Guaranteed money stalls deal
Leinart has missed seven days of camp
Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 8, 2006 12:00 AM
FLAGSTAFF - Like junior high kids at their first dance, the Cardinals and the agent for quarterback Matt Leinart appear to be creeping closer together in negotiations, but there still is significant ground to cover before a deal is reached.
"I think we're getting close," coach Dennis Green said Monday. "Hopefully, that's the case."
One of the people doing the negotiating, Cardinals Vice President Rod Graves, wouldn't go that far. But he sternly denied reports the Cardinals had offered Leinart, the 10th overall pick in April's draft, less than what the 11th pick, Denver quarterback Jay Cutler, or last year's 10th pick, Detroit receiver Mike Williams, received. advertisement
"We haven't been in a position of trying to low-ball anyone," Graves said Monday evening, "whether it's been free agents or draft choices over the last couple of years. Any reports that we're low-balling Matt Leinart are simply not true."
Graves pointed to the contracts of cornerback Antrel Rolle and receiver Larry Fitzgerald as proof. Fitzgerald, the third pick in 2004, and Rolle, the eighth pick last year, received deals equal to the market at the time.
"We were more than fair with Larry Fitzgerald," Graves said. "We were more than fair with Antrel Rolle, and we've been more than fair in this process with Matt Leinart. And if we can get the third and the eighth picks in, I believe we know what we're doing to get the 10th pick in."
Leinart's agent, Tom Condon, declined to respond to Graves' comments, saying only "we continue to have discussions and still have some significant issues we have to solve."
In the NFL, guaranteed money is the key to any contract. Salaries usually aren't guaranteed, so the most important thing for a player is to get as much money up front as possible.
That's why there is so much focus on how much guaranteed money the Cardinals have offered Leinart. Yahoo! Sports reported over the weekend the Cardinals had offered Leinart a contract that included $9 million in guaranteed money and another $2 million that was guaranteed only for injury.
That would be less guaranteed money than Cutler received. His six-year contract includes $11 million in guaranteed money. The Cardinals' offer, if accurate, also would be less than Williams, who received $10 million in guaranteed money last year.
Ernie Sims, the ninth overall pick, signed a five-year deal that included $12 million in guaranteed money. A person close to negotiations said the Cardinals have offered significantly less than $12 million in guaranteed money.
Graves declined to talk about the team's offer in detail, but said it is "beyond our draft position.
"You can make the measurements after the deal is done, whenever it gets done."
Graves admitted negotiations have taken longer than he expected, but the two sides have talked several times in the past few days and it's believed five- and six-year deals are still on the table.
There is motivation on both sides to get a deal done.
Leinart has missed seven days of training camp practice. He's a bright guy and faithfully attended the team's off-season workouts, but Leinart needs to play in preseason games if he's going to challenge John Navarre for the No. 2 job behind Kurt Warner.
The Cardinals have enjoyed unprecedented success this off-season. They signed running back Edgerrin James in free agency, drafted Leinart, who won two national titles at Southern California, and sold every ticket for their games at new Cardinals Stadium.
They can't afford to extinguish the excitement of the off-season with protracted negotiations with Leinart.
For a coach, Green is uncommonly patient in such matters. On Monday, he went out of his way to defend the team's offer.
"We know how to do contracts," he said. "I think (owner) Bill Bidwill has been very generous with his contracts."
But in contract negotiations, the definition of generosity depends on whether you're signing the check or cashing it.
Source: azcentral.com
When do yall think he'll get signed already? If im correct, he's the only first rounder yet to be signed.
Leinart has missed seven days of camp
Kent Somers
The Arizona Republic
Aug. 8, 2006 12:00 AM
FLAGSTAFF - Like junior high kids at their first dance, the Cardinals and the agent for quarterback Matt Leinart appear to be creeping closer together in negotiations, but there still is significant ground to cover before a deal is reached.
"I think we're getting close," coach Dennis Green said Monday. "Hopefully, that's the case."
One of the people doing the negotiating, Cardinals Vice President Rod Graves, wouldn't go that far. But he sternly denied reports the Cardinals had offered Leinart, the 10th overall pick in April's draft, less than what the 11th pick, Denver quarterback Jay Cutler, or last year's 10th pick, Detroit receiver Mike Williams, received. advertisement
"We haven't been in a position of trying to low-ball anyone," Graves said Monday evening, "whether it's been free agents or draft choices over the last couple of years. Any reports that we're low-balling Matt Leinart are simply not true."
Graves pointed to the contracts of cornerback Antrel Rolle and receiver Larry Fitzgerald as proof. Fitzgerald, the third pick in 2004, and Rolle, the eighth pick last year, received deals equal to the market at the time.
"We were more than fair with Larry Fitzgerald," Graves said. "We were more than fair with Antrel Rolle, and we've been more than fair in this process with Matt Leinart. And if we can get the third and the eighth picks in, I believe we know what we're doing to get the 10th pick in."
Leinart's agent, Tom Condon, declined to respond to Graves' comments, saying only "we continue to have discussions and still have some significant issues we have to solve."
In the NFL, guaranteed money is the key to any contract. Salaries usually aren't guaranteed, so the most important thing for a player is to get as much money up front as possible.
That's why there is so much focus on how much guaranteed money the Cardinals have offered Leinart. Yahoo! Sports reported over the weekend the Cardinals had offered Leinart a contract that included $9 million in guaranteed money and another $2 million that was guaranteed only for injury.
That would be less guaranteed money than Cutler received. His six-year contract includes $11 million in guaranteed money. The Cardinals' offer, if accurate, also would be less than Williams, who received $10 million in guaranteed money last year.
Ernie Sims, the ninth overall pick, signed a five-year deal that included $12 million in guaranteed money. A person close to negotiations said the Cardinals have offered significantly less than $12 million in guaranteed money.
Graves declined to talk about the team's offer in detail, but said it is "beyond our draft position.
"You can make the measurements after the deal is done, whenever it gets done."
Graves admitted negotiations have taken longer than he expected, but the two sides have talked several times in the past few days and it's believed five- and six-year deals are still on the table.
There is motivation on both sides to get a deal done.
Leinart has missed seven days of training camp practice. He's a bright guy and faithfully attended the team's off-season workouts, but Leinart needs to play in preseason games if he's going to challenge John Navarre for the No. 2 job behind Kurt Warner.
The Cardinals have enjoyed unprecedented success this off-season. They signed running back Edgerrin James in free agency, drafted Leinart, who won two national titles at Southern California, and sold every ticket for their games at new Cardinals Stadium.
They can't afford to extinguish the excitement of the off-season with protracted negotiations with Leinart.
For a coach, Green is uncommonly patient in such matters. On Monday, he went out of his way to defend the team's offer.
"We know how to do contracts," he said. "I think (owner) Bill Bidwill has been very generous with his contracts."
But in contract negotiations, the definition of generosity depends on whether you're signing the check or cashing it.
Source: azcentral.com
When do yall think he'll get signed already? If im correct, he's the only first rounder yet to be signed.
Arizona Cardinals draft pick Matt Leinart remains the only first-round draft pick without a contract today, as emerging details from the negotiations suggest that it’s not money that is the stumbling block, but the former USC star’s insistence that Pac-10 teams fill the bulk of Arizona’s schedule.
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