Leinart Contract/Negotiations Discussion

[red desert]

Leinart is taking a bit of a beating on ESPN.com's Page 2 Daily Quickie;

Apparently, Matt Leinart forgets that there's a "0" after the "1" in his draft position.

The rookie QB is acting like he's the No. 1 pick in the draft, holding out from the Cards while his reputation continues to take a nosedive.

Let's recount the decline:

• Passed up chance to be No. 1 overall draft pick in 2005 to return to school to win a second straight Heisman and a national title.

• Not only did he NOT win that national title, but he was beaten out for the Heisman by his teammate AND eclipsed by another QB.

• Went from being a lock as the No. 1 overall pick in the draft to the 10th overall pick, a slide featured on his sorry-looking Green Room face.

• Rumored to be involved with Paris Hilton. (Have to say: At this point, Leinart looks like a bigger skank. At least Paris doesn't hold out.)

Get to camp, jerko

 

[Sandan]

If I'm the Cardinals, I'd recognize this tactic and out of pride my instincts would be to dig my heels in.

After all - In the NFL, the objective is to win/not to score "pride points."

And PS - I wouldn't worry about setting bad precedents.

Jeff I agree that the misinformation is flying around I believe little of what is said publicly.

However, this has NOTHING to do with pride, it is all about precedent.

If the Cardinals were to cave and give him a contract significantly outside the slotted value, they would create a nightmare for themselves for many years. Every 1st round [and maybe others] would see the Cardinals as a sucker for holdouts and assure that we would see lengthy holdouts for some years.

 

[Sandan]

Maotosi, when did the Cardinals last have a significant holdout of a high round pick ?

I don't remember one for the last few years ?

 

[joeshmo]

Maotosi, when did the Cardinals last have a significant holdout of a high round pick ?

I don't remember one for the last few years ?

Is Rolle missing more then a week not a significant hold out?

Anything over a week is significant in my book especially if they are considered a starter right off the bat.

 

[arthurracoon]

Bruce Cooper on Ch 12 last night said Leinart is asking for 26mil guaranteed (like Vince Young), vs 13mil that Cutler got guaranteed.

I saw that clip just now on azcentral

supposedly cards and condon have agreed on years and total money, its just the garunteed money

Cards are offering 13 mil

 

[D-Dogg]

Is Rolle missing more then a week not a significant hold out?

Anything over a week is significant in my book especially if they are considered a starter right off the bat.

I don't think it is. One week is one thing. Most of camp is quite another. Missing actual games (Emmitt Smith in Dallas) is high tide.

 

[D-Dogg]

I saw that clip just now on azcentral

supposedly cards and condon have agreed on years and total money, its just the garunteed money

Cards are offering 13 mil

Give him 14.9.

 

[DeAnna]

• Rumored to be involved with Paris Hilton. (Have to say: At this point, Leinart looks like a bigger skank. At least Paris doesn't hold out.)

 

[kerouac9]

Interesting tidbit from Len P's camp review of the Tampa Bay Bucs:

What a pleasure it was sharing a couple camps visits, on Saturday at the Dolphins and then Sunday at the Bucs, with good buddy and ESPN colleague Chris Mortensen, the world's best NFL information guy. Beyond the fact he ferried me back to my hotel after the Bucs' practices on Sunday, and we got a good chuckle out of a cell call from agent Tom Condon of CAA, who was getting nowhere with negotiations for Arizona Cardinals first-rounder Matt Leinart, here's why: About halfway through the drive back, Mort just tosses out the fact that Tampa Bay middle linebacker Shelton Quarles is actually older than future Hall of Fame weakside linebacker Derrick Brooks.

Condon isn't the Poston brothers; he doesn't hold out his guys to embarrass their teams and doesn't negotiate through the press. It has to indicate where the problem is coming from when he's complaining about the Cards in on-the-record discussions.

 

[Lloydian]

Why does anyone believe that Leinart was offered a contract worse than last year's to Williams?

We know very little of the negotiations, but one thing that has come out reliably is that the Cardinals have said the offer was slotted. With Cutler getting $13 million guaranteed, why would anyone believe a report that the Cards offered only $9 million?

 

[spanky1]

I saw that clip just now on azcentral

supposedly cards and condon have agreed on years and total money, its just the garunteed money

Cards are offering 13 mil

If Cutler got $13MM guaranteed....then Leinart should get a bump. I can't see them being far apart.....I expect a deal by Thursday as per Scheffter.

 

[Faithful]

Sorry, guys and ladies, but a real quick change of topic question.

Isn't the preseason game against New England going to be shown on regular tv or ESPN?

Thanks!

 

[AZ Shocker]

If I were Condon, I'd recognize that the Cardinals are at a pivotal point in their franchise (one where they yearn for no "distractions" on the eve of their next season). And I'd be doing my client a disservice if I didn't try to milk this for all it's worth.

And this is what has plagued the Cardinals since before Christ was born.

Every agent representing a drafted rookie, and the upper echelon of free agents we go after...totally milks the Cardinals for everything thinking that they have no other option. Sadly...they are usually correct because we are always 4-12 or 5-11 every year. We always have to overpay for free agents, and unfortunently first round draft prospects and their agents think they should be overpaid too. Arrrgghhh!

 

[Russ Smith]

If Cutler got $13MM guaranteed....then Leinart should get a bump. I can't see them being far apart.....I expect a deal by Thursday as per Scheffter.

On the Broncos boards(broncosfreak.com) the report is Cutler got 11 million guaranteed, 5 year deal, 6th is a TEAM option.

If that's true 13 million guaranteed for Leinart is just about slot value.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Is it just me, Crazy Canuck?

Do you have a structured salary scale at your work?

If so, how do you feel when a new employee comes in and wants special salary consideration?

And how would you feel if he got special consideration when you didn't when you arrived?

Remember...you've been working here and the new guy hasn't worked a day on the job yet.

Isn't it logical to assume you'd feel somewhat indignant?

I'm a lawyer who owns and operates a communications firm. So the analogy doesn't apply. But, I earned the money for my education playing hockey, and the rule then (and I can't imagine it has changed) is you stay out of an other players business i.e. - contract. You can talk about your money, if you like... but mine is none of your business. That's the understanding the guys had / have.

It doesn't stop envy, etc. But, I've never known money and who's getting it, being an issue on a team motivated and believing that they can win together.

What you've said, I remember hearing when Joe Namath joined the Jets, when Bobby Hull became the first hockey player to negotiate a 1-million dollar contract... on and on and on.

Frankly, I don't see why any fan should care about how much a team is willing to pay or a player's demands. It's not our money.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

maybe it's because of my profession, but no, i wouldn't. i would feel the following:

1. happy for the new guy. everyone should get what they can.

2. unhappy with myself for not negotiating a better deal when one may have been available.

3. be curious as to what additional traits the new guy may or may not bring to the table.

see, instead of placing blame, i'm looking for the reasons. once i know the reasons i can effectively negotiate something better for myself or choose to look for a better place of employment. to be bitter at a dude for getting a better deal than me is childish.

 

[abomb]

Sorry, guys and ladies, but a real quick change of topic question.

Isn't the preseason game against New England going to be shown on regular tv or ESPN?

Thanks!

NFL Network and I am guessing also 3TV.

Both are most likely non-HD.

http://www.nfl.com/schedules/tv/national_preseason

 

[joeshmo]

Frankly, I don't see why any fan should care about how much a team is willing to pay or a player's demands. It's not our money.

We care because it effects our cap space. Which effects are team.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Frankly, I don't see why any fan should care about how much a team is willing to pay or a player's demands. It's not our money.

Yep, because our ticket and merchandise sales, TV contracts that we watch etc, do not pay the owners right?

I mean...the fan never contributes to owners in any way right?

 

[Crazy Canuck]

We care because it effects our cap space. Which effects are team.

Well, you should care whether it improves your team, period.

P.S. Have you updated your cap page. Haven't seen it in quite awhile.

(affect, our)

 

[Sandan]

Frankly, I don't see why any fan should care about how much a team is willing to pay or a player's demands. It's not our money.

Because how they manage the cap is ameasure of future success.

In past years we have been real bad, that has turned around these last couple of years.

 

[Crazy Canuck]

Yep, because our ticket and merchandise sales, TV contracts that we watch etc, do not pay the owners right?

I mean...the fan never contributes to owners in any way right?

Well, in the broad sense you are a non-voting shareholder who is certainly entitled to a view.

I limit mine to whether the investment improves the team or not.

And only time will tell

 

[Russ Smith]

Well, you should care whether it improves your team, period.

P.S. Have you updated your cap page. Haven't seen it in quite awhile.

(affect, our)

But that's the argument, if you overpay Leinart, you have to underpay somewhere else. So the question becomes is it worth overpaying? The Colts will get that answer this year, was it worth overpaying Manning and Harrison and letting James walk?

 

[Crazy Canuck]

But that's the argument, if you overpay Leinart, you have to underpay somewhere else. So the question becomes is it worth overpaying? The Colts will get that answer this year, was it worth overpaying Manning and Harrison and letting James walk?

Well, we're not talking about Peyton's or Harrison's first contract, are we?

Leinart's contract, even if a bit over pegged will not be a drag on this teams ability to retain or add quality in the next 5 or 6 years. And - if, like the Colts, we get 3 real opportunities to win the Super Bowl in the next 6 years - I'll think it was a very solid investment.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Maotosi, when did the Cardinals last have a significant holdout of a high round pick ?

I don't remember one for the last few years ?

As Joe pointed out, Antrel missed significant time last year. Dockett and Dansby missed a few days the year before. Wendell missed the entire training camp if I remember correctly. Things really aren't running that smoothly if you have been unable to get all your draft picks in camp on time in nearly a decade. The organization is better at these types of things than they were five years ago, but that's not saying mcuh and unlike some people I'm not going to applaud them for being par for the course.