The albatross that is Ratliff, and his dimwitted enabler

[jterrell]

good grief.

Ratliff played at an All Pro level, was guaranteed a massive amount of money and then got hurt.
Not exactly Roswell worthy stuff.

He was resigned because had manhandled his previous contract and was among the best value sin the NFL at the time. He wasn't going to contently play that out.

The team would have cut him (or forced him to renegotiate) this off-season if they could have afforded to do so but he had guaranteed money so cost less to keep.

As to the attitude stuff Ratliff felt Dallas and Jerry were rushing him back and risking his future health.
That much is clear.
The fact he hasn't played a down since suggests maybe he was right.

Jerry clearly wanted some return on his 18m guaranteed as any sane human would.

Unless you simply refuse to pay good players at a going rate you are going to occasionally have this.

The Pats have this issue with Gronk and Amendola(whom they felt was a cheaper, younger, Welker) as we speak and they are notoriously cheap.

You can't draft entire teams before their contracts run out. You simply end up paying some vets and those are always gambles.

Dallas avoided this with Spencer but it still cost them 10m.

Injuries absolutely suck and this new CBA is vomitous which is why any idiot supporting the owners should be forced to watch Jacksonville play every week.
No depth anywhere and injuries destroy teams.

Answer will be larger rosters that handle injuries better; perhaps in exchange for 2 more regular season games.

 

[Dwight]

OK, then the first month of Garrett's first full season. Fair enough. It was still two years before it needed to be, and Garrett's youth movement had not been fully implemented yet.

It still was a bad contract. Rat was not the same since 2008. This is one of the reasons why people are critical of Jerry.

 

[dfense]

Jay Ratliff is six games into the first season of his five-year contract extension. For no apparent reason, Jerry Jones gave that to him....two years ago when he still had two years left on his previous contract.

The Cowboys could have cut ties this summer with nary a nickle weighing on this this year's cap.

That an $18-million guaranteed bonus that was completely unnecessary. He'll count $6 million against the cap next season IF they cut him after June 1st. If not and he plays, he'll count $7 million.

This is what Jerry got for his money.

After playing a few games last year, Ratliff suffered a sports hernia. This is generally a 4-6 week event, as it was for Terrance Newman. We're now closing in on a full year since Ratliff had his surgery, without seeing him suit out once.

Ratliff does not bother going to Valley Ranch for rehab, conditioning of any sort, team meetings....nothing. He is disconnected from the team pretty much altogether, even though he's officially off the PUP list as of now.

Other than a drunk-driving arrest and a surly appearance at the team kickoff luncheon, we've seen virtually nothing of Ratliff. He doesn't attend the games, he doesn't talk to the media, his coaches, his teammates, or the trainers.

Yet, Jerry keeps enabling Ratliff, telling him it's OK to train on his own and see his own doctors. The two were seen chatting at training camp as Ratliff looked on from the side, but that was the last real contact apparently they've had, other than through his agent.
It's not just disgusting, it's so different from before.

Not that long ago, Ratliff was perhaps the heart of the team. He was the vocal leader of the defense, and one of its top performers. He was a media favorite, even though he was always playfully sharp with his verbal jabs at them. He imitated teammates, played practical jokes, kept everybody light at times, and on edge at times.

For absolutely no apparent reason, Jerry decided to pay an undersized defensive tackle into his 30s with two years still on his contract. This is the dumbest of Jerry's mountain of dumb decisions as the team's "generl manger". It has completely blown up in his face on multiple fronts.

Well, check that. Roy Williams got $45 million from Jerry, and the Lions got a bevy of high draft picks to boot. Perhaps this is second on the list, which seems logically impossible for anyone by Jerry.

Soon, Ratliff will be sent away on IR to count his $18 million for nothing. He'll likely be cut loose on June 1st.

I suspect, or at least I hope, Jerry files a grievance to get a lot of that money back. It seems like Ratliff has been derelict in his obligations to the team to get healthy and communicate with the organization. Then again, with Jerry enabling all along, Ratliff probably has a good case to fight it.

Meanwhile, there's a 3-3 season ongoing that could definitely use a defensive tackle of Ratliff's former ability. And no one seems to know anything about what's going on. Is he healthy? Is he trying to get healthy? Is it a different injury? Does he want to play? Is he bipolar? Is he in trouble with the law? Is it personal? Just what in the name of Tom Landry is wrong with this butthead?

And why does this team seem to always have 4-5 of these contracts suffocating the cap at all times?

I think Ratliff deserves alot more of the blame. You have an owner who goes above and beyond, showing tremendous faith in an aging player by extending him even though he has no obligation to. Only to be taken complete advantage of by an ungrateful self centered "victim". If anything, fault Jerrah for unconditional support of his players. You can't find too many former players who would say much bad about him. But Ratliff repays him like this. What a piece of crap you are Ratliff. Just go away now and we'll speak your name no more.

 

[Deep_South]

To me, the only way this all makes sense is if Ratliff has a legitimate grievance against the Cowboys for being somehow responsible for his injury or injuries.

 

[jterrell]

http://www.bloggingtheboys.com/2011/9/9/2413057/cowboys-sign-ratliff-to-contract-extension

Over the past couple of years the Cowboys have gotten a lot more from nose tackle Jay Ratliff than they initially bargained for when they signed him to a five-year contract extension worth "only" $20.9 million in December 2007. That contract has Ratliff making a base base salary this season of $3.75 million and $4.87 million in 2012. Ratliff, who just turned 30 last week, would have been an unrestricted free agent after the 2012 season.

There is a broad consensus that the three-time Pro Bowler has outperformed his contract, and a little over a week ago Jerry Jones jokingly acknowledged that fact: "Jay Ratliff will tell you, 'You've got a big issue, Jerry, with my salary. I need a little more money.'"

Multiple reports today confirm that Ratliff and the Cowboys agreed to an extension worth $40 million over five years, with $18 million guaranteed and a $10 million signing bonus. What has many people scratching their heads is that those five years look like they'll be tacked on to the two remaining years of his current contract, thereby keeping Ratliff under contract with the Cowboys until the 2017 season, when he'll be approaching 37 years of age.

 

[khiladi]

Got to love how aging players on their last leg after a long term deal ending their career with a particular team is attributed to Garrett's 'youth movement' and not just old people coming to an end...

 

[khiladi]

It still was a bad contract. Rat was not the same since 2008. This is one of the reasons why people are critical of Jerry.

How many aging players did the great Bill Parcells bring in here that were left on the back of Wade Phillips?

 

[jterrell]

Not to nitpick but.....



I can think of FAR worse moves Jerry has made than re-sign a 30 year old Pro Bowl caliber player to a 5 year and 50 million dollar contract. I wish that was the 2nd dumbest decision Jerry has made......

As posted above it was 5 years and 40 mil.
The troublesome part was the guaranteed money into this year.
Stop renegotiating guys every year and guaranteeing them more friggin money.

Jerry handed him10m and he could have simply cut him and ate 3m this year and 3m next if there were no renegotiations to lower the cap since the big contract was signed.

 

[Verdict]

While I feel the original poster's pain, you aren't always going to be right. Jerry missed on this one. I was much more critical of the Barber extension, and the signing of Roy Williams (UT) than the Ratliff signing, but this one hurts too. But Jerry has made some good calls lately, including the drafting of the beard when everyone was bashing him over it. Let's give him credit for the good and the bad.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

As posted above it was 5 years and 40 mil.
The troublesome part was the guaranteed money into this year.
Stop renegotiating guys every year and guaranteeing them more friggin money.

Jerry handed his 10m and he could have simply cut him and 3ate m this year and 3m next if there were no renegotiations to lower the cap since the big contract was signed.

I meant to say 40 million but didn't change it sorry about that......

In regards to the salary cap....until it stops us from re-signing our quality players I don't care what Jerry does with it. Last thing I want to see this team do is have a bunch fo money under the salary cap and give a Mario Williams 100 million dollar contract.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

While I feel the original poster's pain, you aren't always going to be right. Jerry missed on this one. I was much more critical of the Barber extension, and the signing of Roy Williams (UT) than the Ratliff signing, but this one hurts too. But Jerry has made some good calls lately, including the drafting of the beard when everyone was bashing him over it. Let's give him credit for the good and the bad.

Yea you aren't always going to hit. And a 5 year 40 million 18 million guaranteed contract for a player of Ratliff's caliber isn't a terrible move. It didn't work out. You couldn't predict the injury. With Barber and Roy you kind of saw their futures coming. Barber was too physical to last long in this league and Roy simply wasn't what he once was. I wasn't too upset with Barber because for what he did for us he was worth the contract. But I knew a cut was in his near future with his style of play.

While Jerry deserves criticism he's now getting some undeserved criticism for not hitting on 100% of his moves. A bit unfair.

 

[erod]

Not to nitpick but.....



I can think of FAR worse moves Jerry has made than re-sign a 30 year old Pro Bowl caliber player to a 5 year and 50 million dollar contract. I wish that was the 2nd dumbest decision Jerry has made......

Even with two years left on the previous deal and knowing he'd be 30 when the new deal started? What was the need?

 

[erod]

Yea you aren't always going to hit. And a 5 year 40 million 18 million guaranteed contract for a player of Ratliff's caliber isn't a terrible move. It didn't work out. You couldn't predict the injury. With Barber and Roy you kind of saw their futures coming. Barber was too physical to last long in this league and Roy simply wasn't what he once was. I wasn't too upset with Barber because for what he did for us he was worth the contract. But I knew a cut was in his near future with his style of play.

While Jerry deserves criticism he's now getting some undeserved criticism for not hitting on 100% of his moves. A bit unfair.

If Ratliff was coming off a contract healthy and playing well, I'd agree. But he had two years left on his contract, which would have ended last season.

Dallas could have been free and clear this summer.

 

[Dwight]

How many aging players did the great Bill Parcells bring in here that were left on the back of Wade Phillips?

I don't see how you can be upset with Parcells. He left a team that was young and in good cap shape. What happen to Wade was his fault. Playing veterans who didn't produced but were still starting. That's on him.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Even with two years left on the previous deal and knowing he'd be 30 when the new deal started? What was the need?

It was unnecessary. That I agree with. But Jerry was keeping him happy. Too happy if you ask me. I guess in regards to one of Jerry's worst moves? It was a loyalty move to a player who played at a high level and he was severely underpaid. That doesn't mean he should've been re-signed that early however....

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I don't see how you can be upset with Parcells. He left a team that was young and in good cap shape. What happen to Wade was his fault. Playing veterans who didn't produced but were still starting. That's on him.

LOL. We're in our cap situation because of Parcells players lol. Ware, Romo and Witten are our highest paid players lol.

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

If Ratliff was coming off a contract healthy and playing well, I'd agree. But he had two years left on his contract, which would have ended last season.

Dallas could have been free and clear this summer.

You're right. But I don't think anyone could've predicted this in Ratliff's future.

 

[erod]

You're right. But I don't think anyone could've predicted this in Ratliff's future.

There was no need to "predict" anything. Just stay put and let it play out. Like good teams do.

 

[Dwight]

There was no need to "predict" anything. Just stay put and let it play out. Like good teams do.

That's what good GMs do.

 

[Doomsay]

Wrong, he signed the extension September of 2011.

And if Jay does indeed get cut next year, then we will be getting hit with $7 million* in dead cap penalties more than two years after his last sack. That's amazing.

*According to Spags