DC.COM: Witten Not Pressing, But Seeking New Contract

[WoodysGirl]

Nick Eatman
DallasCowboys.com Staff Writer
Email (http://www.dallascowboys.com/contact_us.cfm?cat=Eatman)


IRVING, Texas -
He's played eight years and made seven Pro Bowls. In fact, last year might have been his best yet as Jason Witten had another 1,000-yard receiving season with 94 catches and a career-high nine touchdowns.

And to think, Witten is only 29 years of age. He won't turn 30 until next May and there's a great chance he'll be an eight-time Pro Bowler by then.

If so, you also wonder what his contract situation might be. Witten admits he wonders about that, too. Witten's contract expires after the 2012 season. If he makes it that far without an extension, he'll likely be a 31-year-old free agent and should own just about every Cowboys receiving record there is.

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[jobberone]

He needs to make a little more noise. I'd start behind the scenes though and see what washes out.

[Reality]

I am amazed at how many media people cannot seem to understand how most contracts are front-loaded these days so of course in the last two years of a contract it seems like a player is underpaid.

Jason's current contract was 7 years for $29.5 million .. that means averaged out, he's making $4.2 million per year. Just like most other players, the amounts per year are based on available and projected salary cap space. As salary cap space gets lower, some teams will restructure existing contract players giving them more of their last 1-2 year salaries upfront again as a signing bonus and when the players reach those last 1-2 years, it looks like they are drastically underpaid as a result.

Now that being said, Witten should definitely be making more money than any other tight-end not just because of how good he is but also how productive and vital he is to the offensive success of the team.

I think it is very obvious to everyone that the Cowboys do not typically extend large contract players (ex: Romo and Austin) until their last contract year outside of restructuring to free up salary cap space. They will take care of Witten, do not worry.

#reality

[Aven8]

These money hungry diva's!!! :lmao:

[Bowdown27]

He is one of the few who deserve a nice contract. Let him end his career a cowboy.

[TheCount]

He's not going anywhere.

We're gonna have to pay Ratliff soon too.

[adbutcher]

I think it is very obvious to everyone that the Cowboys do not typically extend large contract players (ex: Romo and Austin) until their last contract year outside of restructuring to free up salary cap space. They will take care of Witten, do not worry.

#reality

I agree, this is a total none story but alas it is expected.

[SaltwaterServr]

Cue ladies night at the "It'll cost us 15 Million a Year" bar.

[CowboyMike]

He's not going anywhere.

We're gonna have to pay Ratliff soon too.

Rat is extremely underpaid. He signed his contract just before he broke out. We have him for a bargain right now.

[RastaRocket]

Romo gonna have to restructure soon.

[casmith07]

The reason why it's not an issue is because it isn't an issue.

He'll get paid.

[LeonDixson]

It sounds like Witten didn't even bring the subject up. A reporter asked him a question about it and he basically said, sure it would be nice to to make more, but I'm not worried about it. This is a no-story that will be all over the radio shows today.

[Joshmvii]

As much as some people love to hate on our GM, it's nice to know that there's no chance we will lose a guy like Witten. We never lose our home grown blue chip players.

[jblaze2004]

i might be in the norm..but good team let old talent walk and gives young talent a chance. Yeah i love witten and all but if he is looking for a big contract and is going to be 31 or up, then smart GM's would of groomed a replacement and trade him for draft picks, or let him walk when he becomes a freeagent. We can't just keep handing out big contracts. Sometimes you have to let talent walk and have younger talent step up.

This is also what i said about marion barber when he was a beast and he was wanting a bigger contract. So we paid him like a top back and boy did we wish that we would of just let him become a FA. I mean in the same year we drafted felix and tashard choice. It would of been smart to just let barber walk.

Im just saying we don't want to be stuck with old talent that might make a fast decline soon. Example Flozell(sp?) adams.

[Double Trouble]

They should pay him well over the next 2-3 years, but no way should they give him something that will hinder them 5 years from now.

He probably doesn't a lot of good years left. He's taken more of a beating the last decade than any other player the Cowboys have, and it isn't even close. Just my observation, but I don't think I've seen any player in the league take as many huge shots as Witten has.

The good thing is, he'll never be one to hold out, make a messy public issue of it, or any of the other tactics malcontents pull.

[Doomsday101]

Witten is a smart man he know if he takes care of business on the field that the Cowboys will take care of him

[burmafrd]

i might be in the norm..but good team let old talent walk and gives young talent a chance. Yeah i love witten and all but if he is looking for a big contract and is going to be 31 or up, then smart GM's would of groomed a replacement and trade him for draft picks, or let him walk when he becomes a freeagent. We can't just keep handing out big contracts. Sometimes you have to let talent walk and have younger talent step up.

This is also what i said about marion barber when he was a beast and he was wanting a bigger contract. So we paid him like a top back and boy did we wish that we would of just let him become a FA. I mean in the same year we drafted felix and tashard choice. It would of been smart to just let barber walk.

Im just saying we don't want to be stuck with old talent that might make a fast decline soon. Example Flozell(sp?) adams.



just a huge difference with Witten. I guess some people just see age and think nothing more.

[BraveHeartFan]

Witten will get a new deal sometime next summer. There is no doubt about that. That is one guy who will certainly never have to play a down for anyone else, if he doesn't want to, other than the Cowboys.

Better believe your last dollar that Romo will restructure to make sure we keep him.

And if anyone could possibly still question, at all, how important a TE like Witten is to his QB you don't have to look any further than how much of a blow it was to Troy Aikman, and those teams, when he no longer had Jay.

[Doomsday101]

Witten will get a new deal sometime next summer. There is no doubt about that. That is one guy who will certainly never have to play a down for anyone else, if he doesn't want to, other than the Cowboys.

Better believe your last dollar that Romo will restructure to make sure we keep him.

And if anyone could possibly still question, at all, how important a TE like Witten is to his QB you don't have to look any further than how much of a blow it was to Troy Aikman, and those teams, when he no longer had Jay.

I agree and the amazing part Witten has been able to avoid injuries having missed 2 games in the last 7 years and none over the last 4 years

[Joshmvii]

I always wonder what people think is going to happen to a guy once he hits 30. A running back or somebody that relies on pure speed is certainly going to slow down, and the pounding they take will take a toll, but a tight end is not getting hit 30 times a game by linebackers.

Witten deserves another new deal, and if he is still playing for us when he's 35, we'll be lucky. He's a hall of fame caliber tight end, and they do not grow on trees.

[Hoofbite]

Cue ladies night at the "It'll cost us 15 Million a Year" bar.

:lmao2:

[burntricersx]

Comparing MBIII and Witten isn't a fair comparison. RBs take more of a beating than TE's. We'll have to wait and see but I think there's a good chance that Witten can play well into his 30s and still be very productive. The age 30 stigma really only applies to running backs. Most of the other positions have players that can and do play well past 30. Tony Gonzalez is 35 and still one of the top TE's in the league.