JOESAM2002

It's no deal....

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2938730

DeadmaN

good deal...

saintsfan1976

can you blame them? I mean who wants to settle for that many millions of dollars..... what would they eat??

SaintFanInATLHELL

I know it seems silly, but neither guy is too terribly out of line here. The problem with the franchise tender for them is a complete lack of security in case of injury. The signing bonus money that both of these players would have gotten on the open market would be well more than double their current tender offers. Clemens got $20+ million in signing bonuses, while Adalius Thomas has close to $22 million guaranteed over the next two years. That's the power of signing a long term contract.

While we're talking about dollars in the millions, you'd likely take the same stance for your job too. You've done excellent work. New people are being brought on for more money than you're making, and management isn't looking to give you a long term contract with money that you're worth. Compound that with you can't leave and go work for the competition for what you're worth.

Not coming to work is the only real recourse.

It's the same reason that Larry Johnson is going to hold out for the big money. He's proved that he's the man in KC, just like Briggs and Samuel.

While it's lottery money to you and me, there's over $3 billion in money with the salary cap and only about 1500 players to spend it on. Those millions are the prevailing NFL market price.

Why go to work if you're not getting paid what you're worth?

SFIAH

Super Bowl Championships: New Orleans Saints:1, Carolina:0, Atlanta Chokers: STILL ZERO

Only Atlanta choked in an unchokable situation... Life is definitely good.

WhoDat205

SaintFan said it. You gotta realize that 7+ Mil is the going rate for all-pro DB/LBs. They've got a future to think about and a "lack of marketable skills" to go with it. A broken leg or worse and their career is over. We average Joe's get to work until we're 65 or older...broken leg or not.

It's pretty clear that the Owners and Players need to revisit the Franchise Tag at the next round of CBA negotiations.

bobcat4u2

the day all contracts become fully guaranteed is when players should honor their contracts without blinking.owners can get out of most contracts much easier than players,so i can't blame players for doing all they can to get their share,especially those that have earned it on the field,not from draft opinion.

SapperSaint

I see what you are saying brother. However, folks in the military are just like athletes, only we don't have an offseason. I have no, NO cartalige left in either of my knees, a compressed vertibre and a tore "Lower Back Strap" that will never fully heal.

And yet while we do make good money for what we do, if the military can't use us....we are gone. Retirement or no retirement. (Yes, I know pro sports doesn't have a retirement plan).

I think these guys are getting paid a little too much to play a kids game.

Now don't get me wrong.... I love sports. But ask yourself this.

If you were a kid just out of college and did not get drafted and were given the chance to play pro football; would you sign a six year deal making $200,000.00 year?

That is alot of zero's folks. I don't think anyone is making that kind of money here. Then again, I could be wrong.

"We are number one. All others are number two, or lower."
-The Sphinx
http://blackandgold.com/groups/28-ou...tsman-s-corner

ScottyRo

I kind of think that $8 Million is pretty good security. It would set me for life. Plus, it is "guaranteed" from the perspective that he gets all of it unless he gets cut.

So, all we are really talking about is his future ability to make millions per year in case he get s hurt this year. A player so worried should insure himself against injury (I'm drawing a blank on the London-based insurer who would do this). It may cost him some money, but at least he'd be compensated for loss of future earnings if he suffered a career ending injury.

A player under the franchise tag has plenty of options to protect himself.

By the way, the relating players salaries to our own doesn't theory exactly work because this one year salary for the player could, if the player needed it to, last him a lifetime. My salary wouldn't last 2 years even if I cut back to the bone.

papz

But after he buys himself 3 Bentley's, 1 Ferrari, a 3 million dollar mansion, a mil in jewerly, etc., he's not going to have much left to spend. 30 million guaranteed will last much longer.

=]

WhoDat205

Sapper, thanks for your service to the country.

To answer your question, I'm 27 and I would play for the US team that played over in Japan...and I'd do it today, for free...actually, I'd buy the plane ticket and the hotel room, too. So you just tell me which a$$ to kiss to play for 200K a year.

Of course these guys are making waaaaay too much money. I could make $7Mil last for a lifetime (5% interest is $350,000 annually before compounding, taxes), no problem, but that's not the point. The NFL is bringing in Billions of dollars (lots and lots of zeros) and that money's going in someone's pocket.

So I ask you, who's more deserving? Lance Briggs or Virginia McCaskey (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Halas_McCaskey)

"defence's personal to allwats double team or watch is over, that one reason why the saints or not any good." - Vador101