Woody: Money’s Not the Problem
Woody has shot back at the notion that PSL sales are slowing down the Jets and their re-signing of players like Nick, David, D’Brick and Darrelle.
“Last year, they said I was overspending like Dan Snyder or Al Davis,” Johnson told the Daily News this morning. “I was accused of being a profligate spender. Now, you’re saying that I’m not spending enough. We spent enough… We’ve been on the high end of the league spending for the 10 years that I’ve been in the league. I’ve never told Mike (Tannenbaum) that he couldn’t get a player. We have to live within the rules of the NFL and within the cap and with the player rules that were set years ago.”
“Within the rules, we’re going to do what it takes to win a championship,” Johnson added. “We’re committed to doing that. We’re committed to fielding the best team that we can field within those rules… We will live within those rules. But we’re dedicated to fielding a championship team. Nothing has changed in that department.”
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“Revis is a great player,” Johnson added. “He’s under contract with the New York Jets for the next three years. We’re willing to negotiate with Revis, that’s for sure. And we have. We’ve spend a long time negotiating with his agents. Mike has done a good job listening to all the arguments.”
Revis admitted that the Jets recently gave his agents a second offer, but that it was still unacceptable.
“I think we’ve presented some things that Revis has looked it,” Johnson said. “But we’re committed to try to make this relationship work. We have a lot of respect for Revis as a player and as a person. We expect him to be a Jet for a long time to come.”
That Woody makes it clear that the team is going out of their way to do a new deal for Revis is telling. I love Darrelle, but the Jets initial deal with him was generous compared to his slotting .. something that Mike Florio killed the Jets for for over a year. In retrospect, the Jets are getting the better side of this deal. One thing is for sure, if Revis is going to be renegotiating this deal, I don’t think that the Jets will take too kindly if they do and he squawks down the road about unfair compensation. Ryan has made it clear that the way he’ll run his team is that they’ll re-do rookie deals, but veterans have to play for what they sign for … we’ve seen it with Laveranues Coles and Thomas Jones already.
We all know that there’s plenty of time for these deals to get done, but the Jets have a history of having promised deals somehow slide off the table … now granted, the likes of Pete Kendall and Chris Baker weren’t exactly the same class of player of any of “The Big Four” that the team is faced with this year, but remember that Revis has the same agency that Baker and Kendall had … oops.
Johnson also addressed the issue that the slow PSL sales are what is causing the hold up on some contracts.
Johnson dispelled the notion that the slow-moving PSL sales have affected the team’s contract negotiations with the young nucleus. (The team reduced the prices of about 9,000 unsold PSLs — and 18,000 total PSLs — by as much as 50 percent today.)
“There’s no link,” Johnson said. “The PSL funds are dedicated to the construction of the building and don’t really have anything to do with the players at all. They’re dedicated to the building. So if we have more or less PSL cash, it doesn’t enable us or disenable us to sign a player.”
I’m no CPA, but from a strict accounting standpoint, it makes sense that one would have little to do with the other immediately. But I think that it’s fair to say that the Jets having to fund more of the cost by slashing PSL prices has to roll up to the same ledger at some point … even if it’s an overall figure … the Jets are in the red versus the Jets are in the black.
12 Responses to Woody: Money’s Not the Problem
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charleyjet says:
The point Johnson is side-stepping is that the Jets have been justly accused of overspending for free agents (see B. Favre) while neglecting their home grown talent.
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WOJF says:
Charleyjet, correct, they pay too much for outsiders, and offer too little to their own, that is the history.
And yes, the debt payments will inevitably hit the operating side of the equation so to claim there is no impact is disingenous.
That written, I concur with Mr. T on this (unless they leaded the 20M crap), there is no need to get Revis done right now. His has been compensated above market on his initial deal, this happens to be the LOW year (the problem with these contracts), but that does not mean is is “playing for under a million” this year.
If he does not accept the current offer I would throw him a bone and guarantee a portion, or even restructure, of the remaining years.
If Revis is truly so concerned with Mangold he should step out of the way and let them handle Nicks way more important contract at this time.
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Charleyjet-
For some reason everyone seems to forget the fact that they spent wildly for Kerry Rhodes to lock up homegrown talent they thought was good. They got hoodwinked by Bryan Thomas into a new deal and also re-upped Jerricho after one good season. In addition, they re-signed Sione Pouha and very quietly re-signed Mike DeVito. Low cost guys? Sure, but still homegrown contributors.
I know people were upset with the lack of a deal for Leon Washington last year (and he was asking for an outlandish amount of money based on his production), but what other homegrown talent has been forced out of here that should have been retained? Chis Baker stinks and he was actually extended by the team in 2006 and then cried about a new deal in 2008. Nobody remembers that the Jets were pretty generous with Chris back in 2006. Im not even sure if Victor Hobson is even in the NFL. Jay Feely and Thomas Jones were not home talent, and even if they grew into that role they are basically replaceable players.
The fact is the Jets simply did not draft well between 2002 and 2005. There were few homegrown guys to keep.
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Bent says: Brett is a poor example anyway, because they traded for him and inherited the contract he signed with Green Bay. They also released him early and saved $14m to spend on the current team.
The Pats get lauded for letting guys go at the right time. That’s what the Jets are doing and is pretty much the only way to build a championship caliber team within the cap constraints.
They’ll keep working towards a positive outcome.
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subwayfare says:
Man, is it tedious to keep hearing about “promises,” the Jets made and didn’t keep. I’ve yet to see direct, attributable, on the record quotes about what was said to whom.
What we do know as fact is that Revis signed a contract – the legal record version of a promise – to play for six years for a certain amount of money. He’s played three and wants to throw that “promise,” out.
Okay, I get that he’s “outplayed,” his deal, but if written, legal agreements are deemed fluid and non-binding, how could anyone truly criticize the team for vague, unattributable, off the record, assertions?
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Joe in Orlando says:
In case anyone is interested…I know for myself it makes me feel a little better to know other teams are facing the same issues with regards to re-working contracts:
http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/06/10/nfl-teams-walking-holdout-tightrope/
I just don’t understand why these players think they have any leverage. I love Revis, but he’s under contract and therefore in no position to expect to be the highest paid CB. If he was a free agent or had one year left then of course it would be different. But he really needs to understand that tearing up the remaining three years of his current deal counts for something.
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viguy007 says:
So far as I can tell, did the Jets promise to make Revis the highest paid CB or just offer him a better contract. I believe it was the second. He makes 1 Million this year, so I am sure they upped this year’s pay. He makes 5 million next year. I am sure they offered more for next year. The final year is 15 million. They can leave that as it is and offer 16 million for every year after that, making him the highest paid CB in the NFL.
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I think Revis has a lot of leverage. Sure, it would be costly to hold out, but the Jets have spent with the aim of being a this year team. Any problems with their stars constitute major worries.
And as to NFL contracts being promises- the point has been made many times that they are one-sided promises. The only thing a player has is guaranteed money. The long-term contract can be unilaterally ended by the club at any time. This is why NFL contracts differ from all the other sports.
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frustratedjetfan says:
viguy007
I have the same understanding. They promised Revis a new deal after the season (per his claim) and they delivered with an increase from the $1M he is to make under his current contract to $10M they’re offering now. Unless they promised him they would make him sign a new contract, they’ve kept their promise.
Now let’s deal with reality. If the Jets want, offer him more than the rest of the corners (minus the absurd Al Davis contract). You can’t let one lunatic destroy a team’s payroll structure unless you want the same type of results the Raiders have enjoyed over the last decade. Then make whatever is reasonable guaranteed money and if Revis wants to walk away from that so be it. He can be the highest paid corner on a lousy team. Give the money to Mangold, Harris, Brick and trade him to the highest bidder after the season
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Al Davis is the problem in this one.
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brian311 says:
Revis has little leverage. If he mosses a day of mandatory practice he loses guaranteed dollars. That would be incredibly stupid of him
The jets would be in the red if it was their stadium , but they only own half interest in it. With TV money and concessions and future monies being paid for use of the stadium for concerts and such, Woody is not hurting at all. I agree that the Jets have been more than willing to negotiate with Revis. But there comes a time when the Jets need to leave the table and concern themselves with Mangold, Harris and Brick. 3 years at the original contract ,then he can make his demands. What his “agent” doesn’t seem to realize is that the cap can go lower thereby putting Revis in jeopardy of losing more potential income by not taking the deal offered now.
Sometimes you have to realize you can outprice yourself, just ask Woody. He is slashing PSL fees because the fans voted with their wallets on the value of 8 home games and 2 forced preseason exhibitions.
Revis should take the 10 mil per year and express his willingness to be a team player to win a championship.