Bogus Arrington Rumors Make The Rounds

[Winning Season Please!]

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

Several readers have advised us of rumors that free agent linebacker LaVar Arrington was seen on Sunday at the airport in Philadelphia. This, of course, has prompted speculation that Arrington will be meeting with the Eagles.

A league source tells us that, if Arrington is in Philly, it's not to meet with the local NFL team. We're also told that the Eagles won't be interested in Arrington until his price tag drops significantly.

Moreover, it's unlikely that the Eagles would host such a high-profile guy on Sunday or Monday, since at least several of the team's upper management is in Florida for the ownership meetings, or on their way there.

In hindsight, it appears that Arrington and his agents have committed yet another major blunder in forfeiting $4.4 million in earned but deferred signing bonus money so that Arrington could hit the market during the early stages of free agency, when the big money is flowing.

Three weeks later, Arrington is still trying to make back that $4.4 million, which he would have gotten to keep if he'd merely forced the Redskins to release him before a $6.5 million roster bonus came due in July.

As a result, we've got a feeling that the decision of agents Carl and Kevin Poston to try to represent two elite linebackers who entered the open market at the same time will eventually cause Arrington to cry foul. We're convinced that Arrington regards the recent contract signed by linebacker Julian Peterson with the Seahawks as the floor for his own deal -- not the ceiling. But as more and more time passes, it will be even harder for Arrington to match the money Peterson got paid. Indeed, teams with needs at the linebacker position who address them in the draft will be less inclined to pay to Arrington the kind of money that they might now offer.

Eventually, Arrington might point a finger at his agents and say, "Why didn't you get me the deal with Seattle that Peterson got?" And if the response is that the Postons could have gotten Arrington that deal instead of Peterson but Arrington didn't want it, the Postons had better have clear documentation of that fact if/when the fudge hits the fan.:laugh: