is to balance some fun with work while creating opportunities for your clients
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Feb 03, 2010
04:39 PM
Hey Jack,
You mentioned that players and agents are starting to get a feel for which teams will be looking forward to reducing their payroll. Without elaborating on exactly why, can you tell us which teams you believe are looking to cut costs? Just wondering if my team is on the list.