Mom's fallacy was that, although her hardball thinking might be dead-on with regard to a player of proven dollar value, her son (while talented in college & with a bright future in front of him) hasn't played a down in the NFL and, therefore, needs to prove on the field and locker room how good he is first.
Tough to play hardball when the status hasn't been earned. (Contrast this with Anquan Boldin, who proved in the pros he was really that good - and then got his contract reworked and extended).
Finally, young guys still have several years of change in front of them before they're fully mature physically, intellectually and mentally. You never know when a young guy will either toe the straight & narrow or wind up with problems off the field or staying motivated.
To do an overly generous deal with an undeveloped youngster is like chasing vapor. If Antrel is everything we think he's going to be, give him a couple of years to demonstrate this. And, if he deserves it, do like we did with Anquan.