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There are many people who believe that professional athletes are paid way too much money. Well, sorry folks, but that’s just the way it is and the way it always will be. The NFL is the most profitable sport in America. Would you rather have the owners pocketing your money or the players who actually go out there every week and play football? Well, Tom Brady is one of the greatest players to ever play football and he deserves to be paid accordingly.
What is being paid accordingly? Well, look at some of the contracts that many of the NFL’s recent first round draft picks have signed. Sam Bradford, a quarterback, signed a $72 million deal with $50 million guaranteed.
This is the richest contract in NFL history and Bradford has yet to step on the football field. In 2009, Matthew Stafford signed a similar deal worth $72 million and $41 million guaranteed. It isn’t just about the rookies though. Peyton Manning, a player who has essentially been Brady’s equal, made almost 200% of what Brady made last year ($20 million compared to Brady’s $11 million).
To put those two rookie contracts as well as Manning’s into perspective, Tom Brady, a man who has won three Super Bowls and two Super Bowl MVP awards, has made an average of approximately $10 million a year since 2005. Granted, he and his agent signed the deal and it was highway robbery on the part of the Patriots but Brady has earned “the big deal”.
Brady is the greatest player in New England Patriots history and has always put the team above himself. He has never complained about his contract situation, despite other stars around the league doing so. He has never left his teammates out to dry when things went bad. He’s never missed training camp. In 2008, he suffered a serious ACL injury and was back the next year as good as ever.
It goes without mentioning that he holds the single season record for passing touchdowns with 50 in 2007. Oh, and did I mention that he has won three Super Bowls and two Super Bowl MVP awards?
The guy is a winner and a class act.
The Patriots have let players go for years because they’re “replaceable assets”. Is Tom Brady one of those players? No. He’s been the franchise for the past ten years and the Pats wouldn’t be where they are without him.
They should make Tom Brady the NFL’s richest player because of all the sacrifices he’s made over the years. It wouldn’t even be overpayment because they would be paying him back all the money that he has honestly earned and never received for the previous ten years. They call him Tom Terrific for a reason, Mr. Kraft.
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Twenty-eight-year old Logan Mankins, the left guard for the New England Patriots, is asking to be traded. The reason for his request is simple; he doesn’t feel the Patriots front office has kept their word to him.
Apparently, last offseason Patriots brass asked him to play out the 2009 season, the final year of his rookie deal, instead of honoring Mankin’s request to negotiating an extension.
Mankins felt that he outplayed the value on his contract and, like any NFL player would, he wanted to be compensated for doing so. Now Mankins is an UFA, and refusing to sign the Patriots’ tender.
Here is what he said in an ESPN phone interview:
“After the 2008 season, me and my agent approached the Patriots about an extension and I was told that Mr. Kraft did not want to do an extension because of the [uncertain collective bargaining agreement],” Mankins said.
“I was asked to play ’09 out, and that they would address the contract during the uncapped year. I’m a team player, I took them at their word, and I felt I played out an undervalued contract.”
When asked if he would eventually sign his one-year $3.36M tender, he replied simply:
“There is no way that I’m signing that thing.
“At this point, I’m pretty frustrated, from everything that’s happened and the way negotiations have gone. I want to be traded. I don’t need to be here any more.”
This type of situation is very common in the NFL. Darrelle Revis, arguably the top corner back in the NFL, feels he’s definitely exceeded his rookie deal, and he wants a new high-priced extension from the Jets. The Jets have agreed to oblige him, and they are currently working on getting a fair contract extension done.
Likewise, Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson feels the same way. According to Johnson, he deserves to be paid as the top running back in the league, because in all reality he just might be that. The Titans haven’t been real public with their stance on Johnson’s contract situation and whether or not he’ll get a new deal, but it sure seems likely he will.
My point is that Mankins is arguably one of the best left guards in the NFL today. He had every right to sit out last year’s offseason team activities, just like both Revis and Johnson are doing now. But he didn’t at the Patriots request.
Instead, he played for an amount that was far less than he was valued at, and now he’s still not getting the proper contract he deserves from New England.
I don’t want to go as far as to say the Patriots aren’t the “classy organization” they pretend to be…Well, actually, yeah I do. It’s no secret that the Pats will squeeze all they can out of a player and then dump him a second later over money.
They have a reputation of not paying their proven veterans what they are worth. The biggest shock this offseason for me was that they actually gave Vince Wilfork big money!
Look at all the players who bled for that Patriots team only to be sent packing, typically because of contract issues and dollar signs.
Mike Vrabel, Richard Seymour, Asante Samuel, Deion Branch, Ty Law, and David Givens. And that’s just to name a few; there are so many more players that could be put on this list.
Bottom line, the Patriots have made a lot of former players upset, been caught cheating (the whole “spy-gate” scandal”), and in my opinion their reputation takes a hit for both.
Here is what Mankins said particularly about the Patriots front office:
“That’s the big thing right now, is this is about principle with me and keeping your word and how you treat people. This is what I thought the foundation of the Patriots was built on. Apparently, I was wrong. Growing up, I was taught a man’s word is his bond. Obviously this isn’t the case with the Patriots.”
If the Patriots refuse to give Mankins the deal everyone knows he’s worth, then Makins has every right to ask for a trade. It’s no secret that he wants Jahri Evans money (seven-year, $56.7M), and if the Pats weren’t willing to shell out for any of the players previously listed, why would they now?
According to ESPN , Mankins’s agent said that New England’s best offer was 20 percent less than Evans’s deal. That’s a slap in the face because Mankins is a two-time Pro Bowler and Evans has only been to the Pro Bowl once.
The Patriots apparently don’t realize that they haven’t won a Super Bowl in six years. They keep acting like it is such a privilege to play for them, and put off an “you should be so lucky!” mentality. Who are they kidding?
What Mankins needs is a team to step up and make the Patriots an offer. A legitimate offer to pry their prized guard away from them. Of course that team will have to pay big, BIG money, but he’s worth it.
So which team may be poised to try and strike a deal with the Pats for Mankins? How about the trade-heavy new GM of the Detroit Lions, Martin Mayhew?
Mayhew has been one of the most active GMs since he was official given that title last offseason. He’s completed a ton of trades, including a deal that got them offensive guard Rob Sims from Seattle.
Sims is operating on a one-year deal just like Mankins. So maybe the Lions should offer to swap Sims and a future draft pick for Mankins.
New England is hoarding away draft picks, and Sims would fill the hole left by Mankins’s departure. Could a deal really be reached?
I’ll be the first to admit it’s very unlikely. But I don’t think it’s impossible.
Probably the biggest reason this deal would never happen is because the Lions don’t really want to hand out any more big contracts this offseason, especially a deal that would average around $7-8 million a year, which is likely what Mankins is wanting.
With no salary cap this offseason, the issue isn’t paying money right now but rather in years to come when a new salary cap is put in place.
However, an interesting thing to note is that linebacker Julian Peterson is in the final year of his contract. He’s scheduled to make $7.5M this season. That means close to $8M will fall off the cap next year.
Again, this year isn’t the concern. the Lions could hypothetically trade for Mankins, give him a monster contract, and next year when the salary cap is present; they would basically swap Peterson’s salary for Mankins.
It’s an interesting scenario, isn’t it? Whether the Lions will ever consider it, I have no idea. Protecting Matthew Stafford is a big concern for Detroit, and I know if I had the choice between Mankins and Sims to help protect my quarterbacks blind side…I’m taking Mankins all the way.
Ryan Steck is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist with Bleacher Report. He is also the host and producer of the weekly radio show, “Detroit Lions Talk with Ryan Steck .” Along with writing for several websites, Ryan is the featured NFL Analyst in the segment “Man vs. Math” in which he goes head-to-head choosing NFL games against Harvard Statistical Analyst Dr. Adam Ramey Follow Ryan On Twitter!
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If you haven’t heard already, the New England Patriots and Logan Mankins are at an impasse.
Mankins has demanded a trade after being offered a deal that would average $7 million per season, putting him in the top five paid players at his position. Yet he feels as though that isn’t enough. He feels as if the Patriots were being dishonest to him.
According to Mankins, he approached the Patriots with his agent after the 2008 season ended hoping for a contract extension.
“I was told that Mr. Kraft did not want to do an extension because of the uncertain CBA, I was asked to play ’09 out, and that they would address the contract during the uncapped year. I’m a team player, I took them at their word, and I felt I played out an undervalued contract.”
“Right now, this is about principle with me and keeping your word and how you treat people. This is what I thought the foundation of the Patriots was built on. Apparently, I was wrong. Growing up, I was taught a man’s word is his bond. Obviously this isn’t the case with the Patriots.”
Apparently Logan Mankins was wrong. The Patriots did not lie when they said they would address the contract during the uncapped year; in fact they were willing to give him more than enough. It’s not Robert Kraft’s fault the Saints overpaid Jahri Evans. They offered him a top five deal, so it seems Logan Mankins is the one who has lost “the Patriot way”.
So let’s get this on with. Should we just send him to the AFC West like the rest of our castoffs? What should we get in return for our Pro-Bowler? I’ve got some viable options the Patriots should take a serious look at.
The Big Option
The San Diego Chargers have a disgruntled Pro-Bowler themselves; he goes by the name Vincent Jackson. Jackson, who stands 6’5″ and weights 230 pounds, has also decided not to sign his RFA tender and says he is ready to sit out until week 10. The Chargers responded the same way the Patriots did—they chopped Vincent Jackson’s tender down to just 110% his previous year’s salary.
That price cut put Jackson’s 2010 salary at $583,000. On top of that the Bolts signed free agent Reed in case a fall out between them and Jackson does take place.
Vincent Jackson’s production has increased since he entered the league in 2005. His last two seasons have broken the 1,000 yard mark (2009: 68 receptions for 1,167 yards and nine touchdowns; 2008: 59 receptions for 1,098 yards and seven touchdowns) and has averaged over 17 yards per catch in both seasons.
In the playoff game against the Jets this year where he lined up against Darrelle Revis, Jackson fired off with seven receptions and 111 yards!
Could you imagine our offense with Jackson lined up opposite Moss, with Welker in the Slot and Holt coming in to fill in for the tired, and Gronkowski or Hernandez lined up at TE?
I can.
The Small Option
Elvis Dumervil is a big man trapped in a small man’s body. That hasn’t stopped him from putting out raw production for the Denver Broncos. With one of the big question marks for New England being a rusher from the OLB position, Dumervil could be the medicine this young defense needs.
Even though he stands at just 5’11″ and weighs 248 pounds and had switched from playing DE to OLB in a 3-4 defense last year, he led the league with 17 sacks and also had four forced fumbles, 42 tackles, and three passes defended.
The other three years Dumervil spent in the league he has accumulated 26 sacks, six forced fumbles, five passes defended, and 80 tackles.
This man is all about production each and every year. Unlike Vincent Jackson, Elvis Dumervil signed his RFA tender and participated in OTA’s during his protest. His attitude is obviously team first, and in a young defensive locker room in need of leaders, he would be welcomed with open arms.
Heck we even already have a good nickname for him: How about “The Flying Elvis?”
Both the Chargers and the Broncos need answers for the guard position on their lines, and both the Chargers and Broncos, I’m sure, wouldn’t mind having Mankins around to protect their prized quarterbacks.
The First Option
The most obvious option would to be a trade for a first rounder in next years’ draft—maybe even a first and third rounder.
The Patriots currently hold two first rounders and two second rounders, and the addition of another first rounder could springboard their dynasty into the next decade—especially if they could land a trade with a bottom-feeder team and land a top five pick next year.
Thanks for reading my article! Comment and tell me what you think, other trade options? Like? Din’t Like? Every response is appreciated!
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- Todd Archer thinks Adam Vinatieri might be a good fit in Dallas if he leaves the Colts.
We agree, but only if Buehler shows he is not ready to handle all kicking duties. The extra roster spot freed up by retaining just one kicker may seem minuscule, but it can really make a dramatic difference.
Players such as Marcus Dixon, Curtis Johnson, and Patrick Watkins will become huge Buehler fans this summer.
Still, kicker is such an important position that the Cowboys must make sure they are comfortable with whoever is kicking field goals.
Interestingly, the Patriots called Dallas. Pats’ owner Bob Kraft opened with, “Hi Jerry, are you in the dealing business?”
Also significant is the fact that Coach Belichick appeared to be on the phone with the Ravens while Mr. Kraft was finalizing the deal with Jerry. Said Belichick, “Hey Ozzie (Baltimore’s GM), Dallas is coming up here in front of us, unless you want to take it.” This was followed by a prompt “okay” and Belichick hanging up the phone.
The draft is a cut-throat business, and the Patriots do it about as well as anyone. Luckily for Dallas, the Ravens weren’t willing to make the move for Dez Bryant.
- Calvin Watkins of ESPN Dallas has spotted what will be a very intriguing camp battle: rookie Sean Lee vs. Jason Williams for the nickel linebacker job .
You probably know we are very high on Williams . From a physical standpoint he is basically a rookie, but he does have a year of mental reps under his belt. Williams is also immensely athletic—by far the defense’s fastest non-secondary player. Lee also has underrated athleticism; however, so this will be an exciting battle to watch.
Cowboys’ undrafted rookie safety Barry Church, Pre-Draft
- Newly acquired OT Alex Barron expects to compete for a starting job in camp.
Overall, this was a great trade for Dallas . Barron has disappointed thus far in his career, but so did Marc Colombo and Leonard Davis before joining the ‘Boys. Barron has the right mindset to turn his career around. We expect him to be the primary backup to Doug Free at left tackle, with Free moving to right tackle in the event of an injury to Colombo.
The Cowboys also rid themselves of Bobby Carpenter—the player we determined to be (by far) the worst player on the entire defense last season. We gave him a “D+” overall grade .
- Average numbers for the top rookie WR over the last 10 seasons: 69 catches, 943 yards, 5.8 touchdowns
We actually don’t think Dez Bryant will receive enough targets to be in the 65-70 catch range. Expect Roy Williams to open the season as the starter and for Bryant to attain somewhere in the vicinity of 45 catches for 650 yards and four touchdowns.
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New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft went on WEEI sports radio today and didn’t give many answers regarding the Patriots offseason. The big question in New England remains: “What’s the plan?”
After being blown out by the Ravens in the first round of the 2009 playoffs, the Patriots had obvious issues going into the offseason. So far, it appears not many of those issues have been addressed. Re-signing Vince Wilfork and Tully Banta-Cain is a start. However, watching Julius Peppers, Anquan Boldin, and Antonio Cromartie sign to other teams leaves many wondering how the Patriots plan to improve for next year.
Kraft reassured the public on WEEI radio that, “(The Patriots) are never going to sell our soul for one season and say ‘this is the year’.” He also mentioned the New England Patriots have won more games than any other team since the Krafts’ bought them 16 years ago, which is a great statistic, however, it does not solve the current problems on the depth chart.
ESPN football analyst Tedy Bruschi has called out his former team more than once, saying he believes the Patriots need to take advantage of free agency and sign some veteran talent. The AFC East is no longer a cake walk for New England; the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins have improved themselves with valuable offseason additions, and the Patriots seem uninterested in making any move outside of re-signing their current players.
Brian Westbrook is still available, and pending he doesn’t retire, the 30-year-old running back could greatly improve the passing game out of the backfield, and provide veteran leadership in the locker room.
This aspect of the Patriots offense is currently being covered by the 33-year-old Kevin Faulk, arguably our best receiving back. “Fragile” Fred Taylor remains a question mark, and Laurence Maroney’s game remains inconsistent.
Re-signing Leigh Bodden is a good first step in repairing the New England secondary. The unit has talent and needs to look for additional help from the draft. A returning Tully Banta-Cain and his pass rush will help the secondary. However, New England needs to do a better job of getting to the quarterback in 2010.
David Patten is a familiar face and has been productive in the Patriot system in the past. Depending on Welker’s recovery, he has a good chance of seeing the field in 2010. Julian Edelman had a solid rookie year and stepped up when Wes Welker went down.
There is still room for improvement, as Welker will be coming off major knee surgery and may not be able to put up the numbers he has in the past. David Patten will be 36 at the start of the season, and Randy Moss isn’t getting any younger. Don’t be surprised if New England looks to find Brady another target before the 2010 season kicks off.
The Patriots have some personnel issues to address before the 2010 season. Many of the big-name free agents have come and gone, and New England appears to be confident in their abundance of 2010 draft picks as a means for improvement.
It’s hard not to trust a team that has performed so well in the past decade.
True to Patriot fashion, Mr. Kraft did not provide listeners with many offseason answers during his WEEI interview, and instead echoed the outlook of the Patriots organization: “We’re concerned with how many football games we win at the end of the year.” With the way they performed in last season’s playoffs, there is only room to improve.
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