Bengals-Ochocinco/Cardinals-Boldin (1 Viewer)

[Matt Waldman]

I was reading the "Is Chris Johnson going to be a problem" thread and it got me thinking about Chad Ochocinco and Marvin Lewis.

Has anyone noticed that Chad Ochocinco seems to be getting the message that he might as well make the best of his situation and work hard to stay a good receiver? He said he didn't work out last year like he did in the past and he subsequently got hurt. Now he's working hard and optimistic about his team's prospects for '09.

The credit, if this continues, goes to Cincinnati and Marvin Lewis for refusing to enable this kind of childish behavior and forcing Chad Ochocinco to act like the man he is and live up to his commitment. I think Boldin is getting a taste of this medicine in a minor dosage.

This is really the only way to stop this behavior. I think Jeff Fisher won't put up with Chris Johnson if he tries to test Fisher again. He didn't put up with it when it came to Vince Young, who apparently thought quitting on his team was the appropriate first reaction to getting booed in Jacksonville last year.

Leadership and discipline is what a lot of these young men need. Not because some of them didn't have fathers in their lives and grew up in difficult environments and then given a lot of privileges in college, but because organizations and teams need leadership to keep a team in the right direction. The coach might not make as much money as his employees, but he needs to have the stones lead and enforce his leadership.

It's obviously not happening everywhere, but I bet we see a TV story during the season crediting the Bengals and other organizations for staying the course and not giving their diva-star his way.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

What does Boldin have to do with this? Not following you there...

 

[Matt Waldman]

Boldin wanted a trade and even if he's rightly underpaid, he signed a contract and needs to stick it out. The fact that he's not getting traded and will have to play out his time is in some respect supporting the notion that there are teams that won't go the trade route whenever a player has a hissy fit over his current situation.

Boldin obviously isn't nearly as obnoxious as Ochocinco was, but he has done some sulking and tried to get out of town.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Boldin wanted a trade and even if he's rightly underpaid, he signed a contract and needs to stick it out. The fact that he's not getting traded and will have to play out his time is in some respect supporting the notion that there are teams that won't go the trade route whenever a player has a hissy fit over his current situation. Boldin obviously isn't nearly as obnoxious as Ochocinco was, but he has done some sulking and tried to get out of town.

Ahh. I see... I don't really have a problem with a player trying to renegotiate - it's the sideshow stuff that teams need to take a hard line on. I do agree that Lewis deserves a ton of credit for his handling of the #85 situation last year though. In fact, he deserves a lot of credit for holding his 0-8 team together and finishing with a winning record for the 2nd half of the season IMO. Even if the wins were against bad teams, the Bengals didn't pack it in and easily could have.

 

[PrimUomo]

Actually, Boldin really has no right for renegotiations. The way the Cards pay their major players is through front-loaded deals. Basically, Boldin agreed to get overpaid then so he could get underpaid now. I would bet money that Rosenhaus guaranteed Boldin a new contract would come, it didn't, so he got fired.

And Chad Johnson is not as childish as you would think. When it comes down to it, he hasn't heldout of any real games, and even though he requests a trade every year, he shows up and plays. He also never takes any shots at his own teammates like some other players. Also, remember, that many years on the Bengals will severely demoralize any player.

 

[Phurfur]

I was reading the "Is Chris Johnson going to be a problem" thread and it got me thinking about Chad Ochocinco and Marvin Lewis. Has anyone noticed that Chad Ochocinco seems to be getting the message that he might as well make the best of his situation and work hard to stay a good receiver? He said he didn't work out last year like he did in the past and he subsequently got hurt. Now he's working hard and optimistic about his team's prospects for '09. The credit, if this continues, goes to Cincinnati and Marvin Lewis for refusing to enable this kind of childish behavior and forcing Chad Ochocinco to act like the man he is and live up to his commitment. I think Boldin is getting a taste of this medicine in a minor dosage. This is really the only way to stop this behavior. I think Jeff Fisher won't put up with Chris Johnson if he tries to test Fisher again. He didn't put up with it when it came to Vince Young, who apparently thought quitting on his team was the appropriate first reaction to getting booed in Jacksonville last year. Leadership and discipline is what a lot of these young men need. Not because some of them didn't have fathers in their lives and grew up in difficult environments and then given a lot of privileges in college, but because organizations and teams need leadership to keep a team in the right direction. The coach might not make as much money as his employees, but he needs to have the stones lead and enforce his leadership. It's obviously not happening everywhere, but I bet we see a TV story during the season crediting the Bengals and other organizations for staying the course and not giving their diva-star his way.

I think the real problem with Boldin and Chad is that they had the same agent, Drew Rosenhaus. Boldin resently fired him so I think things might change.

 

[QuizGuy66]

Actually, Boldin really has no right for renegotiations. The way the Cards pay their major players is through front-loaded deals. Basically, Boldin agreed to get overpaid then so he could get underpaid now. I would bet money that Rosenhaus guaranteed Boldin a new contract would come, it didn't, so he got fired. And Chad Johnson is not as childish as you would think. When it comes down to it, he hasn't heldout of any real games, and even though he requests a trade every year, he shows up and plays. He also never takes any shots at his own teammates like some other players. Also, remember, that many years on the Bengals will severely demoralize any player.

Agree to an extent, though Chad said he did not work out at all in the offseason prior to '08. -QG

 

[Bri]

I was reading the "Is Chris Johnson going to be a problem" thread and it got me thinking about Chad Ochocinco and Marvin Lewis. Has anyone noticed that Chad Ochocinco seems to be getting the message that he might as well make the best of his situation and work hard to stay a good receiver? He said he didn't work out last year like he did in the past and he subsequently got hurt. Now he's working hard and optimistic about his team's prospects for '09. The credit, if this continues, goes to Cincinnati and Marvin Lewis for refusing to enable this kind of childish behavior and forcing Chad Ochocinco to act like the man he is and live up to his commitment. I think Boldin is getting a taste of this medicine in a minor dosage. This is really the only way to stop this behavior. I think Jeff Fisher won't put up with Chris Johnson if he tries to test Fisher again. He didn't put up with it when it came to Vince Young, who apparently thought quitting on his team was the appropriate first reaction to getting booed in Jacksonville last year. Leadership and discipline is what a lot of these young men need. Not because some of them didn't have fathers in their lives and grew up in difficult environments and then given a lot of privileges in college, but because organizations and teams need leadership to keep a team in the right direction. The coach might not make as much money as his employees, but he needs to have the stones lead and enforce his leadership. It's obviously not happening everywhere, but I bet we see a TV story during the season crediting the Bengals and other organizations for staying the course and not giving their diva-star his way.

540 yards for the year has a way of keeping his ego in check.Johnson hasn't upset Fisher

 

[PranksterJD]

Boldin wanted a trade and even if he's rightly underpaid, he signed a contract and needs to stick it out. The fact that he's not getting traded and will have to play out his time is in some respect supporting the notion that there are teams that won't go the trade route whenever a player has a hissy fit over his current situation. Boldin obviously isn't nearly as obnoxious as Ochocinco was, but he has done some sulking and tried to get out of town.

Dunno about this one Matt. If we start getting rid of anyone who asks for a new contract, we'll run out of football players.Seriously, though, I can appreciate the "stick to the contract" statement. It true. He signed, he should stay for the duration. The problem is that the NFL teams sign these contracts as well... so why aren't they guaranteed? Why do we hold player accountable for the contracts and not the teams? Does anyone really think Willis is going to be a Raven through 2012? How much of his $40 Mil is he going to see? Seems hypocritical to me.Now, I actually think that the teams need the ability to cut these guys. It just makes sense... but the byproduct is that the players need an outlet to recover lost money if they over-perform. Gotta take the bad with the good. Unfortunately, often times the only outlet they have is the media.

 

[Phurfur]

Boldin wanted a trade and even if he's rightly underpaid, he signed a contract and needs to stick it out. The fact that he's not getting traded and will have to play out his time is in some respect supporting the notion that there are teams that won't go the trade route whenever a player has a hissy fit over his current situation. Boldin obviously isn't nearly as obnoxious as Ochocinco was, but he has done some sulking and tried to get out of town.

Dunno about this one Matt. If we start getting rid of anyone who asks for a new contract, we'll run out of football players.Seriously, though, I can appreciate the "stick to the contract" statement. It true. He signed, he should stay for the duration. The problem is that the NFL teams sign these contracts as well... so why aren't they guaranteed? Why do we hold player accountable for the contracts and not the teams? Does anyone really think Willis is going to be a Raven through 2012? How much of his $40 Mil is he going to see? Seems hypocritical to me.Now, I actually think that the teams need the ability to cut these guys. It just makes sense... but the byproduct is that the players need an outlet to recover lost money if they over-perform. Gotta take the bad with the good. Unfortunately, often times the only outlet they have is the media.

The signing bonus off set these problem. Many player receive a $10 - $20 million in signing bonus without playing a down.

 

[Matt Waldman]

I just think the payment system in the NFL and the written and unwritten rules in which agents, teams, and players abide by it has a negative impact on team chemistry and leadership. I like that the Bengals took a stand and I'm hoping more teams pay attention to this in the future.

One thing I believe that would help is a rookie salary cap. It really makes little sense to me that an unproven player - even with great potential - makes more money than a fair number of proven veterans. I understand the nature of the game creates a situation where once that player becomes a proven veteran his time in the league is often running out. However, I'd rather see a few sizable one-year deals to great players with 2-3 years left than breaking the bank on a rookie QB.

 

[massraider]

I just think the payment system in the NFL and the written and unwritten rules in which agents, teams, and players abide by it has a negative impact on team chemistry and leadership. I like that the Bengals took a stand and I'm hoping more teams pay attention to this in the future. One thing I believe that would help is a rookie salary cap. It really makes little sense to me that an unproven player - even with great potential - makes more money than a fair number of proven veterans. I understand the nature of the game creates a situation where once that player becomes a proven veteran his time in the league is often running out. However, I'd rather see a few sizable one-year deals to great players with 2-3 years left than breaking the bank on a rookie QB.

A rookie salary cap isn't going to change much. These absurd contracts? They only hand out about 8-10 of those a year. By the time you are in the middle of the first round, the contracts aren't big at all, relatively speaking.A rookie salary cap will make the top of the draft attractive again, will promote more trading at the top of the draft, and will please people who act surprised every year when the #1 pick gets $30 mill guaranteed. But a rookie salary cap isn't going to make an impact on the dozens of free agents that hit the market every year. It's not going to keep Eagles players from feeling underpaid after a year or two of a lowball extension they singed (I am not knocking the Eagles, I love the idea, but in reality, if the players aren't going to be happy with the deal, the Eagles need to consider that). A rookie salary cap isn't going to keep teams from cutting vets with big base salaries, for cheap rookies (which I hear few fans complaining about. Strange......). The current system allows teams to get cheap labor for at least 4 years (except for 8-10 contracts), and allows them to quickly erase mistakes by cutting players whenever they like. It is a very good system for the teams.It is easy to eliminate holdouts. Guarantee everything, like MLB, and the NBA. You'd never see another whiny vet. It'd be a nightmare for the owners, and bad deals would haunt teams for years, but there'd be no holdouts.

 

[PranksterJD]

Boldin wanted a trade and even if he's rightly underpaid, he signed a contract and needs to stick it out. The fact that he's not getting traded and will have to play out his time is in some respect supporting the notion that there are teams that won't go the trade route whenever a player has a hissy fit over his current situation. Boldin obviously isn't nearly as obnoxious as Ochocinco was, but he has done some sulking and tried to get out of town.

Dunno about this one Matt. If we start getting rid of anyone who asks for a new contract, we'll run out of football players.Seriously, though, I can appreciate the "stick to the contract" statement. It true. He signed, he should stay for the duration. The problem is that the NFL teams sign these contracts as well... so why aren't they guaranteed? Why do we hold player accountable for the contracts and not the teams? Does anyone really think Willis is going to be a Raven through 2012? How much of his $40 Mil is he going to see? Seems hypocritical to me.Now, I actually think that the teams need the ability to cut these guys. It just makes sense... but the byproduct is that the players need an outlet to recover lost money if they over-perform. Gotta take the bad with the good. Unfortunately, often times the only outlet they have is the media.

The signing bonus off set these problem. Many player receive a $10 - $20 million in signing bonus without playing a down.

If you get a bonus at your job, and your employer fires you a month later without cause, do you really think you shouldn't be awarded any severance that was agreed to when you signed on?Just because NFL teams give good compensation in one part of a contract doesn't mean they should be exempt from the rest of it. There are many reasons why outright cutting of a player is a necessary evil. This isn't one of them IMO.

 

[FavreCo]

Greg Jennings showed how one goes about getting an extension. Come to work because you are under contract. Showcase your talent. Say the right things. Sign new deal.

 

[Phurfur]

Boldin wanted a trade and even if he's rightly underpaid, he signed a contract and needs to stick it out. The fact that he's not getting traded and will have to play out his time is in some respect supporting the notion that there are teams that won't go the trade route whenever a player has a hissy fit over his current situation.

Boldin obviously isn't nearly as obnoxious as Ochocinco was, but he has done some sulking and tried to get out of town.

Dunno about this one Matt. If we start getting rid of anyone who asks for a new contract, we'll run out of football players.Seriously, though, I can appreciate the "stick to the contract" statement. It true. He signed, he should stay for the duration.

The problem is that the NFL teams sign these contracts as well... so why aren't they guaranteed? Why do we hold player accountable for the contracts and not the teams? Does anyone really think Willis is going to be a Raven through 2012? How much of his $40 Mil is he going to see? Seems hypocritical to me.

Now, I actually think that the teams need the ability to cut these guys. It just makes sense... but the byproduct is that the players need an outlet to recover lost money if they over-perform. Gotta take the bad with the good. Unfortunately, often times the only outlet they have is the media.

The signing bonus off set these problem. Many player receive a $10 - $20 million in signing bonus without playing a down.

If you get a bonus at your job, and your employer fires you a month later without cause, do you really think you shouldn't be awarded any severance that was agreed to when you signed on?Just because NFL teams give good compensation in one part of a contract doesn't mean they should be exempt from the rest of it. There are many reasons why outright cutting of a player is a necessary evil. This isn't one of them IMO.

Have you ever received a bonus before you did a days work?If I get a job for $50,000 a year and get a $200,000 bonus before I start working and get fired a year later, I am pretty happy.

 

[massraider]

The signing bonus off set these problem. Many player receive a $10 - $20 million in signing bonus without playing a down.

"Many?"

 

[PranksterJD]

Boldin wanted a trade and even if he's rightly underpaid, he signed a contract and needs to stick it out. The fact that he's not getting traded and will have to play out his time is in some respect supporting the notion that there are teams that won't go the trade route whenever a player has a hissy fit over his current situation.

Boldin obviously isn't nearly as obnoxious as Ochocinco was, but he has done some sulking and tried to get out of town.

Dunno about this one Matt. If we start getting rid of anyone who asks for a new contract, we'll run out of football players.Seriously, though, I can appreciate the "stick to the contract" statement. It true. He signed, he should stay for the duration.

The problem is that the NFL teams sign these contracts as well... so why aren't they guaranteed? Why do we hold player accountable for the contracts and not the teams? Does anyone really think Willis is going to be a Raven through 2012? How much of his $40 Mil is he going to see? Seems hypocritical to me.

Now, I actually think that the teams need the ability to cut these guys. It just makes sense... but the byproduct is that the players need an outlet to recover lost money if they over-perform. Gotta take the bad with the good. Unfortunately, often times the only outlet they have is the media.

The signing bonus off set these problem. Many player receive a $10 - $20 million in signing bonus without playing a down.

If you get a bonus at your job, and your employer fires you a month later without cause, do you really think you shouldn't be awarded any severance that was agreed to when you signed on?Just because NFL teams give good compensation in one part of a contract doesn't mean they should be exempt from the rest of it. There are many reasons why outright cutting of a player is a necessary evil. This isn't one of them IMO.

Have you ever received a bonus before you did a days work?If I get a job for $50,000 a year and get a $200,000 bonus before I start working and get fired a year later, I am pretty happy.

Yup. During the latter days of the dot com boom, lots of IT guys got signing bonuses out of college. In fact, after the bubble burst Accenture had to push back new hires six months after they'd signed contracts with the incoming class. They gave everyone a $10K check for their troubles.

As for your second point, IIRC the signing bonus's aren't on the level you're describing. They're plenty of money, for sure, but it seems to me that they're mostly on the level of $10M signing for a $40M contract.

If you get a job for $50K, and get a bonus for $12.5 before you start working, but are then fired a year later without recourse... are you still happy?

 

[PranksterJD]

Greg Jennings showed how one goes about getting an extension. Come to work because you are under contract. Showcase your talent. Say the right things. Sign new deal.

Agreed. 100%Problems arise, however, when this doesn't work. I can almost guarantee that Jenning's agent was talking to the Packers brass behind the scenes, pushing for a new deal. I think its highly unlikely that the Packers just **decided** to increase his salary. ( I'll admit I have almost no knowledge of this particular situation. ) Same jam as in everyday life.... if you find out you're underpaid by 20%, its going to take you asking your boss for the raise. In my experience just waiting for it to happen doesn't work very well.When the behind the scenes stuff doesn't work though, its really the players' only recourse to go to the media and try to get public opinion on his side. I think its very likely that Rosenhaus takes the media route before other agents ( and probably before he should ). That said, he's a slimeball.... but he gets the job done.

 

[baconisgood]

Greg Jennings showed how one goes about getting an extension. Come to work because you are under contract. Showcase your talent. Say the right things. Sign new deal.

What does Javon Walker show huh? Came in, show cased his talent wanted a new contract- was pressured into playing by his QB- blows out knee. Pretending that someone should show up every day and put his livelihood at risk to honor a contract that he was forced into because a CBA was voted on by veteran players before he got into the league is ridiculous. Players have catastrophic career ending injuries on the first day of camp (LeCharles Bently)- claiming that players should just shut up and take it really pisses me off.

 

[Phurfur]

Greg Jennings showed how one goes about getting an extension. Come to work because you are under contract. Showcase your talent. Say the right things. Sign new deal.

What does Javon Walker show huh? Came in, show cased his talent wanted a new contract- was pressured into playing by his QB- blows out knee. Pretending that someone should show up every day and put his livelihood at risk to honor a contract that he was forced into because a CBA was voted on by veteran players before he got into the league is ridiculous. Players have catastrophic career ending injuries on the first day of camp (LeCharles Bently)- claiming that players should just shut up and take it really pisses me off.

Javon Walker sucked the first two years of his contract. He had one good year and wanted more money with 2 years left on his contract. If he hadn't held out I don't think he would have blow out his knee. Chalk that one up to Drew Rosenhaus. Jennings has shown more talent, potential and brains than Walker ever did.

 

[ATC1]

Greg Jennings showed how one goes about getting an extension. Come to work because you are under contract. Showcase your talent. Say the right things. Sign new deal.

What does Javon Walker show huh? Came in, show cased his talent wanted a new contract- was pressured into playing by his QB- blows out knee. Pretending that someone should show up every day and put his livelihood at risk to honor a contract that he was forced into because a CBA was voted on by veteran players before he got into the league is ridiculous. Players have catastrophic career ending injuries on the first day of camp (LeCharles Bently)- claiming that players should just shut up and take it really pisses me off.

Javon Walker sucked the first two years of his contract. He had one good year and wanted more money with 2 years left on his contract. If he hadn't held out I don't think he would have blow out his knee. Chalk that one up to Drew Rosenhaus. Jennings has shown more talent, potential and brains than Walker ever did.

Boldin has done what he needed to. He shows up, plays the year and has the best showing of any WR in the entire league, and would have had the best stats of any other Wr in the league had he not been knocked out against the Jets. It has got him nothing. Deon Branch on the other hand does nothing, holds out, gets traded, makes what he wants and then never does anything for the team that paid for him.

 

[baconisgood]

Greg Jennings showed how one goes about getting an extension. Come to work because you are under contract. Showcase your talent. Say the right things. Sign new deal.

What does Javon Walker show huh? Came in, show cased his talent wanted a new contract- was pressured into playing by his QB- blows out knee. Pretending that someone should show up every day and put his livelihood at risk to honor a contract that he was forced into because a CBA was voted on by veteran players before he got into the league is ridiculous. Players have catastrophic career ending injuries on the first day of camp (LeCharles Bently)- claiming that players should just shut up and take it really pisses me off.

Javon Walker sucked the first two years of his contract. He had one good year and wanted more money with 2 years left on his contract. Chalk that one up to Drew Rosenhaus. Jennings has shown more talent, potential and brains than Walker ever did.

Walker was the Packer leading receiver in his 2nd year with 740 yards and 9 TDs. Thats a fine year for a 2nd year wide out on a team with a running back who had >2200 yards from scrimmage. His third year was equal to Jennings' year last year.

If he hadn't held out I don't think he would have blow out his knee.

An total inability to understand that young players often have very small windows to cash in and are largely conspired against by older union members and owners so that those two groups can keep a larger % of the gate for themselves.

 

[Phurfur]

Greg Jennings showed how one goes about getting an extension. Come to work because you are under contract. Showcase your talent. Say the right things. Sign new deal.

What does Javon Walker show huh? Came in, show cased his talent wanted a new contract- was pressured into playing by his QB- blows out knee. Pretending that someone should show up every day and put his livelihood at risk to honor a contract that he was forced into because a CBA was voted on by veteran players before he got into the league is ridiculous. Players have catastrophic career ending injuries on the first day of camp (LeCharles Bently)- claiming that players should just shut up and take it really pisses me off.

Javon Walker sucked the first two years of his contract. He had one good year and wanted more money with 2 years left on his contract. If he hadn't held out I don't think he would have blow out his knee. Chalk that one up to Drew Rosenhaus. Jennings has shown more talent, potential and brains than Walker ever did.

Boldin has done what he needed to. He shows up, plays the year and has the best showing of any WR in the entire league, and would have had the best stats of any other Wr in the league had he not been knocked out against the Jets. It has got him nothing. Deon Branch on the other hand does nothing, holds out, gets traded, makes what he wants and then never does anything for the team that paid for him.

Boldin renegotiated his rookie contract with 2 years left. 2 years later he wants to renegotiate with 3 years left on his new contract. If anyone is to blame here it is his agent(s).

 

[massraider]

Greg Jennings showed how one goes about getting an extension. Come to work because you are under contract. Showcase your talent. Say the right things. Sign new deal.

What does Javon Walker show huh? Came in, show cased his talent wanted a new contract- was pressured into playing by his QB- blows out knee. Pretending that someone should show up every day and put his livelihood at risk to honor a contract that he was forced into because a CBA was voted on by veteran players before he got into the league is ridiculous. Players have catastrophic career ending injuries on the first day of camp (LeCharles Bently)- claiming that players should just shut up and take it really pisses me off.

Javon Walker sucked the first two years of his contract. He had one good year and wanted more money with 2 years left on his contract. If he hadn't held out I don't think he would have blow out his knee. Chalk that one up to Drew Rosenhaus. Jennings has shown more talent, potential and brains than Walker ever did.

Boldin has done what he needed to. He shows up, plays the year and has the best showing of any WR in the entire league, and would have had the best stats of any other Wr in the league had he not been knocked out against the Jets. It has got him nothing. Deon Branch on the other hand does nothing, holds out, gets traded, makes what he wants and then never does anything for the team that paid for him.

Boldin renegotiated his rookie contract with 2 years left. 2 years later he wants to renegotiate with 3 years left on his new contract. If anyone is to blame here it is his agent(s).

Yep. The Branch situation is totally different.I rarely have a problem with players fighting for more money, but Boldin had his deal re-done, got a signing bonus, no one forced his hand. Branch was on his rookie deal. Rookies have no say in their contract.Boldin could have waited till his rookie deal was done, and gotten more money. He took the sure money, trading more future dollars for money now, giving him security in case of injury (which is a legit concern with Boldin). When a player does that, their contract is going to look a little low in comparison to guys who waited their turn, or signed contracts later. The Cards have other guys that deserve to have their contracts done before Boldin, he hasn't got much of a case, IMO.

 

[David Yudkin]

IMO, Boldin has a somewhat legit beef in that the Cards backed up a truck full of money and gave it to Fitzgerald, effectively tearing up his contract because it was in the best interest of the team to do so.

Boldin signed a four-year, $22.67 million contract extension in 2005. The deal contained $10 million guaranteed, including a $5 million signing bonus with remaining salaries of 2009: $2.75 million and 2010: $3 million.

Last year, Fitzgerald signed a four-year, $40 million contract w a no trade clause. The deal contained $30 million guaranteed, including a $15 million signing bonus. If Fitzgerald is franchise tagged in 2012, he must be paid $23 million that season. His breakdown salary wise: 2009: $4.6 million (+ $9 million option bonus), 2010: $6.3 million, and 2011: $7 million.

In Boldin's situation, I don't think he's that much of an inferior of a talent to get paid a fraction of what Fitzgerald is getting. Total comp this year: Boldin $2.75 million, Fitzgerald $13.6 million.

 

[massraider]

IMO, Boldin has a somewhat legit beef in that the Cards backed up a truck full of money and gave it to Fitzgerald, effectively tearing up his contract because it was in the best interest of the team to do so.

Boldin signed a four-year, $22.67 million contract extension in 2005. The deal contained $10 million guaranteed, including a $5 million signing bonus with remaining salaries of 2009: $2.75 million and 2010: $3 million.

Last year, Fitzgerald signed a four-year, $40 million contract w a no trade clause. The deal contained $30 million guaranteed, including a $15 million signing bonus. If Fitzgerald is franchise tagged in 2012, he must be paid $23 million that season. His breakdown salary wise: 2009: $4.6 million (+ $9 million option bonus), 2010: $6.3 million, and 2011: $7 million.

In Boldin's situation, I don't think he's that much of an inferior of a talent to get paid a fraction of what Fitzgerald is getting. Total comp this year: Boldin $2.75 million, Fitzgerald $13.6 million.

The bolded is the important part to me. He signed the deal four years ago, and his teammate just signed a new deal that surpassed his salary. The fact that they are teammates is irrelevant. And Fitz' contract was such that he had massive escalators built in, making his 09 salary massive. Fitz actually probably left moeny on the table, because he never got to sniff free agency. If Fitz had played hardball, he could have gotten more money. And the same could have been said about Boldin, but he didn't want to wait to FA. When you sign an extension, for that matter any contract, other players are going to pass you. Deals go up every year.

Total comp this year doesn't matter, does it? Boldin got a SB when he signed his extension, and his deal expires in two years. Assuming he stays healthy, he'll get a SB that Fitz won't get.

 

[bigmiiiiike]

IMO, Boldin has a somewhat legit beef in that the Cards backed up a truck full of money and gave it to Fitzgerald, effectively tearing up his contract because it was in the best interest of the team to do so.Boldin signed a four-year, $22.67 million contract extension in 2005. The deal contained $10 million guaranteed, including a $5 million signing bonus with remaining salaries of 2009: $2.75 million and 2010: $3 million.Last year, Fitzgerald signed a four-year, $40 million contract w a no trade clause. The deal contained $30 million guaranteed, including a $15 million signing bonus. If Fitzgerald is franchise tagged in 2012, he must be paid $23 million that season. His breakdown salary wise: 2009: $4.6 million (+ $9 million option bonus), 2010: $6.3 million, and 2011: $7 million.In Boldin's situation, I don't think he's that much of an inferior of a talent to get paid a fraction of what Fitzgerald is getting. Total comp this year: Boldin $2.75 million, Fitzgerald $13.6 million.

But you have to look at each of these contracts in isolation, at the time they were made. No one forced Boldin to sign the contract he signed. While in retrospect, it is easy to say that Fitzgerald gets a disproportionate amount more than Boldin, each player signed the contract. To me, there is nothing unfair about this process, and nothing "justifies" an under-contract player like Boldin from complaining later on when someone else gets paid more. If you want it that way, then don't ever sign anything more than a 1 year deal and negotiate a new contract based on your past year's performance. Or, sign a longer term performance-based contract that readjusts based on your performance and the prevailing salaries around the league (i.e., If Player performs as the 8th best WR one year, his compensation is set in between the 7th and 9th highest paid WRs for that year).