NFL Offseason 2012: Because contract negotiations are part of the excitement

[CountDeMoney]

The combines are over.  Free agency begins March 13.  Franchise tagging begins now.

Steelheads are expected to cut Hines Ward, and avoid tagging Wallace.  They believe they can sign him, and they don't have a choice in the matter with their salary cap.  They're in big cap trouble.  Buh bye, Steelheads.

Ray Rice is expected to get the franchise tag from Ozzie as early as tomorrow.  I'd rather they tag Ben Grubbs, but alas.

Unless he redoes his contract in the next week, it looks like Manning will never play as a Colt again.  Kansas City is salivating.

The Rams are going to sell the #2 pick to the highest bidder.  ESPN is saying Cleveland is the most interested to move up to grab RG3, so it'll be fun to watch the Browns destroy yet another promising career before it starts.

The Draft is April 26.

[Barrister]

The Manning watch continues to be fascinating.  It'll be somewhat sad if he can't come to terms with the Colts.  I can't imagine any other team would give him the same deal he had with Indy, so surely he'd be willing to take some smaller amount in order to close out his career with the Colts?  Even if they take Luck surely he'd benefit from two years or so of mentoring under one of the greatest QBs of our generation?

[MadImmortalMan]

Even if they take Luck surely he'd benefit from two years or so of mentoring under one of the greatest QBs of our generation?

Indianapolis can just hire Kerry Collins to mentor him. And he'd be a lot cheaper.


Oh wait, they already got him.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Pretty sure the Colts either have to pay him his $28 million next Thursday or they have to release him and make him a UFA, and that part of the contract can't be changed.  I think I've read somewhere that Manning can choose to delay it for a little while, but I can't see why $28million in July or August or whenever is much different than $28 million in March, except that a bunch of QB spots are already filled.

I think with the way the cap numbers work out, releasing him would open up a pretty good amount of room for them to sign their picks and some high quality FAs.

Maybe they can work something out, but tbh I'd be more inclined to bet on the dude being a free agent real soon here.  vOv  I'm no GM, but goddamn, that team fucking sucks, and with Manning getting older and already being a bit of a question mark, and maybe not being able to cover those holes as much anymore, well...they need to fix that shit real quick. 

E:  Wayne might be on the way out too, as a matter of fact, so they need a real #1 WR as well.



In Texans news, I don't think they can afford Mario Williams without lots of restructuring and fucking with the $$ of other players.  They also need to get Foster a nice contract, along with a couple of their linemen.  As weird as it sounds, Mario Williams might be the most disposable (bigtime) potential FA they have.

[Barrister]

Pretty sure the Colts either have to pay him his $28 million next Thursday or they have to release him and make him a UFA, and that part of the contract can't be changed.  I think I've read somewhere that Manning can choose to delay it for a little while, but I can't see why $28million in July or August or whenever is much different than $28 million in March, except that a bunch of QB spots are already filled.

Or he could just sign a new contract at a lower amount.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Or he could just sign a new contract at a lower amount.

No, they still have to pay him his $$ if he's on the roster.  That part can't be changed, only delayed.   IIRC it was something about this being the first year of the contract, etcetc.

[CountDeMoney]

The Ravens will use the franchise tag on Ray Rice, a decision that both sides hope will allow time to agree on a long-term deal for the running back. The team also said it has terminated the contracts of cornerback Chris Carr and wide receiver Lee Evans, though general manager Ozzie Newsome left open the possibility of their return.

I do hope they bring back Evans.  Never really got a chance to get going.
But I think he'd take too much grief from the New England game from the fans for it to be worth it.

[MadImmortalMan]

I guess they don't expect Carr to recover from his back issues then. He had a great year prior.

[ulmont]

ESPN's Adam Schefter was the first to report that the New Orleans Saints are alleged to have maintain a "bounty system" through at least the 2009, 2010, and 2011 seasons. The NFL's security department believes that between 22 and 27 defensive players on the team, as well as at least one assistant coach, maintained a program funded primarily by players that rewarded tackles inflicting injuries on opposing players, resulting in those players being removed from a game.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/saints-bounty-fund-could-them-lot-trouble-league-203531457.html

We're fucked.

[jimmy olsen]

Yikes, Goodell's gonna bring the hammer down on them.

[Syt]

http://www.catscratchreader.com/2012/3/3/2841462/bounty-scandal-is-just-latest-in-saints-pattern-of-detrimental

They've openly mocked the league's media policy since Payton took control, including intentionally being more than an hour late to Media Day at Super Bowl XLIV. A 2010 lawsuit by the Saints' former director of security, Geoff Santini, accused Loomis of trying to cover up the theft of the prescription painkiller Vicodin by members of the football staff. The front office also ignored league directives to disassociate themselves with convicted felon Mike Ornstein, who - surprise, surprise - was also implicated in the bounty scandal.

[MadBurgerMaker]

Arian Foster just got paid.

5 years, 43.5 million, 20.75 million guaranteed.  30 million will be made in the first three years.

Helluva step up from being a UDFA practice squad guy.

[sbr]

Wow that's a lot of scratch for a rb.  I guess he is still pretty young.

[MadBurgerMaker]

It's apparently about the same as the deal DeAngelo Williams signed.  But yeah, he's 25 now, so they've got him until he's 30, and an old man in RB years.

[Valmy]

The Saints refuse to pay Drew Brees so they franchised him.  What is up with that guy?  No matter what he does people never respect him.