Calais Campbell and the new franchise Tag

[Cheesebeef]

Re-signing CC needs to happen in the next month. After being credited with another .5 sack today for last week's game, he now leads all 3-4 DEs in sacks for the season. That's a pretty important skill for a team severely lacking in pass rush options. I wonder if Dockett's contract is complicating matters. Campbell has outplayed Dockett all year, but paying the two similar salaries would put a lot of money into a position that traditionally comes fairly cheap.

I also put a lot of the blame for these lack of extensions on Whis. Graves had no problem negotiating with players mid-season when Denny was here. In 2004, we extended Troy Hambrick, Nathan Hodel, Peppi Zelner and Ifeanyl Ohalete on the same day.

easy to sign guys who have very little value to an extension.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Any guesses as to what CC's numbers would look like....and I agree, pay the man. It wiould buy a tiny bit of "goodwill" in an otherwise terrible year so far.

no idea but we all know it will be a HELL OF A LOT more once he hits FA.

 

[kerouac9]

Re-signing CC needs to happen in the next month. After being credited with another .5 sack today for last week's game, he now leads all 3-4 DEs in sacks for the season. That's a pretty important skill for a team severely lacking in pass rush options. I wonder if Dockett's contract is complicating matters. Campbell has outplayed Dockett all year, but paying the two similar salaries would put a lot of money into a position that traditionally comes fairly cheap.

I also put a lot of the blame for these lack of extensions on Whis. Graves had no problem negotiating with players mid-season when Denny was here. In 2004, we extended Troy Hambrick, Nathan Hodel, Peppi Zelner and Ifeanyl Ohalete on the same day. The results of those signings obviously weren't great, but the effort was there. The mid-season extensions for Dockett and Hayes handled by Graves/Denny were much bigger successes. I can't remember a single mid-season extension since Whis has been in town. Hopefully, CC will be the first.

It is. Darnell signed a six-year, $56 million ($30 million guaranteed) last September. The last three years of his deal pay him $4.45 (2013), $5.5 (2014), and $6.55 million (2015).

I think that Campbell should probably get more than Chris Canty: six-year, $42 million contract. The deal contains $16 million guaranteed, including an $8.5 million signing bonus, Canty's first-year base salary, and $3.75 million of his year-two salary. $250,000 workout bonuses are available in years two through six. 2011: $5.25 million, 2012: $6 million, 2013: $6.25 million, 2014: $6.5 million, 2015: Free Agent. He got that in 2009. Canty was a very good DE for the Wade Phillips Cowboys, collecting 10 sacks in his first four season.

The deal should probably be five years, $40 million, with $25 million guaranteed. Any way you cut it you're going to be investing $10 million in your DE position in the middle of the decade. That's why we're going to let him walk.

EDIT: Calais is 25 years old right now and is making $555,000 this season. I can't believe that if you put an extra zero on the end of that for this year right now, he wouldn't jump at the chance.

 

[Dayman]

easy to sign guys who have very little value to an extension.

True, but Doucet and LSH fit into that category, and they haven't been signed, either. Dockett and Hayes also had some value when they were re-signed in Oct/Nov of '06.

 

[Cheesebeef]

seriously... the guy is on pace for 10 sacks and 90 tackles and has been consistent his entire career AND he's a big weapon defensively on special teams... oh yeah... and he's 25 years old. this is a NO-BRAINER of a signing, especially when you can suck up 7 million of his guarantee by stuffing it they money we didn't use this year.

 

[Mulli]

seriously... the guy is on pace for 10 sacks and 90 tackles and has been consistent his entire career AND he's a big weapon defensively on special teams... oh yeah... and he's 25 years old. this is a NO-BRAINER of a signing, especially when you can suck up 7 million of his guarantee by stuffing it they money we didn't use this year.

seriously

 

[AzCardzFan]

It is. Darnell signed a six-year, $56 million ($30 million guaranteed) last September. The last three years of his deal pay him $4.45 (2013), $5.5 (2014), and $6.55 million (2015).

I think that Campbell should probably get more than Chris Canty: six-year, $42 million contract. The deal contains $16 million guaranteed, including an $8.5 million signing bonus, Canty's first-year base salary, and $3.75 million of his year-two salary. $250,000 workout bonuses are available in years two through six. 2011: $5.25 million, 2012: $6 million, 2013: $6.25 million, 2014: $6.5 million, 2015: Free Agent. He got that in 2009. Canty was a very good DE for the Wade Phillips Cowboys, collecting 10 sacks in his first four season.

The deal should probably be five years, $40 million, with $25 million guaranteed. Any way you cut it you're going to be investing $10 million in your DE position in the middle of the decade. That's why we're going to let him walk.

EDIT: Calais is 25 years old right now and is making $555,000 this season. I can't believe that if you put an extra zero on the end of that for this year right now, he wouldn't jump at the chance.

Antonio Smith signed for 5 yrs $35 million, so I think the 5 yrs 40 million is around what we will end up paying. I hope we get it done soon and dont let this guy hit the market....

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

Antonio Smith signed for 5 yrs $35 million, so I think the 5 yrs 40 million is around what we will end up paying. I hope we get it done soon and dont let this guy hit the market....

that would be a steal for Campbell depending upon the signing bonus. Right there should tell the Cards what they are looking at in the let CC hit market. Smith's deal was a few years ago and Campbell is a better player. Campbell was a 2nd round pick and Smith spent time on the PS. Richard Seymour signed a 2 year 22.5 mill contract that can increase to 30 mill. Campbell won't get that kind of money but he'll be closer to Seymour than Smith.

 

[Duckjake]

Imagine this D without CC... The guy has played in 55/56 games in his 4 year career and is going into his prime. I would be shocked and sick if we didn't get him locked up. I hope they don't think the emergence of David Carter is a reason NOT to do this. We can give him 5-6M right now for some security before he tests the market.

Good point. But, they let Alan Branch leave just as he was starting to play decently at the DE position and really now have no one under the age of 50 behind Campbell since Carter is a NT. So that could be a sign they intend to keep Calais.

However, these are the Cards and so there is always the possibility they let CC go over money and then spend more in draft picks and FA signings trying to replace him that it would have cost to keep him.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Seriously, pay the guy. Stop dicking around with our best players.

Unfortunately that's not the "Cardinal Way"

 

[RugbyMuffin]

Unfortunately that's not the "Cardinal Way"

+1

 

[Alan]

Kent Somers: kentsomers Kent Somers
Cardinals plan to open contract talks soon with Calais Campbell. http://bit.ly/v6Q9la

6 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

 

[kerouac9]

Kent Somers: kentsomers Kent Somers
Cardinals plan to open contract talks soon with Calais Campbell. http://bit.ly/v6Q9la

6 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

It's apparent that Coach Whis doesn't really like a lot of his defensive linemen after Dockett. Twice in two weeks he's had opportunities to prop up Calais Campbell and Dan Williams, and instead chose the qualified non-praise that is quoted in the link.

It's a shame.

Also, Andrew Brandt noted that the time to pro-rate salary into the 2010 cap year has now expired. Joe probably knows more about this than I do (and maybe Brandt), but there's some way that 2010 salary cap space can be rolled over into the next two years (I have no idea how--someone in the comments of Brandt's article on the National Football Post mentioned it), apparently.

It's stunning that it's only now that the Cards are beginning to open negotiations with one of the three or four best defensive players, and their best young defensive player. If this doesn't happen before December, Campbell is going to reach free agency, and we can look forward to hearing Shane and 40 say that he was overpaid by Dallas/Buffalo/Miami/the Jets/Washington/whomever.

You'd think that the pressure of not having a second round pick would encourage the front office to be more proactive about re-signing guys that they'd usually use that pick to replace.

 

[GatorAZ]

If you look at $ off the books... Levi (5M), Porter (1.5), and Dockett's decrease from around 17M to 4M there should be plenty of room. Like Peterson we'll have another top 5 pick taking up 4-5M next year and obviously Fitz/Kolb will leave a dent but this team should be comfortable with a CC extension. Dan William's also makes around 3M less after recieving his 2nd year bonus this year. I'm sure this team will make a FA signing like RT in the Colledge ballpark financially.

 

[Matt L]

I will be impressed if they get him re-signed. I can't say that I am hopeful that it will get done and I definitely won't be surprised when he is playing for another team next fall.

 

[Duckjake]

If you look at $ off the books... Levi (5M), Porter (1.5), and Dockett's decrease from around 17M to 4M there should be plenty of room. Like Peterson we'll have another top 5 pick taking up 4-5M next year and obviously Fitz/Kolb will leave a dent but this team should be comfortable with a CC extension. Dan William's also makes around 3M less after recieving his 2nd year bonus this year. I'm sure this team will make a FA signing like RT in the Colledge ballpark financially.

It will be just too Cardinal for the Bidwills to sign Stewart Bradley to a 5 year $25 million dollar deal with a $10 million signing bonus and then let CC go because he costs too much.

The Cardinals gave Bradley a $10 million signing bonus on a five-year, $25 million contract in late July. He's failed to crack the inside linebacker rotation behind Paris Lenon and Daryl Washington, managing just 14 tackles on the season. Needless to day, he's been a colossal free agent bust thus far.

 

[john h]

URGH!!!!! Just pay the man!

I agree. Pay him what he is worth and do not p--him off and make him want to get out of here. It seems we always look for the cheapest way out and when it come down to the real signing itime the player is so p---of by then he will leave for a lesser salary from another team. I read almost daily about teams extending contracts for their good playerrs. We need the guys like Campbell so the quicker you can sign him long term the better. Like Fram say you pay me now or pay me later. Later is always more expensive or even worse not at all.

 

[john h]

I agree, but it looks like he will be here next year regardless.

Rather than just looking at next year we should be giving 3-5 year deal. That is what I am seeing other teams do. A one year deal is just enough to make the player mad and ready to leave ASAP.

 

[john h]

Boldin.

All these names you mention would make us a playf off caliber team. Are we dumb or ae we dumber? You do not have to be a professional football manager to understand you do all you can to keep your core of good players together as long as you can. That is called doing good business. We are driven buy money first and foremost. That is not going to change no matter how much we moan and groan. As long as Papa Bidwill is in charge of the money it is his way or the highway. Graves would agree.

 

[john h]

The franchise tag is just an option, we all know that Rod Graves is working diligently behind the scene to quickly get this done

he more than likely is shinning Mr. Gaves shoes..

 

[Cheesebeef]

i almost feel like we don't give out contract extensions early in the season somewhat HOPING the guy won't have a good contract year so we can get him at a discounted rate.

i just don't get why it's taken this long to start negotiations.

 

[BigRedRage]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/11/10/cardinals-want-to-re-sign-calais-campbell/

 

[Matt L]

Would he really be a better 4-3 end than 3-4 end?

 

[Chopper0080]

Would he really be a better 4-3 end than 3-4 end?

Not really. He has found his niche is this scheme.