Link: Uncapped Year Causing Leon Delay
It’s no secret that both the Jets and Leon Washington want to come to a quick resolution to this contract dispute. But it could be more than simple bonuses and douchey agents holding it up. Jets Confidential caught up with Mike Tannenbaum to discuss the problem.
“It really has to do a lot with this being the last capped year and what you can guarantee and not guarantee,” said Tannenbaum. “You have to fully guarantee money in the last capped year to have money guaranteed into non-capped years. There’s 30% growth in terms of going from the last capped year to an uncapped year.
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I think that market is what it is; everyone’s dealing with the same set of rules, so no one’s going to outgain the other person. It’s kind of a defined world in and of itself.”
I left a couple of things out just because then there’d be no reason for you to click the link. However, this uncapped year is likely to cause problems for all free agents and potential free agents drafted in Leon’s year. So, let’s get that thing re-upped, folks.
9 Responses to Link: Uncapped Year Causing Leon Delay
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ronnie says:
the 1 play which should convince the FO to give Leon the money is the play on the kickoff where he picked up the ball and had 1 foot out of bounds. I’ve watched football forever and I never knew that rule.
I am sure a lot of NFL players knew the rule but to apply it in game situation where you cant plan it out. Its something you do on the spot. That was amazing. Combine that with his talent and he should get a nice big contract but definitely less than maurice jones drew. -
BigKatFan says:
ronnie, I completely agree. I yelled at my TV when Washington did that because I believed that the official would spot the ball where his foot was out. It was quite a pleasant surprise to learn otherwise. The simple fact that Leon does his homework like that is enough to convince me that he deserves a little extra money. (Not to take anything away from Jones, he is a team player as well)
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IhorNYC says:
nyckage, since when did our flag change form the stars and stripes to the hammer and sickle. Don’t get me wrong, the players need to be compensated fairly but the owner is the one who owns the club and pays the bills – just becasue he isn’t out there banging on blocking sleds doesn’t mean that he and\or his staff aren’t working like hell in the offices making the team and the league run (relatively) smoothly. If I was an owner I would be pretty pissed that 60% of my revenue was forced to go to one expense variable – whether it is performing or not. Yes, owners are making a serious profit in this game – but if they put their money on the line and the dice came up 7 then they deserve the profits. I’m alarmed that this country is in the “share the wealth mode” – if you bust your hump and succeed you deserve your rewards. BTW, I don’t see all those players with 8 figure salaries offering to raise up the minimum wage to $1mm so that the wealth is more equeally distributed amongst the payers!
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miketaliaferro says:
Here’s an idea for both Tanny and for Leon’s (or anyone in this spot’s) agent to use, because both sides agree on Leon’s value to the team as a working concept:
Negotiate two contracts — an A and a B.
Then, when the league agreement is reached, and the landscape is resolved, you have a contract ready to go, tailor-made for both sides to be dealt with fairly under that particular set of guidelines.
Once the ink on the league agreement is dry, you sign A or B, and off we go into the new world order with a fair contract in place.
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SackDance99 says:
Bent,
Do you think that part of what Leon is upset about is that he likely didn’t meet his performance escalators in his contract (by no fault of his own)? He probably left a ton of money on the table because he didn’t get enough carries/receptions. Yet, he’s been the Jets most dynamic offensive player.
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I love guys like IhorNYC, and their approach to owner/worker relationships — it’s consistently smooth and non-eventful.
I would also love to know how far below their town’s average these guys’ paychecks are, when the last time they asked for a raise was, and what they did when they were told, “No.”
And more importantly, what they said when their wives asked “How’d it go?”
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Bent says: Sack – No, I doubt it’s that complicated. I just think he’s with an agent that is telling him how he is supposedly worth so much more money and advising him to play hardball to maximize his own share of the spoils. I’m not convinced either of them have a realistic understanding of the inner workings of the salary cap and what is or isn’t a fair contract or what a team can reasonably be expected to afford without messing up their cap structure. For a contract of that size (a reasonable size for a 4th round back at that time), any escalators would not have been very large.
The fact he hardly got any touches may have (theoretically) reduced his market value if and when any extension is signed (as a 1000 yard back can command more than a 500 yard back), but you can bet Keels is using that in his favor in negotiations, by pointing to Leon’s high average yards per carry, which would obviously be less with an increased workload, due to fatigue, being banged up more and the fact that it would be easier to key on him.
Keels tweeted this a few days ago: “i have really been in a zone with contract research. my goal is to negotiate $100 mil in guaranteed money this league yr. Im at $32 mil now”. Clearly his primary goal is to receive his percentage of that money, not maximizing his clients’ value to their respective franchises.
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Mike, fyi my paycheck is actually in the top end of the wage scale – i’ve asked for raises every couple of years for the past 20+ years – with some yes’s and some no’s – and my conversation with my wife after a “no” was not pleasant but I did explain the situation as to why I didn’t get the raise. I’ve been a worker and am now an owner – you’re right, things are not always smooth. But the point I was trying to make is that people shouldn’t bash owners for wanting to make a profit – they are the ones putting thier capital at risk. And employees should not expect more than they are worth to the company or else the company can go belly up – see what happened to US Air when the unions would not give in to wage concessions (they went bankrupt and everyone got screwed – including my brother!).
Man why can’t these owners and the Players think up an agreement, well we know they can, because no one can think of a world without football, but why can’t they do it a lot sooner. And what’s wrong with the current agreement anyway, the players get like 60% of the revenue, well they should get more because they do all the work and all the owner does is just look up form his press box and yell at the coach after the team loses.