New Orleans news on Howard - Dallas Cowboys Forum

dbair1967 · 03-15-2005

pay attention to the bolded info...hopefully everyone will quit with the "there's a deadline!" talk...there is no deadline for when they can trade him

Howard signs, still could be dealt
Tebucky Jones could sign with Dolphins
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
By Jeff Duncan
Staff writer
Saints defensive end Darren Howard signed his one-year tender as the team's franchise free agent, a move that does not affect the team's ability to trade the five-year veteran, team officials said Monday.

The Saints also are expected to release safety Tebucky Jones today, after failing to complete a trade with Miami. The move comes on the day the Saints were scheduled to pay Jones a $400,000 roster bonus. The Miami Herald is reporting Jones will sign a three-year contract with the Dolphins as early as tonight.

The move to sign Howard is significant only because it guarantees him a $7.8 million base salary this season. As Collective Bargaining Agreement rules stipulate, the salary is 120 percent of the $6.5 million salary he earned as the Saints' franchise free agent in 2003.

If Howard didn't sign the tender, the Saints would have been free to pull the offer at any time, rendering Howard an unrestricted free agent at a time when few teams have the cap room to negotiate such lucrative long-term contracts.

The Saints are free to discuss a deal for Howard with other teams without a deadline and can trade him without incurring a salary-cap hit. As of Friday, the Saints were $5.4 million under the cap.

If the Saints want to negotiate a long-term deal with Howard before trading him, they must do so before 3 p.m. Wednesday. Otherwise, they'll have to wait until after July 15.

Clubs interested in acquiring Howard are not restricted from negotiating a long-term deal with him, provided they have the room to accommodate his contract under the $85.5 million salary cap.

Dallas still is the most interested suitor. Miami, Minnesota, Seattle and Washington also have been mentioned as possible trade candidates.

Cowboys officials have exchanged proposals on a long-term contact with Howard's agent, Gary Wichard, in recent days and have discussed compensation with Saints officials.

Howard is believed to be seeking a deal similar to the one defensive end Grant Wistrom received from Seattle as an unrestricted free agent last season. That six-year contract totaled $33 million and included a $14 million signing bonus.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis was unavailable for comment Monday.

In other free-agent moves, Seattle linebacker Anthony Simmons left town Monday without a contract offer and was on his way to Green Bay for a visit with the Packers today.

New Orleans also has expressed interest in scheduling a visit with Tampa Bay defensive tackle Chartric Darby. The 6-foot-0, 270-pound veteran visited Seattle on Monday. He also is considering a visit to Atlanta.

Darby is the third veteran defensive tackle the Saints have pursued during free agency.

dstew60105 · 03-15-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbair1967

pay attention to the bolded info...hopefully everyone will quit with the "there's a deadline!" talk...there is no deadline for when they can trade him

Howard signs, still could be dealt
Tebucky Jones could sign with Dolphins
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
By Jeff Duncan
Staff writer
Saints defensive end Darren Howard signed his one-year tender as the team's franchise free agent, a move that does not affect the team's ability to trade the five-year veteran, team officials said Monday.

The Saints also are expected to release safety Tebucky Jones today, after failing to complete a trade with Miami. The move comes on the day the Saints were scheduled to pay Jones a $400,000 roster bonus. The Miami Herald is reporting Jones will sign a three-year contract with the Dolphins as early as tonight.

[View Full Quote]

But they still would like to trade him by tomorrow or else the have to carry that 7.8 million on their books till July. Something that will restrict them from extending some of their own guys or signing a few new players. I still think the deal gets done by tomorrow.

Jarv · 03-15-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbair1967

pay attention to the bolded info...hopefully everyone will quit with the "there's a deadline!" talk...there is no deadline for when they can trade him

Howard signs, still could be dealt
Tebucky Jones could sign with Dolphins
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
By Jeff Duncan
Staff writer
Saints defensive end Darren Howard signed his one-year tender as the team's franchise free agent, a move that does not affect the team's ability to trade the five-year veteran, team officials said Monday.

The Saints also are expected to release safety Tebucky Jones today, after failing to complete a trade with Miami. The move comes on the day the Saints were scheduled to pay Jones a $400,000 roster bonus. The Miami Herald is reporting Jones will sign a three-year contract with the Dolphins as early as tonight.

[View Full Quote]

Does the 5.4 million under the cap, that the Aint's have now include Howards $7.8 million base salary this season ? Thats the big question I have. Since that was their FRIDAY cap number, I would think not. But I sure would like a capologist opinion...Adam, can you clarify ?

jem88 · 03-15-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by dstew60105

But they still would like to trade him by tomorrow or else the have to carry that 7.8 million on their books till July. Something that will restrict them from extending some of their own guys or signing a few new players. I still think the deal gets done by tomorrow.

I hope so because this is turning into one of the most tedious trade stories in recent memory.

Woods · 03-15-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by dstew60105

But they still would like to trade him by tomorrow or else the have to carry that 7.8 million on their books till July. Something that will restrict them from extending some of their own guys or signing a few new players. I still think the deal gets done by tomorrow.

That's what I think as well.

Didn't they want to wait until paying Joe Horn's bonus? And Horn refused to wait.

I think the Saints need the cap room before July.

JrGaf · 03-15-2005

They can trade him after the deadline with just the franchise tag, but, if say dallas signs him to a long term deal, then NO will not have the Chise tag for the remainder of the Contract. So NO will prolly not trade him and take the chance that dallas would work out the deal anyway. I could be wrong, but thats how I took it from the Articles ive read

St. Richard · 03-15-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarv

Does the 5.4 million under the cap, that the Aint's have now include Howards $7.8 million base salary this season ? Thats the big question I have. Since that was their FRIDAY cap number, I would think not. But I sure would like a capologist opinion...Adam, can you clarify ?

Good question. Howard's full $7.8 million figure counted against the Saints' cap the moment they tagged him as a franchise player. They can keep him, sign him to a long-term deal or trade him at any time. The reason for the Wednesday deadline in that the Saints can't sign him to a longer deal between March 16 and July 15 without losing the franchise tag for the life of the contract. However, if another team signs him or he is traded during that time, it does not affect the Saints' ability to tag someone else next year, nor does it prevent his new team from using the tag, assuming a new deal is signed upon completion of the trade. So, in this instance, the deadline is much ado about nothing. As soon as the trade is done, the Saints get full credit for the $7.8 million and the new team signs him to a new deal, which will reduce his cap hit to them substantially.

The only delay this really causes the Saints is that the players they want to sign to extensions (Joe Horn, Deuce McAllister, Mike McKenzie and LeCharles Bentley) will have to wait until the trade is completed, whenever that may be. But even that isn't a problem for the Saints, because all of them are under contract through 2005 and some through 2006.

Doomsday101 · 03-15-2005

I'd like to see Howard in Dallas, the guy can bring the pressure and it almost assures the Cowboys will remain in the base 4-3 defense. Nothing aginst the 3-4 but it would take more moves than we will be able to make this season to get that accomplished.

InmanRoshi · 03-15-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by jem88

I hope so because this is turning into one of the most tedious trade stories in recent memory.

The Lav Coles/Santana Moss trade was on again-off again for 3 weeks. Besides, what else do we have to occupy time until the draft? More quarterback talk?

Our compensation with a 2nd round pick pretty much trumps everyone unless someone gives up a 1st rounder. If they can get that for Howard, good for them. While I have heard the names of other teams looking to test the water, I haven't heard of one yet in negotiations like we have been. Its pretty much a game of chicken. But I would like to see something done before the draft, otherwise we could be sitting at the 11th pick with Erasmus James on the board and not knowing what our defensive end situation looks like.

conner01 · 03-15-2005

i would really like to have him but he will need to get real on that signing bonus.just because the seahawks are stupid to give wistrom that kinda money don't mean we will.he's not that good.look at wistrom and kearse's number from last year.11 sacks between them.you have to be very careful throwing around that kind of money for these guys.

InmanRoshi · 03-15-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by conner01

i would really like to have him but he will need to get real on that signing bonus.just because the seahawks are stupid to give wistrom that kinda money don't mean we will.he's not that good.look at wistrom and kearse's number from last year.11 sacks between them.you have to be very careful throwing around that kind of money for these guys.

Shaun Ellis got 15.5 from the Jets to resign. This is the cost of doing business for a proven double digit sack defensive end. Either you pay it, or you reach for need again in the draft and pray that the 5th time is the charm.

AdamJT13 · 03-15-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by dstew60105

But they still would like to trade him by tomorrow or else the have to carry that 7.8 million on their books till July.

As soon as they trade him, that $7.8 million comes off their cap, no matter when it happens.

AdamJT13 · 03-15-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jarv

Does the 5.4 million under the cap, that the Aint's have now include Howards $7.8 million base salary this season ? Thats the big question I have. Since that was their FRIDAY cap number, I would think not. But I sure would like a capologist opinion...Adam, can you clarify ?

The $7.8 million started counting as soon as they franchised him. Any tender counts against the cap, whether or not the player has signed it yet.

AdamJT13 · 03-15-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by JrGaf

They can trade him after the deadline with just the franchise tag, but, if say dallas signs him to a long term deal, then NO will not have the Chise tag for the remainder of the Contract.

That's not correct. If they trade him and we sign him to a long-term deal, they get the tag back next season. Even if they sign him to a long-term deal, they can get the tag back next year by trading him within 24 hours of his signing the long-term deal.

ChrisZ007 · 03-15-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdamJT13

That's not correct. If they trade him and we sign him to a long-term deal, they get the tag back next season. Even if they sign him to a long-term deal, they can get the tag back next year by trading him within 24 hours of his signing the long-term deal.

Thanks adam.

Alot of wanna be cap experts and bad information floating around in here. If your name isnt beside the info, I dont even bother.