Detroit Lions a laughing stock on the Verba deal

[ecwiscott]

I found this to be quite hilarious on www.profootballtalk.com....hehe!!

LIONS LAMBASTED FOR PAYING VERBA

League insiders are laughing their asses off in response to reports that the Detroit Lions gave offensive lineman Ross Verba a $2.2 million signing bonus, a $1.8 million base salary for 2006, and a five-year deal worth up to $20 million in total payments.

Said one high-level league insider, "If any of this is true, they should fire every member of that organization."

Verba regarded in most NFL cities as a complete and total turd. Besides, who in the hell were the Lions competing with for his services?

In fairness to the Lions, the deal includes a $2.5 million option bonus payable in 2007, which means that the contract might only be worth, in the end, $4 million over one year. Even then, however, Verba doesn't deserve $4 million for one year of football.

Heck, he doesn't deserve $1 million. Instead, the Lions should have dangled the one-year veteran minimum salary and told Verba to take it, leave it, or get a better deal elsewhere.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

WOW, didn't know it was a 5 year-20 million dollar deal. Man, what were they thinking. Isn't he 30 something :?:

[BallHawk]

WOW, didn't know it was a 5 year-20 million dollar deal. Man, what were they thinking. Isn't he 30 something :?:

33.

[billy_oliver880]

Wow more f-ups from the Lions...how does that front office still all have jobs?

[The Leaper]

Geez...you'd think the Lions were from the same city that has screwed up American automaking for the last 25 years...

Uh...wait a minute...

[GBRulz]

LOL

[BallHawk]

I'm really starting to think that Matt Millen is a Packer fan.

[Chester Marcol]

Geez...you'd think the Lions were from the same city that has screwed up American automaking for the last 25 years...

Uh...wait a minute...

You don't think the Ford's that own the Lions is one in the same with the great Auto maker do you???

I think Ford needs to invent the Disassembly line and install it at Ford Field.

Wait a second. That would be like taking the monkeys out of the zoo. On second thought, keep it all the same.

[mngolf19]

Or maybe the could put Millen in charge at Ford. :lol:

[Partial]

You guys realize he'll probably never see that money just as Woodson, Arrington, Peterson, etc will never see their massively inflated contracts.

[Tarlam!]

You guys realize he'll probably never see that money just as Woodson, Arrington, Peterson, etc will never see their massively inflated contracts.

Woodson will.

[Partial]

I don't know about that Tarlam, he's getting up there and would really have to play great for a long time. I think it's pretty safe contract for them to cut him after 3 years if he is losing it.

edit -
It averages out to 7.5 mil per season over the course of it, and it certainly appears to be front loaded.

Woodson turns 30 in October, so he'd be playing until he is 37. I don't think he'll make it that long.

[Tarlam!]

Ya, Partial, but his big money is paid this year...

[Guiness]

You guys realize he'll probably never see that money just as Woodson, Arrington, Peterson, etc will never see their massively inflated contracts.

Right - but half the joke is that he get $4mil for THIS year!

[BallHawk]

I wonder if when heard the deal, Verba was laughing his ass off?

That or Verba is crazy(Which some people think he is, a.k.a. "Show me the money" incident) and he really thinks he deserves that type of money.

[Partial]

thats true, that is an absolutely outrageous sum of money for a guard of his caliber.

[Harlan Huckleby]

If Verba is very good guard for two years, the deal won't be that obnoxious.

I guess this remark goes into the "duh" category. The point being that Verba is at end of his career and unlikely to be in the "very good" class.

[Fritz]

It's so, so much fun to be a Packer fan living in Lion territory.

Matt Millen may be the GM other teams' fans fantasize about: the one your team sends last year's sixth-round back-up safety to in exchange for the Lions' first round pick next year.

But the way Millen keeps his job is by hiring crappy coaches and then firing them. That way he can say "see, I got the right coach this time; I just need a couple years to let him install his system and then we'll be in the playoffs."

Yes, it's the same Ford family that is making such ugly-ass cars now.

[Bretsky]

I wonder if when heard the deal, Verba was laughing his ass off?

That or Verba is crazy(Which some people think he is, a.k.a. "Show me the money" incident) and he really thinks he deserves that type of money.

Verba has always been a me first money guy; he'd go to any team in the world that would pay him the most. He undoubtedly had his agent pimping him and demmanding that much money and they were going to do it until they found a taker. And it only takes one, the Detroit Lions

[Fritz]

This is the kind of transaction that gives me hope that Rod Marinelli will have as much success as his predecessors.

Here's hoping the Fords give Matt Millen another extension. The last one came BEFORE the start of the season - cuz he'd had such a great draft!

[BooHoo]

I am surprised by the deal. Not in his signing, just with the amount they are paying him for this year. Maybe Verba has something on someone in the organization. :smile: