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The Grand Poobah
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TEAMS TAKING A STAND AGAINST "NON-NEGOTIATORS"
There's an increasing reluctance in NFL circles, we're told, by teams to engage in active negotiations with agents who, for whatever reason, fail to participate in the negotiation process.
The biggest current culprit in this regard is Eugene Parker, who has developed a reputation for inaction in his efforts, or lack thereof, to get contracts for his clients.
Case in point -- the Hines Ward negotiations, or lack thereof. Ward abruptly reported to camp on Monday night, amid reports by ESPN's Chris Mortensen of a looming deal worth a whopping $19 million to $20 million in guaranteed money.
Since then, nothing. Zip. Zilch-a-reno.
Why? Despite the propensity of some to criticize the organization for being frugal, the reality is that the Steelers spend their money under the cap, year in and year out. And the Steelers are ready to pay Ward.
If Parker would only negotiate.
Case in point number two -- the Cedric Benson negotiations, or lack thereof. Benson is the sole remaining unsigned first-round pick. The Bears spent hours talking to Parker last Saturday in an effort to get the deal done, and the team put its best offer on the table.
Since then, nothing. Jack squat. Diddly sh-t.
Why? Parker has made no effort to continue the dialogue.
Case in point number three -- Corey Simon, franchise-tagged defensive tackle for the Eagles. A league source tells us that the Eagles recently had an opportunity to ship Simon to the Ravens, and that Baltimore was willing to pay Simon a contract in line with the Marcus Stroud/Shaun Rogers market for interior linemen. But Parker and his colleague, Roosevelt Barnes, set a minimum ceiling for discussions well above market value, and as a result no meaningful discussions occurred.
This standoffish approach simply isn't conducive to getting deals done. And teams are taking an increasingly dim view of agents who employ inactivity as a means for getting top dollar.
One league insider explained to us that Parker successfully employed the "sit and wait" approach several years back with linebacker Andre Wadsworth, a high first-round pick of the Cardinals. Parker waited and waited and waited some more and finally the Cards coughed up more money than they should have. And even though Parker has successfully negotiated many other deals since then, his current involvement, or lack thereof, in the Ward, Benson, and Simons situations is conjuring memories of "Hold 'Em Out" Howard Slusher, the former high profile agent who now counts Phil Knight's money at Nike.
Maybe Parker thinks that picking up the phone is a sign of weakness. Or maybe he fears that, once he engages in active negotiations, he'll be forced to take a bad deal. Regardless, it's going to be harder and harder for agents who opt for inactivity to get their clients paid -- and there are plenty of other capable agents out there who know how to get fair deals done without pissing off the very folks with whom they'll be negotiating again in the future.
There's an increasing reluctance in NFL circles, we're told, by teams to engage in active negotiations with agents who, for whatever reason, fail to participate in the negotiation process.
The biggest current culprit in this regard is Eugene Parker, who has developed a reputation for inaction in his efforts, or lack thereof, to get contracts for his clients.
Case in point -- the Hines Ward negotiations, or lack thereof. Ward abruptly reported to camp on Monday night, amid reports by ESPN's Chris Mortensen of a looming deal worth a whopping $19 million to $20 million in guaranteed money.
Since then, nothing. Zip. Zilch-a-reno.
Why? Despite the propensity of some to criticize the organization for being frugal, the reality is that the Steelers spend their money under the cap, year in and year out. And the Steelers are ready to pay Ward.
If Parker would only negotiate.
Case in point number two -- the Cedric Benson negotiations, or lack thereof. Benson is the sole remaining unsigned first-round pick. The Bears spent hours talking to Parker last Saturday in an effort to get the deal done, and the team put its best offer on the table.
Since then, nothing. Jack squat. Diddly sh-t.
Why? Parker has made no effort to continue the dialogue.
Case in point number three -- Corey Simon, franchise-tagged defensive tackle for the Eagles. A league source tells us that the Eagles recently had an opportunity to ship Simon to the Ravens, and that Baltimore was willing to pay Simon a contract in line with the Marcus Stroud/Shaun Rogers market for interior linemen. But Parker and his colleague, Roosevelt Barnes, set a minimum ceiling for discussions well above market value, and as a result no meaningful discussions occurred.
This standoffish approach simply isn't conducive to getting deals done. And teams are taking an increasingly dim view of agents who employ inactivity as a means for getting top dollar.
One league insider explained to us that Parker successfully employed the "sit and wait" approach several years back with linebacker Andre Wadsworth, a high first-round pick of the Cardinals. Parker waited and waited and waited some more and finally the Cards coughed up more money than they should have. And even though Parker has successfully negotiated many other deals since then, his current involvement, or lack thereof, in the Ward, Benson, and Simons situations is conjuring memories of "Hold 'Em Out" Howard Slusher, the former high profile agent who now counts Phil Knight's money at Nike.
Maybe Parker thinks that picking up the phone is a sign of weakness. Or maybe he fears that, once he engages in active negotiations, he'll be forced to take a bad deal. Regardless, it's going to be harder and harder for agents who opt for inactivity to get their clients paid -- and there are plenty of other capable agents out there who know how to get fair deals done without pissing off the very folks with whom they'll be negotiating again in the future.
