Cards, Fitzgerald not close to deal (1 Viewer)

[Tackling Dummies]

If you take a look at the comments made by the Cards front office, they aren't being very diplomatic. They are throwing Fitz completely under the bus, essentially saying, geez, I guess Fitz doesn't want to play for a winner, if he is gonna hamsting us like this. The team can't outright call him greedy, but they can lead the media down the right path and let THEM call him greedy.

Local media is usually filled with lapdogs, this is not surprising. This does not look good though. Fitzgerald's agent has stated that he wants a 4 year deal and then another before he turns 30, not the Cards offer on a 6 year deal that he's balking at. The Cardinals are bent over with the existing contract and then trying to extend his deal for 4 and the matter of the $31M just makes it uglier. I have no idea how Graves is going to wiggle out of this mess. Contract years, terms, performance and age are all in Fitzgerald's corner. Checkmate.

 

[Bob Magaw]

PFT reporting fitz announced new deal on his site... haven't been able to verify with link from "harder" news source... terms reportedly $40 mil for four years (he is only 24?), with $30 mill guaranteed, & no trade clause...

FITZGERALD EXTENDS HIS DEAL

According to an announcement posted on what appears to be his personal web site, Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald has agreed to a four-year, $40 million contract with the team.

Fitzgerald's site says that he'll get $30 million guaranteed, and $33 million over the next three years.

He had been scheduled to earn more than $14 million in salary in 2008 and more than $17 million in salary in 2009 based on eight-figure escalators for which he qualified based on his performance during the first four years of his career.

The deal also supposedly contains a clause that permits Fitzgerald to block any trade without his consent (which protects him from being traded to one of the really bad franchises . . . like the one he currently plays for).

 

[brock]

the no trade clause was a good move for fitz.

 

[massraider]

Smart move by the Cardinals.

Fitz will still have some big cap numbers over the next few years, but they get some breathing room, and can always try and extend him later.

If they can work out an extension with Dansby, they'll be fine on cap room in 2009.

 

[alg]

Curious how this helps Fitz. He was due 31mil over 2 years. Now he gets 40mil over 4 years.

He's not suffering, mind you, but from the cheap seats it sure looks like he just took a big paycut for the Cards.

 

[CYP]

Curious how this helps Fitz. He was due 31mil over 2 years. Now he gets 40mil over 4 years.He's not suffering, mind you, but from the cheap seats it sure looks like he just took a big paycut for the Cards.

I really think this is a bogus story

 

[LILB811]

This is EXACTLY what the Cardinals wanted and EXACTLY what Fitz did not want in negotiations. I find this hard to believe.

 

[massraider]

Curious how this helps Fitz. He was due 31mil over 2 years. Now he gets 40mil over 4 years.He's not suffering, mind you, but from the cheap seats it sure looks like he just took a big paycut for the Cards.

From the other thread:

It makes him the highest paid WR in the league.$33 mil over the first 3 yrs with $30 of that guaranteed (and basically all $33m of it is, barring catastropic injury)

The big difference is the guarantees. Fitz was taking a $17 million gamble (his 2009 salary) that he would stay healthy. And really, he was wagering even more. Because there's no guarantee that a long term deal would come in 2010, maybe he gets franchised. Either way, the big guaranteed money for Fitz was at least 2 years away, and probably 3.Fitz may have walked away from the absolute MOST money he could make, but getting the 4 year deal was big for him.After all, this is real money, not some 3 year deal disguised as a 6 year deal. Fitz will actually collect the $40 million.

 

[alg]

I think the 31mil was real money too. Everyone and their mother know that no one is going to cut Fitz. Even if he gets injured most likely. I simply cannot believ that anyone as smart and well funded as Fitz is going to take 'scared' money.

The 40mil in question is simply not enough to counter the significant barganing leverage Fitz has. It would be a VERY bad deal for him. (I am, however, available and offer significant savings...)

 

[massraider]

I think the 31mil was real money too. Everyone and their mother know that no one is going to cut Fitz. Even if he gets injured most likely. I simply cannot believ that anyone as smart and well funded as Fitz is going to take 'scared' money.The 40mil in question is simply not enough to counter the significant barganing leverage Fitz has. It would be a VERY bad deal for him. (I am, however, available and offer significant savings...)

Let's say for sure, no way he gets released before week 1, 2008. I am willing to concede that.And blows his knee out. now the Cards have a WR with a blown out knee, in the last year of his deal, scheduled to make $17 mill. Think he collects that? That is not real money.

 

[LILB811]

I think the 31mil was real money too. Everyone and their mother know that no one is going to cut Fitz. Even if he gets injured most likely. I simply cannot believ that anyone as smart and well funded as Fitz is going to take 'scared' money.The 40mil in question is simply not enough to counter the significant barganing leverage Fitz has. It would be a VERY bad deal for him. (I am, however, available and offer significant savings...)

Let's say for sure, no way he gets released before week 1, 2008. I am willing to concede that.And blows his knee out. now the Cards have a WR with a blown out knee, in the last year of his deal, scheduled to make $17 mill. Think he collects that? That is not real money.

So you then also concede that he's taking a 3 year extension at $26 mil, with 16 of that guaranteed? That seems absolutely ridiculous