Kerry Rhodes still unemployed?

[LoyaltyisaCurse]

ridiculous? one of the best players on one of the better defenses in the league, who's still smack dab in his prime, is jobless and hasn't even gotten a whiff from anyone all off-season long because...of why? oh yeah...he wants too much money? pretty sure if guys like Dansby, Winston and Abraham could all be cut because of salary and realized they needed to take much smaller/shorter deals, Rhodes must be the biggest idiot in the world not to have done the same thing. Dude's not even in the league...AT ALL because he still thinks he should be getting paid what he made this year? come on. THAT'S ridiculous.

This...

 

[CardsFan88]

Wouldn't occum's razor suggest that if 4 teams were interested in him, then the homosexual rumors weren't a problem?

Which is also funny about occum's razor, it has a wide variation and leads people to tears. It doesn't mean it can't let you see something from another angle, but determining where it is appropriate to use it is always key.

Because if being gay WAS a problem, then those four teams wouldn't be interested in him.

Besides, while we live in a world that wrongfully judges people on sexual orientation, whether he is gay or not, he doesn't bring it to the locker room, so why would anyone care? Also for collusion among 32 teams would require 32 front offices who are dead set against employing a homosexual. I find that hard to believe, even if it was 20 years ago, which it isn't. Now some teams are set at the position so 32 teams wouldn't be interested, but you get the idea. Whatever teams needed safeties, I doubt all of them would be bigots.

Now this doesn't mean he isn't being discriminated upon, because we don't have access to all the facts, however I'm hard pressed to find a valid reason why he would be.

There were a good deal of safeties in the draft and free agency. Even at positions where talent was less available, veterans were getting very small offers.

He had four teams interested, and they probably figured they go with someone even cheaper and like said above, plays special teams or anything the team would ask of them.

Perhaps if he had lowered his standards earlier and jumped on an offer from one of those four teams he'd be on one now. But at this point camp is basically over, if you aren't signed, you need a Kevin Kolb getting injured scenario to get a job a la Leinart.

Perhaps that's where he's been all along, waiting for someone on a contender to get injured. Who knows. Maybe he's waiting for a starting role. Perhaps the money isn't the issue but playing time. Perhaps after making the money did, he simply doesn't want to show up and be 2nd or 3rd string somewhere. Small amount of money plus backup role might not motivate him. Again who knows.

We also have to remember that the basis for any potential discrimination comes not from Rhodes, but from a former employee and friend of Rhodes spouting off. Who knows, maybe his friend just wanted to cause him trouble. Which also makes the rationale that GM's might be discriminating against him hold even less water. Because why would someone discriminate against a potential homosexual player who isn't even out, if there is anything to be out about? Not just one front office, but all who might need his services.

I simply think there were a glut of safeties both veteran and draftees that could be had cheaper, and once teams had their fill, guys like Rhodes were left out. I'm open to any facts that state otherwise, but until then I'll think he's simply an odd man out.

 

[Russ Smith]

Wouldn't occum's razor suggest that if 4 teams were interested in him, then the homosexual rumors weren't a problem?

Which is also funny about occum's razor, it has a wide variation and leads people to tears. It doesn't mean it can't let you see something from another angle, but determining where it is appropriate to use it is always key.

Because if being gay WAS a problem, then those four teams wouldn't be interested in him.

Besides, while we live in a world that wrongfully judges people on sexual orientation, whether he is gay or not, he doesn't bring it to the locker room, so why would anyone care? Also for collusion among 32 teams would require 32 front offices who are dead set against employing a homosexual. I find that hard to believe, even if it was 20 years ago, which it isn't. Now some teams are set at the position so 32 teams wouldn't be interested, but you get the idea. Whatever teams needed safeties, I doubt all of them would be bigots.

Now this doesn't mean he isn't being discriminated upon, because we don't have access to all the facts, however I'm hard pressed to find a valid reason why he would be.

There were a good deal of safeties in the draft and free agency. Even at positions where talent was less available, veterans were getting very small offers.

He had four teams interested, and they probably figured they go with someone even cheaper and like said above, plays special teams or anything the team would ask of them.

Perhaps if he had lowered his standards earlier and jumped on an offer from one of those four teams he'd be on one now. But at this point camp is basically over, if you aren't signed, you need a Kevin Kolb getting injured scenario to get a job a la Leinart.

Perhaps that's where he's been all along, waiting for someone on a contender to get injured. Who knows. Maybe he's waiting for a starting role. Perhaps the money isn't the issue but playing time. Perhaps after making the money did, he simply doesn't want to show up and be 2nd or 3rd string somewhere. Small amount of money plus backup role might not motivate him. Again who knows.

We also have to remember that the basis for any potential discrimination comes not from Rhodes, but from a former employee and friend of Rhodes spouting off. Who knows, maybe his friend just wanted to cause him trouble. Which also makes the rationale that GM's might be discriminating against him hold even less water. Because why would someone discriminate against a potential homosexual player who isn't even out, if there is anything to be out about? Not just one front office, but all who might need his services.

I simply think there were a glut of safeties both veteran and draftees that could be had cheaper, and once teams had their fill, guys like Rhodes were left out. I'm open to any facts that state otherwise, but until then I'll think he's simply an odd man out.

Which 4 teams? can you name the 4, or 3, or 2 or even 1? We went over this on the board when that story came out, Rhodes never once named any of them and even the people who reported the story were clearly skeptical he actually had 4 teams interested. He said a signing could happen in a week, it's been 2 months.

I think it's pretty clear Rhodes and his agent were trying to get his name out there and make it public hey this guy is still pretty good and nobody wants him.

he's not the only one, Mikell is still unsigned too, but he's 2 full years older and at least one report said when the Panthers had him in to take a look they were concerned he wasn't healthy and backed off. Mikell is also purely a SS where Rhodes can and has played both positions as recently as last year.

I agree he is probably going to have to take a paycut. I think it's kind of hard to assume he's just so dumb or so proud he's going to end his career rather than accept that?

And again if there is a glut of safeties out there, or was, why are we starting Rashad Johnson, a guy who could not beat out Rhodes head to head last year?

 

[crisper57]

Didn't we ask him to restructure and he said no?

The market for veterans is pretty soft these days. Look at the price we paid for Dansby, Winston, and Abraham.

I think it is more likely that some teams have shown interest, but not at a price level where he feels he deserves.

 

[AzStevenCal]

I really doubt that he's unemployed because he's gay or rumored to be. I suspect, as is usually the case, that it's a combination of factors. His age, his asking price, his impact on the locker room and concerns over the possible media attention and subsequent distractions all play a part. Also, aren't there financial reasons for a club to wait to sign a veteran until after the season starts?

Steve

 

[GuernseyCard]

Which 4 teams? can you name the 4, or 3, or 2 or even 1? We went over this on the board when that story came out, Rhodes never once named any of them and even the people who reported the story were clearly skeptical he actually had 4 teams interested. He said a signing could happen in a week, it's been 2 months.

I think it's pretty clear Rhodes and his agent were trying to get his name out there and make it public hey this guy is still pretty good and nobody wants him.

he's not the only one, Mikell is still unsigned too, but he's 2 full years older and at least one report said when the Panthers had him in to take a look they were concerned he wasn't healthy and backed off. Mikell is also purely a SS where Rhodes can and has played both positions as recently as last year.

I agree he is probably going to have to take a paycut. I think it's kind of hard to assume he's just so dumb or so proud he's going to end his career rather than accept that?

And again if there is a glut of safeties out there, or was, why are we starting Rashad Johnson, a guy who could not beat out Rhodes head to head last year?

The fans evaluation of both Rhodes and Johnson differs greatly from that of Arians / Keim and Co.

 

[Cheesebeef]

The fans evaluation of both Rhodes and Johnson differs greatly from that of Arians / Keim and Co.

man, if Keim/Arians think, money aside, Johnson is a better safety then Rhodes, we've got big problems in our future.

 

[GuernseyCard]

man, if Keim/Arians think, money aside, Johnson is a better safety then Rhodes, we've got big problems in our future.

Not necessarily think he's better, but a good investment in the team's future at the position, along with Mathieu.

 

[Russ Smith]

The fans evaluation of both Rhodes and Johnson differs greatly from that of Arians / Keim and Co.

And I hope they're right but 2 years ago we were absolutely set at S with Wilson, Rhodes and marshall, all older guys. Today all 3 are gone, I for one don't think we got better, in fact I think we got quite a bit worse at S.

But maybe Bell is much better than I think despite being older, and maybe the fact that Johnson couldn't beat out any of Wilson, Rhodes or Marshall 2 years ago or Wilson and Rhodes last year shouldn't be a problem. Maybe this is the year he comes into his own.

 

[CardsFan88]

Which 4 teams? can you name the 4, or 3, or 2 or even 1? We went over this on the board when that story came out, Rhodes never once named any of them and even the people who reported the story were clearly skeptical he actually had 4 teams interested. He said a signing could happen in a week, it's been 2 months.

I think it's pretty clear Rhodes and his agent were trying to get his name out there and make it public hey this guy is still pretty good and nobody wants him.

he's not the only one, Mikell is still unsigned too, but he's 2 full years older and at least one report said when the Panthers had him in to take a look they were concerned he wasn't healthy and backed off. Mikell is also purely a SS where Rhodes can and has played both positions as recently as last year.

I agree he is probably going to have to take a paycut. I think it's kind of hard to assume he's just so dumb or so proud he's going to end his career rather than accept that?

And again if there is a glut of safeties out there, or was, why are we starting Rashad Johnson, a guy who could not beat out Rhodes head to head last year?

You're right. But it was him who said it. Not some 3rd party. As always cases like this are difficult to analyze because we don't have all the facts, so invariably drawn conclusions can easily be wrong. We can only go off what we do know, and what we know is Kerry Rhodes claimed four teams were interested. But too many other factors are in play to realistically say it's because 'he's gay', especially since we don't know if he's gay.

Mental games only cloud the situation, and it could easily have swung the other way. One could easily say that if you put out four teams are interested when there are none, then the one or two that might in this scenario be slightly interested could back off because they don't want to get into a bidding war for what they see as a decent player but not worth it to battle with other teams to secure his services. During this time period they find someone else whether it be a lower tier FA or UDFA. Once these guys sign many GM's will just go, well that time has past, we got Joe Blow now and want to see what he can do. There was no need for him to lie or to expect it would generate some madness on the part of a GM to scoop him up quick like.

So if he was playing a head game, it has a decent chance to harm him. Keeping potential employers away. Hell even some sort of lawsuit if discrimination was in play would be harmed by his words. He could then say he was lying, but again that wouldn't look to good in a lawsuit. Somehow if someone was to be gay or whatever discrimination they may be feeling, if they ever planned to take action they wouldn't engage in behavior that could harm their case. It just seems like if you thought you were being discriminated against because you were gay, you wouldn't want to lie about four teams being interested in you.

At some point, you make comments on available info.

That time has passed since he made his statements doesn't really matter, and doesn't really confirm he was lying or if he's being discriminated against. Those four teams, if they existed could have signed someone else. Maybe for cheaper. Again maybe he is looking for a starting role at a backup price but can't find it. Maybe he is too proud to be a backup, or a backup's backup. We really don't know.

What we do know is that for a rich man to not want to play for a certain level of money and/or for a veteran of anything to be potentially pushed down to a backup role, in his case perhaps both or even worse(3rd string), actually isn't silly. It happens all the time.

I wouldn't think less of Rhodes if it was a $$$ reason, or a playing time reason, or a city/region reason, or whatever. He's earned the right to be a free agent and choose his role within the NFL to some degree that reality allows. Now if he wants to be in the NFL above anything else, then I'd say he acted stupidly. But we don't know that. Where do people stand on him being stupid if it was vet minimum for a starting role versus vet minimum to be 3rd string?

There's a difference between someone just wanting a job making decisions that hurt his chances as compared to someone who on his own terms is hurting his chances because he only wants a job under a specific situation.

I see him as a guy who has made a good chunk of money and doesn't need to work again ever. I don't see him as dumb for ending his career if he wants to work in the NFL on his own terms. Again I'd just call him dumb if he wants to have his cake and eat it too in a time of a flour shortage. But we don't have the data to make such a judgement, just to lay out a potential array of possibilities. But when laying them out any one of them is more plausible then not being signed because he might be a homosexual. Might be...because his jilted ex-employee got mad and released some photos which don't show anything gay.

I'm not saying he is doing anything, just saying he might of initially wanted starter pay and a starting role, then went to backup pay and a starting role, perhaps he even now has gone down to backup pay for a backup role...the problem is, even if he has slowly been reducing his demands, the pace could easily of been TOO SLOW to matter. Each time he brought his desires down a notch it was too late for the time period he was then in. We really don't know what he wants or not, but the free agent market and NFL schedule have a way of changing a player's worth.

He might not have responded as fast as the market and is in this position. It would be unfortunate, but these sorts of things happen in life. Things change, and change, and change again, and even if someone has changed at every step, if they did so a day late and a dollar short, they could have lost at every step.

Perhaps he's a free agent because he needed to be at backup price and backup role back during teams OTA's. Every day that goes by makes an unsigned guy less able to contribute, at least initially. Once teams get to training camp, each day is magnified and quite frankly lots of front offices will want to see what they have. Injuries can change the situation, but so far they haven't for Rhodes. Maybe he's the next one to be called if a starter goes down somewhere. But teams are also busy trying to see if anyone they currently are invested in and are in the flow and system know the chance to win a spot first.

Mikell may only know one position and on paper thus be worth less than Rhodes in terms of versatility, but it really only matters what various coaches think, what they want, or what they need. Perhaps the Panthers think Mikell is a better fit for what they want to do, and Rhodes less. Simply put there was a team that wanted Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan. For whatever reason some teams eye certain guys. The Bills actually signed Kevin Kolb. Even if we might think Rhodes has more value and is younger and plays two positions, the Panthers might genuinely feel Mikell was the better player for them.

Perhaps he is discriminated against, but again I see a whole bunch of reasons potentially why he isn't on a team and none of them point to discrimination.

Rashad Johnson has been improving over his career here, and Bowles might see him as a better fit, even if we see him as on overall downgrade.

I don't remember who but we got some praise for drafting him, so I've always felt someone sees something in him. Who knows if its true, but there are some people that obviously do.

Additionally, it could be that we knew we weren't going to re-sign Rhodes and Bowles might simply wanted to start implementing a defense with a player that could potentially play for a number of years, rather than a guy who the front office didn't want to re-sign. That if everything else is equal, you'd rather not start over after a year. We may already be doing that with Bell next year. Perhaps Bowles didn't want to have to replace Bell and Rhodes after this year and start over there. That come next year he wanted at least one of his starting safeties to know the system.

What we do know for a fact is that Rhodes was making far too much. Jarius Byrd just signed his tender after wanting top money. Teams don't want to invest heavily very much this season, and especially not at the safety position. There was clearly a glut in terms of FA and draftees, which again is why Rhodes was in far worse position than Dansby, Abraham, and Winston. When you look at what they signed for it's easy to understand that Rhodes might have dropped his price, maybe multiple times, but still wasn't prepared for the massive shortage of free agent dollars. Players that understood and dropped their price first on the market had a better chance to catch on with someone.

He clearly could play well under a Horton scheme, but still was making too much. Maybe the Cardinals have moved on, perhaps they sent him an offer and he refused. We simply don't know. But Rashad Johnson is starting because someone thinks he can do the job and do it for far less money. That's why we have Rashad Johnson instead of Rhodes. It might be a smart move. It might be a dumb move. But it's the move that was made, and it has saved us some cap space for this year. Perhaps we don't get Winston and Abraham if we hold onto Rhodes.

I'm also taking the viewpoint that since we're not at the end of the year, stating we didn't need to release Rhodes because we're under the cap is premature. We still have the opportunity to re-sign guys long term. So the capspace gives us flexibility and maybe some of the uses of that capspace don't get realized. Sometimes you clear the dinner table and the family member backs out of visiting. You have capspace reserved for a re-signing and it doesn't take place, but if you don't clear the room, you certainly can't do it.

So really my whole position is that we don't have the info to make many final conclusions. He might have been discriminated against. But almost certainly it has to do with any number of other factors. Some in his control. Some not.

 

[MadCardDisease]

I don't get the infatuation with Rhodes by some posters on here. Rhodes had a decent season last year with 4 INTs. However he wasn't worth even close to $6.5M and he didn't want to redo his contract.

I'll gladly take a Solid Starting Right Tacke (Eric Winston), a starting MLB (Karlos Dansby) and a situational pass rusher (John Abraham) over an average safety (Rhodes) any day of the week! 3 for 1!

 

[Cheesebeef]

What we do know is that for a rich man to not want to play for a certain level of money and/or for a veteran of anything to be potentially pushed down to a backup role, in his case perhaps both or even worse(3rd string), actually isn't silly. It happens all the time.

come on...the above implies that Rhodes, who just came off a very good season and is still in his prime, has basically decided to walk away from the game. That doesn't happen "all the time". This isn't Barry Sanders who's an NFL legend and set up for life contract wise. Did Rhodes make decent coin? sure...all NFL players do, but he's never made gobs and gobs of money. The idea that he's made his money and has decided that since he didn't get the offer he wanted, he's done with the game and will walk away just doesn't hold much water IMO.

if that's the case, why would he even say 4 teams were interested in him?

I mean...by not taking ANY job this year, he's basically ended his career. how many guys sit out an entire season at age 30-31 and ever get back in the league? can you think of any guys who held themselves out for a year to put themselves in this position? No. And we've been the beneficiaries of three of those type of players just in this off-season with Winston, Dansby and Abrahams. Those type of players who get squeezed pretty much ALWAYS take a one year deal and see what happens the next year.

I wouldn't think less of Rhodes if it was a $$$ reason, or a playing time reason, or a city/region reason, or whatever. He's earned the right to be a free agent and choose his role within the NFL to some degree that reality allows. Now if he wants to be in the NFL above anything else, then I'd say he acted stupidly. But we don't know that. Where do people stand on him being stupid if it was vet minimum for a starting role versus vet minimum to be 3rd string?

There's a difference between someone just wanting a job making decisions that hurt his chances as compared to someone who on his own terms is hurting his chances because he only wants a job under a specific situation.

nothing hurts a players chance more then simply deciding to sit out an entire season because they didn't find the perfect fit for them.

I see him as a guy who has made a good chunk of money and doesn't need to work again ever. I don't see him as dumb for ending his career if he wants to work in the NFL on his own terms. Again I'd just call him dumb if he wants to have his cake and eat it too in a time of a flour shortage. But we don't have the data to make such a judgement, just to lay out a potential array of possibilities. But when laying them out any one of them is more plausible then not being signed because he might be a homosexual. Might be...because his jilted ex-employee got mad and released some photos which don't show anything gay.

I'm not saying he is doing anything, just saying he might of initially wanted starter pay and a starting role, then went to backup pay and a starting role, perhaps he even now has gone down to backup pay for a backup role...the problem is, even if he has slowly been reducing his demands, the pace could easily of been TOO SLOW to matter. Each time he brought his desires down a notch it was too late for the time period he was then in. We really don't know what he wants or not, but the free agent market and NFL schedule have a way of changing a player's worth.

He might not have responded as fast as the market and is in this position. It would be unfortunate, but these sorts of things happen in life.

thing is...does anyone remember ANY visits that he had or any legit sniffs anyone gave him when he was cut? I mean...I can't remember ONE. And he was cut at the very beginning of FA. That in of itself is beyond strange, considering the season he just came off, not to mention stellar play the previous two years.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I don't get the infatuation with Rhodes by some posters on here. Rhodes had a decent season last year with 4 INTs. However he wasn't worth even close to $6.5M and he didn't want to redo his contract.

I'll gladly take a Solid Starting Right Tacke (Eric Winston), a starting MLB (Karlos Dansby) and a situational pass rusher (John Abraham) over an average safety (Rhodes) any day of the week! 3 for 1!

LOL...now Rhodes, who was ranked as the #4 Safety in the league by PFF is an "average" safety.

and we could still could have signed those guys with Rhodes on the team, while not shelling out money for guys like Bell and Johnson, or the bajillion CBs we signed, none of whom look like they're worth a penny on the contracts they signed.

dude was a very good player for us, a ball hawk and playmaker who helped us get the #5 passing defense in the league. Now, no one likes to believe that their team is in any way shape or form discriminatory and thus, I understand why people are so quick to now devalue Rhodes, but this isn't just a Cardinals thing...this seems like a league wide black-balling of a very good S, that prior to him being cut was lauded by everyone here save Cbus. To be cut early in FA and not get one sniff...from any team just doesn't pass the smell test, IMO.

 

[MadCardDisease]

LOL...now Rhodes, who was ranked as the #4 Safety in the league by PFF is an "average" safety.

Don't believe everything you see on the internet!

 

[Russ Smith]

come on...the above implies that Rhodes, who just came off a very good season and is still in his prime, has basically decided to walk away from the game. That doesn't happen "all the time". This isn't Barry Sanders who's an NFL legend and set up for life contract wise. Did Rhodes make decent coin? sure...all NFL players do, but he's never made gobs and gobs of money. The idea that he's made his money and has decided that since he didn't get the offer he wanted, he's done with the game and will walk away just doesn't hold much water IMO.

if that's the case, why would he even say 4 teams were interested in him?

I mean...by not taking ANY job this year, he's basically ended his career. how many guys sit out an entire season at age 30-31 and ever get back in the league? can you think of any guys who held themselves out for a year to put themselves in this position? No. And we've been the beneficiaries of three of those type of players just in this off-season with Winston, Dansby and Abrahams. Those type of players who get squeezed pretty much ALWAYS take a one year deal and see what happens the next year.



nothing hurts a players chance more then simply deciding to sit out an entire season because they didn't find the perfect fit for them.

I see him as a guy who has made a good chunk of money and doesn't need to work again ever. I don't see him as dumb for ending his career if he wants to work in the NFL on his own terms. Again I'd just call him dumb if he wants to have his cake and eat it too in a time of a flour shortage. But we don't have the data to make such a judgement, just to lay out a potential array of possibilities. But when laying them out any one of them is more plausible then not being signed because he might be a homosexual. Might be...because his jilted ex-employee got mad and released some photos which don't show anything gay.

I'm not saying he is doing anything, just saying he might of initially wanted starter pay and a starting role, then went to backup pay and a starting role, perhaps he even now has gone down to backup pay for a backup role...the problem is, even if he has slowly been reducing his demands, the pace could easily of been TOO SLOW to matter. Each time he brought his desires down a notch it was too late for the time period he was then in. We really don't know what he wants or not, but the free agent market and NFL schedule have a way of changing a player's worth.



thing is...does anyone remember ANY visits that he had or any legit sniffs anyone gave him when he was cut? I mean...I can't remember ONE. And he was cut at the very beginning of FA. That in of itself is beyond strange, considering the season he just came off, not to mention stellar play the previous two years.

There were reports in May the 49ers were interested but that was refuted when he didn't actually visit them.

I get the idea that the later it gets the less money people have to give to him and the less need there is. But teams needed starting safeties months ago and chose to not go after him.

I get the younger thing but Yeremiah Bell is 35. We saved money, hopefully we did it without severely limiting our talent at the S position.

Again 2 years ago we had Wilson, Rhodes and Marshall on the same roster, they're all gone. The one guy on the roster I see now that has the potential to be that kind of player is a rookie who's undersized.

 

[BigRedRage]

Wouldn't surprise me if the alleged spitting on Rhodes had somethibg to do with him being gay and "laying down". Anyone hear that tirade Dockett went on when the former FSU QB accused him of being gay. It was pretty ugly. Cards might have seen the issue first hand here...with the problem it could present. Has anyone ever wondered why only Rhodes was targeted by Dockett...not the coaches...or any other player.

All of this is COMPLETELY hypothetical, but it wouldn't surprise me knowing how Dockett's responded on the subject before.

Sure, dockett could have went off calling him all kinds of slurs in the argument, still not sure what it has to do with rhodes.

I didn't say Rhodes was gay or unemployed because of Dockett, you misunderstood what I said.

"If it is because of Dockett shame on him and shame on the Cards for siding with him. Dockett was 100% wrong on that play, the only chance the Cards had to get the ball back was let Greene score. Greene figured it out and slid down, and even after the game and the fine, Dockett's apology made it totally clear he didn't get why the coaches wanted to let the Jets score."


I said I think he's unemployed because people think he's gay.

And IF, again note the IF, it were really because of Dockett, as a couple of people posted here, that would be bad. Because the fact is in that incident, Rhodes was 100% right and Dockett was 100% wrong. I don't care if Dockett thinks it's "tough" to refuse to lay down, the only chance we had to get the ball back was to do that. Football is a very violent game, i get that, but you have to be smart too you have to trust that when your coach tells you to do that, there's a good reason. his comments even after the fine and during his apology made it completely clear he STILL didn't get it.

He said he believes in playing to win, it's like refusing to foul late in a basketball game because you were taught to play for the win by going for the steal over and over. He simply didn't grasp that being down 8 with the ball is better than being down 1 with them running out the clock. That's precisely what happed Greene slid down, then McElroy took a knee twice and the game ended without Dockett getting any chance to win the game for his team.

Thats that point, you are insinuating something is "because of dockett"

What is because of dockett?

Rhodes being fired? sure. Rhodes not getting another job? what would that have to do with 90?

I just dont see why you are blaming dockett for anything here unless its just for they had to choose rhodes or dockett?

I agree with your assessment on Rhodes being blackballed because of the gay rumors. Lot of teams simply don't want the attention of their club on anything other than football. And that story wouldn't go away--it would be year long, every week. Assuming any of it is even true.

However, I think we're missing some elements of the Dockett incident and not wanting to lie down. The nuance of it is that Dockett knew, just like we all did, that our offense was beyond putrid and had 0 chance, absolute 0, of moving the ball and scoring a TD AND a two-point conversion to tie that game. That wasn't going to happen. One miracle is enough--scoring a TD with our horrid offense, but that tie required two miracles when you include the two-point conversion. So after the offense has sucked ass all year, it's the defense that is asked to lay down and sacrifice and just roll over. Our D was the strongest unit last year and that's beyond dispute. And they're the ones asked to roll over. I'd have felt better had we asked our offense to punt on first down.

I'm not saying Dockett is right, I'm just saying there's more nuance to it than just the fact that Dockett was acting stupid. And if our offense had half the pride Dockett does in his unit, they wouldn't have sucked so horribly bad.

Addendum: and they went out the next week and got destroyed 58-0. Message sent, defense roll over. They did. It took the fight out of the only good unit we had last year.

This. I understand not wanting to give the putrid offense the ball, id rather stuff a team and show that the D is doing its job. If the offense could actually do something, lay down. All they could do was punt last year.

 

[BigRedRage]

maybe he just thinks hes worth millions a year and if he cant get it hed rather not play? That ever occur to anyone or are we just fixated on if he is gay? or if dockett yelling at him somehow has made him unemployed for 8 months?

 

[jefftheshark]

maybe he just thinks hes worth millions a year and if he cant get it hed rather not play? That ever occur to anyone or are we just fixated on if he is gay? or if dockett yelling at him somehow has made him unemployed for 8 months?

Perhaps he's busy building a case so he can slap the NFL with a bazillion dollar discrimination lawsuit.

Not that there's anything wrong with that

JTS

 

[Gee!]

Perhaps he's busy building a case so he can slap the NFL with a bazillion dollar discrimination lawsuit.

Not that there's anything wrong with that

JTS

How many zeros are in a bazillion? Just for future reference..

 

[Darkside]

How many zeros are in a bazillion? Just for future reference..

According to wiki:

There aren't any zeroes in a bazillion, because bazillion isn't a number - it is a figurative number. A bazillion is just a figurative number exaggeratedly expressing a long number, or an infinite number - it has no numeric value, so it has no numbers, which means it doesn't have any zeros.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Sure, dockett could have went off calling him all kinds of slurs in the argument, still not sure what it has to do with rhodes.

could be that they saw what kind of disruption it could lead to in the locker-room, as it already caused a disruption on the sidelines and realized it wasn't something the team wanted to deal with.

 

[Russ Smith]

Sure, dockett could have went off calling him all kinds of slurs in the argument, still not sure what it has to do with rhodes.



Thats that point, you are insinuating something is "because of dockett"

What is because of dockett?

Rhodes being fired? sure. Rhodes not getting another job? what would that have to do with 90?

I just dont see why you are blaming dockett for anything here unless its just for they had to choose rhodes or dockett?




This. I understand not wanting to give the putrid offense the ball, id rather stuff a team and show that the D is doing its job. If the offense could actually do something, lay down. All they could do was punt last year.

Argh, I'm not insinuating anything. 2 other people before me said they believed Rhodes was gone because the Cards sided with Dockett in some presumed feud between the 2 players.

I responded that I think it's really the gay rumors, BUT, if it were because of Dockett that would be a huge mistake because I think Dockett was totally wrong in that dustup.

again read the thread, I'm not the one that said Dockett did anything that led to Rhodes leaving, I said IF that were the case, it would be wrong.

 

[O]

No one outside of the locker room knows exactly what happened between Dockett, Rhodes and for that matter Horton.
I firmly believe that if Horton was retained Dockett would have been
gone, how that pertains to Rhodes, I'm not sure. I do know this though, Cleveland has not brought Rhodes in. What does that tell you?

 

[JeffGollin]

Could it not be that Kerry took a look at his savings account, stock portfolio etc., asked himself "how much money do I need to make every conceivable friend, loved-one and distant relative financially 'comfortable' forever - and at what risk to my general physical health 5, 10, 25 years from now?"

He may have simply set a price on the potential wear & tear to his body that no team was willing to pay.

 

[BigRedRage]

could be that they saw what kind of disruption it could lead to in the locker-room, as it already caused a disruption on the sidelines and realized it wasn't something the team wanted to deal with.

could be that they dont think he is worth millions a year.