3rdRoundPunter
Cheesehead
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For my first post - I'm setting the bounty on blowSenhaus at $50 million. Good for Ted!!
Walker booting camp
Packers' letter limits options, agent says
By TOM SILVERSTEIN AND BOB WOLFLEY
Posted: July 20, 2005
A letter agent Drew Rosenhaus received last week from Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson stating that the team would not address a contract extension for receiver Javon Walker or allow him to seek a trade solidified the Pro Bowl receiver's decision to boycott training camp.
Javon Walker led the Packers with 89 receptions for 1,328 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.
Rosenhaus said Wednesday that after he received the letter from Thompson, he and Walker decided their best option was to continue to withhold the receiver's services from the Packers. Veterans aren't scheduled to report until Wednesday and take the field for the first time two days later, but Rosenhaus didn't see much hope for Walker being there on time.
"We were very disappointed with the team's decision and when they memorialized that with a letter, it basically limited our options to this point to either being traded or deciding what our other options are," Rosenhaus said. "For right now we don't intend to report to training camp."
Rosenhaus first made Walker's intentions known in an interview with HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel", which is scheduled to air at 9 p.m. Tuesday. The interview came shortly after Rosenhaus had received the letter from Thompson and discussed various options with Walker.
It doesn't come as a huge surprise that Walker will boycott training camp considering he has skipped all of the team's off-season functions, including a mandatory minicamp, in an attempt to force the Packers into renegotiating his contract. Besides serving as a protest, Walker's holdout also limits his risk for injury and leaves him with the option of returning for the first week of the regular season when the first installment of his $515,000 base salary is due.
Walker has received considerable pressure from quarterback Brett Favre to give up his holdout and report to training camp, but Rosenhaus said it would not make sense to take the risk.
"I have several concerns," Rosenhaus said. "One is equity. I don't feel that it's fair that Javon should play at that number ($515,000). I've stated that. Two, injury is a major concern. Three, just the way things have developed there are just not positive. Everything that's gone on with Brett Favre and the team's really lack of flexibility, it's not a good situation."
Rosenhaus said that Walker would report if the team would begin the process of renegotiating the two years remaining on the wide receiver's contract, but the Packers made it clear to him that his only option was to play under his current deal. He said Walker just wanted to know they were willing to talk seriously about a new deal.
"Absolutely, no question," Rosenhaus said. "We would have definitely viewed that as a positive. That has been ruled out at this point. And so has a trade. They have not been willing to give us permission to seek a trade. We've run out of options at this point.
"We went through this with Mike McKenzie and he ultimately was traded and, I mean, I guess we're on the same path happening here. It's a shame."
Thompson declined to speak with reporters about the Walker situation and submitted a statement through the team's public relations department that revealed nothing about his level of concern with not having his best receiver in camp.
"In general, we don't comment on conversations we have with our players or their representatives regarding contracts," Thompson said in the statement. "We're looking forward to training camp starting next week."
One option for Thompson is to recoup part of a $1.3 million option bonus paid to Walker in 2003. According to a source with knowledge of Walker's contract, the Packers can declare the receiver in violation of his contract if he misses any part of training camp and seek to have one-fourth of the bonus returned.
There is no such provision for the $3 million signing bonus Walker received as a rookie in 2002.
Rosenhaus said he could not predict when or if Walker would report to camp or if the Packers would consider engaging in contract talks. For now the two are linked and there doesn't appear to be any hope of a resolution before next Friday.
"They've been very adamant about their position and obviously we're quite disappointed," Rosenhaus said. "We're trying to be extremely flexible. We've been very clear on that, that we're not necessarily saying that we have to have a contract done right now as much as just a commitment to get something done in the near future or at least to work on it, and none of that has happened. With that being said, we're really in a situation where we're not happy with the team."
Rosenhaus said a decision had not been made on whether nose tackle Grady Jackson would boycott training camp. Jackson signed with Rosenhaus several weeks ago in an attempt to renegotiate the final year of his two-year, $2.31 million contract and has gotten nowhere with the Packers.
"We haven't made any decisions on Grady at this point," Rosenhaus said of a holdout. "That's something we're still kicking around and that's something Grady and I are discussing as we speak."
HBO's interview with Rosenhaus was part of an update on a profile it did two years ago on the controversial agent , who has received considerable national attention in recent weeks because two of his high profile clients, Walker and Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens, both want new contracts even though their old ones have not expired.
Rosenhaus said in a Fox Radio interview on Wednesday that he and Owens had not decided whether he would attend Eagles training camp, which opens next week.
"That's still up in the air right now and that is something that Terrell and I talk about every day," Rosenhaus said. "Right now we haven't come to a conclusion yet. We're still hopeful that we can get things worked out with the team and come up with a framework of an agreement or some negotiations."
Rosenhaus said his attempt to renegotiate contracts for his clients was a matter of "business" where "principle" plays no role.
"It is business," Rosenhaus said. "In every other profession it goes on. But people want to nail the athletes (because) they have a contract, and they make millions of dollars. It's all relative, baby. It's OK for Tom Cruise to make $50 million a movie? But a guy who risks his life can't get paid a decent wage? B.S. I'm not standing for it."
Rosenhaus continues to verbally spar with Favre, who has stood by his comments that Walker should put the team ahead of his own interests. Last week, he told the Journal Sentinel that Favre should call him and get all the facts regarding Walker's situation and this week Favre joked that he doubted Rosenhaus would take his calls..
"I don't have a problem with Brett having the desire to get Javon back," Rosenhaus said on "GameNight" on ESPN Radio Tuesday night. "I think the way you should do it is to call us. He hasn't called me. He hasn't called Javon, more importantly. If he has a problem with what we are doing, he should call us.
"The other problem that I have is I think that a player should really mind his own business when it comes to another player's personal dispute with the team. But the biggest problem I have with Brett is the fact that he has made comments that have been based on inaccurate information."
Walker booting camp
Packers' letter limits options, agent says
By TOM SILVERSTEIN AND BOB WOLFLEY
Posted: July 20, 2005
A letter agent Drew Rosenhaus received last week from Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson stating that the team would not address a contract extension for receiver Javon Walker or allow him to seek a trade solidified the Pro Bowl receiver's decision to boycott training camp.
Javon Walker led the Packers with 89 receptions for 1,328 yards and 12 touchdowns last season.
Rosenhaus said Wednesday that after he received the letter from Thompson, he and Walker decided their best option was to continue to withhold the receiver's services from the Packers. Veterans aren't scheduled to report until Wednesday and take the field for the first time two days later, but Rosenhaus didn't see much hope for Walker being there on time.
"We were very disappointed with the team's decision and when they memorialized that with a letter, it basically limited our options to this point to either being traded or deciding what our other options are," Rosenhaus said. "For right now we don't intend to report to training camp."
Rosenhaus first made Walker's intentions known in an interview with HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel", which is scheduled to air at 9 p.m. Tuesday. The interview came shortly after Rosenhaus had received the letter from Thompson and discussed various options with Walker.
It doesn't come as a huge surprise that Walker will boycott training camp considering he has skipped all of the team's off-season functions, including a mandatory minicamp, in an attempt to force the Packers into renegotiating his contract. Besides serving as a protest, Walker's holdout also limits his risk for injury and leaves him with the option of returning for the first week of the regular season when the first installment of his $515,000 base salary is due.
Walker has received considerable pressure from quarterback Brett Favre to give up his holdout and report to training camp, but Rosenhaus said it would not make sense to take the risk.
"I have several concerns," Rosenhaus said. "One is equity. I don't feel that it's fair that Javon should play at that number ($515,000). I've stated that. Two, injury is a major concern. Three, just the way things have developed there are just not positive. Everything that's gone on with Brett Favre and the team's really lack of flexibility, it's not a good situation."
Rosenhaus said that Walker would report if the team would begin the process of renegotiating the two years remaining on the wide receiver's contract, but the Packers made it clear to him that his only option was to play under his current deal. He said Walker just wanted to know they were willing to talk seriously about a new deal.
"Absolutely, no question," Rosenhaus said. "We would have definitely viewed that as a positive. That has been ruled out at this point. And so has a trade. They have not been willing to give us permission to seek a trade. We've run out of options at this point.
"We went through this with Mike McKenzie and he ultimately was traded and, I mean, I guess we're on the same path happening here. It's a shame."
Thompson declined to speak with reporters about the Walker situation and submitted a statement through the team's public relations department that revealed nothing about his level of concern with not having his best receiver in camp.
"In general, we don't comment on conversations we have with our players or their representatives regarding contracts," Thompson said in the statement. "We're looking forward to training camp starting next week."
One option for Thompson is to recoup part of a $1.3 million option bonus paid to Walker in 2003. According to a source with knowledge of Walker's contract, the Packers can declare the receiver in violation of his contract if he misses any part of training camp and seek to have one-fourth of the bonus returned.
There is no such provision for the $3 million signing bonus Walker received as a rookie in 2002.
Rosenhaus said he could not predict when or if Walker would report to camp or if the Packers would consider engaging in contract talks. For now the two are linked and there doesn't appear to be any hope of a resolution before next Friday.
"They've been very adamant about their position and obviously we're quite disappointed," Rosenhaus said. "We're trying to be extremely flexible. We've been very clear on that, that we're not necessarily saying that we have to have a contract done right now as much as just a commitment to get something done in the near future or at least to work on it, and none of that has happened. With that being said, we're really in a situation where we're not happy with the team."
Rosenhaus said a decision had not been made on whether nose tackle Grady Jackson would boycott training camp. Jackson signed with Rosenhaus several weeks ago in an attempt to renegotiate the final year of his two-year, $2.31 million contract and has gotten nowhere with the Packers.
"We haven't made any decisions on Grady at this point," Rosenhaus said of a holdout. "That's something we're still kicking around and that's something Grady and I are discussing as we speak."
HBO's interview with Rosenhaus was part of an update on a profile it did two years ago on the controversial agent , who has received considerable national attention in recent weeks because two of his high profile clients, Walker and Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens, both want new contracts even though their old ones have not expired.
Rosenhaus said in a Fox Radio interview on Wednesday that he and Owens had not decided whether he would attend Eagles training camp, which opens next week.
"That's still up in the air right now and that is something that Terrell and I talk about every day," Rosenhaus said. "Right now we haven't come to a conclusion yet. We're still hopeful that we can get things worked out with the team and come up with a framework of an agreement or some negotiations."
Rosenhaus said his attempt to renegotiate contracts for his clients was a matter of "business" where "principle" plays no role.
"It is business," Rosenhaus said. "In every other profession it goes on. But people want to nail the athletes (because) they have a contract, and they make millions of dollars. It's all relative, baby. It's OK for Tom Cruise to make $50 million a movie? But a guy who risks his life can't get paid a decent wage? B.S. I'm not standing for it."
Rosenhaus continues to verbally spar with Favre, who has stood by his comments that Walker should put the team ahead of his own interests. Last week, he told the Journal Sentinel that Favre should call him and get all the facts regarding Walker's situation and this week Favre joked that he doubted Rosenhaus would take his calls..
"I don't have a problem with Brett having the desire to get Javon back," Rosenhaus said on "GameNight" on ESPN Radio Tuesday night. "I think the way you should do it is to call us. He hasn't called me. He hasn't called Javon, more importantly. If he has a problem with what we are doing, he should call us.
"The other problem that I have is I think that a player should really mind his own business when it comes to another player's personal dispute with the team. But the biggest problem I have with Brett is the fact that he has made comments that have been based on inaccurate information."
:twisted: 
