Listen, I think we all agree we want to give Leon a new deal. The kid is a player and has earn and proven he is worth a( GOOD )contract. We all want to see him remain a Jet and help this team get to the big show. ON the other hand, I have to give Tanny some credit, you just cannot throw out cash like there is no tomorrow. Folks sooner or later all these deal will have cap implications and yes, the cap will come in to play, even if next year is uncapped. Leon has not proven up until this point that he could handle 80% of the work load behind the QB. Remember Jones has taken the bulk of the carries these last two years and not Leon. We all remember what happen to Jordan when he left the Jets, he never prove to be all we thought he would be. So while I think 6 million is over the top for this young man, I certainly think he is worth 4.5 over say 6 years with a promise to rework the contract at the end of 4 years if he hits certain performance incentives. While I don't want players looking at the Jets as cheap and out to screw then if they give them the chance. I also don't want l players thinking the Jets are stupid and if you hold out long enough you will get your price. If players will come away from the table thinking the Jets are going to be fair and honest and give me what I am actually worth, it all good
Average Jets fan? What, are most of you guys lawyers. I'd say that's 10x more than the average Jets fan makes.
Right and agreed, but he's complaining out loud again. I can't say I'll ever be in love with that aspect. From anyone.
All teams do work with the same salary cap, but, there is a difference between guaranteed money and signing bonus money. Signing bonuses are usually paid up front, or over 2 years and is guaranteed as well. Guaranteed money is money that could be stretched throughout the life of the contract, and is much more salary cap friendly. The Jags, for example, they have salary cap space, but the organization does not have the money to make big signings. Why do you think David Garrard got a $9 million bonus as a starting QB, but $21 million in guarantees, including the $9 million over the life of the contract? The key and sticking point with Leon is the possible uncapped year next season. Under the CBA, his original contract is a 6 year deal, with a voidable year, which makes it 5, at the teams discretion. But, if there is an uncapped year next year, they would like to ignore the voidable year, still have Leon under contract for a 6th year (as a restricted free agent) at a lot less than what he's asking for. It's good business for the team, but bad for Leon.
Which is why Leon should take the 4.5 million if it's being offered. Otherwise, he may be at the same relatively shitty pay rate for years. The prime of his career too!
well, he may end up risking going this season with his widely speculated 'expanded role,' and show that he is worth that 6+. *Because an extra 1.5/year is worth risking*
Let's say that happens and he gets a 4 year $6 million/year contract. That's $24 million over 4 years plus the 500k he's making this year over 5 years. Alternatively, if he took the $4.5 over the next 4 years he'd make $18 million over that time. The 5th year in that scenario is up in the air, but let's just say for arguments sake he got $6 million for that 5th year as a part of a larger contract. The total value of those contracts is $24 million over 5 years ... only 500k less. Scenario 1: 2009: 500k 2010: 6 million 2011: 6 million 2012: 6 million 2013: 6 million -------------- Total: 24.5 Million Scenario 2: 2009: 4.5 million 2010: 4.5 million 2011: 4.5 million 2012: 4.5 million 2013: 6 million (new contract) --------------- Total: 24 million So is that risk REALLY worth it?
No, that was my point. I was being sarcastic, sorry if it didn't translate well. I agree, he should be signing on the dotted line if he's being offered 4.5 per.
The caveat, here, however is He has a new agent! Alvin Keels wants new, big money as much as Leon. Leon's rookie contract was negotiated by David Butts. Keels does not get paid for that. His 3% will come from a $16-$17 million signing bonus and $6 million a year new deal. The agents job is to maximize financial opportunities for his client, nothing else; essentially, team be damned. If there is a precedence for Leon's demands, ala.. Jones-Drew and Darren Sproles, it's the agents job to exploit and capitalize on the opportunity. That's business. $535,000 is a lot of money for anyone, but we're all not in a business like the NFL, where salaries are extraordinary and require such a specialized skill set that millions of fans are willing to pay to see.
Alvin Keels does not have Leons best interest at heart if he makes him play for 535000 this year when he could be playing for 4500000. I hope Leon sees that.
Leon's agent won't make him play for $535,000, that hurt's his money, too. Leon's going to play hard regardless. I think he'll get his money.
Well it seems apparent that the Jets hold all the cards and there's no way in hell they're paying $6 million a year. So if he's not going to accept what the Jets are offering, which I might add seems like a perfectly fair deal to many, then he will either be playing for the 535000 this season or sitting out and getting fined 17000 a day. It's just a matter of who makes that decision and when at this point. Leon should fire this goon.
He'll play. And he'll play to what the JETS offer, IMO. His bluff of a holdout has already been called, but unfortunately he buys into what his retard agent is saying. I'm really not worried, and frankly, neither should Leon be.
^ I don't doubt that he'll play, and I hope he gets paid. I wish Keels would take the 4.5 because that's a lot more money for Leon and reasonable for the Jets.
it seems to be a no brainer for jets fan. I'd like to think of Keels line of thinking because he has nothing to work with.
Spot on! Tanny and Leon will get this done, but I too am thinking about 3-4 million, biggest issue is if he gets hurt. Jones is "odd-Man-Out". Leon and us shall be fine.
It all goes back to Leon being as important to the Jets as Jones-Drew is to the Jags. That's the figure Leon's agent has to work with. Some of you are thinking in terms of what is fair to you all. There is already a set precedence. In that case, he's basing his argument on the $17 million (bonus) Jones-Drew contract. It's easy to say "Take the $4.5 million"; but the market and precedent is already set, it's all semantics and business now.
