Fitz Deal: 4 years, $40 million (Done!!!)

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

for all intent and purpose

No, that was intetional pun...This deal and its impact before and after it has been cause for heart attacks by many of us...

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Thank God he is signed, this place was becoming unreadable with all the anti-Fitz, anti-Graves BS...it grew tiresome.

Right! Now it'll be reduced to anti-Graves. No less tiresome to me.

 

[Reddog]

I think that was his point. A lot of people on here were saying Fitz was all about the money & looking to hurt the Cards, etc. aj is saying that those people were all wrong.

It is what it is. There wasn't much you could do with the deal we were hampered with. If people want to bitch they should focus on the last deal. This deal is about as good as we could expect given our bargaining position.

 

[WildBB]

If I read it right, 33 Mil. in the first three years of the contract, with 17 Mil. the first year.

That would leave 8 or 9 Mil. for 2009, and 7 or 8 Mil. in 2010. With 7 Mil. left for 2011 when the party's will be negotiating a new extention.

So LF is here for the duration. Congrats.

 

[40yearfan]

CARDINALS REACH AGREEMENT
WITH WR LARRY FITZGERALD

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Tempe, AZ – The Arizona Cardinals Football Club today announced that the team has agreed to terms on a four-year contract with wide receiver LARRY FITZGERALD. The new deal will keep him under contract with Arizona through the 2011 season. In accordance with club policy, terms were not disclosed.

Fitzgerald was selected to his second Pro Bowl last season after recording an NFC leading 100 receptions for 1,409 yards and a team leading 10 touchdowns. The 100 receptions gave him his second 100-catch season of his career, joining teammate Anquan Boldin as the only players in franchise history to record two 100-catch seasons.

The 24-year old Minneapolis native was first selected to the Pro Bowl following the 2005 season after he set a franchise record with 103 receptions for 1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns, also becoming the youngest receiver in NFL history to record a 100-catch campaign that season when he was 22 years old.

Originally the third overall selection in the 2004 NFL Draft out of Pittsburgh, Fitzgerald has started in all 60 games in which he has appeared with the Cardinals collecting 330 receptions for 4,544 yards (13.8 yard avg.) and 34 touchdowns.

- www.azcardinals.com -

Hey Jim O. Tell RG I said nice job.

 

[scXfreakX]

I am so happy we got this done. If we couldn't have got something done and he would of left, that would have obviously been very bad. Im so freaking happy we got this done!

 

[wierwolf]

Thank god!! Congrats Fitz!!! Now I get to keep my Jersey!!!! LOL

 

[AntSports Steve]

Graves got the Cards a good deal. I think Fitz could get an $11M per year deal from just about any team.

He already had $14.5 M almost guaranteed money with the old contract. Only a non-football injury before the season starts could prevent him from getting that.

Now, this new deal gives him a $15M signing bonus (same as he salary would have been). But if he gets injured, the rest is not guaranteed still.

He would have been better off risking it and collecting his old 2008 salary and then getting a huge signing bonus next year.

 

[lobo]

Thank God he is signed, this place was becoming unreadable with all the anti-Fitz, anti-Graves BS...it grew tiresome.

To say the VERY least. I stopped reading this stuff miles ago.

 

[red desert]

Someone please please tell me why everyone is so happy about this?? Basically, Graves bent entirely over and gave Fitz exactly what he wanted. If that was the gameplan this could have been done weeks ago.

For the life of me I just dont get this. There goes the power-run theme.

I hope all of you are this happy in a year or two when Q is gone.

I'm thinking the exact same thing. Un freakin' real.

Just so that I'm sure you hear what I'm saying:

Graves is the dumbest, most unqualified GM in the history of the NFL

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I have a Premier Red Larry Fitzgerald jersey for sale. It has never been worn.

Wow much sour grapes?

 

[red desert]

Because this is the opposite of what has happened in the past, where the Cardinals let talented players leave. This locks up a pro-bowl receiver for four years, and enables the Cardinals to be active in free agency if they want.

I could care less if Fitz is getting paid more than you like. I do care about keeping one of our best players happy and in red for the next few years. And yes, I'm happy he got a no-trade clause because I don't want him playing in Philadelphia.

Your post makes absolutely no sense.

 

[cardsfanmd]

Wow much sour grapes?

Yeah, that was an ignorant thing to say. I went back and deleted it. He's a great player and he plays for our team, there is no excuse more me to bitch now that the deal is done.

Here's to Larry and hopes that he and Q are here together and wearing rings in the near future:

 

[PoolBoy]

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! finally.

peace in the ASFN community!

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Good work Graves.

 

[red desert]

Overlooked in the relief over Fitzgerald's signing is that the damage is already done in terms of 2008 free agency, and that the Cardinals may now have some real challenges ahead in managing their roster. From today's column by Mike Sando on ESPN.com:

"...inactivity isn't always the best policy. Count the Arizona Cardinals among the teams that probably have missed out.

Despite signing pass-rusher Travis LaBoy from the Tennessee Titans, the Cardinals could use another veteran starter or two to help second-year coach Ken Whisenhunt further establish a hard-nosed identity. But with Larry Fitzgerald's contract eating up nearly $16.5 million in salary-cap space, Arizona hasn't even re-signed any of its own UFAs. Fourteen hit the market. Two signed elsewhere.

The Cardinals own rights to 48 players, counting three restricted free agents and franchise player Karlos Dansby. The other 31 teams claim 64 players on average. The Denver Broncos claim a league-high 78. Arizona is the only team with fewer than 54 (Kansas City).

Including LaBoy, the Cardinals own rights to only 16 defensive players, another league low and well off the average for other teams (27.7). LaBoy, who has battled concussions, is one of 25 UFAs who have changed teams after starting fewer games last season than in 2006, a potential sign of diminishing production."​

Good luck digging yourself outta this hole, Rod.

WC

Respond to that, Rugby. Or any other of you Graves lemmings.

 

[cardsfanmd]

Respond to that, Rugby. Or any other of you Graves lemmings.

In all fairness, I dont think Rugby is a big Graves supporter. That would be 40, Skkorp, nidan and some others. Rugby is a Cardinal lover who is drunk off koolaid 110% of the time IMO.

This may be a good day for most on this board, and maybe it was good to retain Fitz, but there is no doubt Graves did a piss-poor job of it. I had NEVER EVER putdown RG before this debaticle, but he has officially convinced me now that he is inept and needs to go.

 

[AZ Native]

Well, I think it is great. Sorry for the late posting. Now that I am retired I don't check the computer as often. I didn't realize how much time I spent on the computer at work until I retire.

 

[PACardsFan]

In all fairness, I dont think Rugby is a big Graves supporter. That would be 40, Skkorp, nidan and some others. Rugby is a Cardinal lover who is drunk off koolaid 110% of the time IMO.

This may be a good day for most on this board, and maybe it was good to retain Fitz, but there is no doubt Graves did a piss-poor job of it. I had NEVER EVER putdown RG before this debaticle, but he has officially convinced me now that he is inept and needs to go.

It's D E B A C L E!!!!!!!! Nothing pisses a Dad off more than when his son can't spell. I told you that you needed to study harder. All this whining about this signing is really annoying me. As a Cardinal fan that has seen it all, I am very, very, very pleased with what transpired today. Not that long ago, ownership would have allowed Fitz to go elsewhere & we would be back to square 1. Can we now move forward to the draft??????????

 

[Arizona's Finest]

It's D E B A C L E!!!!!!!! Nothing pisses a Dad off more than when his son can't spell. I told you that you needed to study harder. All this whining about this signing is really annoying me. As a Cardinal fan that has seen it all, I am very, very, very pleased with what transpired today. Not that long ago, ownership would have allowed Fitz to go elsewhere & we would be back to square 1. Can we now move forward to the draft??????????

CardsfanMD - you are one of my fav posters - but relax bud...you have had an edge the last few. Ebb and flow man. My getting banned last week must have sobered me up while it seemed to stoke your fire.

I agree Rod Graves sucks. I'm not really sure how anyone can justify otherwise. But that doesn't mean he is devoid of doing ANYTHING good. Fitz leaving would have been a disaster. We would have been a national laughing stock. I'm glad this got done.

Yeah this might end up biting us in the butt down the road.

But by that time I'm hoping that there will be a compentent GM in place to fix it right up

 

[dogpoo32]

It's D E B A C L E!!!!!!!! Nothing pisses a Dad off more than when his son can't spell. I told you that you needed to study harder. All this whining about this signing is really annoying me. As a Cardinal fan that has seen it all, I am very, very, very pleased with what transpired today. Not that long ago, ownership would have allowed Fitz to go elsewhere & we would be back to square 1. Can we now move forward to the draft??????????

Wisdom! Whisdom? Coincidence? I need more wine. Also, welcome back AZF!

 

[Arizona's Finest]

Wisdom! Whisdom? Coincidence? I need more wine. Also, welcome back AZF!

Thanks

Man its tough to want to respond soooo bad and just not be able to.

This place is like crack.

 

[Gee!]

CARDINALS REACH AGREEMENT
WITH WR LARRY FITZGERALD

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Oh dear God.. Please never post this pic again..

 

[CardinalChris]

I agree, the contract should have never gotten to this point so long into free agency. I do disagree that it has kept Arizona from being active. I think the cap room will be used to resign current players, not bring in new ones. We need bodies, and that extra room wasn't going to be used to sign 1 big-name guy.

But did anybody else look at the money involved? Larry was slated to make 31+ mil over the next 2 years. In stead he is taking 9 mil more for an additional 2 years. I know, Arizona wanted a 6 year deal and had to bend to get it done down to a 4 year deal.... but the value on this compared to early numbers or predictions are sort of.... well..... decent. And the contract seems to be a straight 4 year deal, no inflated years. So a little late, Rod, but you did a decent job of recovering from the delay and getting a deal that is probably less than what Larry would normally have gotten.

 

[40yearfan]

Respond to that, Rugby. Or any other of you Graves lemmings.

It won't do any good to respond. You wouldn't understand it anyway. You are so filled with hatred that you refuse to listen to anything rational. Being consumed with hate is a terrible way to go through life. Get help.