PFT: Parcells working with the league to get Ireland

[burmafrd]

The whole reason BP was mad at Payton was that he did not call first before making the offer to davis. We ended up having to pay more for Davis because of that. It cost us some cap space and that is a touchy thing in the NFL.
The "Code" is that between BP and his former coaches- and with each other- you do not poach without warning. Make an offer is fine as long as you warn the other guy.

 

[theogt]

In the contract, Parcells is (1) an employee of the franchise, and (2) is "responsible for overseeing football operations." The argument would boil down to what "responsible for overseeing football operations" means.

The next clause in the contract states that he is a designee of the organization in order to negotiate contracts with the GM and HC. This clause would almost certainly be read as illustrative of his power to oversee, not restrictive of it. That's a simple contract interpretation rule. When a broad statement is followed by a specific statement, the specific statement is illustrative rather than restrictive.

The term "oversee" is defined as "to watch over and direct; supervise" or to "to subject to scrutiny; examine or inspect." If that term is to have any meaning in the contract (and every word in a contract must be interpreted as to give it meaning), then Parcells must be construed as having the power to supervise the GM. That's "final say" power, however you slice it.

The contract is not structured as to give the GM final say power. This is a fiction that is thrown out by Parcells. The language of the contract does not provide for it. The only way that Ireland is going to Miami is (1) he wants to go, and (2) Jerry lets him go.

 

[superpunk]

Well does anyone know if Bill has contacted Jerry to ask if he can even have permission to talk to Ireland?

I don't know what the order of operations are. I don't think Jerry can restrict access to Ireland - if Ireland wants to interview in Miami, I don't think there's anything Jerry can do about it. I also don't think Jerry, as a business man, would begrudge Ireland the chance to advance his career if that's what Ireland wants.

Right now it just sounds like Parcells and Miami are going through the proper channels to negotiate with a prospective employee under contract with another franchise. Where it goes from there is up to Ireland, Jerry, Parcells and Huizenga. But it's nothing like the Davis scenario, which was just one where Parcells wished Payton would have followed accepted league-etiquette for signing Restricted Free Agents. Like I said, we let Payton raid the coaching staff no problem. All we kept him from doing was talking with Sparano, I think. If Jerry can do the same with Ireland, and he wants to, then Parcells petitioning the league for permission to negotiate becomes irrelevent.

 

[Shake_Tiller]

The fact is, since the Dolphins extended the Cowboys a favor with Garrett, Jerry Jones might feel some obligation to return it. He might, say, offer the Dolphins a two- or three-day window in which they can approach Ireland, but require that a deal be done then or not at all, assuming he can make it stick with the league. But the Dolphins did require that Garrett be either a coordinator or a position coach. Jones might argue that, regardless of titles, this is essentially a lateral move.

Ultimately, if Ireland wants to leave (and there is no indication that he does), I'm guessing Jones will let him. But he ought to try to extract some compensation. First round choice? I'm afraid that might be a reach. Regardless of what Cowboys fans think of Ireland, I'm not sure he has the name recognition to convince the league that the top pick in the draft is appropriate compensation. Dallas might extract second and third round choices...

It will be interesting, anyhow, though for some reason, I doubt that Parcells will attempt to hire Ireland if Jones objects.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

The "Code" is that between BP and his former coaches- and with each other- you do not poach without warning. Make an offer is fine as long as you warn the other guy.

Then why didn't Bill even make an offer on Vinitieri? The Pats didn't even end up keeping him that year.

I don't know what the order of operations are. I don't think Jerry can restrict access to Ireland - if Ireland wants to interview in Miami, I don't think there's anything Jerry can do about it. I also don't think Jerry, as a business man, would begrudge Ireland the chance to advance his career if that's what Ireland wants.

The only question is, would this really be a career advancement? You could make a good argument that despite what titles say -- and titles are meaningless as they are so easily manuipulated -- Ireland would have less say there.

 

[Randy White]

The only way that Ireland is going to Miami is (1) he wants to go, and (2) Jerry lets him go.

Next...

 

[superpunk]

Quoted for truth.

But carry on with the "hypocrite" angle everyone.

It is quaint.

Then why didn't Bill even make an offer on Vinitieri? The Pats didn't even end up keeping him that year.

(a) Vinatieri was not a RFA, so that has nothing to do with "the code".
(b) Polian never let him leave Indy.

 

[03EBZ06]

No matter what happens, Ireland is getting a raise.

 

[Hostile]

No matter what happens, Ireland is getting a raise.

I'm all for it as long as it is here.

Folks, Larry Lacewell has an office at Valley Ranch again. That scares the piss out of me.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Ireland isn't going anywhere...

 

[theogt]

Folks, Larry Lacewell has an office at Valley Ranch again.

Seriously?

 

[Hostile]

Seriously?

Yes, I reported it in the pre-season, and there was an article blurb about it too.

 

[Chocolate Lab]

I(a) Vinatieri was not a RFA, so that has nothing to do with "the code".
(b) Polian never let him leave Indy.

Then why did we not even make an effort to sign him? Everyone knew Vinitieri was a better kicker, and was a BP guy to boot.

When Parcells was asked why they never even pursued him, all he would say was, "House rules." What do you think that meant?

From a Peter King article:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/peter_king/09/19/mob.mentality0924/

Just what is this code? First, don't mess with a former colleague's players, a tenet Mangini -- who was hired by Belichick in 1995 and rose from coaching-staff gofer to defensive coordinator -- violated in March 2006, just after he left New England for New York. Mangini signed free-agent linebacker Matt Chatham, whom the Patriots were trying to keep. By contrast, here's what then Cowboys coach Bill Parcells, who needed a kicker, did that same off-season. Though the Pats' Adam Vinatieri, one of the best of all time, was a free agent, Parcells let it be known that he wouldn't touch the kicker. Why? Vinatieri was Belichick's player, and Belichick had been a defensive assistant and coordinator under Parcells. In another example, one coach told SI last week about allowing an assistant to leave with a year remaining on his contract to join another team. There was one proviso: The team hiring the assistant couldn't sign the free agents of the team he left. On the third day of the next free-agency period, a prime free agent from the assistant's old team was signed by his new team. The assistant's former boss confronted him and said, "I'm going to tell everyone in the league I know what a no-good son of a ***** you are."

 

[Randy White]

I'm all for it as long as it is here.

Folks, Larry Lacewell has an office at Valley Ranch again. That scares the piss out of me.

What a depressing thought

:shoot6:

 

[LeonDixson]

Yeah right. Like Parcells is going to Miami so the GM he hires will have final authority on personnel. Give me a break.

Anyone who thinks Parcells won't have final say is nuts.

He said in his presser yesterday that he was bringing his blueprint on the types of players he wants to bring in. He has certain skill/performance indicators for each position on the team that will be adhered to. That doesn't sound to me like the GM will have total authority to bring in whatever player they want.

You let the GM try to bring in a Dexter Coakley type for LBer and see who has the final say.

 

[superpunk]

Then why did we not even make an effort to sign him? Everyone knew Vinitieri was a better kicker, and was a BP guy to boot.

When Parcells was asked why they never even pursued him, all he would say was, "House rules." What do you think that meant?

I have no idea what this has to do with anything regarding Parcells "hypocrisy" or "the code". I fear thread derailment. All I know is - Polian signed Vinatieri before he could leave Indy. We may have had an interview lined up, but we never got the chance.

 

[03EBZ06]

I'm all for it as long as it is here.

Folks, Larry Lacewell has an office at Valley Ranch again. That scares the piss out of me.

Noooooooooo

 

[Alexander]

I have no idea what this has to do with anything regarding Parcells "hypocrisy" or "the code". I fear thread derailment. All I know is - Polian signed Vinatieri before he could leave Indy. We may have had an interview lined up, but we never got the chance.

I have read before that we had Vinatieri lined up and that he simply signed with the Colts first.

Hold on, its better to use that to further some sort of strange theory about "codes" and shadowy meetings at midnight by the pier.

 

[peplaw06]

I don't know what the order of operations are. I don't think Jerry can restrict access to Ireland - if Ireland wants to interview in Miami, I don't think there's anything Jerry can do about it. I also don't think Jerry, as a business man, would begrudge Ireland the chance to advance his career if that's what Ireland wants.

Right now it just sounds like Parcells and Miami are going through the proper channels to negotiate with a prospective employee under contract with another franchise. Where it goes from there is up to Ireland, Jerry, Parcells and Huizenga. But it's nothing like the Davis scenario, which was just one where Parcells wished Payton would have followed accepted league-etiquette for signing Restricted Free Agents. Like I said, we let Payton raid the coaching staff no problem. All we kept him from doing was talking with Sparano, I think. If Jerry can do the same with Ireland, and he wants to, then Parcells petitioning the league for permission to negotiate becomes irrelevent.

This is kind of an unprecedented situation where a front-office type is being pursued by another team while under contract.

Still the point remains, it seems Bill is looking for the league to give their blessings in his pursuit, and not going through the Cowboys. If Bill has talked with Jerry about it, and someone knows about that, please let us know. But why would he go through the league if Jerry gave his permission?

If Jerry hasn't given him permission to talk to Jeff, then he has to know that Jerry will do what it takes to keep him. That makes it feel like the Davis situation IMO.

 

[Hoofbite]

The whole reason BP was mad at Payton was that he did not call first before making the offer to davis. We ended up having to pay more for Davis because of that. It cost us some cap space and that is a touchy thing in the NFL.
The "Code" is that between BP and his former coaches- and with each other- you do not poach without warning. Make an offer is fine as long as you warn the other guy.

how so? its not like the knowledge of the offer before hand drove up the price.

Bill was pissed that Sean would have the never to leave him out of the loop before doing it.