Dockett Deserved Better

[tnmike]

There is probably more to the story than anyone on the outside knows. I think they probably got tired of his boorish behavior.

 

[GatorAZ]

BS.

Why are we to even believe Dockett said in the interview? He's been all over the place with his statements throughout his career.

Can't believe it took people this long to see through the BS with this guy. Total clown act for years.

 

[TJ]

The Cards did what every good franchise should do to aging players coming off of significant knee injuries---force them to take a significant pay cut or release them. Dockett has rendered himself a rotation player at best with his age, lack of production, and coming off of major knee surgery. The 9ers overpaid for a part time player.

Im not thrilled we lost Dockett, but the team is far far bigger than him.

 

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

The 9ers overpaid for a part time player.

I like it...the new 9-O: 9ers Overpaid.

 

[WildBB]

Hey I love Dockett but he is a very prideful (an loyal) guy. There wasn't going to be a great way for him to be released. I will say this for the Cards, they are running it like a business like the Patriots have done for years. They brought back Fitz because he is the face of the franchise. DD is too lose a cannon to be the face of the franchise but he was the soul of the franchise.

This. ADub as well. You move on.

 

[WildBB]

I like it...the new 9-O: 9ers Overpaid.

Not really. Cards Brass just wanted to move on.

 

[DoTheDew]

The fact is Dockett is going to be 34 and is coming off a nasty injury. Clearly the front office believes he doesn't have much left in the tank. He may prove them wrong and he may do so twice against us, or he may prove them right.

You posted a "what would the Patriots do" thread earlier Mitch. One thing they wouldn't do is pay an old player coming off a nasty injury for the sake of loyalty or because they "deserve better."

 

[redheat]

He was being phased out 2 years ago. If anything we were late in cutting him.

 

[RON_IN_OC]

The fact is Dockett is going to be 34 and is coming off a nasty injury. Clearly the front office believes he doesn't have much left in the tank. He may prove them wrong and he may do so twice against us, or he may prove them right.

You posted a "what would the Patriots do" thread earlier Mitch. One thing they wouldn't do is pay an old player coming off a nasty injury for the sake of loyalty or because they "deserve better."

See: Wilfork, Vince

IMO, he meant more to the Pats than Dock to the Cards, and the Pats just dropped him like 3rd period math...and Vince isn't coming off an injury.


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[Mitch]

The fact is Dockett is going to be 34 and is coming off a nasty injury. Clearly the front office believes he doesn't have much left in the tank. He may prove them wrong and he may do so twice against us, or he may prove them right.

You posted a "what would the Patriots do" thread earlier Mitch. One thing they wouldn't do is pay an old player coming off a nasty injury for the sake of loyalty or because they "deserve better."

The Pats would not have handled this situation the way the Cardinals have. They would have made a clean break and thanked the player for his commitment to the organization...and they would not have insulted the player by offering him unattainable incentives. There is a classy way to move on for both sides and in this case---well, this is plain ugly. It didn't and shouldn't have had to go down this way.

 

[Cbus cardsfan]

The Pats would not have handled this situation the way the Cardinals have. They would have made a clean break and thanked the player for his commitment to the organization...and they would not have insulted the player by offering him unattainable incentives. There is a classy way to move on for both sides and in this case---well, this is plain ugly. It didn't and shouldn't have had to go down this way.

But you're just going from Dockett's perspective. The Cardinals obviously made an offer to him to keep him but he went for the place that offered him a little bit more.

I don't blame him but don't crap on the organization that has taken of you, vey nicely too, because they didn't give you exactly what you wanted.

 

[82CardsGrad]

The Pats would not have handled this situation the way the Cardinals have. They would have made a clean break and thanked the player for his commitment to the organization...and they would not have insulted the player by offering him unattainable incentives. There is a classy way to move on for both sides and in this case---well, this is plain ugly. It didn't and shouldn't have had to go down this way.

Are you kidding or are you actually serious here??
The Cards treated DD extremely well for over a decade! They offered him a fair deal for a player who will be 34 and coming off a bad knee injury! Yea, there were stretch incentive targets in the deal as well, but shouldn't there be for a 34 year old, on the decline and coming off a bad knee injury player??
So DD says he didn't hear from Mike and Keim... I'll wait to hear from those guys before I take DD's words for gospel.
DD says the $$ difference was less than $500k! So, you leave the team that has treated you extremely well for over a decade, the team that drafted you and changed your life forever, to go to the one team you had previously claimed to hate the most, for less than a 1/2 million difference???? Seriously????
In short, DD's feelings, ego and pride got in the way of his decision making. IMHO, there was no way he would play for the team that essentially offered a pay package that would in effect pay him less than a third of what his contract was calling for...
Thx for the memories 9-0. But you made a seriously flawed decision and for that, SUCK IT!

 

[cardfaninfl]

In dealing with school aged children every day, I hear "not fair", or "deserved better" very often. It has been my experience that people receive EXACTLY what they deserve almost 100% of the time.

Dockett was presented a fair offer with plenty of time prior to free agency, so that he could make a decision. DD, as an adult man, decided to express his inability to cope with frustration on Twitter. Now then, pretend you are Mikey B and SK. Do you really believe it is your responsibility to make the telephone call and enable someone who is looking for negative attention?

I believe there is a fundamental difference in the definition of "deserved" and "better". But perhaps you are right, simply cutting-ties is the best way to avoid the perception of being given a disrespectful ultimatum. Then again... maybe Darnell deserved a contract offer that his agent could then use as a mark to better for his client.

 

[az jam]

So DD says he didn't hear from Mike and Keim... I'll wait to hear from those guys before I take DD's words for gospel.
..
Thx for the memories 9-0. But you made a seriously flawed decision and for that, SUCK IT!

No surprise. How often do they talk to a player when negotiating with their agent?? Especially when Drew Rosenhaus is your agent.

 

[BigRedRage]

It is comical how much new england slobbering is on this board lately. New england woulda done this! New england woulda done that!

screw new england. Our management has been doing great the last few years and working like a well oiled franchise. Until that starts falling apart, let them make their own legacy vs clamoring for them to act like new england.

And sign wilfork.

 

[SoCal Cardfan]

Can't believe it took people this long to see through the BS with this guy. Total clown act for years.

Go read through my posts.. I figured him out about 6 years ago lol.

 

[GuernseyCard]

Did you listen to Darnell Dockett's interview with MJ?

I don't blame him one bit and I think pretty much everything he said was honest---he missed 13 practices in 10 years, only 2 games prior to this season, played hurt, busted his tail even during losing streaks, played in practices with cracked ribs when other players missed 8 games with cracked ribs.

And he had what so few Cardinal players have had over the years a now---a beast mode switch.

I asked MJ today what players on the current Cardinals' defense have that switch. He said Calais (agree), Foote (who is now a coach) and that hopefully Patrick Peterson will step up (really?---the guy is afraid of tackling, just ask Marshawn Lynch, and he's one of the three most gifted punt returners on the planet and he won't return punts).

What was particularly troubling to hear from Darnell was that even when he came back to see if the Cardinals would match the 49ers' offer, neither Michael Bidwill nor Steve Keim even spoke to him.

Bidwill, who went to bat publicly for Fitz, apparently has not said one word to Dockett during this entire process.

The only time he heard from Keim was one time a few weeks ago when he informed Dockett he would have to take a pay cut. That's it.

For a player and highly passionate, dedicated leader who has been with the Cardinals for 10 years?

That is bad.

At least, Dockett had nothing but praise for BA. Said BA has reached out to him a couple of times and that BA deserves all the accolades he gets---that BA has treated him like a man, as has BA's wife, BA's son and BA's son's wife. Dockett said that if he doesn't get into the Cardinals' Ring of Honor at least he knows he will always have the relationships he forged with BA, BA's family and many of his most cherished Cardinal teammates.

What the 49ers did is they took a $2M gamble on Dockett---forget the rest of the contract numbers. All that matters is the guaranteed money. If Dockett shows up and is good to go, he can double the $2M into $4 for this season.

Seems like a very small number to pay for an alpha dog who could be the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.

Guess the Cardinals were not willing to take that gamble. And to tease Dockett with ridiculous incentives was a joke, and in my opinion, an embarrassment.

If he's on the 53 man SF roster week one, his 2015 salary is guaranteed.

Thus, he's certain of $4M in 2015.

Had the Cards matched the offer, the real cost would have been the above, plus the $3M in dead money ($7M) in 2015.

More... than the $6.5M due in 2015 on his old deal.

Not surprising the Cards passed.

 

[Goldfield]

Whatever. I loved Dock and he was #birdgang. But he is done, he had a decent offer for a dude his age and injury status and left it in order to take a slightly larger deal with a division rival that he has professed to hate over the years...and after giving noted mercenary Dansby static for chasing the money the year before.

Dock goes to a team in turmoil that missed the playoffs, lost their coach, lost their star RB, hired a nobody as HC and is on a tailspin, instead of signing with the team that brought him up, a coach that he obviously respects, with a eye on improving from an injury riddled 11 win playoff season. HE chose to go to SF and test the market rather than taking the deal on the table. Mr. Loyalty my ass.

Niner-0 can suck a fat one as he tweets about his last place in the NFC West team next season.

I agree completely. It isn't like the 9ers offered him a contract he couldn't refuse.

But I also hope management didn't just turn their back on him during all of this. He has been a huge part of this franchises turn around and he deserves to be treated respectfully weather he was part of the plan or not.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

If he's on the 53 man SF roster week one, his 2015 salary is guaranteed.

Thus, he's certain of $4M in 2015.

Had the Cards matched the offer, the real cost would have been the above, plus the $3M in dead money ($7M) in 2015.

More... than the $6.5M due in 2015 on his old deal.

Not surprising the Cards passed.

THIS.

So sick of Dockett and others trying to put this on the Cards because they did not match San Fran's offer.

Dockett offered them a chance to match it - KNOWING they would not.

Big whoop, IMHO.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

It is comical how much new england slobbering is on this board lately. New england woulda done this! New england woulda done that!

screw new england. Our management has been doing great the last few years and working like a well oiled franchise. Until that starts falling apart, let them make their own legacy vs clamoring for them to act like new england.

And sign wilfork.

Ditto. Screw the Pats.

 

[PortlandCardFan]

Whatever. I loved Dock and he was #birdgang. But he is done, he had a decent offer for a dude his age and injury status and left it in order to take a slightly larger deal with a division rival that he has professed to hate over the years...and after giving noted mercenary Dansby static for chasing the money the year before.

Dock goes to a team in turmoil that missed the playoffs, lost their coach, lost their star RB, hired a nobody as HC and is on a tailspin, instead of signing with the team that brought him up, a coach that he obviously respects, with a eye on improving from an injury riddled 11 win playoff season. HE chose to go to SF and test the market rather than taking the deal on the table. Mr. Loyalty my ass.

Niner-0 can suck a fat one as he tweets about his last place in the NFC West team next season.

+1

 

[BigRedMO]

The devil is always in the details with Bidwill. We will see how is replacement performs. Having a salary floor now takes out a lot of Bidwill's ability to go cheap on players. I recall after the '98 playoff year the wholesale dismemberment of that team in an era before there was a salary floor. In deals like this competence is still a question about Bidwill.

 

[GuernseyCard]

The devil is always in the details with Bidwill. We will see how is replacement performs. Having a salary floor now takes out a lot of Bidwill's ability to go cheap on players. I recall after the '98 playoff year the wholesale dismemberment of that team in an era before there was a salary floor.

Feel free to join us in the 21st century.

 

[PDXChris]

The devil is always in the details with Bidwill. We will see how is replacement performs. Having a salary floor now takes out a lot of Bidwill's ability to go cheap on players. I recall after the '98 playoff year the wholesale dismemberment of that team in an era before there was a salary floor. In deals like this competence is still a question about Bidwill.

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[RON_IN_OC]

Feel free to join us in the 21st century.

Hey, at least he spells Bidwill correctly.