Javon Walker isn't acting like himself. He is a good teammate. Why the harsh talk about GB? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ <----clicky
Walker playing a game he just can't win
Posted: Mar. 15, 2006
Welcome to Javon Walker II, subtitled "Whiny wide receiver bites the hand that feeds him . . . again."
This time, Walker has vowed that he has played his final game for the Green Bay Packers.
"I just don't feel like this is the best place for me to be right now," Walker told ESPN.com. "I really have no interest in being in a Green Bay Packers uniform or playing for Green Bay again. If I had to go back there, I'd retire. I don't have to play."
Us mortals who live in the real world must understand two things about Javon Walker and all the members of his fraternity: 1, We don't understand them. 2, We never will.
You thought maybe you had seen the end to this behavior when Walker dumped Drew Rosenhaus as his agent. It was the evil Rosenhaus who had advised Walker to bail on minicamps last year, then threaten to hold out into the season if he didn't get a new, much fatter contract from the Packers.
Walker and Rosenhaus, as it turned out, were bluffing. When your hole cards are jokers, you fold and play the hand you agreed to when you signed your contract. So when training camp opened, Walker reported for work promising in 2005 to improve on his sizzling Pro Bowl season of 2004, the best year of his four-year career.
But Walker turned in a sluggish, uneven training camp. And in Week 1 of the season Walker tore the ACL in his right knee at Ford Field in Detroit and was lost for the season. Against the Lions, Walker caught four passes for 27 yards. And those were his season totals.
In 2005 Walker caught just as many touchdown passes for the Packers as your aunt Sylvia. That would be none. Zip. Zero. But aunt Sylvia never drew a penny from the Packers' treasure chest.
For playing part of just one game, the Packers paid Walker a base salary of $515,000. Of course, Walker was entitled to that money. And the Packers, as the rules dictate, lived up to their part of the bargain.
Certainly, no one can blame Walker for getting injured. These things happen in the violent world of professional football. But it's also true that part of a player's value to his team is linked to his availability. (See Brett Favre). The best player in the league isn't as good as the worst if he's injured and out for the season. That's cold, but it's true.
Part of Walker's problem with the Packers is Favre, the team leader who still hasn't announced whether he's returning for 2006. When Walker waged his feud with the Packers last year, Favre spoke out against him, because Walker had two years remaining on his contract.
"There's an unwritten rule that players stick together." said Walker, who is entering the final year of the five-year, $6.7 million contract that he signed in 2002.
Walker has had just one great season to hang his helmet on since the Packers drafted him with their No. 1 pick in 2002. He was brilliant in 2004, catching 89 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns.
By all accounts, Walker's latest outburst - like last season's - is out of character. The talented receiver is well-liked by his coaches and teammates. He's not considered a trouble-maker. He's no Terrell Owens. And maybe that's why some think this latest ploy is just more posturing and grandstanding to get the big contract he really wants.
It's interesting that Walker's latest complaints surfaced shortly after the NFL's salary cap ballooned to a robust $103.737 million, a hike of more than $7.5 million.
A year ago after stiffing minicamps Walker said, "I hope something does come around. I do love the Packers. I would love to be there for the rest of my career . . . "
Now, it seems to be a love lost.
Curiously, you never heard Walker offer to return any money to the Packers when he underachieved in the first two years of his contract. Walker was paid $5.235 million over those first two seasons. During that time he caught just 64 passes for 1,035 yards and 10 touchdowns. Nice numbers for a No. 3 wide receiver, but not your go-to guy.
In asking to be traded, Walker seems to have lost sight of who he is and how he is perceived by his own team and the rest of the NFL. No one knows how his surgically repaired right knee will respond to the rigors of the new season. Any team would trade for the 2004 Walker model. And the Packers, to be sure, would do all they could to retain the services of such a player. But no team wants to gamble high stakes on a lame thoroughbred.
Walker's Pro Bowl year of 2004 is history. He can't expect the Packers or any team to pay him for what he did two years ago. It's what he will do in 2006 that matters. So Walker is in the "show-'em" phase of his career. And he can't show 'em if he sits out the season.
Walker could learn a valuable lesson from his teammate, Ahman Green. If ever there was a player who could point to yesterday for tomorrow's paycheck it's Green. For five years before his ill-fated, injury shortened 2005 season, no back in the NFL put up better all-around numbers than Green.
When Green tore up his right thigh tendon at the Metrodome against Minnesota in Week 7 he also lost his chance for a big payday entering unrestricted free agency.
But Green re-signed with the Packers, accepting a one-year, $2 million contract, which includes a $500,000 signing bonus as the only guaranteed money. If Green does not fully recover or doesn't play well enough to make the team, the Packers won't owe him a penny more.
In 2005, Green was paid a base salary of $4.375 million as part of a five-year, $21.5 million deal he signed before the 2001 season. Before his injury he was chasing a contract that would reward him for being the most productive runner in the NFL from 2000-'04, when he gained 6,848 yards.
"I want to be here and finish my career here as a Packer," Green said.
But Javon Walker wasn't listening.
There is no question the Packers need Walker, vintage 2004. His loss was a big reason for Green Bay's miserable 4-12 finish and had much to do with Favre throwing 29 interceptions.
But if Walker really doesn't want to play in Green Bay, the Packers are left with only one choice:
Let him go and find someone who does.
Send e-mail to [email protected]
-----------------------------------------------
Walker playing a game he just can't win
Posted: Mar. 15, 2006
Welcome to Javon Walker II, subtitled "Whiny wide receiver bites the hand that feeds him . . . again."
This time, Walker has vowed that he has played his final game for the Green Bay Packers.
"I just don't feel like this is the best place for me to be right now," Walker told ESPN.com. "I really have no interest in being in a Green Bay Packers uniform or playing for Green Bay again. If I had to go back there, I'd retire. I don't have to play."
Us mortals who live in the real world must understand two things about Javon Walker and all the members of his fraternity: 1, We don't understand them. 2, We never will.
You thought maybe you had seen the end to this behavior when Walker dumped Drew Rosenhaus as his agent. It was the evil Rosenhaus who had advised Walker to bail on minicamps last year, then threaten to hold out into the season if he didn't get a new, much fatter contract from the Packers.
Walker and Rosenhaus, as it turned out, were bluffing. When your hole cards are jokers, you fold and play the hand you agreed to when you signed your contract. So when training camp opened, Walker reported for work promising in 2005 to improve on his sizzling Pro Bowl season of 2004, the best year of his four-year career.
But Walker turned in a sluggish, uneven training camp. And in Week 1 of the season Walker tore the ACL in his right knee at Ford Field in Detroit and was lost for the season. Against the Lions, Walker caught four passes for 27 yards. And those were his season totals.
In 2005 Walker caught just as many touchdown passes for the Packers as your aunt Sylvia. That would be none. Zip. Zero. But aunt Sylvia never drew a penny from the Packers' treasure chest.
For playing part of just one game, the Packers paid Walker a base salary of $515,000. Of course, Walker was entitled to that money. And the Packers, as the rules dictate, lived up to their part of the bargain.
Certainly, no one can blame Walker for getting injured. These things happen in the violent world of professional football. But it's also true that part of a player's value to his team is linked to his availability. (See Brett Favre). The best player in the league isn't as good as the worst if he's injured and out for the season. That's cold, but it's true.
Part of Walker's problem with the Packers is Favre, the team leader who still hasn't announced whether he's returning for 2006. When Walker waged his feud with the Packers last year, Favre spoke out against him, because Walker had two years remaining on his contract.
"There's an unwritten rule that players stick together." said Walker, who is entering the final year of the five-year, $6.7 million contract that he signed in 2002.
Walker has had just one great season to hang his helmet on since the Packers drafted him with their No. 1 pick in 2002. He was brilliant in 2004, catching 89 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns.
By all accounts, Walker's latest outburst - like last season's - is out of character. The talented receiver is well-liked by his coaches and teammates. He's not considered a trouble-maker. He's no Terrell Owens. And maybe that's why some think this latest ploy is just more posturing and grandstanding to get the big contract he really wants.
It's interesting that Walker's latest complaints surfaced shortly after the NFL's salary cap ballooned to a robust $103.737 million, a hike of more than $7.5 million.
A year ago after stiffing minicamps Walker said, "I hope something does come around. I do love the Packers. I would love to be there for the rest of my career . . . "
Now, it seems to be a love lost.
Curiously, you never heard Walker offer to return any money to the Packers when he underachieved in the first two years of his contract. Walker was paid $5.235 million over those first two seasons. During that time he caught just 64 passes for 1,035 yards and 10 touchdowns. Nice numbers for a No. 3 wide receiver, but not your go-to guy.
In asking to be traded, Walker seems to have lost sight of who he is and how he is perceived by his own team and the rest of the NFL. No one knows how his surgically repaired right knee will respond to the rigors of the new season. Any team would trade for the 2004 Walker model. And the Packers, to be sure, would do all they could to retain the services of such a player. But no team wants to gamble high stakes on a lame thoroughbred.
Walker's Pro Bowl year of 2004 is history. He can't expect the Packers or any team to pay him for what he did two years ago. It's what he will do in 2006 that matters. So Walker is in the "show-'em" phase of his career. And he can't show 'em if he sits out the season.
Walker could learn a valuable lesson from his teammate, Ahman Green. If ever there was a player who could point to yesterday for tomorrow's paycheck it's Green. For five years before his ill-fated, injury shortened 2005 season, no back in the NFL put up better all-around numbers than Green.
When Green tore up his right thigh tendon at the Metrodome against Minnesota in Week 7 he also lost his chance for a big payday entering unrestricted free agency.
But Green re-signed with the Packers, accepting a one-year, $2 million contract, which includes a $500,000 signing bonus as the only guaranteed money. If Green does not fully recover or doesn't play well enough to make the team, the Packers won't owe him a penny more.
In 2005, Green was paid a base salary of $4.375 million as part of a five-year, $21.5 million deal he signed before the 2001 season. Before his injury he was chasing a contract that would reward him for being the most productive runner in the NFL from 2000-'04, when he gained 6,848 yards.
"I want to be here and finish my career here as a Packer," Green said.
But Javon Walker wasn't listening.
There is no question the Packers need Walker, vintage 2004. His loss was a big reason for Green Bay's miserable 4-12 finish and had much to do with Favre throwing 29 interceptions.
But if Walker really doesn't want to play in Green Bay, the Packers are left with only one choice:
Let him go and find someone who does.
Send e-mail to [email protected]
-----------------------------------------------
