"Just Be Fair": Why I Have No Sympathy For Veteran Holdouts

Osi Umenyiora, keepin' it awkward at Giants training

camp.  (Voodoo doll of Jerry Reese not pictured.)

Now that most free agents have signed their new contracts, attention turns to those players who wish they had new contracts.  This year, Desean Jackson and Chris Johnson are among those holding out because they think they’re underpaid.  But no one is more front and center of the messy contract dispute stage than the Giants' Osi Umenyiora.

(For the record, Osi is technically not a holdout, since he reports to the Giants’ practice facility every day to crack jokes with his teammates on the sidelines while giving Jerry Reese the stank eye whenever the General Manager walks by.  No, it's not awkward at all.)

This comes as no surprise, since Umenyiora griping about his contract has become an annual ritual.  However, it reached new heights in June, when the disgruntled player claimed in a lawsuit affidavit that Reese broke his promise to renegotiate Osi’s contract.  And last week, he compared his personal contract situation to a microcosm of the systematic oppression that players suffer at the hands of owners (while ignoring the fact that the NFL Players Association just signed a CBA upholding that system).  In an email to the Associated Press, he laments the one-way nature of NFL contracts, where the athlete has to play out his term while the owner can cut him at any time.  He shrewdly uses his former teammates, Shawn O'Hara and Rich Seubert, as examples of two veteran leaders who were unceremoniously cut when the injuries of a long football career had seemingly caught up with them.  He implores Giants fans to see both sides of the dispute, and to “Just be fair.”

Asom-Wow

At 6:00pm on Friday evening, I, like the rest of the NFL world, had my eyes glued to Twitter to see where Nnamdi Asomugha would sign.  The All-Pro cornerback was linked to a number of teams all week, and the rumors were running rampant.  And yet, once free agency officially opened, the Eagles came out of nowhere to scoop up the prize of the offseason.  Once the dust settles, it might go down as the best signing in free agency history.

All free agents have a red flag attached to them.  If they didn't, they wouldn't be free agents.  Every year, even the top player available has a “BUT” next to his name.  Last March, Julius Peppers was an elite defensive end, BUT did he take plays off?  The year before that, Albert Haynesworth was dominating offensive lines, BUT was he only motivated by his next contract? In 2008, Asante Samuel had just had an All-Pro season, BUT how much of his success came from Bill Belichick’s system?  The questions aren't always justified, but they're there nonetheless.  BUT...

Desperate Times, Risky Measures - Thoughts on the First Two Days of NFL Free Agency

Boy is it good to have football back.  The lockout wasn't fun for anyone, but it's resulted in a convergence of free agency and training camp that is making for the most exciting week of offseason football in league history.

The biggest news so far (outside of New England, at least), was the inevitable decision by the Cardinals to trade for Kevin Kolb.  To get their supposed quarterback of the future, Arizona gave up Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie and a 2nd round pick.  To cast an objective eye on this big decision, let's compare the statistics of four anonymous career backup quarterbacks who were traded for an expensive package in the past decade:

Player	G	GS	Cmp	Att	Cmp%	Yds	TD	Int	Rate	Y/A
Player A	7	5	96	168	57.10%	1,154	8	6	79.3	6.9
Player B	19	7	194	319	60.80%	2,082	11	14	73.2	6.5
Player C	38	2	84	161	52.20%	1,033	6	6	69.2	6.4
Player D	30	15	349	555	62.90%	3,946	23	13	88.2	7.1

You Lose Some, You Win Some

WE'RE BAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!!

As we enter what will undoubtedly be the craziest offseason period in NFL history, let's take a look at the losers and winners of the NFL lockout.

LOSERS

  

Rookies - The long-overdue installation of a rookie wage scale really hurts top draft picks.  As I tweeted on Saturday, #1 overall pick Cam Newton would have received $13 million per year in the old system.  With the wage scale, he will now get $5.5 million annually.  Even undrafted free agents took a hit, as signing bonuses for those players are now severely limited.
The good news is that once a player earns a roster spot, his minimum salary is significantly higher.  And the money that would normally go to athletes who have yet to play the game will now fund the retirement benefits of those who have left it.  And that's how it should be. 

Rebuilding franchises - You're naive if you think new coaches like Ron Rivera and Pat Shurmur haven't been communicating with their young QBs during the lockout.  But playbook copies and discreet phone conversations can't replace the on-field instruction of lost OTAs.  Teams like the Panthers and Browns will start off a step behind more established franchises. 

Coaches - Back in March, I expected coaches to bear the burden of the labor concessions, and indeed they did.  The new limits on padded practices won't have as big of an impact as some think because the game has progressed past the militaristic boot camps of the last century.  Still, every coach wants as much time on the practice field as possible, pads or not.  The elimination of two-a-days will make it tougher for coaches to hammer their principles and plans home.  I still think it's a disagrace that the men who control the games have no voice at the bargaining table. 

KID League Draft Recap

Each year, eleven of my best friends and I participate in a keeper league fantasy football league, dubbed the "Keeper? I Don't Even Like Her!" League (KID League, for short).  This post, recapping the live draft we at a bachelor party in the Poconos last Saturday, is for them.

BEST PICKS

1. Stevie Johnson, Round 3 (Colin) - Johnson broke out in his 3rd year with 1,073 yards and 10 TDs and is returning with the same QB and coaches.  And yet people passed on him for Mario Manningham and Michael Crabtree.  Believe it or not, receiving yards in Buffalo count just as much as they do in New York.

2. Sidney Rice, Round 4 (Superior) - Rice caught 1,312 yards two years ago.  He carries an injury risk, but so do Percy Harvin and Austin Collie, two receivers taken a round before him.
3. Anthony Armstrong, Round 10 (Colin) - Armstrong's receiving yards per game in his first NFL season: 58.  Tampa Bay's Mike Williams: 60.  I'd rather have Armstrong in the 10th round than Williams in the 1st.

4. Beanie Wells, Round 7 (Dave) - I drafted Ryan Williams two rounds earlier, but there's still a good chance that Wells finally rewards the Cardinals big investment in him.
5. Roy Helu, Round 8 (Stratis) - The Redskins backfield, and offense in general, is a mess, but I bet Helu gets enough trips on Mike Shanahan's RB carousel to become a decent flex player.

WORST PICKS 

I did not have a gripe with many of the early round picks, but there were some real questionable decisions in the mid to late rounds.

1. New England DEF, Round 7 (Hunt) - Even if I did support taking a top defense early, the Patriots are not a top defense.  They were 8th in the NFL in points allowed last year and 25th in yards allowed.  If you're going to reach for a defense, at least pick a decent one.

Reaction to The First Round

What a crazy night.  My thoughts on the first round of the 76th annual NFL draft:

1) Atlanta's Shortsightedness  Last night, I declared that I would take a shot if the Falcons moved up 20 picks to take a receiver.  That was a bad move for me; it was a worse move for Atlanta.  The Falcons have a better roster than most teams, but they're not without holes.  Thomas Dimitroff went all-in on a prospect that he thinks is the final piece to a championship puzzle, and mortgaged his future in the process.  When has that move ever worked in the NFL?

2) Cleveland's Future Dynasty?  Last night might have been the birth of a new era in Cleveland.  In 1989, the Cowboys traded Herschel Walker to the Vikings for a boatload of draft picks, which they turned into a dynasty.  In 1995, the Browns traded their top pick to the 49ers for two first-round picks, a third, and a fourth.  The Niners took J.J. Stokes, and the next year the Browns (now Ravens) got Ray Lewis and an eventual Super Bowl.  Even the 2008 Jared Allen trade looks bad now, as the Vikings are desperate for youth and the Chiefs are on the rise.  The bottom line is, in a mega-deal like this, I'd rather be on the side getting the picks.

3) Patriots Trade Down...Again  For what seems like the 9th straight draft, Bill Belichick had two first round picks, picked an unexciting player with one, dealt the other one away, and now has two first round picks next year.  And if you're a Patriots fan, you can't be happier.  Belichick's biggest strength is his knowledge of his weaknesses.  Scouting is necessary, but he can't truly evaluate a player until he gets him onto his practice field and into his system.  Every year, he has a new group of players to groom.  He's quick to discard mistakes, like Chad Jackson, and inevitably finds some contributors, like Aaron Hernandez.  With a large quantity of mid-round picks, his draft is never a bust, and his payroll is never too high.  New England, unlike Atlanta, does not have "a Christmas feel to it tonight."  But the Patriots fans can count on having that feel at the time it's supposed to be there - in December.

My Mockery of a Draft

Given the uncertainty surrounding the league right now, I think we're all looking forward to a football event that doesn't involve judges and PR stunts.  Without further adeiu, my prediction for the 76th annual NFL draft: 

1. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn  I wonder if Newton's stock would have been so high had Michael Vick not had a near-MVP season; I sense he is the player all the analysts think of when they say Newton is "high risk, high reward."  History has not favored running quarterbacks, with Steve Young being the only one to ever win a Super Bowl.  I don't see Newton reversing that trend. 

2. Denver Broncos - Marcell Dareus, DT, Alabama  From Keith Hamilton to Ma'ake Kemoeatu, John Fox's defenses have always had a run-stopping defensive tackle.  Nick Fairley is the better pass-rusher, but Fox will take the safer Dareus to anchor his line for years to come. 

3. Buffalo Bills - Von Miller, LB, Texas A&M  Chan Gailey got plenty of quality time with Miller at the Senior Bowl, where the linebacker took Defensive MVP honors.  The Bills are in a molasses-like transition between the 4-3 and the 3-4, which makes it even more likely that they'll go for a guy like Miller who can play in any system.  He'll be the face for a franchise that's been faceless since Bruce Smith left. 

4. Cincinnati Bengals - A.J. Green, WR, Georgia  I personally think Patrick Peterson should be the pick here, but I have little faith that the Bengals will do the right thing.  Mike Brown thinks he can convince Carson Palmer to stay, Marvin Lewis thinks he can salvage Pacman Jones' career, and Chad Ochocinco thinks he can still be an elite NFL receiver while spending 75 hours per week on Twitter.  

5. Arizona Cardinals - Patrick Petersen, CB, LSU  I think Rod Graves and Ken Whisenhunt will pass on a top rookie quarterback and aim to get a veteran free agent, as they did in 2005.  If you think Donovan McNabb or Marc Bulger can't compare to Kurt Warner, well then you've forgotten how low Warner's stock was when the Cardinals got him.  Petersen and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will form the best young cornerback tandem in the league. 

Joe Perry: The Greatest Running Back in 49er History

In some sad news, Hall of Fame fullback Joe Perry passed away today at the age of 84.  Having played his last game in 1963, Perry's accomplishments are largely lost on our ESPN-highlight generation, but a look back at the history books reveals the footprint of one of the greatest running backs of all-time.  Prior to 1953, only five times had a player surpassed 1,000 rushing yards in a season.  Joe Perry then broke that mark two years in a row.  When he retired, Perry was the was the NFL's career rushing leader.  Although the immortal Jim Brown broke Perry's mark shortly afterwards, no other back was within 3,800 yards of it.  In fact, Brown and Perry remain the only two players to average over 5.0 yards per carry with more than 1,000 career attempts.  And 47 years later, Perry still holds the San Francisco record for most career rushing yards.  The 49ers are known today for the high-powered West Coast passing offense of Bill Walsh, Joe Montana, Steve Young and Jerry Rice.  But nearly five decades ago, they had one of the greatest running backs of all-time, and his name was Joe Perry.  Here are some vintage Perry highlights, courtesy of NFL Films.


(Note: I can't wait for Thursday night's draft, when we'll actually have football news that doesn't revolve around CBA negotiations and lawsuits.  Stay tuned for my mock draft in the next two days.)

Image found here.

Lessons Not Learned

 
Those familiar with Brandon Marshall won't be surprised to learn that he was stabbed by his wife Friday night.  He will be fine, but this is just another incident in a laundry list of off-the-field issues for the immature receiver.  Coincidentally, two weeks ago Sports Illustrated published a must-read feature about the 2007 shooting death of Marshall's Broncos teammate, Darrent Williams.  In recreating the events of that night, author Thomas Lake illustrates how the antagonism and general idiocy of Marshall and his cousin, Blair Clark, provoked a local gangster to fire the fatal shots into Williams' limo.

Some wonder if this latest incident will be the catalyst that convinces Marshall to clean up his act.  I am not among them.  Since Williams' death, Marshall has been arrested for domestic violence, pled guilty to drunk driving, and forced a trade out of Denver with his childish antics.  If the tragic loss of his friend couldn't convince Marshall to abandon his destructive habits, there's no chance that a trip to the hospital will.  Two years ago, Marshall paid tribute to Chris Henry, a spoiled athlete whose reckless ways ultimately caused his premature death.  I doubt Marshall sees the irony in the jersey he wore that day.  It wouldn't be the first lesson he missed.

Image found here.

I'm Not Dead

For the dozens of you whose daily happiness relies on my brilliant keystrokes, rest easy.  Despite not posting an article in two weeks, I'm not dead.  I recently started a new job, which is great for my career and checkbook, but bad for my writing calendar.  I'm quickly adjusting to my new schedule and working on some new content as we speak, so keep checking in as we meander through this very tenuous NFL offseason.  And as always, thanks for reading.

- Pete


Image found here.