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In the next five weeks leading to NFL training camps, we're going to hear more and more threats from players saying they won't report to camp.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson is the latest in a long line of players barking about the possibility of being a training camp holdout -- and maybe even longer than that.
Johnson told the Kansas City Star he is preparing for a long holdout, so much so that he has even taken to being frugal with his money. Larry wants L.T. money, which is a six-year deal worth $60 million with $21 million guaranteed. Good luck. The Chiefs are willing to give him a new deal, but there is a difference in opinion about the money.
Johnson joins some other top players in their quests for new contracts, including Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel, Detroit Lions defensive tackle Cory Redding, Jacksonville Jaguars guard Chris Naeole, Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Darwin Walker and New York Jets guard Pete Kendall. All want new deals.
There's also talk about Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo getting a new long-term deal. Romo, who has one year remaining on his contract, isn't threatening to sit out, but you can bet he would love a new deal.
It's a good time to look at eight contract squabbles and render a verdict:
Larry Johnson, RB, Chiefs
He is scheduled to make $1.7 million this season, the final year of his five-year rookie deal. That's chump change compared to what many of the other running backs are making, including several, such as Ahman Green and Willis McGahee, who signed new deals this spring.
Johnson is coming off back-to-back seasons with 1,700-plus yards, so he can make a strong case for a new deal. But let's remember a few things. Johnson was on the trading block three years ago and nobody even sniffed making a deal for a third-round pick, which is what the Chiefs were asking.
Not only that, but Johnson has carried it 752 times the past two seasons, including 416 times in 2006. That's a lot of wear and tear, even if he did only carry 140 times his first two seasons in the league. He also benefited from playing behind one of the best offensive lines in 2005 and best inside three in 2006.
Johnson turns 28 in November. That's not old, but by running back standards it is an age of concern.
Verdict: Should Johnson be paid more than $1.7 million per year? You bet. Should he come close to L.T. money? No. The Chiefs should give him a new deal, but he's crazy if he thinks he's L.T. By the way, he might miss camp, but he won't sit out more than that. Not with the chance to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Asante Samuel, CB, Patriots
He is coming off a season in which he had 10 interceptions to tie Champ Bailey for the league lead. Now he wants to be paid for that season.
After watching Nate Clements get an eight-year, $80 million deal -- a deal that includes a lot of funny money in the back end -- Samuel is eyeing that same type of deal. The Patriots put the franchise tag on him, which means if he signs it, which he has not, he would be paid $7.7 million this season.
That's a lot of money for a corner who has earned just over $2 million in his first four seasons -- combined.
But players hate the franchise tag. They don't get the big up-front, guaranteed money a long-term deal would bring. The injury risk is why they want the bonus money. Samuel has threatened to sit out until the 10th game. He could sign the tender and then get an accrued season if he does that. But it will cost him 9/17th of his $7.79 million, or just over $4 million.
Now, who is willing to leave that kind of money on the table? Is it a guy who made half that in his first four seasons?
Samuel is a good player, but an elite corner in the Bailey class? I say no. He's in the top 10, but not in the top five.
Verdict: The Patriots will hold their ground, which they should. They've won Super Bowls with a patched-up secondary in the past. It's easy to understand why Samuel wants to cash in on his breakout season. But don't look for the Patriots to give him that Clements-like deal. Would I? Not that money. But I would try and get him signed long term. He's a good player and his speed is needed in the secondary.
Lance Briggs, LB, Bears
The Bears put the franchise tag on Briggs, which he doesn't like. The tag would pay Briggs $7.2 million this season, but like Samuel he doesn't want to play for that number. He wants a long-term deal with more guaranteed money.
The Bears have offered him a long-term deal, but Briggs' agent Drew Rosenhaus rejected the deal.
So Briggs, like Samuel, is threatening to sit out -- perhaps until the 10th game. Will he leave all that money on the table? Doubt it.
Briggs is a good player, not a great one. That's the rub for the Bears. He wants to be paid like a great one, which the Bears won't do.
Verdict: Briggs will miss camp and then report. Rosenhaus is too smart of an agent to let his client miss out on money. Briggs will play this season and then hope the Bears won't franchise him next year. If they do, then he does the same dance next year. Hey, it is $7.2 million if he plays. Who is going to let an earning year waste away without taking home that money?
Cory Redding, DT, Lions
The Lions and Redding have talked about a new deal and both would like to work one out. As the franchise player, Redding didn't take part in the team's offseason work, but he wouldn't have even if he had a new contract because he's in school doing work toward his degree.
Redding had a good 2006 season and would have found plenty of suitors had the Lions not put the franchise tag on him. Unlike Briggs and Samuel, Redding hasn't had nasty dealings with his team. At 26, he has a lot of good football left in him and Lions coach Rod Marinelli knows what a quick, penetrating tackle can mean to a defense. Remember, he coached Warren Sapp.
A few weeks ago, Marinelli publicly stated how much he wants Redding signed.
Verdict: The Lions will get a deal done with Redding before the July 15 deadline. And they should. He's a good player to have around for a long time. If he plays for the franchise number, it will be $6.7 million. Either way, he's on the field when the ball kicks off for real.
Tony Romo, QB, Cowboys
Romo is entering the final year of his contract and will be paid $1.5 million. That's low by starting-quarterback standards. But this is a quarterback with all of 11 starts on his resume.
Romo has publicly stated that he would like to get a deal done before the season. The Cowboys have talked with his agent, but they should tread lightly. Did Romo have a nice season in 2006? Yes. But he tailed off some late in the season, which has to concern the Cowboys.
In Romo's first five starts, he threw 10 touchdown passes and two interceptions. In his last five regular-season starts, he threw six touchdown passes and eight interceptions. His passer rating in his four November starts was 124.7. In his five December starts, it was 77.1
Did teams figure him out? If so, don't the Cowboys have to be a little worried?
Verdict: If the Cowboys were smart they would wait until the middle of the season to give him a new deal. What's the rush? If he gets off to a good start, pay him. If he doesn't, then don't. If I was Jerry Jones, I'd take my time.
Chris Naeole, G, Jaguars
After seeing Vince Manuwai, the guard on the other side, get a new deal, Naeole sat out the team's offseason work in protest because he also wants a new deal.
He isn't getting one.
Naeole had a better season than Manuwai in 2006 and he's been a more consistent player, but he's 33 years old. The Jaguars aren't about to give him a long-term deal. They've pretty much told him so.
They've worked Manuwai at right guard in his absence and put youngster Dennis Norman, a player they're high on, at left guard. They would be fine with that.
Verdict: Naeole will report to training camp. He knows that the team won't give him a new deal. He didn't need the offseason work, so it won't affect the line when he returns. He will play in 2007 -- and play well.
Darwin Walker, DT, Bills
The Bills traded with the Eagles to get him, but as part of that deal they knew Walker wanted a new deal. If he doesn't get one and doesn't report by Aug. 15, he will go back to the Eagles and the Bills will get a sixth-round pick.
The two sides have discussed a deal, but Walker has two years left on a contract that will pay him $1.3 million this season and $1.4 million in 2007.
The Bills offered a one-year deal for the same $1.3 million, which would allow Walker to become an unrestricted free agent in 2008. But Walker's agent turned it down because the salary was the same as the current number.
Walker is a good player, but the Eagles struggled against the run last year and he was a 15-game starter. That has to mean something.
Verdict: The Bills will take the sixth-round pick. They like Walker, but they won't get crazy with the contract. And they shouldn't. Get ready to go back to Philly, Darwin.
Pete Kendall, G, Jets
He isn't happy about his deal at all. Just ask him. He's blasted the team at every chance.
Kendall has three years left on a contract he signed last year. It is a deal that will pay him $1.7 million. By guard standards, considering the money given to some of the top free-agent guards this spring, that is low.
Kendall is a good, solid player who will fight every Sunday. Teams love guys like him.
But he is not a top-10 player at his position. Plus, he turns 34 in July.
Verdict: Kendall is stuck. The Jets won't give him more money, not after he signed that deal last year, and they shouldn't. What's he going to do? Sit out, at his age?
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Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson is the latest in a long line of players barking about the possibility of being a training camp holdout -- and maybe even longer than that.
Johnson told the Kansas City Star he is preparing for a long holdout, so much so that he has even taken to being frugal with his money. Larry wants L.T. money, which is a six-year deal worth $60 million with $21 million guaranteed. Good luck. The Chiefs are willing to give him a new deal, but there is a difference in opinion about the money.
Johnson joins some other top players in their quests for new contracts, including Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel, Detroit Lions defensive tackle Cory Redding, Jacksonville Jaguars guard Chris Naeole, Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Darwin Walker and New York Jets guard Pete Kendall. All want new deals.
There's also talk about Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo getting a new long-term deal. Romo, who has one year remaining on his contract, isn't threatening to sit out, but you can bet he would love a new deal.
It's a good time to look at eight contract squabbles and render a verdict:
Larry Johnson, RB, Chiefs
He is scheduled to make $1.7 million this season, the final year of his five-year rookie deal. That's chump change compared to what many of the other running backs are making, including several, such as Ahman Green and Willis McGahee, who signed new deals this spring.
Johnson is coming off back-to-back seasons with 1,700-plus yards, so he can make a strong case for a new deal. But let's remember a few things. Johnson was on the trading block three years ago and nobody even sniffed making a deal for a third-round pick, which is what the Chiefs were asking.
Not only that, but Johnson has carried it 752 times the past two seasons, including 416 times in 2006. That's a lot of wear and tear, even if he did only carry 140 times his first two seasons in the league. He also benefited from playing behind one of the best offensive lines in 2005 and best inside three in 2006.
Johnson turns 28 in November. That's not old, but by running back standards it is an age of concern.
Verdict: Should Johnson be paid more than $1.7 million per year? You bet. Should he come close to L.T. money? No. The Chiefs should give him a new deal, but he's crazy if he thinks he's L.T. By the way, he might miss camp, but he won't sit out more than that. Not with the chance to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Asante Samuel, CB, Patriots
He is coming off a season in which he had 10 interceptions to tie Champ Bailey for the league lead. Now he wants to be paid for that season.
After watching Nate Clements get an eight-year, $80 million deal -- a deal that includes a lot of funny money in the back end -- Samuel is eyeing that same type of deal. The Patriots put the franchise tag on him, which means if he signs it, which he has not, he would be paid $7.7 million this season.
That's a lot of money for a corner who has earned just over $2 million in his first four seasons -- combined.
But players hate the franchise tag. They don't get the big up-front, guaranteed money a long-term deal would bring. The injury risk is why they want the bonus money. Samuel has threatened to sit out until the 10th game. He could sign the tender and then get an accrued season if he does that. But it will cost him 9/17th of his $7.79 million, or just over $4 million.
Now, who is willing to leave that kind of money on the table? Is it a guy who made half that in his first four seasons?
Samuel is a good player, but an elite corner in the Bailey class? I say no. He's in the top 10, but not in the top five.
Verdict: The Patriots will hold their ground, which they should. They've won Super Bowls with a patched-up secondary in the past. It's easy to understand why Samuel wants to cash in on his breakout season. But don't look for the Patriots to give him that Clements-like deal. Would I? Not that money. But I would try and get him signed long term. He's a good player and his speed is needed in the secondary.
Lance Briggs, LB, Bears
The Bears put the franchise tag on Briggs, which he doesn't like. The tag would pay Briggs $7.2 million this season, but like Samuel he doesn't want to play for that number. He wants a long-term deal with more guaranteed money.
The Bears have offered him a long-term deal, but Briggs' agent Drew Rosenhaus rejected the deal.
So Briggs, like Samuel, is threatening to sit out -- perhaps until the 10th game. Will he leave all that money on the table? Doubt it.
Briggs is a good player, not a great one. That's the rub for the Bears. He wants to be paid like a great one, which the Bears won't do.
Verdict: Briggs will miss camp and then report. Rosenhaus is too smart of an agent to let his client miss out on money. Briggs will play this season and then hope the Bears won't franchise him next year. If they do, then he does the same dance next year. Hey, it is $7.2 million if he plays. Who is going to let an earning year waste away without taking home that money?
Cory Redding, DT, Lions
The Lions and Redding have talked about a new deal and both would like to work one out. As the franchise player, Redding didn't take part in the team's offseason work, but he wouldn't have even if he had a new contract because he's in school doing work toward his degree.
Redding had a good 2006 season and would have found plenty of suitors had the Lions not put the franchise tag on him. Unlike Briggs and Samuel, Redding hasn't had nasty dealings with his team. At 26, he has a lot of good football left in him and Lions coach Rod Marinelli knows what a quick, penetrating tackle can mean to a defense. Remember, he coached Warren Sapp.
A few weeks ago, Marinelli publicly stated how much he wants Redding signed.
Verdict: The Lions will get a deal done with Redding before the July 15 deadline. And they should. He's a good player to have around for a long time. If he plays for the franchise number, it will be $6.7 million. Either way, he's on the field when the ball kicks off for real.
Tony Romo, QB, Cowboys
Romo is entering the final year of his contract and will be paid $1.5 million. That's low by starting-quarterback standards. But this is a quarterback with all of 11 starts on his resume.
Romo has publicly stated that he would like to get a deal done before the season. The Cowboys have talked with his agent, but they should tread lightly. Did Romo have a nice season in 2006? Yes. But he tailed off some late in the season, which has to concern the Cowboys.
In Romo's first five starts, he threw 10 touchdown passes and two interceptions. In his last five regular-season starts, he threw six touchdown passes and eight interceptions. His passer rating in his four November starts was 124.7. In his five December starts, it was 77.1
Did teams figure him out? If so, don't the Cowboys have to be a little worried?
Verdict: If the Cowboys were smart they would wait until the middle of the season to give him a new deal. What's the rush? If he gets off to a good start, pay him. If he doesn't, then don't. If I was Jerry Jones, I'd take my time.
Chris Naeole, G, Jaguars
After seeing Vince Manuwai, the guard on the other side, get a new deal, Naeole sat out the team's offseason work in protest because he also wants a new deal.
He isn't getting one.
Naeole had a better season than Manuwai in 2006 and he's been a more consistent player, but he's 33 years old. The Jaguars aren't about to give him a long-term deal. They've pretty much told him so.
They've worked Manuwai at right guard in his absence and put youngster Dennis Norman, a player they're high on, at left guard. They would be fine with that.
Verdict: Naeole will report to training camp. He knows that the team won't give him a new deal. He didn't need the offseason work, so it won't affect the line when he returns. He will play in 2007 -- and play well.
Darwin Walker, DT, Bills
The Bills traded with the Eagles to get him, but as part of that deal they knew Walker wanted a new deal. If he doesn't get one and doesn't report by Aug. 15, he will go back to the Eagles and the Bills will get a sixth-round pick.
The two sides have discussed a deal, but Walker has two years left on a contract that will pay him $1.3 million this season and $1.4 million in 2007.
The Bills offered a one-year deal for the same $1.3 million, which would allow Walker to become an unrestricted free agent in 2008. But Walker's agent turned it down because the salary was the same as the current number.
Walker is a good player, but the Eagles struggled against the run last year and he was a 15-game starter. That has to mean something.
Verdict: The Bills will take the sixth-round pick. They like Walker, but they won't get crazy with the contract. And they shouldn't. Get ready to go back to Philly, Darwin.
Pete Kendall, G, Jets
He isn't happy about his deal at all. Just ask him. He's blasted the team at every chance.
Kendall has three years left on a contract he signed last year. It is a deal that will pay him $1.7 million. By guard standards, considering the money given to some of the top free-agent guards this spring, that is low.
Kendall is a good, solid player who will fight every Sunday. Teams love guys like him.
But he is not a top-10 player at his position. Plus, he turns 34 in July.
Verdict: Kendall is stuck. The Jets won't give him more money, not after he signed that deal last year, and they shouldn't. What's he going to do? Sit out, at his age?
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