Westbrook raises the spectre of retiring (1 Viewer)

[RedZone]

Please don't kill the messenger.

This comes from the Delaware New Journal in an article penned by Geoff Mosher

Westbrook mentions the word "retire"

Referring to a comment made on ESPN radio with Dan Patrick, Westbrook apparently raised the issue of retiring... here is the relevant portion of the article

Call it a Freudian slip or a veiled hint, but Brian Westbrook raised eyebrows earlier this offseason when, during a radio interview, he hinted at retirement.

"Right now?" said ESPN Radio host Dan Patrick.

"I could," Westbrook said. "... A lot of people don't understand the punishment a running back takes."

Westbrook later said he had no plans to retire anytime soon, but consider the first salvo fired. As the Eagles prepare for the NFL draft, where they pick 26th overall next Saturday, adding running back depth is a priority.

Philly has been mentioned to be one of the secret six looking seriously at Michael Turner, which made no sense, so I went looking for a reason behind this, thus finding this article from April 22.

Westbrook signed a five year extension in 2005 but is currently part of a grievance filed by the Eagles regarding $3,000,000 overpaid to him as a result of an accounting error (tiny mistake). Westbrook has carried the brunt of the load and is not a huge guy (5'8", 203#) and the comment was eerily reminiscent of Tiki's comments about getting banged up a lot.

Could there be bad blood between Westbrook and the Eagles, causing them to posture against one another (grievance versus retiring), build up of injuries to Westbrook that have not been made public, mental exhaustion, or some other factor? The eagles could be in dire straits if Westbrook's heart is not in the game, the relationship between the front office and Westbrook sours, McNabb's rehab does not progress as hoped (haven't heard anything about this, so don't explode on that speculation).

This needs to be watched closely. Will Westbrook pay back the money? Did he appear at off-season workouts? Any injuries that may be causing long term pain or fear of disability?

Philly has the #26 pick in the first round. Would that get them Turner? Interesting, possibly tinfoil hat thinking but interesting. Would they spend the #26 to get Turner if Westbrook is making noise to leave?

 

[ILUVBEER99]

How could he be angry about having to pay back money that wasn't his?

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Would they spend the #26 to get Turner if Westbrook is making noise to leave?

Maybe. More likely they'd draft Brian Leonard.Articles like this should shed light on why teams like the two back system (and why the Vikings are interested in AP, for instance). One RB with the majority of carries DESTROYS the man by the time the season is done.Having two quality backs extends the careers of both. If you run one guy into the ground, you're going to be constantly replacing him.People questioned how Robert Smith could walk away from such an enormous payday. I guess the answer is that the pain isn't worth it. Kinda telling, isn't it?

 

[Chunky Soup]

:fluff:

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

this is just a ploy to keep 3 million dollars

 

[fatness]

And in another thread "Eagles shopping Moats".

 

[RedZone]

OK, did some due diligence... I originally searched the shark pool looking for Westbrook and retire and got too many hits to be worthwhile. Looked at the official eagles thread and no mention of this but lots of comments about the Buckhalter resigning and freed up cap space due to some restructuring.

Here is one relevant comment, didn't see who made it

Eagles | Team actively shopping Moats

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 02:09:37 -0700

John Murphy, of Yahoo! Sports, reports the Philadelphia Eagles are actively shopping RB Ryan Moats, according to a well-placed league source. The team will likely draft a bigger running back to use in the backup role, making Moats less likely to earn a spot on the active roster unless it would be for special teams purposes. A second source claims more than one team has already been contacted to gauge their initial interest, but the initial league source indicated the Eagles would likely receive a mid-round draft pick in the 2007 NFL Draft in exchange for Moats.

Considering that the Eagles like to use a franchise back (though it chews them up as Andy noted), this would be suggestive that the interest being paid by the Eagles is legit, if and only if, Westbrook's status is questionable. It was noted that they had little interest in many other free agent backs such as Dillon, Barlow, etc.

The implication of the FA RB looks was a legit backup in place of Buckhalter, but now one has to wonder.

Did anybody hear the Dan Patrick show being referred to or anything since?

 

[jesseasi]

How could he be angry about having to pay back money that wasn't his?

Probably because the Eagles had agreed to pay him the extra 3 million and they tried to cover it up in their books. Honestly, how do you accidentaly write a check for 3 mil extra? Sounds fishy to me. No way it was an "accident".He wants what is his.

 

[ILUVBEER99]

How could he be angry about having to pay back money that wasn't his?

Probably because the Eagles had agreed to pay him the extra 3 million and they tried to cover it up in their books. Honestly, how do you accidentaly write a check for 3 mil extra? Sounds fishy to me. No way it was an "accident".He wants what is his.

Makes sense, i also believe the 3 mill overpay was on purpose and only came to light once the Eagles knew they would be found out.If Westbrook is mad about it that only goes to show something was definitely fishy, otherwise he would have no issue with paying it back.

 

[BigTex]

How could he be angry about having to pay back money that wasn't his?

Probably because the Eagles had agreed to pay him the extra 3 million and they tried to cover it up in their books. Honestly, how do you accidentaly write a check for 3 mil extra? Sounds fishy to me. No way it was an "accident".He wants what is his.

If the Accountant(s) or individual(s) who "over wrote" the check is not fired then something is wrong.But as a dynasty owner of Westbrook any hint of retirement is a sign that I should preparing to move him ASAP. twocents

 

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

Sometimes you just get a great big laugh from this site.... trying to hide $3,000,000.00 in a written check so that the NFL doesn't know about it, yeah thats easy to do and totally fits the Eagles MO.

 

[RedZone]

http://deadspin.com/sports/nfl/want-to-boo...tant-252399.php

Here is the site stating the accountant was Reid's son, I can't tell if it is supposed to be a spoof site or serious. Maybe it is like the Onion?

Edited because of massive link errors and overcopy/quote effect

 

[Snotbubbles]

Makes sense, i also believe the 3 mill overpay was on purpose and only came to light once the Eagles knew they would be found out.If Westbrook is mad about it that only goes to show something was definitely fishy, otherwise he would have no issue with paying it back.

I didn't read anywhere in the article that said Westbrook was mad at having to repay the $3,000,000.

 

[ILUVBEER99]

Makes sense, i also believe the 3 mill overpay was on purpose and only came to light once the Eagles knew they would be found out.If Westbrook is mad about it that only goes to show something was definitely fishy, otherwise he would have no issue with paying it back.

I didn't read anywhere in the article that said Westbrook was mad at having to repay the $3,000,000.

The article speculates that as one of the possible reasons he mentioned retirement.

 

[RedZone]

Makes sense, i also believe the 3 mill overpay was on purpose and only came to light once the Eagles knew they would be found out.

If Westbrook is mad about it that only goes to show something was definitely fishy, otherwise he would have no issue with paying it back.

I didn't read anywhere in the article that said Westbrook was mad at having to repay the $3,000,000.

There was a Associated Press article that stated he had already paid taxes on the income, so it is a financial mess.Taxes

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

How could he be angry about having to pay back money that wasn't his?

Probably because the Eagles had agreed to pay him the extra 3 million and they tried to cover it up in their books. Honestly, how do you accidentaly write a check for 3 mil extra? Sounds fishy to me. No way it was an "accident".

He wants what is his.

If the Accountant(s) or individual(s) who "over wrote" the check is not fired then something is wrong.

But as a dynasty owner of Westbrook any hint of retirement is a sign that I should preparing to move him ASAP. :(

twocents

Asked and Answered

 

[RedZone]

How could he be angry about having to pay back money that wasn't his?

Probably because the Eagles had agreed to pay him the extra 3 million and they tried to cover it up in their books. Honestly, how do you accidentaly write a check for 3 mil extra? Sounds fishy to me. No way it was an "accident".

He wants what is his.

If the Accountant(s) or individual(s) who "over wrote" the check is not fired then something is wrong.

But as a dynasty owner of Westbrook any hint of retirement is a sign that I should preparing to move him ASAP.

twocents

Asked and Answered

Jeff,Thanks for the quick reply on the contract snafu, but what are you hearing about retirement? Is this a misquote or what?

 

[suchislife]

Makes sense, i also believe the 3 mill overpay was on purpose and only came to light once the Eagles knew they would be found out.If Westbrook is mad about it that only goes to show something was definitely fishy, otherwise he would have no issue with paying it back.

As I understand it from another thread, the additional 3mil never put the Eagles over the cap. If that's true, what is there to 'find out'? Westbrook already paid taxes on it, so it wasn't to hide it from the IRS.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

How could he be angry about having to pay back money that wasn't his?

Probably because the Eagles had agreed to pay him the extra 3 million and they tried to cover it up in their books. Honestly, how do you accidentaly write a check for 3 mil extra? Sounds fishy to me. No way it was an "accident".

He wants what is his.

If the Accountant(s) or individual(s) who "over wrote" the check is not fired then something is wrong.

But as a dynasty owner of Westbrook any hint of retirement is a sign that I should preparing to move him ASAP.

twocents

Asked and Answered

Jeff,Thanks for the quick reply on the contract snafu, but what are you hearing about retirement? Is this a misquote or what?

Haven't heard anything on this right now.

 

[Family Matters]

Would they spend the #26 to get Turner if Westbrook is making noise to leave?

Maybe. More likely they'd draft Brian Leonard.Articles like this should shed light on why teams like the two back system (and why the Vikings are interested in AP, for instance). One RB with the majority of carries DESTROYS the man by the time the season is done.

Having two quality backs extends the careers of both. If you run one guy into the ground, you're going to be constantly replacing him.

People questioned how Robert Smith could walk away from such an enormous payday. I guess the answer is that the pain isn't worth it. Kinda telling, isn't it?

Kinda surprised that you made this comment. First we should recognize that there are 2 sides to the RBBC system. And it begins and ends with the coach. Reid is one of the guys that likes the RBBC approach. He's used it over the years and last year was an abberation for him. The other side is if the back can handle the load. Westbrook is without a doubt a very talented back. But he seems to be better suited in a RBBC because he can't handle the beating. He's not realy built for it. Nothing wrong with that, just the way it is. Guys like LT and LJ can handle more pounding thus meaning those teams do not need to employ a true RBBC in order to the things they want to do.

Most RBBC's has been born out of need, not deisre. They usual;ly don't last long from what I've seen. I think it's a money (cap) issue for most teams because if you have two guys that are top back material then you have pay for that. Most teams are not willing to pay 2 backs that kind of money. They'd rather have 1.

 

[GRIDIRON ASSASSIN]

How could he be angry about having to pay back money that wasn't his?

Barry Sanders was too. flippin' quitter ....

 

[Gottabesweet]

Dan Patrick just badgers his interviews.

 

[Traders2001]

And in another thread "Eagles shopping Moats".

So what . Do you think Moats is even in the Eagles plans for the future NO.Moats is a lousy back up even if Westbrook retired now he would not see the field, one thing has nothing to do with the other.

 

[bcr8f]

He'll regret ever saying retire.

 

[Chunky Soup]

The title of this thread (and the journal for that matter) is very misleading. This is an example of a quote taken completely out of context. I think its an interesting article, but some people are taking this even half legitimately. Don't do that.

Besides, Westbrook is in his late 20s and hasn't had a lot of carries in his career. When you look at the backs that have retired because they couldn't take it, they've had many many more carries than Westbrook.

 

[suchislife]

The title of this thread (and the journal for that matter) is very misleading. This is an example of a quote taken completely out of context. I think its an interesting article, but some people are taking this even half legitimately. Don't do that. Besides, Westbrook is in his late 20s and hasn't had a lot of carries in his career. When you look at the backs that have retired because they couldn't take it, they've had many many more carries than Westbrook.

The titile of this thread could very easily be "Westbrook Has No Plans to Retire Anytime Soon". But that wouldn't be news.

 

[BigTex]

How could he be angry about having to pay back money that wasn't his?

Probably because the Eagles had agreed to pay him the extra 3 million and they tried to cover it up in their books. Honestly, how do you accidentaly write a check for 3 mil extra? Sounds fishy to me. No way it was an "accident".

He wants what is his.

If the Accountant(s) or individual(s) who "over wrote" the check is not fired then something is wrong.

But as a dynasty owner of Westbrook any hint of retirement is a sign that I should preparing to move him ASAP.

twocents

Asked and Answered

 

[RedZone]

The title of this thread (and the journal for that matter) is very misleading. This is an example of a quote taken completely out of context. I think its an interesting article, but some people are taking this even half legitimately. Don't do that.

Besides, Westbrook is in his late 20s and hasn't had a lot of carries in his career. When you look at the backs that have retired because they couldn't take it, they've had many many more carries than Westbrook.

The titile of this thread could very easily be "Westbrook Has No Plans to Retire Anytime Soon". But that wouldn't be news.

Hmm, the reason I put don't kill the messenger.Specter - definitions

A ghostly apparition; a phantom.

A haunting or disturbing image or prospect: the terrible specter of nuclear war.

Note, the title only states that Westbrook raised the specter of retirement, not that he is actively taking up golf. I think the title "Westbrook has no plans to retire anytime soon" would have been mocked even more so as it says nothing different from the status quo. Please note, I did include the relevant portion of the article content stating that he has no immediate plans.

I only came across this article trying to understand why Philly would be in the market for Michael Turner (according to AJ Smith) and given the recent money situation, filing of grievance, last year's heavy workload and the similarity to Tiki's comments about the physical cost of the pounding NFL backs take, I thought it relevant and newsworthy.

Also, Philly has had some emotionally devastating seasons, with the TO drama, followed this year by McNabb's injury.

Perhaps it was Dan Patrick's interview style and a leading question? I don't listen to his show or ESPN for the most part. Is there any value? If Westbrook is hurting, emotionally exhausted, things are disruptive or divisive in Philly right now because of the bonus money situation or if Westbrook does not want to be a feature back, rather go to a RBBC, then that would affect his fantasy value immediately. If he is thinking of just one more year or maybe two, then that affects his dynasty value.

Frankly, I think the title is clear and relevant given a) the bonus money situation, b) Philly's interest in Michael Turner, and c) the value of knowing anytime a significant player is mentally, emotionally or physically affected such that he would consider and mention retiring during a globally broadcast show.

If this is accurate and the current bonus money situation has nothing to do with it (believe it or not, I think it was probably an accounting misinterpretation of an overly complex legalese contract), my impression is that Westbrook is looking at one to two more years and MT or a high draft pick RB will be brought in to groom beside him this coming season. If not, I still see a strong implication for a return to RBBC, like the three-headed monster (Westbrook, Staley and Buckhalter) of just a few years ago.

To be honest, I was hoping Jeff Pasquino would have come into the topic early to refute or confirm the idea. I probably should have PM'd him, but I figured his plate is full with the draft coming this weekend. This should be watched closely as it could negatively impact Westbrook's projections and dynasty value.

 

[Chunky Soup]

Hmm, the reason I put don't kill the messenger.

Specter - definitions

A ghostly apparition; a phantom.

A haunting or disturbing image or prospect: the terrible specter of nuclear war.

Note, the title only states that Westbrook raised the specter of retirement, not that he is actively taking up golf. I think the title "Westbrook has no plans to retire anytime soon" would have been mocked even more so as it says nothing different from the status quo. Please note, I did include the relevant portion of the article content stating that he has no immediate plans.

I only came across this article trying to understand why Philly would be in the market for Michael Turner (according to AJ Smith) and given the recent money situation, filing of grievance, last year's heavy workload and the similarity to Tiki's comments about the physical cost of the pounding NFL backs take, I thought it relevant and newsworthy.

Also, Philly has had some emotionally devastating seasons, with the TO drama, followed this year by McNabb's injury.

Perhaps it was Dan Patrick's interview style and a leading question? I don't listen to his show or ESPN for the most part. Is there any value? If Westbrook is hurting, emotionally exhausted, things are disruptive or divisive in Philly right now because of the bonus money situation or if Westbrook does not want to be a feature back, rather go to a RBBC, then that would affect his fantasy value immediately. If he is thinking of just one more year or maybe two, then that affects his dynasty value.

Frankly, I think the title is clear and relevant given a) the bonus money situation, b) Philly's interest in Michael Turner, and c) the value of knowing anytime a significant player is mentally, emotionally or physically affected such that he would consider and mention retiring during a globally broadcast show.

If this is accurate and the current bonus money situation has nothing to do with it (believe it or not, I think it was probably an accounting misinterpretation of an overly complex legalese contract), my impression is that Westbrook is looking at one to two more years and MT or a high draft pick RB will be brought in to groom beside him this coming season. If not, I still see a strong implication for a return to RBBC, like the three-headed monster (Westbrook, Staley and Buckhalter) of just a few years ago.

To be honest, I was hoping Jeff Pasquino would have come into the topic early to refute or confirm the idea. I probably should have PM'd him, but I figured his plate is full with the draft coming this weekend. This should be watched closely as it could negatively impact Westbrook's projections and dynasty value.

One thing thats so interesting to me is that the only news outlet carrying this "story" is the one that you mentioned. Search on google news, you will find nothing. So, from the very first impression it seems to be offseason fluff. Of course, this doesn't mean that its not going to happen. Still, however, there is absolutely nothing telling me that he will be retiring. The problem is that what Westbrook said has nothing to do with actually retiring. He said he could retire. Who couldn't? He has the money, he has nice accomplishments. He said its a tough beating. Of course it is, all RBs talk about it.

And are you really saying that the 3mil or "mental stress" will cause him to retire?

He wasn't supposed to get that money so why would he be so upset he'd retire? And, if he REALLY wanted that money, why would he retire so he couldn't get any more money?

As for the mental stress, its funny because no other Eagle has mentioned anything about TO beinging stress. No player has left because of it, and no player has retired since TO has cause problems. If anyone was going to be mentally affected by this, it wouldn't be the RB. Also, trying to predict the first guy to be mentally affected, 2 years removed, is quite laughable.

Finally, even if we're in the Michael Turner runnings, it doesn't mean much. The Eagles have been thinking about getting Corey Dillon, other FAs, draft a first round RB, etc. The idea of getting a RB isn't new, and just because its Turner doesn't signify anything about Westbrook's retirement.

The idea of Westbrook retiring is just absolute . He had a quote taken out of context and it has horribly spun into this. It is just :fluff: and nothing more.

 

[joffer]

this is just a pl0y to motivate Tatum Bell

 

[RedZone]

Somehow I seem to raised the ire of certain members. Yes, I searched google news with due diligence, the FBG news blogger, and did a forum search prior to posting. I found nothing to support this news story. Given that it was mentioned in an interview with Dan Patrick, I was hoping that someone may have heard it to clarify the situation or that one of the members who follow the eagles closely may offer some credible feedback. Seriously, should a comment like that be buried or ignored?

I hesitated to post this story but felt that it was reflective of the content of the forum. Given the number of posts containing rumors, I did not feel that a comment directly spoken by a key fantasy player was overly speculative or misleading.

The current events surrounding the Eagles, Westbrook and the draft lead me to evaluate Westbrook more closely in my projections and watch for further comments to refute or support this train of thought. To those who appreciate the time I spent in looking up the matter and sharing it, thank you. To those who feel I owe them five minutes of their life back that would have otherwise been spent browsing the forum mindlessly, send me a tab and I will settle up at the pearly gates.

 

[Jeff Pasquino]

Somehow I seem to raised the ire of certain members. Yes, I searched google news with due diligence, the FBG news blogger, and did a forum search prior to posting. I found nothing to support this news story. Given that it was mentioned in an interview with Dan Patrick, I was hoping that someone may have heard it to clarify the situation or that one of the members who follow the eagles closely may offer some credible feedback. Seriously, should a comment like that be buried or ignored?I hesitated to post this story but felt that it was reflective of the content of the forum. Given the number of posts containing rumors, I did not feel that a comment directly spoken by a key fantasy player was overly speculative or misleading.The current events surrounding the Eagles, Westbrook and the draft lead me to evaluate Westbrook more closely in my projections and watch for further comments to refute or support this train of thought. To those who appreciate the time I spent in looking up the matter and sharing it, thank you. To those who feel I owe them five minutes of their life back that would have otherwise been spent browsing the forum mindlessly, send me a tab and I will settle up at the pearly gates.

Redzone,I don't have any issue with you at all raising this question based on comments you found / heard / saw.Big stories can start this way - but also many just don't pan out either.I don't take any issue with how you handled the comments. Personally I don't see Westy retiring any time soon, but I hadn't heard these comments nor can I find out anything regarding them anywhere else.Westy is signed thru 2010 for nice $ (5 yr/ 24.9M deal), so I don't see any reason to think he'll retire before then. He'll be 31 at the close of 2010 and will still be likely under 2,200 career touches (he has about 1,000 now and I don't see more than 400 any year at all - he just topped 300 last year, so let's say 2,000).I think he could extend and play until 32 or 33, but the next 3 years are pretty safe.

 

[Dolfan34]

there was some talk about how westbrooks knees are deteriorating. the knee "injury" last year was rumored to be ( or said to be.... i can't remember) swelling and pain caused by bone on bone contact. how much longer can he play with that condition?

 

[GregR_2]

The part of this thread talking about bad blood over the bonus is much ado about nothing. Westbrook has never indicated so. The Eagles when they filed the grievance said it was a procedural thing and they and Westbrook are in agreement about the matter.

Look at the source. It's some writer not even saying something learned from a source. He's speculating some random thought with no basis to pad his column another sentence rather than report actual information.

 

[Family Matters]

there was some talk about how westbrooks knees are deteriorating. the knee "injury" last year was rumored to be ( or said to be.... i can't remember) swelling and pain caused by bone on bone contact. how much longer can he play with that condition?

That's what caused Faulk to retire. It really depends on how bad it is. Faulk went through several knee surgeries and borrowed some time. The concern with Westbrook is that he's been dealing with this for a while.But I still don't think he's retiring at this time.

 

[yellowdog]

this is just a pl0y to motivate Tatum Bell

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