Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

The deadline to get a long term deal done for him has come and gone. I am very disturbed by this although some may be happy we got stuck keeping him. We may still be able to work something out after July 15th and trade him for picks next year, but this does not help us at all in this year's draft. I also wonder how this will effect contract negotiations with some other key players. :(

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

No biggy, we still have a very good lineman on the team. Remember he did play well at DT last year and nothing was wrong with our 3 man rotation at DE either.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

Um, yes something is wrong with it, it\'s called the salary cap. The team was not working on a long term deal for Howard cause they expected to be able to trade him. If we have to keep him, it is a huge deal. We simply can not afford it, unless we wanna let Deuce, or Joe ride next year. We can still trade him after July 15th, but that gives us something for next year\'s draft, not this year. Howard has also said he DOES NOT wanna play DT with any regularity.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

and for last gasp hopes, it may be done but not completely processed through league offices and then released to the press.

with all the hubbub i can\'t believe they had a 2nd rounder left on the table.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

I hope and pray that\'s what it is Kelley. I can\'t believe we couldn\'t get something done. The only snag could be the contract Howard was asking for. Three reasons why Howard needed to be traded:

1) salary cap
2) Charles Grant
3) Will Smith

It\'s good to say stock your team with all these players at one position, but that doesn\'t help the TEAM. We may have nice sack numbers, but will have the same LBs, and several unhappy players cause they haven\'t gotten new deals.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

Yea, this move is going to hinder our team for next season. No extra picks this year, just alot of extra salary going out to a player we already have. its like we paying Charles Grant twice this year. Looks like are ole FO is paying us back, we get all excited about the 2 good moves( Mayberry and Smith) so they turn around and pull something like this. Not good planning........

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

... or Howard can stay and play this year and we can do something with him next year. It\'s not that big of a deal. We have everyone under contract and some cap money left to sign our draft picks. It\'s pretty obvious that we aren\'t going to make any major free agent acquistions. It\'s not like Horn, Deuce, Bentley etc. all HAVE to get an extension this year. And he didn\'t seem to have a problem playing DT on third down passing situations last year. The rotation we were using last year didn\'t seem to be a problem at all.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

I am still holding out hope that no news is good news. The front office did the right thing in not letting him walk for nothing, but I wonder what stopped the deal. If it was Howard and his contract demands, then I wouldn\'t say it was the Saints\' fault. If it was the FO holding out til the last minute until a better offer came then blowing it, then I will be pissed.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

...except for the fact that out defense was horrible. The fact that our D-line wasnt the greatest last year, and we all had hopes of our LB and Secondary improving this year. Well, with Howard staying, that means our D-line will stay the same or improve a little and LB\'s will be the same. not good, not good at all, keeping Howard kills all hope of improving our crappy LB\'s, not to mention the threat it poses to contracts with are other big names

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

Hey... still a lot can happen. He can be still be moved, its just that we have just taken the cap hit, he didn\'t sign the tender when the Saints offered it. We can not negociate a long term deal til after the 15th now. Its just going to be a problem moving him because of the contract.

The 3pm deadline just ment that certain things take effect now is all. I still believe Howard will be a Saint this coming year.

[Edited on 14/3/2005 by Euphoria]

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

They can still trade him -- there are a lot of cases where the deal is being worked out in the background and then he is traded and receives a contract upgrade by his new team. The wheeking and dealing is not over yet

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

Yes only means the Saints can\'t work on a new deal until after the July 15th deadline now.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

Obviously papz you did not read the article where he said he did not like nor did he want to play DT and he did not wanna be a part of a rotation. He said he wanted to start every down. Just cause he did not complain about it while it was going on doesn\'t mean he liked it. He was auditioning for 31 other teams then until he got franchised. Now he gets to speak his mind.

Not, but a smuch as it is mentioned, it was obviously the team\'s intention to get some of these deals done. They have said they tried with Deuce last year and were hoping to complete a deal this off-season. Recent articles have shown them to be in negotiation with LeCharles. MM was complaining about his contract in GB BEFORE we got him, well, it is the same contract. I wouldn\'t wanna wait until he starts complaining.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

But the purpose of trading him was to escape the 7.8 cap hit.........

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

i know there was banter on the other thread about the technicalities of the franchise tag. i just wanted to add that i only see that howard signed the tender from several different sources. if that is wrong shouldn\'t some published retraction as well?

second, where are the specifics of this 3pm today deadline referred to. i find it nowhere. if it meant that howard, woodson, darius, etc. were stuck i would think that would be making some news wires. i do not find that either.

an article on darius refers to the deadline as on wednesday...
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-onlin...18210325.shtml

[Edited on 14/3/2005 by LKelley67]

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

I read it was Wednesday on the Pace deal too but went with the common theme that it was somehow today. But I stuck with my guns about Howard having signed the tender since Len Pastabelli and Pete Crisco have said eh has already. I really don\'t know what is going on here, except I am holding out hope we will get an announcement sometime soon of a done deal.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

pastabelli and crisco :xxrotflmao:

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

There goes our shot of getting an impact Lb in the draft(DJ).....we will never get an impact LB!!!!! the FO looks like the pulled two mediocre moves Smith and Mayberry, and botched a big one in tryin to deal Howard. Wow, imagine that MEDIOCRE!!!!!

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

Wurd is that the Saints are willing to trade Howard for a 2nd rd pick straight up, but Jones does not want to lose the pick. Jones is retarded who could he get with his 2nd rd pick that would be a starter at DE?

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

the answer he could get a number of athletic gems out there they don\'t have to play DE. Its smart on Dallas\'s part not to part with any picks.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

Athletic Gems???sounds like a haz or loom comment. or they can get a guy with huge upside!!!

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

I\'m can\'t see why we are complaining about the POSSIBILITY about retaining an all pro caliber defensive end. We haven\'t had any threats of anyone of them holding out either. So what if we wait another year or a month or two before we trade him, it\'s wouldn\'t hurt to have his services. Like I said everyone is under contract and we haven\'t had any threats of anyone holding out... let\'s just get the draft over with and then see how everything stands. I would have loved to trade Howard to Dallas for a second rounder this year, but I\'m prefectly fine with him being here also. How do we know Smith is ready to be an every down player? What if he breaks down? You can\'t expect Smith and Grant to take all the snaps at DE, they\'ll be dead tired towards the end of the year.

As of now we are in good shape with signing all our draft picks. It\'s too late to acquire this years draft picks so just deal with it when you have too. Take it a day at a time... no need to stress about having a very good football player on our team for another year.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

I am new to posting but I found this article on Neworleanssaints.com stating that we still have untill March 16 at 4:00pm to sign him long term.

\"Each club is permitted one franchise designation in any year of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. If a franchise player signs a multiyear contract with his current club between February 22 and March 16 at 4 pm CT, the club retains its franchise player designation for the following league year. After March 16, if the player signs a multiyear contract while under this designation, the club exhausts its franchise player rights for each year of that contract unless it matched another club\'s offer for that player, in which case the designation is used only for that year. Any club which elected not to use its franchise player designation in 2005 retains franchise designation rights for 2006 and subsequent years of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, provided the club did not exhaust those rights from a previously signed franchise player. \"

We may still have hope.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

Was told by some Dallas fans they heard on a Dallas radio station Dallas still wants to do a deal, they are the only team negotiating with New Orleans right now and so Jones is waiting for us to back off the 2nd round pick. Something will be done by Wednesday.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

Welcome SaintJam.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

So all this mumbo jumbo for nothing... he still can be dealt for picks this year. Bad info sw! :P Good find Jam and welcome also.

[Edited on 15/3/2005 by papz]

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

Hey, I just went with what people were telling me. And so did you until way late so ha. I even agreed with Kelley earlier that I thought the deadline was incorrect so ha again papzy!!! :bigun2:

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

:niko_georgebush: I blame everything on weapons of mass destruction... everything is now justified.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

I don\'t think this was mentioned any where on here, but If this is true then maybe that\'s why the deal wasn\'t made? It\'s a response made in another thread somewhere else, Sorry I don\'t have solid sources fpr this one.


The major holdup in the talks is the fact that Darren Howard wants a $16M signing bonus on his new deal, something that caught Jerry Jones by surprise. I don\'t know anyone who thinks he deserves a bonus that size but that\'s what he\'s asking for. Now, I see why he never got a deal done in New Orleans after two years of negotiations. Makes drafting Will Smith seem pretty smart.

Anyone hear about this $16Million alleged signing bonus?

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

That\'s just ridiculous. Come on he isn\'t THAT GREAT but he\'s darn good. Dominant DE\'s to me are John Abraham, Simeon Rice, Michael Strahan, etc... players who can flat out take over the game and completely change momentum. Howard isn\'t that type of player. Maybe he expects them to offer 10 million and by asking for 16 million, if this is true, then they will meet him halfway for 13 million which sounds a bit less absurd.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

I agree! I don\'t know if it\'s even true, but something held up that deal. The Saints don\'t want to enter into any long term negotiations, so something is up? Maybe they know something they\'re NOT sharing. To end the rest of that thread it pointed out that when this came out it scared away a lot of the teams that WERE interested. It seems that the Cowboys are the only ones left and Jones seems content on waiting it out until he gets a better deal.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

You do of course realize that you said the front office knows something?????????????????

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

It was said Howard wants a deal similar to the one Wistrom got last year, and the bonus is in the neighborhood of 17 mil on Wistrom\'s deal. The thing is, and I have said this elsewhere, maybe here, but everyone knows the Seahwaks overpaid Wistrom to get him to leave the Rams. Howard knows this too but that\'s what he has asked for.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

More info from Cowboys fans:

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

Boy can this get confusing??? Anyways so NOW we are negotiating a long term deal? I thouhgt that was the One area where we were not going? If so, then is it just to get a deal done to make a trade easier? Doesn\'t make sense. By making a long term deal we are still taking a risk that we CAN deal him and the other team would be willing to accept the contract as well. I\'m lost, I\'ll wait for more info?

P.S TAY Tay... I guess I did!

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

It\'s kinda like when Portis was traded to the Skins, and Denver had to sign him to his new contract first, I think that is what is going on. If he signs a new deal that Dallas agrees to before we trade him, that protects them from him and his agent from going back on it once he is traded. Makes sense. Cause if they didn\'t work out a deal first, he could demand the 7.8 and screw them, and we\'d be out of it, sitting back and laughing.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

I see and agree. But doesn\'t it work both ways? What if we do sign him and Dallas backs out...then we\'re really screwed! I guess you would have it all in writing from them 1st, stating they agree to a certain deal? Either way to be honest I\'m glad he\'s a Saint for now. If we do hold on to him for the season, then He can have a huge year and JUSTIFY his signing bonus demands and maybe even up his stock...Who knows?

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

So let me see if I\'ve got this straight....

We currently retain a Pro Bowl level DE who led our team in sacks last year despite injury, and who can still be dealt to another team without penalty, for serious picks and/or players. Yeah, I\'m crushed. :)

Like I said, I\'d be happy to see Howard stay.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

I don\'t think anyone is doubting Howard\'s ability as a player...it\'s just that we would like to see the team spend it\'s money more wisely. It would be in the best finacial interests of the team to trade him, since he\'s getting starter\'s salary and he won\'t be playing full time.

Looks like we are stuck with Howard, for now
 

Full time player??? No one ever said he wouldn\'t be a full time player? You play your pro-bowl players... you play the ones who produce. YOu don\'t sit someone who makes plays.