Seattle playing tough with Minnesota...Burleson signs

[Juke99]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2006-03-31-notes_x.htm

Notes: Vikings don't match Burleson offer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A unique fight over restricted free agents between Seattle and Minnesota ended Friday when the Vikings chose not to match the Seahawks' contract offer to receiver Nate Burleson.

Vikings vice president for football operations Rob Brzezinski confirmed the decision, which allowed Burleson to join his hometown team.

"This is a dream come true for Nate," his agent, Ken Sarnoff, said. "That seven years after being named the Seattle High School Athlete of the Year, he now plays for the Seahawks."

Burleson signed an offer sheet last week for a seven-year contract worth up to $49 million, including $5.25 million guaranteed. In response to a similar tactic Minnesota used to sign All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson to an offer sheet earlier this month, Seattle put a pair of provisions in the deal that would make it impractical for the Vikings to match.

If Burleson plays at least five games in the state of Minnesota or if his annual salary average is more than the average of his team's highest-paid running back, then the entire $49 million would be guaranteed.

The Vikings signed Hutchinson to an offer sheet that the Seahawks didn't match, after an arbitrator ruled that their contract didn't violate the collective bargaining agreement. Hutchinson's seven-year, $49 million deal becomes guaranteed if he's not his team's highest-paid offensive lineman. He had previously been named Seattle's transition player.

These poison pills caused some consternation at the league meetings this week, and outgoing commissioner Paul Tagliabue said such loopholes were "not in the spirit" of the NFL's agreement with the players' union.

But Burleson, who caught 30 passes for 328 yards and one touchdown last season while bothered by multiple injuries, is moving on.

Minnesota is left with Koren Robinson, Troy Williamson, Marcus Robinson and Travis Taylor at receiver, after nobody emerged as a top target in 2005 following the trade of Randy Moss to Oakland. Burleson was expected to be that, after accumulating 1,006 yards receiving and nine touchdowns in 2004.

The Seahawks owe the Vikings a third-round pick, based on Burleson's draft position in 2003. Minnesota now has two third-rounders and two second-rounders.

[Hostile]

The Seahawks owe the Vikings a third-round pick, based on Burleson's draft position in 2003. Minnesota now has two third-rounders and two second-rounders.Why would the Seahawks owe the Vikings a 3rd rounder for a Free Agent?

[Juke99]

Why would the Seahawks owe the Vikings a 3rd rounder for a Free Agent?


I guess because he was a RFA...

I do like how the Seahawks structured the deal...there's nothing like a little mudslinging between bazillion dollar businesses. :D

[Hostile]

I guess because he was a RFA...

I do like how the Seahawks structured the deal...there's nothing like a little mudslinging between bazillion dollar businesses. :DRestricted Free Agent only means that the Vikings have the option of matching the offer and keeping the player.

Steve Hutchinson was a Transition Player.

Something is amiss in this.

[Juke99]

Restricted Free Agent only means that the Vikings have the option of matching the offer and keeping the player.

Steve Hutchinson was a Transition Player.

Something is amiss in this.



Oh Adam, where are you?

[TheSkaven]

I like Minnesota's receivers, and Burleson is vastly overrated. He only had one good year. Troy Williamson is an up and coming player, Travis Taylor and Marcus Robinson are both big possession style receivers, and Koren Robinson could turn into a true #1, he seems to really have turned things around last year.

[pungofish]

Restricted free agents are players who have completed three accrued seasons of service and whose contracts have expired. They have received qualifying offers from their old clubs and are free to negotiate with any club until April 21, at which time their rights revert to their original club. If a player accepts an offer from a new club, the old club will have the right to match the offer and retain the player. If the old club elects not to match the offer, it may receive draft-choice compensation depending on the level of the qualifying offer made to the player.

[Juke99]

Restricted free agents are players who have completed three accrued seasons of service and whose contracts have expired. They have received qualifying offers from their old clubs and are free to negotiate with any club until April 21, at which time their rights revert to their original club. If a player accepts an offer from a new club, the old club will have the right to match the offer and retain the player. If the old club elects not to match the offer, it may receive draft-choice compensation depending on the level of the qualifying offer made to the player.

Thank you....I guess that settles that.

:)

[vicjagger]

Depending upon the amount of the offer tendered to a RFA by his current team, the team that signs him or her (j/k), may be required to forfeit:

1) Nothing,
2) A draft pick in the same round the player was drafted (if drafted),
3) a first round pick, or
4) A first and third round pick.

It is all explained here:

http://www.nflpa.org/Media/main.asp?subPage=CBA+Complete

[CactusCowboy]

I like Minnesota's receivers, and Burleson is vastly overrated. He only had one good year. Troy Williamson is an up and coming player, Travis Taylor and Marcus Robinson are both big possession style receivers, and Koren Robinson could turn into a true #1, he seems to really have turned things around last year.

Gotta disagree. I think Burleson was there best receiver. Marcus is old, Taylor very average and the verdict is still out on Williamson.....

[big dog cowboy]

This whole "poison pill" thing needs to go away. Hopefully it can be fixed before next years off season. Both Seattle and Minny were in a position where they really didn't have a choice but to not sign the player.

[Hostile]

I realize all this stuff about the compensation guys. I was talking about the inequity of Hutchinson versus Burleson. It seems to me that the team losing a player the quality of Hutchinson is due something while the Vikings should almost thank the Seahawks for taking Burleson.

[Bluefin]

It seems to me that the team losing a player the quality of Hutchinson is due something while the Vikings hsould almost thank the Seahawks for taking BUrleson.
If Seattle wanted Hutchinson to stay, they should've worked out a long term contract extension before the season ended, IMO.

I also believe they had the option of using the franchise tag since Walter Jones has signed a long term deal.

The Seahawks chose to place the transition tag on Hutchinson and they knew he was as good as gone when they did it.

Paying that kind of money to a guard is insane.

[Hostile]

If Seattle wanted Hutchinson to stay, they should've worked out a long term contract extension before the season ended, IMO.

I also believe they had the option of using the franchise tag since Walter Jones has signed a long term deal.

The Seahawks chose to place the transition tag on Hutchinson and they knew he was as good as gone when they did it.

Paying that kind of money to a guard is insane.No offense, but that doesn't have thing 1 to do with what I was talking about.

[Rush 2112]

I realize all this stuff about the compensation guys. I was talking about the inequity of Hutchinson versus Burleson. It seems to me that the team losing a player the quality of Hutchinson is due something while the Vikings should almost thank the Seahawks for taking Burleson.


If Seattle wanted to protect themselves in the Hutch situation they should have franchised him. They were probably afraid of the way players "perceive" being franchised. Usually not a good thing.

They left themselves unprotected.

Any inequity is due to their own incompetence.

[Hostile]

If Seattle wanted to protect themselves in the Hutch situation they should have franchised him. They were probably afraid of the way players "perceive" being franchised. Usually not a good thing.

They left themselves unprotected.

Any inequity is due to their own incompetence.Duh.

Meanwhile Minnesota is going to get rewarded with a draft pick for doing what? The same thing Seattle failed to do.

It just doesn't seem equitable. That's all I am saying.

[Rush 2112]

Things that are completely different quite often aren't the same.

Imagine that.

[Erik_H]

Duh.

Meanwhile Minnesota is going to get rewarded with a draft pick for doing what? The same thing Seattle failed to do.

It just doesn't seem equitable. That's all I am saying.

Well, the difference is that Hutch was a total FA (albeit with a transition tag) while Burleson was a tendered RFA.

It's not about talent, but about years the player was in the league and the level of ownership (for lack of a better word) of the player that the team had.

Minnesota gets a draft pick because they owned the rights (to a degree) to a 3 year player.

It's not about what a team did or failed to do, but rather who they did or didn't do it to.

Because of this, it's not really the 'same' thing. The contract statuses were different so the results were different.

[montgod]

I like Minnesota's receivers, and Burleson is vastly overrated. He only had one good year. Troy Williamson is an up and coming player, Travis Taylor and Marcus Robinson are both big possession style receivers, and Koren Robinson could turn into a true #1, he seems to really have turned things around last year.

I agree about Burleson. I think Seattle was stupid to sign Burleson to such a large contract when he is still very unproven and injury prone. Makes it evident that one reason was to try and get back at Minnesota. There is no doubt that at the end of the day, no matter what Seattle does, Minnesota still got the upperhand on this deal of Burleson and a third for Hutchenson. THey better hope that Burleson is able to come back to perform like he did that one year where he was successful or they will be looking even worse for only putting a transition tag on Hutchenson.

[Big Country]

Well, the difference is that Hutch was a total FA (albeit with a transition tag) while Burleson was a tendered RFA.

It's not about talent, but about years the player was in the league and the level of ownership (for lack of a better word) of the player that the team had.

Minnesota gets a draft pick because they owned the rights (to a degree) to a 3 year player.

It's not about what a team did or failed to do, but rather who they did or didn't do it to.

Because of this, it's not really the 'same' thing. The contract statuses were different so the results were different.


superior observation...

[Hostile]

Things that are completely different quite often aren't the same.

Imagine that.I never said they were the same circumstance. Did I? I clearly defined the differences. Didn't I?

I said it doesn't make any sense. The teams know what they're getting into. I understand that. I'm simply saying it doesn't balance very well. If that still doesn't register I apologize. I've explained it as clearly as I can.

[Rush 2112]

Restricted Free Agent only means that the Vikings have the option of matching the offer and keeping the player.

Steve Hutchinson was a Transition Player.

Something is amiss in this.

Why would the Seahawks owe the Vikings a 3rd rounder for a Free Agent?


You clearly had a firm grip on the situation.

Sorry for being one of the 3-4 people to help try clearing it up for you.

To answer your question, no you didn't clearly define anything.

[Hostile]

You clearly had a firm grip on the situation.

Sorry for being one of the 3-4 people to help try clearing it up for you.

To answer your question, no you didn't clearly define anything.Oh excuse me, the word "should" would have described it better.

[jterrell]

Restricted Free Agent only means that the Vikings have the option of matching the offer and keeping the player.

Steve Hutchinson was a Transition Player.

Something is amiss in this.
duh, cleared up above.

[Eskimo]

I suspect the difference lies in the fact the league feels the team that drafts you or develops you as a UDFA should have control over you for about four years - this control is absolute for three years.

After that, they want to allow player movement. That movement can be restricted for one player deemed essential to the franchise - in exchange for restricting the player's freedom the team has to compensate him fairly.

The transition tag was designed for top-10 type players and guaranteed the average of the top 10 salaries. Initially, I thought there used to be one first rounder tied to a transitional player but that requirement was later dropped. I think each team used to be allowed to have one franchise and two transitional players but now is only allowed one franchise player or one transitional player.

In reality, the transitional player tag is pretty useless as the player still has the freedom to move. I don't really know why anyone would bother using it unless they actually didn't have the cap space to afford the difference between the transition and franchise tags - Seattle really butchered this one up and the GM should be held accountable to the FO.

The compensation for the franchise designation is too costly IMO - I think it should be reduced down to one first rounder to allow more movement of elite players who are being "guarded" by their original teams who don't want to commit to a long-term deal. A lot of these guys are coming off their rookie deals and want one good guaranteed payday to set themselves up for the future - and they almost always would be except for the franchise tag.

I also feel the designation should not be allowed to be used in consecutive years on the same player - if you can't sign him after knowing FA was pending for two years, it is probably just best for both parties to part ways. If they are going to allow it to continue, I think the minimum salary increase should be boosted to 40% from 20%.

[Galian Beast]

The signing bonus they gave him allows them to cut him any time they want to. a 5.25 million dollar signing bonus spread throughout 5 years of his 7 year deal allows them to cut him extremely quickly if they need to.

[CrazyCowboy]

Go Hawks.....pay those Vikes back!

[Rockytop6]

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2006-03-31-notes_x.htm

Notes: Vikings don't match Burleson offer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A unique fight over restricted free agents between Seattle and Minnesota ended Friday when the Vikings chose not to match the Seahawks' contract offer to receiver Nate Burleson.

Vikings vice president for football operations Rob Brzezinski confirmed the decision, which allowed Burleson to join his hometown team.

"This is a dream come true for Nate," his agent, Ken Sarnoff, said. "That seven years after being named the Seattle High School Athlete of the Year, he now plays for the Seahawks."

Burleson signed an offer sheet last week for a seven-year contract worth up to $49 million, including $5.25 million guaranteed. In response to a similar tactic Minnesota used to sign All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson to an offer sheet earlier this month, Seattle put a pair of provisions in the deal that would make it impractical for the Vikings to match.

If Burleson plays at least five games in the state of Minnesota or if his annual salary average is more than the average of his team's highest-paid running back, then the entire $49 million would be guaranteed.

The Vikings signed Hutchinson to an offer sheet that the Seahawks didn't match, after an arbitrator ruled that their contract didn't violate the collective bargaining agreement. Hutchinson's seven-year, $49 million deal becomes guaranteed if he's not his team's highest-paid offensive lineman. He had previously been named Seattle's transition player.

These poison pills caused some consternation at the league meetings this week, and outgoing commissioner Paul Tagliabue said such loopholes were "not in the spirit" of the NFL's agreement with the players' union.

But Burleson, who caught 30 passes for 328 yards and one touchdown last season while bothered by multiple injuries, is moving on.

Minnesota is left with Koren Robinson, Troy Williamson, Marcus Robinson and Travis Taylor at receiver, after nobody emerged as a top target in 2005 following the trade of Randy Moss to Oakland. Burleson was expected to be that, after accumulating 1,006 yards receiving and nine touchdowns in 2004.

The Seahawks owe the Vikings a third-round pick, based on Burleson's draft position in 2003. Minnesota now has two third-rounders and two second-rounders.

I love it. The Vikes stuck the poison pill in their contract and walked away with the best OL in the league. Now, Seattle is sticking it back to them. The Vikes deserve it.