Steel Wheels
Cheesehead
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2005
- Messages
- 268
- Reaction score
- 0
Without a contract, he can't report to camp
By BOB McGINN
[email protected]
Posted: July 22, 2005
Green Bay - Javon Walker isn't going to be the only member of the Green Bay Packers' receiving corps missing Wednesday when veterans are due to report for the start of training camp.
Bubba Franks probably won't be in camp on Wednesday. Barring a dramatic turn in negotiations, the team won't have tight end Bubba Franks, either.
"I guess you can never tell until the 11th hour," Franks' agent, Gene Mato, said Friday. "But unfortunately, it doesn't look like he's going to be there. However, he really wants to be there. To this point, I don't believe the team has stepped up."
Unlike Walker, who has two years remaining on his contract, Franks has no contract and is prevented from reporting until he does. The team essentially kept Franks off the unrestricted free-agent market in February by designating him as a transition player.
Friday was the deadline for Franks to negotiate with other teams. As a transition player, the Packers retained the right to match any offer. Several teams called during the signing period but Mato said nothing was substantive.
The Packers continue to count against their salary cap Franks' transition tag of $2.095 million. The cap charge can't be removed unless Franks is cut, traded or re-signed to a new deal.
Would Franks sign the one-year tender for that amount just to get into camp?
"We have not made that decision as of yet," Mato said. "Bubba's really focused on a long-term deal. Bubba's every intention has been to retire as a Packer."
If the Packers can sign Franks to a long-term contract, they probably would gain some cap room because his base salary could be as low as $540,000. Franks' original rookie contract (five years, $6.45 million) expired after last season.
Over the last five months the Packers have made two proposals and Mato said he has made two proposals. The lengths being discussed are three to five years.
The agent's most recent conversation with club negotiator Andrew Brandt was last week and no other talks are scheduled. He has spoken to general manager Ted Thompson, as well.
Thompson didn't return a telephone call seeking comment Friday.
"We've had enough discussions to determine that we're very far apart," Mato said, characterizing the Packers' offer as "unfair, substandard."
It's hard to determine just how much Franks is seeking or what the club wants to pay him.
There are three NFL tight ends with contracts averaging more than $4 million per year: Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez ($4.785 million average, $10 million in bonuses), Baltimore's Todd Heap ($4.58 million average, $9 million in bonuses) and Atlanta's Alge Crumpler ($4.429 million average, $9 million in bonuses). Gonzalez signed his deal in September 2002, Heap in June and Crumpler last October.
Most of the other top tight ends, including San Diego's Antonio Gates, the New York Giants' Jeremy Shockey, Miami's Randy McMichael and Dallas' Jason Witten, are working on their original contracts and might sign lucrative new deals within a year.
A contract that undoubtedly has been cited in the Franks discussions is the five-year, $15 million deal ($4.25 million signing bonus) that Minnesota's Jim Kleinsasser signed in March 2004. Kleinsasser, 28, has never been voted to a Pro Bowl whereas Franks, 27, has been voted to two as a starter and played in another as a replacement.
The team appears to be offering Franks a deal averaging in the $2.5 million range and Franks appears amenable to an average in the $3.5 million range.
"I'm not controversial," said Mato, who became a certified agent in 1997. "Bubba's not controversial. We understand the business side of this. In this situation, we don't understand where the team is coming from.
"Bubba believes that he has done everything that has been asked of him from a football standpoint to be rewarded with a long-term deal. He played out his rookie contract never asking for an extension and never threatening a holdout even though he has been in three Pro Bowls.
"He has never complained about lack of receptions. He has always been a team player. Off the field, he has never been in any trouble."
Aware of his shortcomings as a deep receiver, Franks has lost 10 pounds and now weighs 255. He has been working out with wide receivers and other NFL players at the University of Miami.
"He's obviously very frustrated," Mato said. "All he's looking for is to be treated fairly. The team seems to want to focus on his amount of receptions and compare him with other tight ends based on that figure alone. (Blocking) doesn't seem that it's an issue from their side."
Considering a depth chart topped by David Martin and Ben Steele if the Packers don't have Franks, Mato said, "Put it this way: I wouldn't draft those players on my fantasy team."
Draftee signs: Wide receiver Craig Bragg, a sixth-round draft choice, signed Friday. The Packers now have signed the last six of their 11 picks but none of the first five.
By BOB McGINN
[email protected]
Posted: July 22, 2005
Green Bay - Javon Walker isn't going to be the only member of the Green Bay Packers' receiving corps missing Wednesday when veterans are due to report for the start of training camp.
Bubba Franks probably won't be in camp on Wednesday. Barring a dramatic turn in negotiations, the team won't have tight end Bubba Franks, either.
"I guess you can never tell until the 11th hour," Franks' agent, Gene Mato, said Friday. "But unfortunately, it doesn't look like he's going to be there. However, he really wants to be there. To this point, I don't believe the team has stepped up."
Unlike Walker, who has two years remaining on his contract, Franks has no contract and is prevented from reporting until he does. The team essentially kept Franks off the unrestricted free-agent market in February by designating him as a transition player.
Friday was the deadline for Franks to negotiate with other teams. As a transition player, the Packers retained the right to match any offer. Several teams called during the signing period but Mato said nothing was substantive.
The Packers continue to count against their salary cap Franks' transition tag of $2.095 million. The cap charge can't be removed unless Franks is cut, traded or re-signed to a new deal.
Would Franks sign the one-year tender for that amount just to get into camp?
"We have not made that decision as of yet," Mato said. "Bubba's really focused on a long-term deal. Bubba's every intention has been to retire as a Packer."
If the Packers can sign Franks to a long-term contract, they probably would gain some cap room because his base salary could be as low as $540,000. Franks' original rookie contract (five years, $6.45 million) expired after last season.
Over the last five months the Packers have made two proposals and Mato said he has made two proposals. The lengths being discussed are three to five years.
The agent's most recent conversation with club negotiator Andrew Brandt was last week and no other talks are scheduled. He has spoken to general manager Ted Thompson, as well.
Thompson didn't return a telephone call seeking comment Friday.
"We've had enough discussions to determine that we're very far apart," Mato said, characterizing the Packers' offer as "unfair, substandard."
It's hard to determine just how much Franks is seeking or what the club wants to pay him.
There are three NFL tight ends with contracts averaging more than $4 million per year: Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez ($4.785 million average, $10 million in bonuses), Baltimore's Todd Heap ($4.58 million average, $9 million in bonuses) and Atlanta's Alge Crumpler ($4.429 million average, $9 million in bonuses). Gonzalez signed his deal in September 2002, Heap in June and Crumpler last October.
Most of the other top tight ends, including San Diego's Antonio Gates, the New York Giants' Jeremy Shockey, Miami's Randy McMichael and Dallas' Jason Witten, are working on their original contracts and might sign lucrative new deals within a year.
A contract that undoubtedly has been cited in the Franks discussions is the five-year, $15 million deal ($4.25 million signing bonus) that Minnesota's Jim Kleinsasser signed in March 2004. Kleinsasser, 28, has never been voted to a Pro Bowl whereas Franks, 27, has been voted to two as a starter and played in another as a replacement.
The team appears to be offering Franks a deal averaging in the $2.5 million range and Franks appears amenable to an average in the $3.5 million range.
"I'm not controversial," said Mato, who became a certified agent in 1997. "Bubba's not controversial. We understand the business side of this. In this situation, we don't understand where the team is coming from.
"Bubba believes that he has done everything that has been asked of him from a football standpoint to be rewarded with a long-term deal. He played out his rookie contract never asking for an extension and never threatening a holdout even though he has been in three Pro Bowls.
"He has never complained about lack of receptions. He has always been a team player. Off the field, he has never been in any trouble."
Aware of his shortcomings as a deep receiver, Franks has lost 10 pounds and now weighs 255. He has been working out with wide receivers and other NFL players at the University of Miami.
"He's obviously very frustrated," Mato said. "All he's looking for is to be treated fairly. The team seems to want to focus on his amount of receptions and compare him with other tight ends based on that figure alone. (Blocking) doesn't seem that it's an issue from their side."
Considering a depth chart topped by David Martin and Ben Steele if the Packers don't have Franks, Mato said, "Put it this way: I wouldn't draft those players on my fantasy team."
Draftee signs: Wide receiver Craig Bragg, a sixth-round draft choice, signed Friday. The Packers now have signed the last six of their 11 picks but none of the first five.
