Hartwell still a possibility??

[blillyl]

Las Vegan one of NFL's top free agents

By MARK ANDERSON
REVIEW-JOURNAL



Linebacker Ed Hartwell, shown while with the Baltimore Ravens, reportedly is asking for $4 million a year.
REVIEW-JOURNAL FILE PHOTO






Las Vegan Ed Hartwell has played his way into one of the NFL's hottest free agents, and the linebacker could have a new home by today.

Hartwell just completed an interview with the Atlanta Falcons after speaking to the Arizona Cardinals earlier this week. He is looking seriously at five clubs and will fly to Seattle to visit with the Seahawks on Monday if a deal isn't completed this weekend.

"There's a lot of interest," said Harold Lewis, Hartwell's agent. "He's the most sought-after guy of all the guys at linebacker."

ESPN rated Hartwell (6 feet 1 inch, 250 pounds) the No. 5 free agent.

If a deal is finalized this weekend, it probably would be with Arizona or Atlanta.

Hartwell, who went to Cheyenne High School, first interviewed with the Kansas City Chiefs, but they signed Kendrell Bell.

Though Lewis would not reveal Hartwell's asking price, he reportedly wants at least $4 million annually. Last season, he made $1.348 million on a one-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens.

Lewis said the asking price was so he and Hartwell would know which teams were serious.

"We had to separate the pretenders from the contenders," Lewis said. "I don't want him to go somewhere where they're going to make him a backup or pay an average linebacker contract. He's one of the best linebackers in the game, and he should be rewarded as one. This is his one chance in free agency. You don't get that at the draft. You get it as a 26-year-old.

"It's scared off some teams. You can't make 32 trips. The team that will get him won't be the highest bidder. There might be a team that comes in with a number that blows us away, and there could be a team a couple of hundred thousand less or even $500,000 less (that fits into the plan)."

Lewis said among the key factors are an organization's commitment to winning, the defensive scheme, coaching stability and the city.

Hartwell was with the Ravens throughout his four-year career. He made 96 tackles last season, with his best year in 2002 when he had 142 tackles.

Playing next to Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis cut down on Hartwell's opportunities, and part of the asking price is the belief that Hartwell will break out if given the chance to be the primary linebacker

 

[Codeofhammurabi]

Can we get Hartwell, Keep Shelton at LT, sign Renaldo Hill for our second corner, and draft Brown or Williams and still be under the cap? If so let's do it.


GO CARDS!!!

 

[DakotaCardsFan]

Las Vegan one of NFL's top free agents

Linebacker Ed Hartwell, shown while with the Baltimore Ravens, reportedly is asking for $4 million a year.

No mention of his current signing bonus expectations. Wasn't he asking for $10 - $12 million s/b just a few days ago? My guess is that he's down to at least half of that now. If we can hold off just a little longer, I'm thinking he'll sign for $38.00 and a set of snow tires!

Seriously, we'd have great depth at linebacker with him here, but I think the cap space could be put to better use at other positions (i.e. the one's we don't even have a true starter at yet.)

 

[joeshmo]

Here are my thoughts on this whole Hartwell thing.

I really do believe we have the best offer on the table right now. But I dont think it is the contract that Hartwell or his agent have been looking for. Which is why his agent keeps leaking stories of how Hartwell is close to signing with other teams, or how Hartwell is going to visit another team, or how another team has called for a visit. He is doing this to try and scare or bluff the Cards to raise the contract, and we are not calling his bluff.

We have a contract on the table still and it is a take it or leave offer, and that offer will always be on the table for as long as we dont sign anyone else and stays within our cap budget.

 

[ajcardfan]

That's how I read it too joe. Especially revealing was the comment about how they might take 500,000 less. I would guess our offer is 3 mil a year and he's trying to get us to split the difference.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

That's how I read it too joe. Especially revealing was the comment about how they might take 500,000 less. I would guess our offer is 3 mil a year and he's trying to get us to split the difference.

... or maybe it's not so much the 4m number, but how it splits between bonus and salary.

Example: Hartwell: bonus: 5 X 2.5 = 12.5m guaranteed or 5 X 2M: 10m guaranteed. Salary: 1.5m or 2m over 5 years

The Cards, in turn, may have little problem with the final figure over 5 years, but would prefer a bonus of 1m X 5 or 1.5m X 5 = 7.5m... and the balance in salary. Either 3m in case one or 2.5m in the second.

 

[ajcardfan]

I don't think there's any way the give more than 5 million in bonus to Hartwell. Five million is how much Berry got, Wilson and Okeafor got a little less than that upfront. Ross got 3.5 mil and Warner got 2 mil upfront. If they threw bigger bonus money at Hartwell than any of those guys, I think it would tick them off some and set a bad precedent for future negotiations. At most, he will get as much as Okeafor, and I really doubt that. I think the offer is around 3 mil in bonus for three years, 4 mil for four years.

 

[Doc Cardinal]

If he comes here I'll be excited.


If he doesn't come here I won't be depressed.

 

[Jttsaz]

Falcons | Adams Visits - from www.KFFL.com
Sat, 12 Mar 2005 10:34:52 -0800

Updating a previous report, Matt Winkeljohn, of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, reports the Atlanta Falcons met with free agent LB Keith Adams (Eagles) Thursday, March 10.

 

[RobbleRobble]

Here are my thoughts on this whole Hartwell thing.

I really do believe we have the best offer on the table right now. But I dont think it is the contract that Hartwell or his agent have been looking for. Which is why his agent keeps leaking stories of how Hartwell is close to signing with other teams, or how Hartwell is going to visit another team, or how another team has called for a visit. He is doing this to try and scare or bluff the Cards to raise the contract, and we are not calling his bluff.

We have a contract on the table still and it is a take it or leave offer, and that offer will always be on the table for as long as we dont sign anyone else and stays within our cap budget.

I agree.

In addition, I don't think we're really serious about James. This flirtation with James the past couple of days, IMO, has been about putting it out there that we've got enough money to throw at one more guy. Obviously if we brought in James, we wouldn't be bringing in Hartwell, which I'm sure he knows.

I think Hartwell wants to be a Card and the Cards want him. Its just a game of chicken right now to see if either side blinks on the terms.