Patience the Main Ingredient in a Howard Deal

[dargonking999]

With the NFL owners meeting in sunny Hawaii this week it’s ironic that player business has slowed to a glacial pace. Less than three weeks after they began, free agent moves have come to a near standstill, with linebacker Ed Hartwell being the only unrestricted and uninjured major player left on the market.

That stasis has to be frustrating Cowboys faithful, who were hopeful that a deal for Saints DE Darren Howard could have been worked out by now. New Orleans was facing a deadling of March 17th to move the disgruntled end, but Howard deferred it by signing the Saints’ tender offer. The Saints now have time to strike a harder bargain with a team like Dallas, but here are two reasons why I believe the trade will happen, but not until the end of April at the earliest:

Howard is eating up $7.8 million worth of cap space. The Saints have three core players who are in the last years of their deals — RB Deuce McAllister, C LeCharles Bentley and CB Mike McKenzie, who cost a second round pick to obtain. The Saints want to sign them to long-term extensions to keep them off the market, but don’t have the cap room to do so. They will have it if they move Howard.
If the Saints keep Howard they face a similar dilemma with him next year. They either franchise him again, which would give him an outrageous cap figure of $9.3 million, or they risk losing him to free agency for no compensation.
So what long-term options do the Saints really have? They move Howard now and gain stability, or keep him around and risk blowing up their team in 2006.

From Dallas’ perspective, the desire to get Howard is great, but the need to get him now is not. Jerry Jones has said he does not want to trade draft picks for players and at this point he’s right. I see no risk that Howard will be traded to another club before the draft. The other teams that keep being linked to Howard trade are Washington, Minnesota, Seattle, Miami and Denver. Let’s look at the likelihood of each team trading for him:

Miami — the Dolphins entered free agency with less than $2 million in cap space. They’ve already made several smaller money additions, most notably safety Tebucky Jones. They’ve already got a big ticket DE in Jason Taylor. How can they afford another one?
Denver — They also entered free agency with limited cap room. They’ve been trying unsucessfully to unload high priced DE Trevor Pryce, who has the biggest contract on their defense. They appear trapped, capwise. They’ve pursuing DE Courtney Brown, a much cheaper option who was released by the Cleveland Browns last week
Seattle — The team most often named as a competitor signed DE Bryce Fisher from the Rams last week. He got a four year, $10 million deal. They paid Grant Wistrom a mint to play DE for them the year before. I don’t think the Seahawks paid Fisher all that money to be Howard’s backup.
Washington — The Redskins had a fair amount of cap room, but lost much of it when they made the Santana Moss-for-Laveranues Coles trade. They’re in strong pursuit of Courtney Brown, who seems more in line with their budget. They also can’t give New Orleans their second round pick, since the Saints already own it.
Minnesota — They had over $30 million in cap room and have spent freely, trading Randy Moss and signing Pat Williams, Darren Sharper and Fred Smoot for their defense. They are still the club most likely to be that “other team” but they’ve been quiet since signing Sharper WR Travis Taylor last week.
New Orleans might be trying to drive up the price of getting Howard, but why give them anythingbetween now and the end of the draft? Dallas has no visible competition and New Orleans’ need to move Howard only increases as the season approaches. Sure, a new team might emerge after the draft, but teams won’t exactly have more cap room then, will they?

I expect Dallas to turn off the phones, keep the 42nd pick, use it on the best available player available and then call New Orleans after the first mini camp. Who knows? Dallas might draft an end who looks so impressive to the coaches, it makes them disregard the Howard deal altogether. Stranger things have happened.

In any event, put those Darren Howard thoughts on the back burner of your mind. Unless Jerry convinces Saints GM Mickey Loomis to cave on his trade demands over some mai tais this week, it just ain’t gonna happen in the near future.

[Doomsday101]

My gut feeling is a deal will be worked out during the owners meeting later this week.

[TheHustler]

source of article? author?

[LA=Pancakemaker]

It will get done before this month, both teams want this done before Draft time.

[Avery]

If self-written, great job and makes total sense.

I think N.O. will have to take the best available offer and give him to us for a 2nd rounder. If not, we'll take a DE in the draft. So be it.

[dargonking999]

Originally Posted by TheHustler

source of article? author?

sorry blog entry at theboys.com

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 20th, 2005 at 11:12 pm and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

[Eddie]

So how come we let so many Pro Bowlers go without compensation back in the day???

We lost better players than Howard ... and the Saints act like he's God's gift to the DE position.

[dargonking999]

and this was a reply to the blog kind of intresting thought i'd post it

# Jon Says:
March 21st, 2005 at 10:35 am

Again Dallas should be patience. John Abraham is in a Similar situation in NY and still wants to play for Parcells. If I had to chose, I would take Abraham for the same money as Howard. He and Ferguson already played together, and Bill knows his character and work ethic. We still got the draft which looks to have plenty POTENTIAL NFL DE and OLB so I think we can address pass rush in the Draft if both fall through. However, do not be surprised to see Abraham come into play. He also got bad press for sitting out in the playoffs, press speculated he was only doing because he did not have a long term contract. That NY press just might make him a Cowboy yet. Howdy, John welcome to Dallas……..mosey on up to the line and get us a dozen sacks or so.

I think Greg Ellis has potential to be a pro bowl end with Ferguson Glover pushing up the middle as well. We are finally getting help on the Defensive Line. At least Dallas is willing to pay up for players this year, no more of the well Wiley could be what he was in Buffalo five years ago crap.

[jksmith269]

LEcharles will also be a free agent at the end of this season if they can't work a deal with him so they will have a real hard choice tag Howard or Lecharles and more than likely loose the other to FA...... If Lecharles weren't going to be a FA next offseason I don't think the Saints would be in such a hurry to move Howard. Mike M and Duce both have 2 years left on there contracts (they could have voidable years and make this the last season on their contracts) So for me Lecharles is the Key

[dmq]

I would take Abraham for our second first faster than I would take Howard w/ our second.

[Eddie]

Why are we so eager to throw away draft picks???

[jksmith269]

Originally Posted by dmq

I would take Abraham for our second first faster than I would take Howard w/ our second.

I wouldn't not after he wouldn't play last season in the playoffs

It may not really matter with howard anywat I just read that MN is rumored to be thinking of sending NO a first round pick for howard...... That may have been dallas hope all along get MN to move on him and raise our chances of landing Merriman or DJ...........


Aggressive Vikings

It's uncertain if Mike "Need 2?" Tice will be around to benefit from it, but the offseason job by the Minnesota Vikings needs to be applauded.

For 10 seasons (dating back to Dennis Green's regime), the Vikings basically have fielded half a team, having cast their lot on offense. And, frankly, with talent like Randy Moss, Cris Carter, Robert Smith and Daunte Culpepper, who could blame them?

But credit Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brezinski for restoring some balance to the club.

The rebuilding started with the Moss trade to Oakland and the acquisition of linebacker Napoleon Harris. Then came free-agent signings of veteran defensive tackle and run-stuffer Pat Williams (formerly of Buffalo), blossoming cornerback star Fred Smoot (Washington) and cast-away safety Darren Sharper (Green Bay).

Williams will plug into an up-and-coming defensive front with former first-round picks Kevin Williams at tackle and Kenechi Udeze at end. K-Williams made the Pro Bowl last season. Behind them, Harris will mesh nicely with another rising star in E.J. Henderson. And the additions of Smoot and Sharper (providing he can stay healthy) to Antonio Winfield, Corey Chavous and Brian Russell may give the Vikes one of the game's best secondaries.

Now throw in the Nos. 7 and 18 picks in the draft. They could use the former to take a receiver to replace Moss, but rumors abound about a possible deal that could send one of those picks to New Orleans in a package for Saints defensive end and "franchise" player Darren Howard.

That's a lot of new toys for defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell to play with.


http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sport...ck=3&cset=true

[Nors]

patience!

Some critical dates to watch

Owners week - there are some that are confident deal gets done there
Draft - We Will trade away the draft pick,Player on draft day
7-15 - Saints can redo deal then with Howard
Mid October NFL Trading deadline - all hope of trade will be over.

[Hollywood Henderson]

Trade them lil Dat the human speed bump and call it a day and we will make our picks draft day!

[Nors]

Originally Posted by Hollywood Henderson

Trade them lil Dat the human speed bump and call it a day and we will make our picks draft day!

http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/133378


In Dats defense he gets run over a lot. An average of 112 times past two seasons.