Update on Clancy/Brown

[BigWatson]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

POSTED 4:47 p.m. EDT, June 4, 2007​

CARDS SQUEEZING CLANCY, BROWN​

Two of the free agents that the Arizona Cardinals reeled in with much fanfare in 2006 were defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy and offensive lineman Milford Brown.​

One season later, the Cards could be cutting them both loose.​

A league source tells us that the Cardinals have asked Clancy and Brown to restructure their contracts. If they refuse, they will be cut.​

Clancy is scheduled to earn $1.5 million in base salary in 2007. Brown is due to make $2.35 million in base salary.​

The Cardinals are looking to create cap space in order to sign their 2007 draft picks. This uncharacteristic cap problem apparently is the result of the teams reluctance to use signing bonuses and other devices that spread cap dollars over time.​

Do it.

 

[Russ Smith]

I thought you meant Clancy Brown of Lost fame ?

I still don't get this, how can a team with a ton of caproom INTENTIONALLY use it all up by structuring contracts a certain way, and then wind up asking 2 guys who started last year and might have competed to start this year, to take paycuts to bail them out?

If they think these guys aren't starter material or are overpaid fine, cut them, but asking them to restructure, a year after you signed them, just begs the question did you screw up last year, or screw up this year?

 

[Pariah]

It was last year's management, not our guys this year.

 

[Shane]

I thought you meant Clancy Brown of Lost fame ?

I still don't get this, how can a team with a ton of caproom INTENTIONALLY use it all up by structuring contracts a certain way, and then wind up asking 2 guys who started last year and might have competed to start this year, to take paycuts to bail them out?

If they think these guys aren't starter material or are overpaid fine, cut them, but asking them to restructure, a year after you signed them, just begs the question did you screw up last year, or screw up this year?

Both years.

 

[BigWatson]

POSTED 5:18 p.m. EDT, June 4, 2007​

CLANCY WON'T TAKE A PAY CUT​

In response to our post regarding the Cardinals' efforts to squeeze defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy and offensive lineman Milford Brown into a pay cut, Clancy's agent says that it's not gonna happen. ​

"Kendrick will not take a pay cut to stay in Arizona," Ron Del Duca said when we contacted him this afternoon. "We like his contract there as it is now. It's now up to the cardinals to decide to release him or not. If he gets cut I'm confident he'll end up somewhere else, relatively soon."​

Indeed, veteran defensive tackles don't hang around long on the open market. Clancy was highly regarded during his stints in Pittsburgh and with the Giants. With Tank Johnson poised to miss up to eight games, Clancy could get a chance to join the NFC's elite team -- and perhaps render Tank expendable.​

Suweeet.

 

[spanky1]

Does asking both Brown and Clancy to restructure necessarily mean that they will end up with any less guaranteed money?

Warner is the one that we need to do something with IMO

 

[ajcardfan]

I thought you meant Clancy Brown of Lost fame ?

I still don't get this, how can a team with a ton of caproom INTENTIONALLY use it all up by structuring contracts a certain way, and then wind up asking 2 guys who started last year and might have competed to start this year, to take paycuts to bail them out?

If they think these guys aren't starter material or are overpaid fine, cut them, but asking them to restructure, a year after you signed them, just begs the question did you screw up last year, or screw up this year?

The answer is obvious. It's Dennis Green's fault.

 

[Dr. Jones]

I just don't see brown filling the role Wiz wants his guards to fill. Clancy just might have too much competition.

 

[Russ Smith]

I just don't see brown filling the role Wiz wants his guards to fill. Clancy just might have too much competition.

I'm fine with that, he's not Whiz' kind of guard, so you cut him. But if you ask him to restructure to me you're saying, we think you can play, but we need caproom and we're asking you to help.

 

[football karma]

Given that we gave those guys fairly large signing bonuses just one and two years ago --
are there really savings in just cutting them?

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

The answer is obvious. It's Dennis Green's fault.

Correct. As Mike Bidwill has assured us - everything bad that has happened in the organization in the past five years was due to Denny/McGinnis while the few positive aspects were a result of Rod Graves' management brilliance.

 

[jefftheshark]

I'm fine with that, he's not Whiz' kind of guard, so you cut him. But if you ask him to restructure to me you're saying, we think you can play, but we need caproom and we're asking you to help.

To me, it seems to be saying, "You are going to be a back-up, so we are going to pay you accordingly."

The Shark

 

[jefftheshark]

Correct. As Mike Bidwill has assured us - everything bad that has happened in the organization in the past five years was due to Denny/McGinnis while the few positive aspects were a result of Rod Graves' management brilliance.

Here is a rare picture of Denny and Mac together.

You must be registered for see images

 

[Russ Smith]

To me, it seems to be saying, "You are going to be a back-up, so we are going to pay you accordingly."

The Shark

What did Milford wind up getting? I know Joe said cutting him saves us about 1 million, he didnt' get a huge contract he's clearly being paid less than Wells and likely more than Deuce, but he's not all that high paid.

Sorry but the problem isn't that they paid Brown too much last year, it's that they took too much caphit this year by structuring deals to hit this year, that's the only reason we're doing this now.

 

[BigWatson]

Given that we gave those guys fairly large signing bonuses just one and two years ago --
are there really savings in just cutting them?

Fairly large? Clancy received a 3.5 million signing bonus (4 year deal), that's backup money.

 

[kerouac9]

I thought you meant Clancy Brown of Lost fame ?

I still don't get this, how can a team with a ton of caproom INTENTIONALLY use it all up by structuring contracts a certain way, and then wind up asking 2 guys who started last year and might have competed to start this year, to take paycuts to bail them out?

If they think these guys aren't starter material or are overpaid fine, cut them, but asking them to restructure, a year after you signed them, just begs the question did you screw up last year, or screw up this year?

I think you're missing the big picture here, Russ: The Cards haven't had a rookie hold out of minicamp since the NFL worked out a deal that all rookies get insurance waivers.

And Rod Graves was a part of the NFL Committee that negotiated and approved that deal.

Duh.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

So let me get this straight:

1. Cardinals go into offseason among the league leaders in salary cap space.

2. Cardinals jettison team's most expensive player.

3. Cardinals sign exactly zero impact or Pro Bowl caliber players.

4. Cardinals leave offseason in supposed salary cap trouble.

Anyone else see a problem with this?

 

[HeavyB3]

Watch the giants snatch clancy back up. They didn't want to lose him in the first place.

 

[Redsz]

I know Joe said cutting him saves us about 1 million

I thought it was more like 500k?

If they are suppossedly asking Brown and Clancy to restructure, why the heck haven't they asked Warner?

 

[imaCafan]

CLANCY WON'T TAKE A PAY CUT
PFT:

In response to our post regarding the Cardinals' efforts to squeeze defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy and offensive lineman Milford Brown into a pay cut, Clancy's agent says that it's not gonna happen.

"Kendrick will not take a pay cut to stay in Arizona," Ron Del Duca said when we contacted him this afternoon. "We like his contract there as it is now. It's now up to the cardinals to decide to release him or not. If he gets cut I'm confident he'll end up somewhere else, relatively soon."

Indeed, veteran defensive tackles don't hang around long on the open market. Clancy was highly regarded during his stints in Pittsburgh and with the Giants. With Tank Johnson poised to miss up to eight games, Clancy could get a chance to join the NFC's elite team -- and perhaps render Tank expendable.

 

[Russ Smith]

I thought it was more like 500k?

If they are suppossedly asking Brown and Clancy to restructure, why the heck haven't they asked Warner?

Not sure I did a search and found a post where Joe said 1 million.

He was predicting we'd not cut Milford but would solve the problem with restructures and maybe cut Femi.

I have no issue with Femi I don't think he fits the new offense. I would be unhappy if we had to cut Brown or Clancy strictly over capspace. Neither is
a star but we need depth and both guys are solid players who if they don't start provide depth. If we have to cut either guy, we're just hurting ourselves down the line. I like Branch and Watson's potential, I think Dockett played well last year, but I think Clancy is worth hanging onto and I don't blame his agent at all for saying no thanks to the restructure offer.

 

[jefftheshark]

What did Milford wind up getting? I know Joe said cutting him saves us about 1 million, he didnt' get a huge contract he's clearly being paid less than Wells and likely more than Deuce, but he's not all that high paid.

Sorry but the problem isn't that they paid Brown too much last year, it's that they took too much caphit this year by structuring deals to hit this year, that's the only reason we're doing this now.

All of this is based upon a rumor in PFT, so I have no idea how accurate it is. But if it is accurate then I think the FO's intention was to cut these two from the beginning. They are now saying that they could be convinced to keep them, if the price is right.

IMHO, the lack of cap space is a smokescreen. The FO could probably amend the FA contracts signed this year to recapture the cap space, if they so desired, with a stroke of a pen. I think that they have created this situation so they can play hardball with some of the underperfoming player's agents.

The Shark

 

[kerouac9]

All of this is based upon a rumor in PFT, so I have no idea how accurate it is. But if it is accurate then I think the FO's intention was to cut these two from the beginning. They are now saying that they could be convinced to keep them, if the price is right.

Urban and Somers are confirming it. This didn't come out of the ether. This story has been out there for weeks.

IMHO, the lack of cap space is a smokescreen. The FO could probably amend the FA contracts signed this year to recapture the cap space, if they so desired, with a stroke of a pen. I think that they have created this situation so they can play hardball with some of the underperfoming player's agents.

The Shark

I'm not sure this is the case. I know that you can convert roster bonuses that are pending into signing bonuses, but I don't think you can do it retroactively. The only thing that the Cards can currently do is convert large salaries (like Chike's, Berry's, Adrian Wilson's, Milford Brown's and Kendrick Clancy's) into bonus, which would increase the cap charge for later seasons.

What would be the case for this? "Underperforming players' agents"? Some people think that Milford Brown was the best player on the OL last season. Kendrick Clancy was more stout against the run than people give him credit for. He only played 11 games last season. I'm not sure how you can close the door on either of their performances.

 

[1DS]

POSTED 4:47 p.m. EDT, June 4, 2007
CARDS SQUEEZING CLANCY, BROWN
Two of the free agents that the Arizona Cardinals reeled in with much fanfare in 2006 were defensive tackle Kendrick Clancy and offensive lineman Milford Brown.
One season later, the Cards could be cutting them both loose.
A league source tells us that the Cardinals have asked Clancy and Brown to restructure their contracts. If they refuse, they will be cut.
Clancy is scheduled to earn $1.5 million in base salary in 2007. Brown is due to make $2.35 million in base salary.
The Cardinals are looking to create cap space in order to sign their 2007 draft picks. This uncharacteristic cap problem apparently is the result of the teams reluctance to use signing bonuses and other devices that spread cap dollars over time.


Wow. Talk about the ability to put a negative spin a positive

decision. Yes, it does eat up a lot of space this season. However, in

doing so, give us a huge amount of free cap room in the coming years.

Next year especially, we should have a ton of cap room. The key will

be whether or not we decide to use it.

​

 

[ajcardfan]

What did Milford wind up getting? I know Joe said cutting him saves us about 1 million, he didnt' get a huge contract he's clearly being paid less than Wells and likely more than Deuce, but he's not all that high paid.

Sorry but the problem isn't that they paid Brown too much last year, it's that they took too much caphit this year by structuring deals to hit this year, that's the only reason we're doing this now.

I'd love to know what the thinking was on all of this. According to Graves a couple of weeks, they are following a plan they had laid out before free agency. I'm not sure why a plan to create an artificial cap crisis is a good one, but..... that's what has happened.

I mean, we could've easily taken these guys to camp and had them around in case of injury or someone not panning out. Vets get cut at the end of training camp all the time.