WP:Bailey, Redskins Suspend Talks

[scskinsfan]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11254-2003Sep1.html

Bailey, Redskins Suspend Talks

Season to Start With No New Contract

By Mark Maske

Washington Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, September 2, 2003; Page D01

The Washington Redskins and Champ Bailey's representative decided yesterday to suspend negotiations on a contract extension for the Pro Bowl cornerback, a team official said.

Eric Schaffer, the Redskins' contract negotiator and salary cap expert, said that he and agent Jack Reale made the decision in a telephone conversation yesterday. The negotiations will be halted at least until late in the season, Schaffer said.

The Redskins open the season Thursday night against the New York Jets at FedEx Field. Bailey rejected a nine-year, $55 million contract offer delivered last month. Reale never made a formal counterproposal, sources said, and the Redskins appear prepared to use their franchise-player tag to retain Bailey next spring if the two sides remain unable to agree to a long-term deal.

"Jack and I have mutually agreed to table the discussions," Schaffer said. "We hope towards the end of the season to pick up our fast-paced negotiations. We're looking forward to getting something done that works long term for both sides. The Redskins appreciate Jack's personal attention."

Bailey, who is entering the final season of his contract and is eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring, said he didn't think the Redskins were serious about trying to sign him before the regular season. He declined to comment when asked whether he would prefer to remain with the Redskins beyond this season, but said he had no problem with the decision to cut off the negotiations.

"It sounds all right with me," Bailey said. "Obviously I guess it's best for everybody, so I'll just take it like that. . . . It was just at a standstill for the last two weeks. I don't think anything was going to happen any time soon anyway. . . . It's nothing personal. It's all business. That's the way I'm looking at it. I don't think they hate me that much."

The team would have a month or two after its season, depending upon whether it's in the playoffs, to sign Bailey to a contract extension before the free agent market opens or to decide to use the franchise-player label on him.

The Redskins' offer included $14.75 million in bonus money payable in four installments, two of which would have been guaranteed immediately and two of which would have become guaranteed if Bailey still had been on the team's roster in one year. The largest signing bonus ever given to a cornerback is the $14.2 million bonus in the seven-year, $50 million contract extension that Ty Law signed with the New England Patriots in 1999. The Bailey camp apparently was seeking a bonus of about $18 million and a contract with an overall value of more than $7 million per season.

Redskins officials grew increasingly frustrated that Reale did not formally respond to the offer. The Redskins made their proposal on Aug. 17 in a meeting that included Reale, team owner Daniel Snyder and Vinny Cerrato, the club's vice president of football operations. Reale originally was scheduled to respond within five days. The agent quickly made it clear that he and Bailey would reject the offer, saying in an interview that he regarded the Redskins' proposal merely a starting point for the negotiations.

Redskins officials have contemplated making their proposal a take-it-or-leave-it offer, but they attempted to strike a conciliatory tone with Reale yesterday. Bailey, however, expressed his disappointment with the team's approach to negotiations so far.

"You would think they would be disappointed," Bailey said. "You always ask about me being disappointed. You would figure they would want to keep the guys that they went here. It's all in their hands. They run the show. I'm a player. I'm just going to go out here and play games. That's all I can do, and let the rest take care of itself."

Asked whether he thought the club had been serious about signing him before the season, Bailey said: "I don't think so, not really. I really don't know. Maybe they were. But the offer really didn't do much for me. That was pretty obvious. You all saw that."

He previously had said he would suspend negotiations during the season if he thought they would become a distraction to his play. He said yesterday, though, that the early stages of the deliberations were not bothering him.

"I wasn't worried about it," Bailey said. "I mean, like I said, I'm going to let Jack take care of it. He'll do a great job for me, so I'm not worried about it. . . . It wasn't mentioned much. It was kind of like out of sight, out of mind, so it really wasn't bothering me."

He is to have a salary of slightly more than $2 million this season as part of his five-year, $10.25 million contract. Bailey, 25, has been selected to the NFC squad for the past three Pro Bowls.

If the Redskins make him their franchise player, they would have to pay him a salary equal to the average of the five highest-paid cornerbacks in the league. The Redskins would have the right to retain Bailey by matching any contract offer from another club, and the right to receive two first-round draft picks as compensation if he signs elsewhere.

Team officials say they already have constructed a 2004 budget that could accommodate a franchise-player deal for Bailey, which would be far more cumbersome to the club's salary cap than a contract extension. But the Redskins also would have to deal with the other negative side effect of making Bailey their franchise player. The tactic almost always puts a major strain on the relationship between a team and its player, and often produces a training-camp holdout by the player.

"I don't know how I would feel at the time," Bailey said. "Of course, any player that's done it in the past or had that done to him, I don't think it was a great thing for the team. They'll do anything to keep you around and not pay you what you're worth."

© 2003 The Washington Post Company

[Art]

Bailey is eating away at any good will he's likely to get from fans. The bottom line is the team made a contract offer that would have given him the largest signing bonus in league history for his position. Now, I understand how that may not meet all the criteria Bailey has in his head here, but, you can't miss the fact that the team made an offer and Bailey's side never made a counter. What's the team supposed to do exactly? Make repeated offers until Bailey's side responds?

Bailey's agent said he considered the first offer by the Redskins a starting point in the negotiations and then responded by not negotiating for two weeks as if sitting there would magically raise the offer. It's mind boggling. Bailey is taking a very odd course here to blame the team for not trying to sign him before the regular season when HIS own agent didn't ever put any numbers on the table. That's crazy.

[NoCalMike]

What the hell is up with Bailey's attitude? It is his agent that just ignored the offer for two weeks. His tone is too negative considering he has this season still to play for the team. I don't want that attitude carrying over.

[fish]

Yeah, gotta say that I have been bummed by the comments coming from Champ. He's starting to sound more and more like Priest Holmes. I understand that they "gosta get payed" and whatnot but SHEESH! He's made what $10 million already? I haven't heard any other comments from him other than 'they gotta do this' and they gotta do that'. I haven't read a single comment on how he wants to stay here and be a Redskin for life, like Arrington and Jansen have said. But he makes comments like how "they" - the Skins - should be dissapointed.

I truly do wonder how big an effect some of these agents have over players' disposition and attitudes.

I thnk I smell Wormtongue!

I love Champ and all but 2 1st round picks sure could go along way. Of course, we'd have to use one to replace him!

[MikeB]

Franchise him next year, and draft a replacement in the 04 draft. Do him like the Eagles do theirs...

[PCS]

(Shakes head). Just have to be missing something here. Though there haven't been any gee I'd love to be a Redskin for life, there haven't really been any comments that say he's unhappy in Washington either. One could assume, (as was done in a thread earlier today by ASF), that his turning down the offer speaks volumes, but just not sure. Feel like something is missing here. Hence why the situation appears weird. Sigh.

[SPare]

So, let me get this straight.

He's there saying that this is just business, that he's a little put off by the fact that they're not showing him the respect that he thinks he deserves. Jeez, you would think that they offered him a lump of coal.

He's acting like he just got cut over an offer that was the largest ever offered to a player at his position. An offer that's only about 3mil in up front money and about even in total value when you look at what you suppose

Fearless prediction: at sometime in the next 4 years (I expect a Davis like deal to be struck over the summer) Champ Bailey will be introduced as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals.

[Manasseh]

Forget Champ. I say we use the money on a player who wants to be here. A player who leads the team with his play, with his attitude, and with his mouth when needed. Let's sign the real MVP of this defense...LAVAR ARRINGTON!

If I'm not mistaken, signing Lavar could free up a lot of room for us next year anyway. Besides, I trust that Lavar would be a lot more reasonable than Champ seems to want to be in setting the status quo for where we're going to pay our top players.

[fish]

We gotta get SOMETHING for him!

Is there a limit to how many consecutive years you can "franchise" a guy?

[fish]

(Shakes head). Just have to be missing something here. Though there haven't been any gee I'd love to be a Redskin for life, there haven't really been any comments that say he's unhappy in Washington either. One could assume, (as was done in a thread earlier today by ASF), that his turning down the offer speaks volumes, but just not sure. Feel like something is missing here. Hence why the situation appears weird. Sigh.

You might have a good point here. Maybe he's snivelling that we don't let him play receiver as much as he'd like!

[Storm]

Asked whether he thought the club had been serious about signing him before the season, Bailey said: "I don't think so, not really. I really don't know. Maybe they were. But the offer really didn't do much for me. That was pretty obvious. You all saw that."

How can 14 mil plus in signing bonuses as part of a 55 million dollar deal not do much for anyone. I think hes out of touch with reality--at the end of the paragraph he says "You all saw that" like its so obvious hes been wronged.

I'll be happy with two number ones at this point too.

[Manasseh]

Storm, that was the comment that really got me too. How can a starting offer that included the largest signing bonus ever given to someone who played his position be such an insult!

I seem to remember at the end of last season, someone made a post of some Champ comments claiming he didn't want to play in Washington anymore. Anyone else remember that or know where those threads may be?

[CaliforniaSkin]

I'm starting to doubt that Champ will be, or wants to be, a long-term Redskin. I understand that he wants more money and, honestly, I don't have a problem with him wanting it. But I'm not at all sure he's worth the $7 million a year he wants. He wants numbers in the Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher range and, simply put, he does not have nearly the influence on a game as those two.

What I really don't understand is his "dissapointment" in the club's approach to negotiations. The team made an offer. If "the offere didn't do much" for him then why not make a counter-offer? The agent sat around for two weeks and then declared the 'negotiations' on hold. What negotiations? Negotiations are two sided. Just franchise him and be done with it. Yes that means he's likely to move on, so be it.

[thinker]

I'm not sure that this is altogether too fair to Champ. I know, I know I'd love to get just one million etc. Some points in his defense though:

- Skin's offer per year was at least a million less than Law's and 9 years instead of 7 years

- Law's contract was in 1999 - 4 years ago - since which prices have climbed

- Included in the $14 + million bonus was the $2 million Champ is already scheduled to make this year meaning it was really only a $12 + million bonus offer. That's a bit of funny accounting.

- That's still very good money (obviously any of us would take it) but not anywhere in the league with recent premier players bonuses: McNabb, Simeon Rice, Ray Lewis, Randy Moss all about $20 million or more. Now many can argue that Champ doesn't have the impact that those players have, and I would tend to agree. Still in some fashion it's not that impressive of an offer for a player who is 25, one of the top 2-3 corners with 3 straight pro-bowls. It's in line with what some of the top college players got who were drafted this year and haven't proven anything.

And it doesn't matter what we think, it matters what Champ and DS think. Champ seems to believe that this wasn't really that serious of an offer. He can take the same offer at the end of the year and get an extra $2 million. I didn't read that much resentment or bitterness into his comments. It seemed like he basically said "This offer wasn't even in the ball park of what I believe I'm worth. I'm a big boy this is business after all. I know I'll get my money here or somewhere else. AND sure they can franchise me, but history has shown that doesn't end up very well for the team." All of that seems to be pretty factually true and realistic. Champ saying leave it to the end of the season is actually not totally bad for the team - if he gets seriously injured, the Skins save a bundle; if he plays great, that probably means the team will have had a good year. And frankly do we really want Champ yapping to the media all year and building up acrimony? Let him play. Try to make a deal at the end of the year, and if not franchise him.

[Heavy-Jumbo]

What a D!CK!!!

The skins offer to make his sorry a$$ the highest paid at his position EVER............. and they don't even have the good manners to say "thanks but no thanks"....... and then he has the nerve to suggest the club will do anything to underpay him??????!!!!!........... :puke:

I'd start shopping his punk a$$ TODAY if I didn't want those 2 #1's so badly!!! Hell, I'd take a 1 and a 3 and kick his ass on the way out!!

F*ck him!!!

:moon: :moon: :moon: :moon: :moon: :moon: :moon: :moon:

[Jimbo]

The fact that there was NO counter proposal tells me on of two things.

1. Champ is banking on another Pro Bowl year, for which he'll want even more money.

2. He doesn't want to be a Redskin anymore.

Number 2 is really looking like like it has merit. I'm not sure I want a player who looks at it as strictly business.

[Flowtrain]

Originally posted by Art

The bottom line is the team made a contract offer that would have given him the largest signing bonus in league history for his position.

Is that an oversimplification of the bottom line? I was under the impression that almost 50% of that signing bonus came in the form of an option bonus. If Bailey signed the deal and suffered a career-ending or threatening injury in 2003, should Bailey expect Snyder to excercise a $6M option on him in 2004? If Ty Law didn't have to take that risk and put his future in the hands of an arbitrator or physician's interpretation of "phyically unable to perform", neither should Bailey. Also, 9 years is an unusually long contract, and would put Bailey's per year average at 4th in the league at his position. Now admittedly, I don't know how accurate the WT's previous story was, but that's what I saw printed.

Even if those "facts" are off but in the neighborhood, those are just 2 significant dealbreakers that seem more the "bottom line" than the dressed up bonus "total." But I do agree with what your real bottom line appeared to be - Bailey's agent's stonewalling of negotiations did not illustrate a good faith effort to get a deal done. For that, criticism is appropriate.

But let's be honest here. If the Skins true goal was to resign their best defensive player prior to the 2003 season, their fate was more or less sealed with their decision to wait 8+ months before extending an offer in what was certain to be a lengthy and complicated negotiation, complete with standard posturing from both sides. Any subsequent 2 week stonewalling by Champ's agent is inconsequential in the big picture and while not excusable, understandable in light of the lack of urgency with which the Skins first approached Champ. Ultimately, Champ was left feeling alienated with an "I don't think they hate me that much" attitude and a franchise tag appearing to be the most likely scenario. Obviously that would not good for Champ, it would not good for the Skins cap in 2004, and could be problematic for a team with a 3-year plan.

While it's easy to crucify Champ and question selfish comments to the media, where are the questions that are appropriate to be asked of Snyder -- namely, what really was his excuse for waiting so long anyway? Whatever it may be, it's probably equally as unconvincing as his decision to wait so long to deal with BDW - and perhaps both are intertwined. In Snyder's dealings with the RFAs, we saw how effective he can be when he executes a plan with foresight and decisiveness. But while that preparation paid off in handling external players; conversely, indecisiveness and hesitancy in dealing with internal players (BDW, Bailey, maybe we can include Wuerffel too) yielded a different result. Cutting BDW in June, signing or trading for a replacement among a wider available crop, and immediately getting the Champ negotiations under way would've been the approach most likely reach a positive resolution.

But the FO gets 2 small bones here -- one from Bailey in his ill-advised alienation of the fans, and the other from Bailey's agent in stonewalling the Skins for a couple of weeks. I wouldn't let the FO off that easy.

[Art]

No, Flow, it's not an oversimplification at all. The deal included the largest signing bonus ever for any player at the cornerback position. That's a fact. Yes, the bonus was structured in such a way as to allow the team to accelerate the entirity of the second half of the bonus into a one-year hit, allowing only the first half to prorate, but, that doesn't change the fact that the initial offer contained what amounted to the largest bonus in the history of the game at his position.

But, again, none of this matters. What matters is we know what the Skins are reported to have offered. And we know that no matter what Bailey felt about the offer, no deal can be signed when his side isn't making any counters. You see, his side could certainly say they want the $14.75 to all be guaranteed due to a lack of trust with Snyder. That would be fine. Not doing that is the part that is troubling. And, it's Bailey's fault for not asking his agent why he didn't make any counters in two weeks.

[thinker]

Clearly I'm in the minority here. But it's the nature of the business. Teams cut guys or force them to renegotiate their contracts drastically downward every day. If you're a top player - or any player - you have to get paid when you can and as much as you can. BDW doesn't play up to his salary - f*ck him. Redskins like Dalton so they tell him we'll take you but only if you cut your salary this year from $1.6 million to $900 k (44% cut). If Noble can't recover from his injury, will the Skins pay him his full salaries for 2004 and 2005 - I doubt it. Put hamsandwich on the PS he makes about $60 k - on the 53 man roster $225 k this year. Remember Stephen Davis "Mr. I want to be a Redskin for life?" When he didn't fit the offense and his cap number was too high - see ya' How much of the "lifetime $90 million contract" did SD see?

Hey after the 6th zero it doesn't really relate to anything in my life. For us the Skins are our passion, but unless we're compulsive gamblers, our lives are not going to be destroyed because of what happens to this or that player. Both Champ and DS want the same two things to win and to make a lot of money. Each hopes to be able to do both at the same time. DS has brought a degree of this on himself by giving out so many huge contracts and raising all the players' expectations. Hey if any of you work some place and you think you could get a lot more money doing the same job some where else what would you do? Of course I want to resign Champ in a fashion that allows us to keep a good competitive team together. DS SHOULD try to bargain him down. But Champ trying to bargain DS up doesn't make him some freak of nature.

[Jimbo]

I don't have a problem with a guy trying to get as much money as he can but when your comments to the press make you look greedy and too businesslike, you can't help but wonder if this guy has any loyalty to the team or a true love and appreciation of the game.

Maybe he really doesn't want to be here anymore or at least wants the team to "prove" they really want him by giving him a freak contract. THAT is what worries me about this situation.

I haven't once heard him say anything like "This is where I want to be" or "I trust both sides will get things done when the time is

right."

[Flowtrain]

Originally posted by Art

No, Flow, it's not an oversimplification at all. The deal included the largest signing bonus ever for any player at the cornerback position. That's a fact. Yes, the bonus was structured in such a way as to allow the team to accelerate the entirity of the second half of the bonus into a one-year hit, allowing only the first half to prorate, but, that doesn't change the fact that the initial offer contained what amounted to the largest bonus in the history of the game at his position.

But, again, none of this matters. What matters is we know what the Skins are reported to have offered. And we know that no matter what Bailey felt about the offer, no deal can be signed when his side isn't making any counters. You see, his side could certainly say they want the $14.75 to all be guaranteed due to a lack of trust with Snyder. That would be fine. Not doing that is the part that is troubling. And, it's Bailey's fault for not asking his agent why he didn't make any counters in two weeks.

I just think it's a bit unfair to lump an option bonus under the signing bonus category. One is guaranteed under all circumstances and the other is not. It's not just an accounting gimmick - the option bonus isn't a "one-year hit" (that's the roster bonus) - under the CBA, it too gets prorated beginning at the time it's exercised.

"Any amount specified to be paid for the exercise of an option by a Club to extend the term of a Player Contract shall be treated as signing bonus, pro-rated over the remaining term of the contract commencing in the League Year in which it is exercised or the last League Year in which the option may be exercised, whichever comes first."

The option bonus is commonly viewed in conjunction with the signing bonus as a two-tiered signing bonus, but one of its purposes is to protect the team against the risk of injury or other unfortunate incident. Instead, that risk is shifted onto the player. And if we're comparing Bailey's bonus to that of Ty Law, it's fair to ask whether Law assumed that risk too.

But I still agree that Bailey & Co. are not completely blameless for their actions, or more accurately, inaction. However, the 8+ month long wait on the part of the FO before even broaching this complicated negotiation, IMO, represents a greater degree of culpability for the current stalemate.

[Art]

Flow,

Keep reading the CBA guy. But, first, read the friggen article here.

The Redskins' offer included $14.75 million in bonus money payable in four installments, two of which would have been guaranteed immediately and two of which would have become guaranteed if Bailey still had been on the team's roster in one year.

In every report about the offer to Bailey there has been the second-level bonus tied to Bailey being on the roster in a year. These types of bonus structures are done throughout the league. While not guaranteed, there is a clear, wink-wink, nod-nod aspect to these types of deals.

This is the type of thing the Giants do every year when they sign their guys. Signing bonus followed by a roster bonus. They've proven to honor the second tier all the time therefore allowing more of their players to go along with it. When Strahan didn't, his teammates went after him because he had no reason to doubt the team's honesty in this matter.

Jon Jansen turned down a similar structure late last year, and he only had to go a month or two to make it. The rationale behind making the offer structured the way the Redskins offered Bailey here is simple. The first half of the bonus would be prorated over 7 years. The second half of the bonus would be a one-year thing. All of it next season.

That's what the Redskins tried to do with Jansen. That's what the Redskins are trying to do with Bailey. I have NO problem with either player saying no to this. The Redskins haven't done business this way before. The money can't be guaranteed in writing, meaning the team can walk away from the deal before next March.

It's a risk and for a player to do it he has to believe without question in the wink-wink aspect of things. I don't know that we'll see such trust in Washington for some time. What the Redskins are trying to do is immensely clear. Now that you are caught up there, let's again address the facts.

The Redskins haven't had eight months to address any deal with Bailey. Bailey was under contract. The front office had actual business to attend to for players not under contract first. We had to sign players to fill our holes. We had to go through the draft. There was vacation. There was finalizing contracts and then the start of camp.

Then there was, when the moves for this offseason were largely complete, the beginning of extension talks with Bailey started immediately. And an offer was made. Thinker, no matter what you think of the offer, the fact is, the TEAM made an offer. Bailey's agent said it's a starting point. And he made no offer in return.

This is where the problem lies. It's not a long process to make a deal here. If Reale had come back with the rumored numbers Bailey wanted, and the team came up a little or altered how their structure was outlined, things can come together in days. As we see ALL the time. But, in order for it to come together, both sides have to be exchanging offers and tweaking what the other side is trying to do throughout the process. Bailey's guy never started that process.

[BONES]

I know what's happening.GOD has told champ to hold out for 18 million.

[thinker]

According to tonights WT, the Skins would probably prefer to sign Bailey in late December (as they did Jansen) anyway. That way, Bailey assumes most of the risk for an injury this year, but the Skins get to prorate the first part of the bonus into this year's cap. This is really a problem that becomes critical in1 or 2 years, not right now if Champ doesn't let this affect his play.

[Art]

If the Skins can't convince Bailey to allow them the roster bonus portion of a contract, then, yes, it does the team no good to sign Bailey until December. He's a bargain for the team. If he suffers a career ending injury, we can recover without the weight of his contract. If he plays poorly, we can get him for less. If he plays great, we can still franchise him. We have all the leverage here by waiting.

Working with Bailey this early is simply a mechanism to get him to agree to structure the deal in such a way as the future years of the deal will only cost $1 million or so per year against the cap in terms of his bonus dollars. Just means that NEXT year's cap hit would be around $8 million.