Grant's Agent Hung Up on Packers Negotiator

[boiga]

Grant's agent: We're talking, but no progress on deal

By Rob Demovsky • rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com • July 31, 2008

The Green Bay Packers are no closer to a deal with running back Ryan Grant than they were last weekend, when his agent Alan Herman disclosed just how far apart the two sides are on financial terms.
Advertisement

However, Herman said Thursday that the Packers have called him a couple of times this week to try to initiate talks.

“I’ve had a few conversations since then – one very unproductive conversation and one that we would talk again,” Herman said. “We’ll see how that goes. Hopefully, there’s a change in their position. If there is, we’ll have an opportunity to make a deal. If there’s not, then we won’t. Things can change, but we’re not anywhere near a deal.”

On Sunday, the eve of training camp, Herman blasted the Packers for the six-year offer they made to Grant. Herman said the team proposed a $1.75 million signing bonus and no other guaranteed money over the length of the deal. Herman was looking for at least twice that in a signing bonus and the possibility for Grant to earn salary escalators that would become guaranteed if he hit certain production marks.

Herman said the Packers called Monday – a day after he went public with his displeasure over how the team was handling his client. That conversation “was about three seconds,” Herman said.

“They wanted to keep the lines of communication open,” Herman said. “I understand the nature of the phone call.”

Grant has missed five practices over the first three days of camp. There was no practice on Thursday, but workouts resume Friday with a pair of practices at 8:45 a.m., and 6:30 p.m. The weekend schedule includes an afternoon practice on Saturday and the annual intrasquad scrimmage at Lambeau Field on Sunday night. It seems likely that Grant will miss all of those activities.

Grant, 25, is an exclusive rights free agent who would not become an unrestricted free agent until he plays three more seasons. He has only one season of accrued NFL service. He spent his rookie season on the New York Giants’ practice squad and his second season on the non-football injury list. He had only one season left on a minimum contract when the Packers acquired him from the Giants last September.

That status – and that Grant rushed for 956 yards in essentially half a season last year – has made for difficult negotiations. http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/PKR01/80731099/1954/PKR03 So, the guy wants to Packers to cave before even trying to negotiate a compromise.... is this guy related to Don Rumsfeld? Grant needs a new agent.

[packers11]

guaranteed money is everything...

1.75 in 6 years... is a JOKE!!!

[PackerBlues]

So, the guy wants to Packers to cave before even trying to negotiate a compromise.... is this guy related to Don Rumsfeld? Grant needs a new agent.

OR The Packers organization needs to admit that Thompson and Murphy (to a lesser extent) have turned the Packers into an embarrassment to their fans.................and just fire both of them.......and their negotiator, just for good measure. :satan:

[boiga]

OR The Packers organization needs to admit that Thompson and Murphy (to a lesser extent) have turned the Packers into an embarrassment to their fans.................and just fire both of them.......and their negotiator, just for good measure. :satan:Why stop there? We could rehire sherman as GM, mooch as the coach, trade Jennings, jones, and Driver to NE for Moss, and offer next years first and second picks to Seattle for Wahle?

That would make Favre happy, which certainly improve the team, right?

[PackerBlues]

OR The Packers organization needs to admit that Thompson and Murphy (to a lesser extent) have turned the Packers into an embarrassment to their fans.................and just fire both of them.......and their negotiator, just for good measure. :satan:Why stop there? We could rehire sherman as GM, mooch as the coach, trade Jennings, jones, and Driver to NE for Moss, and offer next years first and second picks to Seattle for Wahle?

That would make Favre happy, which certainly improve the team, right?

Gee, now your just being silly. I think Wahle is retired. :whist:

[boiga]

Gee, now your just being silly. I think Wahle is retired. :whist: Naah, he's in seattle this year trying to shore up their OL. http://sea.scout.com/2/772973.html

[sheepshead]

This agents an idiot. He and Bus Cook need to leave the building.

[Pacopete4]

I think im more upset that we give money to Poopingyah than this guy... and we were willing to pay off brett and not give grant money... what the hell are we doing these days

[Gunakor]

guaranteed money is everything...

1.75 in 6 years... is a JOKE!!!


He's only produced for half a fucking season. He doesn't deserve a whole lot of guaranteed money. The guy isn't LaDanian Tomlinson or Bryan Westbrook or Steven Jackson just yet. He has to show what he can do for a whole season first.

Besides, the 1.75 million is just the guaranteed part. With incentives, that deal was probably worth a whole hell of a lot of money. Problem is that kind of a deal is dependent on Grant producing, and his agent wants that money regardless if he produces. Fuck him. Grant doesn't have 1000 yards rushing for his career yet and he wants superstar money?? That's bullshit...

[Sparkey]

[quote=packers11]guaranteed money is everything...

1.75 in 6 years... is a JOKE!!!

Samkon Gado......

I remember people saying "show him the money" for a half year as well. Damn'it we didn't do it and traded away a hall of fame runn...... Wait, Gado ended up being a nobody, didn't he ?

F A N S = Fervently Appreciative Never Sane

[The Leaper]

Gado didn't perform anywhere near Grant's level last season. Show me all the 50 yard TD runs that Gado racked up.

[billy_oliver880]

guaranteed money is everything...

1.75 in 6 years... is a JOKE!!!

Do you like anything the packer organization does? Jesus Christ the dude has only performed for half a season.

[Lurker64]

Whether or not the Packer's offer was insulting or a lowball, it's increasingly clear that Grant's agent is a tool. I look forward to this deal being done so I don't have to hear from him anymore.

[boiga]

Whether or not the Packer's offer was insulting or a lowball, it's increasingly clear that Grant's agent is a tool. I look forward to this deal being done so I don't have to hear from him anymore. I agree. If Herman had simply considered it a lowball first offer and asked for 3.5 million dollar signing bonus, the packers would probably have accepted it by now.

Instead he refuses to communicate and starts making comparisons to Hester's money. The reason grant isn't signed right now is that Herman is trying to play hardball even though they have zero leverage due to Grant's rookie status.

[bobblehead]

Samkon Gado:

2005 Green Bay Packers 8 5 143 582 4.1 64T

Ryan Grant:

2007 Green Bay Packers 15 7 188 956 5.1 66T

yea, he is better, but is he long term, big money, big bonus better? He also had the benefit of many more practices and game preps than gado did before he started.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Gado didn't perform anywhere near Grant's level last season. Show me all the 50 yard TD runs that Gado racked up.

Of course, Gado didn't get any offers to have his contract redone. Grant has apparently. Not to his liking. I hope things get resolved. I don't trust much coming from an agent, so it's hard to know what kind of money Grant was offered and what he's looking to get.

BTW, the offer was $1.75/year for 6 years (that would be $10M in 7 years)--according to his agent. I didn't read anything from his agent talking about what type of money might have been offered in incentives. Agents conveniently forget details like that. Javon's agent kept talking about how he was getting just $1M/year, but forgot to add that he got a $7M signing bonus and had only played 3 years up to that point.

I'd be disappointed if something doesn't get resolved shortly, but it's not like it's the first time a player has missed camp due to his contract situation.

[The Leaper]

BTW, the offer was $1.75/year for 6 years (that would be $10M in 7 years)--according to his agent.

Huh?

I saw $1.75M in guaranteed money offered by Green Bay. Maybe he gets additional roster bonuses or something later...but not guaranteed?

[The Leaper]

Whether or not the Packer's offer was insulting or a lowball, it's increasingly clear that Grant's agent is a tool.

I think most agents are tools...they are lawyers, aren't they?

[bobblehead]

Is it unreasonable to ask that he "garauntee" production before we "garauntee" more than 1.75 million?? He can always buy an insurance policy against injury, so the only downside would be if he flat out couldn't cut it.

[HarveyWallbangers]

BTW, the offer was $1.75/year for 6 years (that would be $10M in 7 years)--according to his agent.

Huh?

I saw $1.75M in guaranteed money offered by Green Bay. Maybe he gets additional roster bonuses or something later...but not guaranteed?

Sorry. I misread the original post. So, we don't even really know what the Packers offered. As far as we know, they could have offered $1M for 600 yards rushing/year, $2M for 800 yards rushing/year, $3M for 1000 yards rushing/year. That would be fair, but it's not guaranteed money, so the agent can complain about it. (Didn't he say that Grant would be acceptable to an incentive-based contract? If so, then he's not going to get a ton of guaranteed money.) It's hard to be too upset when we don't even know the details--accept for some whining by the agent. This is a unique situation. Grant has a few years before he can become a FA, so he's not going to get a huge deal.

[DonHutson]

Didn't he say that Grant would be acceptable to an incentive-based contract? If so, then he's not going to get a ton of guaranteed money. It's hard to be too upset when we don't even know the details--accept for some whining by the agent. This is a unique situation. Grant has a few years before he can become a FA, so he's not going to get a huge deal.

I think Grant's agent is smart enough to realize that they are in another unique situation by negotiating a contract while the GM is in the middle of a massive PR battle in the national media to prove he's not an idiot. Perhaps he thinks he can squeeze more money out of the Pack by piling on to that perception.

Harvey is right that the agent seemed to think that they were all set for a quick incentive based deal to be signed. All of a sudden he's insulted? I don't have any inside info, but I wouldn't be surprised if the only thing that changed is the outside scenario which the weasel agent is attempting to exploit.

[Dabaddestbear]

guaranteed money is everything...

1.75 in 6 years... is a JOKE!!!


He's only produced for half a fucking season. He doesn't deserve a whole lot of guaranteed money. The guy isn't LaDanian Tomlinson or Bryan Westbrook or Steven Jackson just yet. He has to show what he can do for a whole season first.

Besides, the 1.75 million is just the guaranteed part. With incentives, that deal was probably worth a whole hell of a lot of money. Problem is that kind of a deal is dependent on Grant producing, and his agent wants that money regardless if he produces. Fuck him. Grant doesn't have 1000 yards rushing for his career yet and he wants superstar money?? That's bullshit...
"the team proposed a $1.75 million signing bonus and no other guaranteed money over the length of the deal. Herman was looking for at least twice that in a signing bonus and the possibility for Grant to earn salary escalators that would become guaranteed if he hit certain production marks. "
That shows right there that they were not guaranteeing anything BUT the signing bonus. Meaning that even if he rushed for 2000 yards he was not guaranteed anything more than that 1.75 mil.

You Packer fans will suffer from having a cheap GM the same way us Bear fans did when the McCaskey's were handling the contract negations. Always keep your core intact if nothing else.

[The Leaper]

I agree on the incentive based stuff...I think the Packers probably were pretty fair on that.

However, I think $1.75M in guaranteed money is a lowball offer to Grant. The guy proved he has All-Pro caliber talent last season. He's clearly better than Poppinga, who got $3M in guaranteed money.

[Gunakor]

I agree on the incentive based stuff...I think the Packers probably were pretty fair on that.

However, I think $1.75M in guaranteed money is a lowball offer to Grant. The guy proved he has All-Pro caliber talent last season. He's clearly better than Poppinga, who got $3M in guaranteed money.


He hasn't proved anything. Gado didn't prove anything. Nobody proves anything as fact in 8 or 9 games. The proof comes this year - IF he gets his shit together and signs and gets into camp. If not, well then congratulations on your NINE GOOD GAMES which would amount to your ENTIRE career. Smart...

[The Leaper]

Nobody proves anything as fact in 8 or 9 games.

I strongly disagree.

Grant's talent is well proven. Sure, there are still questions regarding his stamina over 16 games and what not...but talent is something that can be spotted relatively quickly. Grant is not a certainty in any sense...I agree with that. However, his talent level in terms of size, speed, vision and ability within our system was pretty well proven in half a season.

Adrian Peterson's talent was well known after 9 games last year also. His durability and longevity...not so much.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I agree on the incentive based stuff...I think the Packers probably were pretty fair on that.

However, I think $1.75M in guaranteed money is a lowball offer to Grant. The guy proved he has All-Pro caliber talent last season. He's clearly better than Poppinga, who got $3M in guaranteed money.

Maybe, but the difference is that Poppinga had one year until UFA. Grant has three years until UFA. It's comparing apples and oranges.

I think they should give him a decent offer. Maybe they are. Maybe they aren't. I'm not sure you can look at just the guaranteed money this deal would give him. It's unique and it needs to be incentive-based. Does Grant think he's going to get a bunch guaranteed AND an incentive-based? Not realisitc considering the situation he's in.

The one thing that Thompson has proven is that he'll pay his own guys. I'm guessing it's more likely that the Packers offered something that was a lot more fair than the agent is making it out to be.

[Gunakor]

Nobody proves anything as fact in 8 or 9 games.

I strongly disagree.

Grant's talent is well proven. Sure, there are still questions regarding his stamina over 16 games and what not...but talent is something that can be spotted relatively quickly. Grant is not a certainty in any sense...I agree with that. However, his talent level in terms of size, speed, vision and ability within our system was pretty well proven in half a season.

Adrian Peterson's talent was well known after 9 games last year also. His durability and longevity...not so much.


Then why didn't the Giants spot his talent if it is so easy to recognize? Just as Gado was a fluke, Grant may turn out to be as well. So TT has to be careful when doleing out guaranteed money to him.

[DonHutson]

You Packer fans will suffer from having a cheap GM the same way us Bear fans did when the McCaskey's were handling the contract negations. Always keep your core intact if nothing else.

Whom have the Packers lost that they wanted to keep?

Whom have they extended and kept happy under Ted's watch? Driver, Lee, Wells, Tauscher, Jenkins, Kampman, Barnett, Harris, Poppinga.

Whether he's happy or not will be his problem, but Grant will get extended as well. He doesn't have any other choice, really.

[packers11]

guaranteed money is everything...

1.75 in 6 years... is a JOKE!!!

Do you like anything the packer organization does? Jesus Christ the dude has only performed for half a season.

I love a lot of the moves the organization does. I'm probably the most pro T.T. person before this Favre/Grant fiasco.

He has performed half of the season. But you have to realize that we are 30 million under the cap, and adding a few extra million won't hurt us long term...

[Guiness]

Wow, this is turning into something, and I REALLY don't like how Grant and/or his agent are handling this. With the kind of bad mouthing and stuff Herman has done, I have to think the Packer brass is really getting close to telling him to get stuffed.

Truth is, they don't have to offer him anything more than the tender to retain his rights. I think if I was the Packer's negotiator in this case, I'd take the damn 1.75 off the table, and tell him he signs the minimum tender or rots! IF he comes grovelling back, I'd consider MAYBE giving him the 1.75...

The Packers have shown a willingness (with Kampman, Driver and Harris in the past, with Popinga this year) to give more money to those they consider deserving players, even with multiple years left on their contract.


and the possibility for Grant to earn salary escalators that would become guaranteed if he hit certain production marks. "
That shows right there that they were not guaranteeing anything BUT the signing bonus. Meaning that even if he rushed for 2000 yards he was not guaranteed anything more than that 1.75 mil.

You Packer fans will suffer from having a cheap GM the same way us Bear fans did when the McCaskey's were handling the contract negations. Always keep your core intact if nothing else.

I think you can read too much into the bolded part. Remember, those are the agent's words. I think this is escalators vs incentives?

The Packers have said there were incentives...so I'm guessing that if he rushes for 2K, there'll be incentive money. I can't be sure, but I'm guessing by escalators, his agent was something where the salary of the remaining years goes up when he meets milestones?

as far as a cheap GM, I don't think that's necessarily the case. And TT has done a good job of keeping the core intact. Obviously he's loathe to spend on FA's. However, we've lost little or no players (other than the mess he cleaned up his first year) to FA since he's been here, and none of the players on the team are complaning about their contracts.

[The Leaper]

Then why didn't the Giants spot his talent if it is so easy to recognize?

You have to give him a chance...you know, the same reasoning most use here in relation to Rodgers.

[Gunakor]

guaranteed money is everything...

1.75 in 6 years... is a JOKE!!!

Do you like anything the packer organization does? Jesus Christ the dude has only performed for half a season.

I love a lot of the moves the organization does. I'm probably the most pro T.T. person before this Favre/Grant fiasco.

He has performed half of the season. But you have to realize that we are 30 million under the cap, and adding a few extra million won't hurt us long term...

This is also about future ramifications of giving Grant more than he's earned up to this point. Other players could look at TT giving Grant superstar money for half a season of production and then everybody who has 8 good games is going to ask for the same thing. It's a bad message to send. Pretty soon we aren't 30 million below the cap anymore because we've given big contracts to a bunch of unproven players with a half season of production under thier belts. Grant should be paid like an average starter, with incentives in place to pay him more than an average starter should he prove to be a star.

[Gunakor]

Then why didn't the Giants spot his talent if it is so easy to recognize?

You have to give him a chance...you know, the same reasoning most use here in relation to Rodgers.


Nobody has denied Grant a chance. Grant is denying himself the opportunity to play this season. Just sign an incentive based deal and get into camp. Earn your damned incentives if you want big bucks. You aren't going to earn any incentives if you don't play. How much damned guaranteed money do you think he's worth? He's started nine games ffs...

[packers11]

Grant should be paid like an average starter, with incentives in place to pay him more than an average starter should he prove to be a star.

Thats what I am SAYING!!! PAY HIM with an average salary...

It was only a couple years were people wanted to pay over the hill Ahman 5 1/2 million dollars... I think T.T. offered him 5 mill a year... (Thats a little above average) but you get what i'm trying to say. Grant is only 25... He hardly has any miles on him...

[Tyrone Bigguns]

Nobody proves anything as fact in 8 or 9 games.

I strongly disagree.

Grant's talent is well proven. Sure, there are still questions regarding his stamina over 16 games and what not...but talent is something that can be spotted relatively quickly. Grant is not a certainty in any sense...I agree with that. However, his talent level in terms of size, speed, vision and ability within our system was pretty well proven in half a season.

Adrian Peterson's talent was well known after 9 games last year also. His durability and longevity...not so much.

Huh? well proven?

If he was so talented..why wasn't he drafted?

[billy_oliver880]

guaranteed money is everything...

1.75 in 6 years... is a JOKE!!!

Do you like anything the packer organization does? Jesus Christ the dude has only performed for half a season.

I love a lot of the moves the organization does. I'm probably the most pro T.T. person before this Favre/Grant fiasco.

He has performed half of the season. But you have to realize that we are 30 million under the cap, and adding a few extra million won't hurt us long term...

Grant has created his own fiasco. The Farve saga is a separate issue. The packers have been very fair with contracts minus the extension they gave Pops. Usually they pay out for guys that work hard and perform well. There have been many one season wonders and I think the packers are guarding themselves against swallowing a dud contract if a guy is done part way through a contract.

[MOBB DEEP]

Grant's agent: We're talking, but no progress on deal

By Rob Demovsky • rdemovsk@greenbaypressgazette.com • July 31, 2008

The Green Bay Packers are no closer to a deal with running back Ryan Grant than they were last weekend, when his agent Alan Herman disclosed just how far apart the two sides are on financial terms.
Advertisement

However, Herman said Thursday that the Packers have called him a couple of times this week to try to initiate talks.

“I’ve had a few conversations since then – one very unproductive conversation and one that we would talk again,” Herman said. “We’ll see how that goes. Hopefully, there’s a change in their position. If there is, we’ll have an opportunity to make a deal. If there’s not, then we won’t. Things can change, but we’re not anywhere near a deal.”

On Sunday, the eve of training camp, Herman blasted the Packers for the six-year offer they made to Grant. Herman said the team proposed a $1.75 million signing bonus and no other guaranteed money over the length of the deal. Herman was looking for at least twice that in a signing bonus and the possibility for Grant to earn salary escalators that would become guaranteed if he hit certain production marks.

Herman said the Packers called Monday – a day after he went public with his displeasure over how the team was handling his client. That conversation “was about three seconds,” Herman said.

“They wanted to keep the lines of communication open,” Herman said. “I understand the nature of the phone call.”

Grant has missed five practices over the first three days of camp. There was no practice on Thursday, but workouts resume Friday with a pair of practices at 8:45 a.m., and 6:30 p.m. The weekend schedule includes an afternoon practice on Saturday and the annual intrasquad scrimmage at Lambeau Field on Sunday night. It seems likely that Grant will miss all of those activities.

Grant, 25, is an exclusive rights free agent who would not become an unrestricted free agent until he plays three more seasons. He has only one season of accrued NFL service. He spent his rookie season on the New York Giants’ practice squad and his second season on the non-football injury list. He had only one season left on a minimum contract when the Packers acquired him from the Giants last September.

That status – and that Grant rushed for 956 yards in essentially half a season last year – has made for difficult negotiations. http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080731/PKR01/80731099/1954/PKR03 So, the guy wants to Packers to cave before even trying to negotiate a compromise.... is this guy related to Don Rumsfeld? Grant needs a new agent.


grant needs a new GM

[boiga]

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=foxsports&vid=fdd20c72-eb69-4712-b02e-6a5d05ce5546

Adam Schein has a couple of good points despite being an obnoxious weasel.

-Grant should postpone any long term deal until next year when he could likely get twice the contract from the packers if he keeps performing at the same level.

-The packers should play hardball because Grant doesn't have anywhere else to go.

-If Grant doesn't come back soon, he might find himself out the starting job considering how bullish M3 is on Jackson.

[sheepshead]

Nobody proves anything as fact in 8 or 9 games.

I strongly disagree.

Grant's talent is well proven. Sure, there are still questions regarding his stamina over 16 games and what not...but talent is something that can be spotted relatively quickly. Grant is not a certainty in any sense...I agree with that. However, his talent level in terms of size, speed, vision and ability within our system was pretty well proven in half a season.

Adrian Peterson's talent was well known after 9 games last year also. His durability and longevity...not so much.

Huh? well proven?

If he was so talented..why wasn't he drafted?

Hey, Bigguns, for once I agree with you.

[sheepshead]

Grant has no leverage, they could tweak this a little get some juice on the incentive side. But he should settle this soon and get his ass in camp. Holding out can end careers, especially running backs. Look at the dopes the Bears have had to put up with then washed them out.

[Zool]

I think you take a risk and give the guy more up front and then give him roster bonuses each year.

[cpk1994]

OR The Packers organization needs to admit that Thompson and Murphy (to a lesser extent) have turned the Packers into an embarrassment to their fans.................and just fire both of them.......and their negotiator, just for good measure. :satan:Why stop there? We could rehire sherman as GM, mooch as the coach, trade Jennings, jones, and Driver to NE for Moss, and offer next years first and second picks to Seattle for Wahle?

That would make Favre happy, which certainly improve the team, right?

Gee, now your just being silly. I think Wahle is retired. :whist:No, he is mocking you becuase you are an idiot.

[packers11]

If he was so talented..why wasn't he drafted?

Marques Colston
7th Round of the draft, 252nd overall

.... Did all the scouts miss something???

Aaron Kampan... 5th round... he must suck too...

i agree that he still has something to prove but saying he didn't get drafted = he sucks is total bullshit...

my favorite one of all...

Antonio Gates = Not drafted...

[Tyrone Bigguns]

If he was so talented..why wasn't he drafted?

Marques Colston
7th Round of the draft, 252nd overall

.... Did all the scouts miss something???

Aaron Kampan... 5th round... he must suck too...

i agree that he still has something to prove but saying he didn't get drafted = he sucks is total bullshit...

my favorite one of all...

Antonio Gates = Not drafted...

Umm, thanx for proving my point. Kampman..drafted. Colson...drafted. No, they didn't....THEY GOT DRAFTED. :roll:

BTW, your fav..is kinda stupid...as gates didn't play football in college. As opposd to grant who played at a school that receives the most airtime in the nation.

I never said he sucked...poor logic on your part.

the point that was said....he was a proven talent. He surely wasnt' proven in college to the scouts..or he woulda been drafted. He didn't prove anything on the gmen..he barely if at all played. And, no teams were clamoring to draft him.

TT made a gamble and it paid off.

[vince]

http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-US&brand=foxsports&vid=fdd20c72-eb69-4712-b02e-6a5d05ce5546

Adam Schein has a couple of good points despite being an obnoxious weasel.

-Grant should postpone any long term deal until next year when he could likely get twice the contract from the packers if he keeps performing at the same level.

-The packers should play hardball because Grant doesn't have anywhere else to go.

-If Grant doesn't come back soon, he might find himself out the starting job considering how bullish M3 is on Jackson.

While Schein is right on all three points, the first is the most important, IMO, and that is why I believe the Packers should find a way to sign Grant to a long-term deal now. He'll likely never be cheaper to sign again than he is right now.

It is no longer the Packers M.O. to hand out big guarantees upfront. They prefer the performance-based incentives and a pay-as-you-go structure with roster bonuses built in over the length of the contract.

I hope Grant's agent dummies up and recognizes that TT doesn't blindly agree to deals and structures that player agents throw around. He agrees to deals that make sense for the team. Grant's agent needs to step up to the table to hammer this out on the Packers terms or he's fighting a losing battle.

[gex]

OR The Packers organization needs to admit that Thompson and Murphy (to a lesser extent) have turned the Packers into an embarrassment to their fans.................and just fire both of them.......and their negotiator, just for good measure. :satan:Why stop there? We could rehire sherman as GM, mooch as the coach, trade Jennings, jones, and Driver to NE for Moss, and offer next years first and second picks to Seattle for Wahle?

That would make Favre happy, which certainly improve the team, right?

Gee, now your just being silly. I think Wahle is retired. :whist:No, he is mocking you becuase you are an idiot.

Back to this again,huh? :roll: :beat:

[Packers4Ever]

I think im more upset that we give money to Poopingyah than this guy... and we were willing to pay off brett and not give grant money... what the hell are we doing these days

It's called being "chintzy" - I know he only played 1/2 a season, but nearly 1000 yds and I believe 8 TD ? I'd have been embarrassed to make that kind of offer - 1.75 mill - for 6 years? What might they have offered
Grant if he'd played a full season?

[Gunakor]

I think im more upset that we give money to Poopingyah than this guy... and we were willing to pay off brett and not give grant money... what the hell are we doing these days

It's called being "chintzy" - I know he only played 1/2 a season, but nearly 1000 yds and I believe 8 TD ? I'd have been embarrassed to make that kind of offer - 1.75 mill - for 6 years? What might they have offered
Grant if he'd played a full season?

That's not the total amount. It's only the guaranteed portion. I'm sure there was at least 15-20 million or more in incentives over the length of the deal. Basically it says if you want to be paid big bucks we need to see big production consistently, and since we haven't seen it for a whole season yet we're going to be careful how much guaranteed money we start dishing out to players with less than a season under thier belts.

By the way, does anyone know any specifics about the offer other than the guaranteed portion of it?

[Guiness]

By the way, does anyone know any specifics about the offer other than the guaranteed portion of it?

Nope, nada, nyet.

The Packers have been characteristically tight-lipped about this. The only thing we 'know' is what Grant's agent released to the media. I put 'know' in quotes, because while I don't think it's an outright untruth, it could mean many different things. I've already seen several interpretations around here.

I think it's 1.75m in upfront money in the form of a signing bonus, meaning the only guaranteed money (if, for instance, he were to get cut in camp this year).

[bobblehead]

Nobody proves anything as fact in 8 or 9 games.

I strongly disagree.

Grant's talent is well proven. Sure, there are still questions regarding his stamina over 16 games and what not...but talent is something that can be spotted relatively quickly. Grant is not a certainty in any sense...I agree with that. However, his talent level in terms of size, speed, vision and ability within our system was pretty well proven in half a season.

Adrian Peterson's talent was well known after 9 games last year also. His durability and longevity...not so much.

Adrian Peterson had an entire successful college career to back up those 9 games....grant sat the pine most of his.

[Ballboy]

I firmly think the Packers are in the drivers seat on Grant. We own his rights and he has everything to loose by not showing up....the longer he waits, the lower he gets on the depth chart.

Really, his best option is to sign the one year tender, try to have another year and then hit FA.

Every day he is missing could be costing him cash.

[bobblehead]

guaranteed money is everything...

1.75 in 6 years... is a JOKE!!!

Do you like anything the packer organization does? Jesus Christ the dude has only performed for half a season.

I love a lot of the moves the organization does. I'm probably the most pro T.T. person before this Favre/Grant fiasco.

He has performed half of the season. But you have to realize that we are 30 million under the cap, and adding a few extra million won't hurt us long term...

Yes it will, first we need money to sign our other rising stars. Second, if you overpay him, everyone else on the team uses his contract as their arguement.

[The Leaper]

I firmly think the Packers are in the drivers seat on Grant. We own his rights and he has everything to loose by not showing up....the longer he waits, the lower he gets on the depth chart.

Sorry, but showing your "strength" by taking your best RB and keeping him out of camp seems relatively dumb to me. Sure, the Packers hold all the cards here...but it is in the best interest of the team to get Grant in camp sooner rather than later. The team has already committed to a QB with little experience...having as many weapons as possible ready to go for him is paramount.

[mmmdk]

Damnit, I wanted badly to buy a # 25 jersey!

[Packers4Ever]

I think im more upset that we give money to Poopingyah than this guy... and we were willing to pay off brett and not give grant money... what the hell are we doing these days

It's called being "chintzy" - I know he only played 1/2 a season, but nearly 1000 yds and I believe 8 TD ? I'd have been embarrassed to make that kind of offer - 1.75 mill - for 6 years? What might they have offered
Grant if he'd played a full season?

That's not the total amount. It's only the guaranteed portion. I'm sure there was at least 15-20 million or more in incentives over the length of the deal. Basically it says if you want to be paid big bucks we need to see big production consistently, and since we haven't seen it for a whole season yet we're going to be careful how much guaranteed money we start dishing out to players with less than a season under thier belts.

By the way, does anyone know any specifics about the offer other than the guaranteed portion of it?

Ahh yes, the incentives over the whole thing.
I wonder if the GMs from any other NFL teams subscribe to this method -
It does make sense to offer bigger bucks for more consistent production.
Produce first, then the bucks. Hope we don't lose him.

[Zool]

Ahh yes, the incentives over the whole thing.
I wonder if the GMs from any other NFL teams subscribe to this method -
It does make sense to offer bigger bucks for more consistent production.
Produce first, then the bucks. Hope we don't lose him.

Its impossible to compare this to a standard player looking for more money. He had a stellar 1/2 season. He's a RB who's already 25. He's got 2 more years before he's eligible for UFA. The Packers hold all the cards. The guy wasn't drafted so he doesn't have the standard 3/4/5 year rookie deal to be restructured.

I agree that he should get a bigger signing bonus, but I'm not calling out the GM or the contract negotiating team because they aren't going to cave to him. None of us have any idea what was actually offered, or what is being asked for. The agent has every right to ask for a specific amount, the team has every right to offer something lower as they see fit.

6 years seems like a lot, but if there are roster bonuses strewn in year to year, I dont see why that would be a bad thing for either side.

[Gunakor]

I firmly think the Packers are in the drivers seat on Grant. We own his rights and he has everything to loose by not showing up....the longer he waits, the lower he gets on the depth chart.

Sorry, but showing your "strength" by taking your best RB and keeping him out of camp seems relatively dumb to me. Sure, the Packers hold all the cards here...but it is in the best interest of the team to get Grant in camp sooner rather than later. The team has already committed to a QB with little experience...having as many weapons as possible ready to go for him is paramount.


It isn't Green Bay keeping Grant out of camp, it's Grant's agent keeping Grant out of camp. Herman has used the Devon Hester arguement in the Grant deal. Here's the thing. Devon Hester is the biggest weapon the Bears have. He has done his thing consistently for 2 full seasons now. He is far more proven than Grant is. So of course he's gonna get more money.

If Herman wants to compare anything, he should be looking up the salaries given to other players after 9 games of production. He should look at what Houston gave to Samkon Gado a couple seasons ago and try to get that, with some extra money available through incentives. That way Grant at least gets what Gado gets even if he doesn't do didly squat the rest of his career, and if he becomes a star he can get paid like one. As of right now, he's had 9 good games. He's not a star just yet. He shouldn't be guaranteed a star's salary just yet either.

[The Leaper]

It isn't Green Bay keeping Grant out of camp, it's Grant's agent keeping Grant out of camp.

True.

My point was directed at claiming Green Bay holds all the cards and should play hardball...let Grant become third string if you have to.

To me, that doesn't make any sense for Green Bay. Grant is a valuable player. The Packers should do everything within reason to get him on the field as soon as possible.

[Gunakor]

It isn't Green Bay keeping Grant out of camp, it's Grant's agent keeping Grant out of camp.

True.

My point was directed at claiming Green Bay holds all the cards and should play hardball...let Grant become third string if you have to.

To me, that doesn't make any sense for Green Bay. Grant is a valuable player. The Packers should do everything within reason to get him on the field as soon as possible.

Again, I agree. But we don't know if it's Green Bay being unreasonable or Ryan Grant/his agent. When the story broke that his agent was using Devon Hester as his comparison, it led me to believe that it was Herman who was being unreasonable. I don't think Grant is that important that Thompson should agree to an unreasonably heavy contract just to get Grant onto the practice field.

[The Leaper]

Again, I agree. But we don't know if it's Green Bay being unreasonable or Ryan Grant/his agent. When the story broke that his agent was using Devon Hester as his comparison, it led me to believe that it was Herman who was being unreasonable. I don't think Grant is that important that Thompson should agree to an unreasonably heavy contract just to get Grant onto the practice field.

Yeah, I don't know who is to blame either.

Obviously, mentioning Hester is a negative for Grant's side. Grant isn't comparable to Hester IMO. The $1.75M in guaranteed money offered by Green Bay is a negative on the Packer's side. I don't think Grant should get crazy money...but for a 6 year deal that basically removes Grant from having any chance at free agency in the future, the Packers should offer at least $4-5M guaranteed. That isn't much for a starting RB.

So, I'm guessing both sides are to blame to some extent.

[SnakeLH2006]

Bus Cook is getting too much flak....He's really Grant's agent, but under an alias...He's trying to stick it to the Weasel. It's making too much sense.

[packers11]

bump...

I love how I got bashed when I said HE SHOULD BE PAID like an average RB... 4/5 mill a year...

Sure the incentives can make that contract a bit bigger, but hey, if he can get those extra yards then he deserves the extra money...

I guess all you people who came down harshly saying he "proved nothing for half of a season" are astonished by this signing and should be T.T's front door step tomorrow morning... :wink:

[packers11]

come on... I want to hear what the 4/5 posters that were bashing the idea of giving him average RB money for half a year that he performed... What do you think of the deal the packers gave him???

[Gunakor]

come on... I want to hear what the 4/5 posters that were bashing the idea of giving him average RB money for half a year that he performed... What do you think of the deal the packers gave him???


I like the deal, because it ensures he gets paid like an average starter only if he produces like an average starter. If he bombs out, then this contract isn't worth as much. It provides protection for both sides. He still has to earn his contract, and that I'm happy with. To be honest, it is still a little more than what I'd have agreed to. But it's not so outlandish that I'm going to critize the deal.

[Guiness]

come on... I want to hear what the 4/5 posters that were bashing the idea of giving him average RB money for half a year that he performed... What do you think of the deal the packers gave him???


I like the deal, because it ensures he gets paid like an average starter only if he produces like an average starter. If he bombs out, then this contract isn't worth as much. It provides protection for both sides. He still has to earn his contract, and that I'm happy with. To be honest, it is still a little more than what I'd have agreed to. But it's not so outlandish that I'm going to critize the deal.

I agree with you Gunakor. Although IMO the contract is worth more than I like if he does bomb out...looks like he'll get $8mil over the two first years regardless, unless he manages to get himself cut.

[Gunakor]

come on... I want to hear what the 4/5 posters that were bashing the idea of giving him average RB money for half a year that he performed... What do you think of the deal the packers gave him???


I like the deal, because it ensures he gets paid like an average starter only if he produces like an average starter. If he bombs out, then this contract isn't worth as much. It provides protection for both sides. He still has to earn his contract, and that I'm happy with. To be honest, it is still a little more than what I'd have agreed to. But it's not so outlandish that I'm going to critize the deal.

I agree with you Gunakor. Although IMO the contract is worth more than I like if he does bomb out...looks like he'll get $8mil over the two first years regardless, unless he manages to get himself cut.

The guaranteed money is stacked in the first two years of the deal. So if he doesn't pan out after being given a 2 year leash, he can be cut with little cap hit. I have no problem with a 2 year leash after what he did last year. And I don't see us with any cap issues in the next 2 years that 4 million per year for a starter is going to hurt us in any way. It's fine.