@DCGoldPants Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Thanks to bubba Gardener deal not done -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.cincypost.com/2004/06/09/beng06-09-2004.html For what was supposedly a done deal two months ago, the Bengals and free agent defensive tackle Daryl Gardener have been slow to consummate their relationship. The process inched closer to being finalized when the Bengals confirmed on Tuesday that Gardener has visited with the organization. But he has left town without signing on the dotted line. The Bengals had no further comment on the situation and Gardener's agent, Neil Schwartz, did not return repeated phone calls from The Post. The report of Gardener's interest in playing for the Bengals first surfaced in April when it became known that Denver would make him a June 1 cut. The Broncos had signed Gardener -- a first-round pick of Miami from Baylor in 1996 -- as a free agent in 2003 but, first, injuries and then team disciplinary violations quickly put the 6-foot-6, 310-pounder on the outs with Denver head coach Mike Shanahan. He was suspended twice by Shanahan for a total of three games and finished the season on injured reserved for what was termed a "non-football injury." The Broncos waited until last week to release Gardener in order to take advantage of an NFL rule that allows teams to spread the cost of absorbing a signing bonus to its salary cap across two years, instead of taking the full hit at once. Gardener was credited with just 15 tackles in 2003, one season after he made a career-high 71 for the Washington Redskins and was named the 2002 Quarterback Club's Redskin Player of the Year. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis was Washington's defensive coordinator in 2002 and current Cincinnati linebackers coach Ricky Hunley was Gardener's defensive line coach as the Redskins finished fifth in overall defense that season. The Denver Post reported in April that the Bengals and Gardener had agreed to a four-year, $9.3 million deal. The question remains that if those numbers are correct, why hasn't the contract been signed? Speculation has been that the Bengals are leery of possible back troubles Gardener is having and that they want to make sure he is medically sound before signing off on the deal. The Bengals also have to make sure the deal fits adequately into their own salary cap situation. Cincinnati still has all 11 of its draft choices to sign and has $4.64 million in its rookie pool to do so. While a team's salary cap situation can change from day-to-day, the Bengals have about $5.5 million in cap space remaining for this season. The NFL's salary cap for 2004 is $80.6 million. Schwartz did tell the Bengals Web site on Tuesday that he is only talking to Cincinnati at this time, reiterating the point he made in an interview with The Post in April that Gardener wants to be reunited with Lewis and Hunley. "Just because we didn't sign doesn't mean we're mad," Schwartz told the Web site. "It's the opposite. We're very pleased. The Bengals are just doing due diligence and we agree with what they're doing. The lines of communication are open and everything is fine." Gardener was one of the 27 athletes linked by a federal investigator's memorandum in the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) case as having received steroids from the company. He has not been charged in the case or ever tested positive for steroids. TICKET PACKS GONE -- The two-game Pack B ticket plan that included the Sept. 26 contest against Baltimore and the Oct. 25 Monday Night Football game against Denver has been sold out, the Bengals announced Tuesday. There are still tickets available for those games but they may only be purchased as part of a full season ticket package. There are still ticket packs available for the other three combination of games; Pack A is the Sept. 19 Sunday night home opener against Miami and Nov. 7 against Dallas, Pack C includes Nov. 21 against Pittsburgh and Dec. 26 against the New York Giants, and Pack D is the Nov. 28 game against Cleveland and Dec. 19 against Buffalo. I think a few other teams have called his agent and they are listening to offers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSF Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Sign him now!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnacpa Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 I am not sure that it has as much to do with other offers as it may have to do with salary expectations. Gardner had a great year with the skins, sandwiched by two disasters with other teams. He heart and dedication are being questioned and many people (myself included) believe that the only contract worth signing him to is a one-year deal so that he will stay focused on performance, instead of resting on his laurels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntotoro Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 The problem with signing him to a one year contract is it'll be a repeat of 2002 all over again. We get him cheap, he plays like a madman and expects big bucks afterward, someone pays him and he flops. Now... if you can get him cheap for 2-3 years, I'd have no problem. Not likely to happen, though. Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffSchmeff Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 If we could get him, I say do it. I get sick of hearing all of this stuff about people being "Gibbs guys". I think this applies much more to the marginal players than the difference makers. Was Dexter Manley a "Gibbs guy"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselPwr44 Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Originally posted by JeffSchmeff If we could get him, I say do it. I get sick of hearing all of this stuff about people being "Gibbs guys". I think this applies much more to the marginal players than the difference makers. Was Dexter Manley a "Gibbs guy"? Was Dexter Manley plagued by chronic back problems and breaking his bones in Waffle House parking lots? Just say no to Gardener. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrfriedm Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Originally posted by ntotoro The problem with signing him to a one year contract is it'll be a repeat of 2002 all over again. We get him cheap, he plays like a madman and expects big bucks afterward, someone pays him and he flops. Okay, and whats the problem with that if we can get a "madman" of a D-line men cheap, then have next season to find young cheap talent in the draft, and have some other team hurt themselves by giving this guy way to much money, I say GREAT!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essex03 Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Gardener is a basketcase. We dont need to have that problem on our squad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldskool Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Originally posted by DieselPwr44 Was Dexter Manley plagued by chronic back problems and breaking his bones in Waffle House parking lots? Just say no to Gardener. Again if you sign him to an incentive laden deal, none of those “problems” that you have mentioned even matter, now do they? Saying that, as much as I believe that Gardener could fill one of the two biggest holes that we have on the Redskins roster, I doubt seriously that Dannyboy is actively interested in him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsblitz Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 He would fill a need for us, but he's a headcase. Why would you want to screw with the chemistry that this team is building by bringing him back. His negatives far outweigh his positives, in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griff Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 I doubt we will see him in Burgundy & Gold again, as long as Joe is head coach. I do think he could help though, for the right price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKINtil8tin Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 Don't think it will happen but I wouldn't mind if he came back to the Skins. We have Gibbs and other leaders on the team that might keep him in place. Just keep him away from pancakes and waffles houses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wkelch Posted June 10, 2004 Share Posted June 10, 2004 I don't think Dan or Steve kept Gardener productive way back when, I'll bet it was Marvin, and he's in Cinci. Maybe Cinci is looking to sign some other big name and is waiting on Gardener's contract until they know they don't need the extra cap-room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSF Posted June 11, 2004 Share Posted June 11, 2004 Originally posted by ntotoro The problem with signing him to a one year contract is it'll be a repeat of 2002 all over again. We get him cheap, he plays like a madman and expects big bucks afterward, someone pays him and he flops. Are you kidding me?!! A repeat of 2002 would be awesome! All we need him for is 1 year. Who the hell cares if someone overpays him and he flops in '05. You guys dismissing Gardener are crazy. If we could get him and stay under the cap, which I'm guessing isn't likely and thus why we are not after him, we would be fools to at least not take a look at him. I guanantee if Gibbs and Williams think Gardener can perform like he did in '02 the would gladly take him and his so called character issues. It's time to stock up the porno mags on Redskin One! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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