Players continue to be rewarded for holdouts

Zero2Cool

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By Dylan B. Tomlinson
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During the off-season, Javon Walker told anyone who would listen that he would never play for the Green Bay Packers ever again.

Rather than deal with a disgruntled employee, the Packers traded Walker to the Denver Broncos for a second-round draft choice. Walker then signed a five-year contract extension worth over $40 million.

Walker got everything he wanted.

During the off-season when Deion Branch wasn't satisfied with his contract, he refused to report to training camp until the New England Patriots traded him to the Seattle Seahawks for a first-round pick. Branch then signed a six-year, $39 million contract with a $7 million signing bonus.

Branch got everything he wanted.

Last season, when Terrell Owens was dissatisfied with his contract, he criticized his teammates and coaches until he was suspended or inactive for the final nine games of the season. During the off-season, Owens was released and signed a three-year, $25 million dollar deal with the Dallas Cowboys.

At least financially, Owens got everything he wanted.

Tantrums seem to carry a financial windfall in the NFL these days. While the Packers, Patriots and Eagles didn't have to get rid of their star receivers, they decided to cut their losses rather than have to deal with a high-profile disgruntled employee who can be a distraction to the rest of the team.

Walker proved on Sunday that despite missing almost all of last season with a torn ACL, he is still among the elite receivers in the NFL. No matter how much the Packers love rookie Greg Jennings, it's foolish to think that Jennings can be the same type of player that Walker is when he's healthy. It can be easy to forget that Walker scored 21 touchdowns during the 2003-04 seasons and was well on his way to being one of the best receivers in the NFL before he was injured last season.

When the Patriots dealt Branch their chances at realistically being a Super Bowl contender essentially went with him.

Without his favorite receiver, Tom Brady has looked remarkably ordinary this season. Without Branch, the Patriots top receiver this season has been tight end Ben Watson, who has a very pedestrian 143 yards. Think the Patriots don't miss Branch, a Super Bowl MVP?

The Eagles undoubtedly don't miss Owens' antics, but on the field, it's impossible to replace a player of his caliber. It's not a coincidence that the Eagles went 2-7 during the nine games that Owens missed last season. During Owens' only full season in Philadelphia, the Eagles made the Super Bowl. Without him, they're just another team trying to contend. Is Donte Stallworth likely to catch 14 touchdown passes, as Owens did in 2004? It certainly doesn't appear likely.

It's also got to infuriate the Eagles that they weren't even able to get a draft pick for Owens who is now playing for a divisional rival.

The Packers have been through this twice in the last three years. Before Walker it was cornerback Mike McKenzie who forced his way out of town three weeks into the 2004 season. After one season in New Orleans, McKenzie was rewarded with a five-year, $22 million extension that contained a $7 million signing bonus.

What's to prevent it from happening again? It's well-known that cornerback Al Harris is unhappy with his contract. What's to prevent Harris from forcing the Packers to trade him during the off-season? Harris was applauded for reporting on time for training camp this year, but if he didn't what would the Packers have done? Would they have traded him elsewhere so he could get his turn at a giant contract?

Sometimes players are rewarded for doing things the right way. The Packers did that for receiver Donald Driver when they gave him a four-year, $17 million contract this off-season.

It's just unfortunate to see players who use hold outs and trade demands reap such financial rewards in the NFL.

Dylan B. Tomlinson writes for The Post-Crescent. He can be reached at 920-965-5429 or at [email protected]
 

agopackgo4

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Better to get rid of trouble makers than to have them ruin the rest of your team if you ask me. True teams are made up of True team players.
 

majikman

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Ago.

It's not the 1960's anymore and players are way different today.

Sometimes you have to be smart and stroke their ego a little bit and make them feel like they're appreciated.

Look what a hard-line stance got us. Walker in Denver.

GM's need to be smart and flexible today and know how to deal with today's player in the NFL.
 

agopackgo4

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I agree its the case with some players. But there are guys out there like T.O. He got his new contract and the next year he is complaining about it. there are some people that you just cant make happy. J-Walk said he didnt even want to play with Favre anymore. I think it was time we got rid of him.
 

majikman

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Yeah.

It seems like there's poor communication on this Packers team.

If Favre would have gone to JWalk last year and said, "Look, we need you next year if we are going to come back and have a legitimate shot at the playoffs", and then gone to to TT and had a sit-down and tried to work something out.

But everybody got their backs-up and now Walker is in Denver winning games for them.
 
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Zero2Cool

Zero2Cool

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majikman said:
Yeah.

It seems like there's poor communication on this Packers team.

If Favre would have gone to JWalk last year and said, "Look, we need you next year if we are going to come back and have a legitimate shot at the playoffs", and then gone to to TT and had a sit-down and tried to work something out.

But everybody got their backs-up and now Walker is in Denver winning games for them.


Nice thought, but wouldn't have made a difference. Walker's anger came from the Packers not jumping to give him more money when he demanded it. The Packers as an organization were in the right.

Theres a lot of unknowns with this. So really saying this or that would have made a difference is very naive and I've been guilty of it too. Bottom line no one knows what would have changed Walkers mind except him. Thats if anything could have.

In hindsight, before the season was over I'd have thrown him the extra salary cap cash to show appreciation to him an his efforts, but thats all in hindsight lol
 

packedhouse01

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The owners by and large are a dumb breed of people. They create the salary cap to protect themselves from themselves, then they screw each other over by paying signing bonuses. I dont' feel sorry for any owners because they've created their own mess. As for the players, who can blame them. If they hold out, spit, yell, argue, the ownders consitently give in, and the players eventually win out. I'm wondering how happy Dallas is to have that pinhead TO. As good as he is as receiver, he's a pinhead as a person.
 

Greg C.

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This article is very true, but what can be done about this problem? Nothing, really. These players are in a position of power. For a GM to "prove a point" by holding onto these players is just too costly, and everybody knows it. I wish that rules for contracts were different so that this sort of ugliness didn't happen so often. It's not good for the game.
 

Timmons

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Consider looking at it this way: Name a team that won the super bowl with a high-caliber hold out player signed to their roster?

these big dollar hold-out demands may make the team more talented and the player richer, but I don't remember seeing T.O in any Superbowls, and you won't see Branch there again or Walker there either.

These types of transactions are going to occur in the league, salary cap or not, I just don't think the "me first" players help make a team a better team.

I'll take the team building seventh round draft pick out of Alcorn State everyday.
 

porky88

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Timmons said:
Consider looking at it this way: Name a team that won the super bowl with a high-caliber hold out player signed to their roster?

these big dollar hold-out demands may make the team more talented and the player richer, but I don't remember seeing T.O in any Superbowls, and you won't see Branch there again or Walker there either.

These types of transactions are going to occur in the league, salary cap or not, I just don't think the "me first" players help make a team a better team.

I'll take the team building seventh round draft pick out of Alcorn State everyday.

Hines Ward held out into training camp last year and I believe he got a new deal.
 

PackinSteel

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Timmons said:
Consider looking at it this way: Name a team that won the super bowl with a high-caliber hold out player signed to their roster?

these big dollar hold-out demands may make the team more talented and the player richer, but I don't remember seeing T.O in any Superbowls, and you won't see Branch there again or Walker there either.

These types of transactions are going to occur in the league, salary cap or not, I just don't think the "me first" players help make a team a better team.

I'll take the team building seventh round draft pick out of Alcorn State everyday.

Um - actually the Steelers last year. Hines Ward held out through training camp and got the $$$ he deserved out of it. Fact is if TO, Walker, and Branch weren't high caliber they wouldn't a)have the clout to get out of their "problem contract" and b)get signed somewhere for a better one.
 

warhawk

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This is a definate flaw in the system that needs to be addressed. It is difficult enough to manage the cap without having players capable of seriously damaging the checkbook causing ripple affects in future possible moves.

Dealing with Walker in any other way would have essentially meant OVERPAYING him for what he had done so far as he was up for a substantial increase on his next contract.

The guy was paid a lot of money for little return early on and when it was going to get equitable overall he wanted a new deal.

The bottom line is he wanted to ignore the fact that he was one of the highest paid WR's per catch his first couple of years in the league and when it came time to EARN it he wanted no part of it.

It's just sorry that there is a path for these guys to pull this crap off.
 

agopackgo4

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Timmons said:
Consider looking at it this way: Name a team that won the super bowl with a high-caliber hold out player signed to their roster?

these big dollar hold-out demands may make the team more talented and the player richer, but I don't remember seeing T.O in any Superbowls, and you won't see Branch there again or Walker there either.

These types of transactions are going to occur in the league, salary cap or not, I just don't think the "me first" players help make a team a better team.

I'll take the team building seventh round draft pick out of Alcorn State everyday.

Very good post. There are accpetions to this as other people have refered to the Steelers. But as a general rule you are very correct. This is my point EXACTLY. Dont baby them. They sign a deal they play by the deal. thats my take.
 

CaliforniaCheez

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So far this year Walker has 11 catches for 250 yards and 2 TD's.
Over half his yards and his 2 TD's happened last week.

Greg Jennings has 10 catches for 173 yards and 2 TD's.
(3 games each)

While the small difference in numbers is more than made up by:
1) additional draft picks signed(Spitz, Culver, Jolly)
2) cap room saved(new contract considered)
3) the age difference in the players.
4) the future career production of Jennings.
5) end of bad press by Walker situation.

Tonight against the Eagles Jennings makes his 4th start for the Packers. In Walker's first two years in Green Bay he only started 5 games.

The trade worked out well for Green Bay.

As to Owens and Branch, the Patriots have yet to receive the compensation for Branch, and Owens is a unique situation.

Short term perhaps the whiners seem to gain and the teams suffer but after a year or 2, the teams will be further ahead with additional value.

The aquiring teams are attempting to maximize a seeming window of opportunity of being close to a championship willing to pay the price in the future when the window of opportunity closes.
 

pyledriver80

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CaliforniaCheez said:
So far this year Walker has 11 catches for 250 yards and 2 TD's.
Over half his yards and his 2 TD's happened last week.

Greg Jennings has 10 catches for 173 yards and 2 TD's.
(3 games each)

While the small difference in numbers is more than made up by:
1) additional draft picks signed(Spitz, Culver, Jolly)
2) cap room saved(new contract considered)
3) the age difference in the players.
4) the future career production of Jennings.
5) end of bad press by Walker situation.

Tonight against the Eagles Jennings makes his 4th start for the Packers. In Walker's first two years in Green Bay he only started 5 games.

The trade worked out well for Green Bay.

As to Owens and Branch, the Patriots have yet to receive the compensation for Branch, and Owens is a unique situation.

Short term perhaps the whiners seem to gain and the teams suffer but after a year or 2, the teams will be further ahead with additional value.

The aquiring teams are attempting to maximize a seeming window of opportunity of being close to a championship willing to pay the price in the future when the window of opportunity closes.


I disagree, Walker is reaping the rewards from his little tantrum, plain and simple. He is playing with a contender and got a huge payday.

In turn, GB is rebuilding with a bunch of young guys who may or may not pan out. Comparing Jennings to Walker at this time is entirely premature. On top of that it was possible to have Walker and Jennings both. It wasn't a one or the other thing. If we could have retained Walker we could have possibly went in another direction with the Cory Rodgers pick and still addressed the O-line and still drafted Spitz. In fact we didn't gain hardly anything by trading Walker wheras Walker gained everything.
 

pack_in_black

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I think that if it's fair to say Manuel/woodson/poppinga are not what we thought, it's fair to say GJ is better than we hoped. The thing with J-Walk was, he made it clear that he wouldn't play another snap for GB. The trade for a second round pick was definitely well below his value, it was something. We could have dealt with him like Philly did TO, but what did they get besides headaches and some of his salary back. (I think) We got something- Denver is paying his huge contract, not us, and sure, he's gonna be great. But he wouldn't have been great for us. Cause he would have sat.
 

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