RYAN GRANT EXPECTS NEW DEAL SOON

[woodbuck27]

RYAN GRANT EXPECTS NEW DEAL SOON

Posted by Mike Florio on July 1, 2008, 7:11 p.m.

Packers running back Ryan Grant, an exclusive-rights free agent who has yet to sign his one-year tender, told Sporting News Radio on Monday that he intend to have a longer-term deal in place soon.

“I expect [it] to be absolutely done within the next few weeks,” Grant said during The Monty Show.

Grant has participated in offseason meetings and some individual workouts, despite not being under contract.

Absent an extension, he would have a one-year deal for the minimum salary in 2008, and then be eligible for restricted free agency in 2009.

Grant rushed for 956 yards in 2007, despite starting in only seven games. He did not play as a rookie in 2006 with the Giants, and was traded to Green Bay before the 2007 regular season.

[RashanGary]

It's going to get done and rightfully so. I'm starting to buy the Brandon Jackson fluff and I was a big fan of the 230 lb talent that is DeShawn Wynn.

That said, it's great to have extra talented offensive players and Grant is a talented offensive player. I think it will be a 5 year deal at around 23.5 million dollars with 5 coming in the first year in either bonuses or base salary.

[Pacopete4]

I hope he gets a 3 year deal.. I'm not sure he's the long time solution because I believe there are more talented backs out there

[woodbuck27]

It's going to get done and rightfully so. I'm starting to buy the Brandon Jackson fluff and I was a big fan of the 230 lb talent that is DeShawn Wynn.

That said, it's great to have extra talented offensive players and Grant is a talented offensive player. I think it will be a 5 year deal at around 23.5 million dollars with 5 coming in the first year in either bonuses or base salary.

Too soon for TT to commit more than 2 (maybe 3 years).

[bobblehead]

It's going to get done and rightfully so. I'm starting to buy the Brandon Jackson fluff and I was a big fan of the 230 lb talent that is DeShawn Wynn.

That said, it's great to have extra talented offensive players and Grant is a talented offensive player. I think it will be a 5 year deal at around 23.5 million dollars with 5 coming in the first year in either bonuses or base salary.

Too soon for TT to commit more than 2 (maybe 3 years).

If we don't buy at least a year of his FAgency why give him a penny more than we have to now??

[texaspackerbacker]

It's going to get done and rightfully so. I'm starting to buy the Brandon Jackson fluff and I was a big fan of the 230 lb talent that is DeShawn Wynn.

That said, it's great to have extra talented offensive players and Grant is a talented offensive player. I think it will be a 5 year deal at around 23.5 million dollars with 5 coming in the first year in either bonuses or base salary.

Well said, Justin. I, too, hope it's a 5 year deal or even 6 or 7. Five minimum would keep him a Packer through his prime years. A 3 year contract would leave the Packers with the dilemma in 3 years of either letting him go and missing several of his best years, or signing him to another big contract that would take him well past his good years.

I also wouldn't hesitate to pay him a little more than that if that's what it took to get the job done.

[Gunakor]

It's going to get done and rightfully so. I'm starting to buy the Brandon Jackson fluff and I was a big fan of the 230 lb talent that is DeShawn Wynn.

That said, it's great to have extra talented offensive players and Grant is a talented offensive player. I think it will be a 5 year deal at around 23.5 million dollars with 5 coming in the first year in either bonuses or base salary.

Too soon for TT to commit more than 2 (maybe 3 years).

If we don't buy at least a year of his FAgency why give him a penny more than we have to now??

We don't. We don't have to buy out a year of FA either. We could just as easily sign him to 2 years at the minimum amount required to get him into camp. At the expiration of that contract he'd be an RFA, where we could make a qualifying offer and either A) we get a 3rd year at a relatively cheap cost, or B) we get a higher round draft pick that some other team would offer as compensation for signing him thru RFA.

If no other team makes an offer and he signs the qualifying RFA offer made by Green Bay, then at the beginning of the following season he'll be 30 or 31 years old and will be past his prime. So we'd get him during his prime years at a low cost anyway, as he wouldn't be leaving Green Bay until he's over the hill (in terms of a RB that is). If another team DID make an offer and we let him go, we'd get at worst a 3rd round draft pick for him. Depending on how well he produces in the next 2 years, we might even be able to get a 1 from a team desperate for a talented veteran RB. We could use that pick to get another RB with far more tread left on the tires.
Either way, we get him on the cheap for his prime years, as I don't see his prime lasting beyond the next 3 years anyway.

[Scott Campbell]

It's going to get done and rightfully so. I'm starting to buy the Brandon Jackson fluff and I was a big fan of the 230 lb talent that is DeShawn Wynn.

That said, it's great to have extra talented offensive players and Grant is a talented offensive player. I think it will be a 5 year deal at around 23.5 million dollars with 5 coming in the first year in either bonuses or base salary.

Too soon for TT to commit more than 2 (maybe 3 years).

2 years makes absolutely no sense for the Packers. Though I'd understand why Grant and his agent would drool over it, but it ain't gonna happen.

[Gunakor]

It's going to get done and rightfully so. I'm starting to buy the Brandon Jackson fluff and I was a big fan of the 230 lb talent that is DeShawn Wynn.

That said, it's great to have extra talented offensive players and Grant is a talented offensive player. I think it will be a 5 year deal at around 23.5 million dollars with 5 coming in the first year in either bonuses or base salary.

Too soon for TT to commit more than 2 (maybe 3 years).

2 years makes absolutely no sense for the Packers. Though I'd understand why Grant and his agent would drool over it, but it ain't gonna happen.

2 years makes no sense to the Packers if it is felt that Grant has 4 or more years left in his prime. I for one think he's going to start to decline in 3 years, as he'll be 30 years old. To me, it makes no sense signing him for 5 or more years because I don't think he'll be very productive beyond 3 years anyway. 2 years at the minimum he'll play for followed by a top tier RFA qualifying offer for a 3rd year makes the most sense to me. If some other team wants to pay him blockbuster money after that, let them be the ones who mistakenly do so.

[vince]

It's going to get done and rightfully so. I'm starting to buy the Brandon Jackson fluff and I was a big fan of the 230 lb talent that is DeShawn Wynn.

That said, it's great to have extra talented offensive players and Grant is a talented offensive player. I think it will be a 5 year deal at around 23.5 million dollars with 5 coming in the first year in either bonuses or base salary.

Too soon for TT to commit more than 2 (maybe 3 years).

2 years makes absolutely no sense for the Packers. Though I'd understand why Grant and his agent would drool over it, but it ain't gonna happen.

2 years makes no sense to the Packers if it is felt that Grant has 4 or more years left in his prime. I for one think he's going to start to decline in 3 years, as he'll be 30 years old. To me, it makes no sense signing him for 5 or more years because I don't think he'll be very productive beyond 3 years anyway. 2 years at the minimum he'll play for followed by a top tier RFA qualifying offer for a 3rd year makes the most sense to me. If some other team wants to pay him blockbuster money after that, let them be the ones who mistakenly do so.

Grant is 25. in 3 years he'll be 28. In 5 years, he'll be 30.

http://www.packers.com/team/players/grant_ryan/

[Scott Campbell]

It's going to get done and rightfully so. I'm starting to buy the Brandon Jackson fluff and I was a big fan of the 230 lb talent that is DeShawn Wynn.

That said, it's great to have extra talented offensive players and Grant is a talented offensive player. I think it will be a 5 year deal at around 23.5 million dollars with 5 coming in the first year in either bonuses or base salary.

Too soon for TT to commit more than 2 (maybe 3 years).

2 years makes absolutely no sense for the Packers. Though I'd understand why Grant and his agent would drool over it, but it ain't gonna happen.

2 years makes no sense to the Packers if it is felt that Grant has 4 or more years left in his prime. I for one think he's going to start to decline in 3 years, as he'll be 30 years old. To me, it makes no sense signing him for 5 or more years because I don't think he'll be very productive beyond 3 years anyway. 2 years at the minimum he'll play for followed by a top tier RFA qualifying offer for a 3rd year makes the most sense to me. If some other team wants to pay him blockbuster money after that, let them be the ones who mistakenly do so.

Grant is 25. in 3 years he'll be 28. In 5 years, he'll be 30.
http://www.packers.com/team/players/grant_ryan/

Exactly. There's nothing in it for the Packers unless they get him locked up through the majority of his prime years.

[woodbuck27]

It's going to get done and rightfully so. I'm starting to buy the Brandon Jackson fluff and I was a big fan of the 230 lb talent that is DeShawn Wynn.

That said, it's great to have extra talented offensive players and Grant is a talented offensive player. I think it will be a 5 year deal at around 23.5 million dollars with 5 coming in the first year in either bonuses or base salary.

Too soon for TT to commit more than 2 (maybe 3 years).

2 years makes absolutely no sense for the Packers. Though I'd understand why Grant and his agent would drool over it, but it ain't gonna happen.

and contracts are never re-negotiated and performances unrewarded?

[texaspackerbacker]

Five good years makes more sense--barring injury. Mileage is as important or more so than age, and Grant has very little either in college or the NFL.

Sign him for five or more so we don't end up with a lose/lose choice in 2 or 3 years. And pay him decently enough that he has no cause to pull a McKenzie in a couple of years.

[Gunakor]

It's going to get done and rightfully so. I'm starting to buy the Brandon Jackson fluff and I was a big fan of the 230 lb talent that is DeShawn Wynn.

That said, it's great to have extra talented offensive players and Grant is a talented offensive player. I think it will be a 5 year deal at around 23.5 million dollars with 5 coming in the first year in either bonuses or base salary.

Too soon for TT to commit more than 2 (maybe 3 years).

2 years makes absolutely no sense for the Packers. Though I'd understand why Grant and his agent would drool over it, but it ain't gonna happen.

2 years makes no sense to the Packers if it is felt that Grant has 4 or more years left in his prime. I for one think he's going to start to decline in 3 years, as he'll be 30 years old. To me, it makes no sense signing him for 5 or more years because I don't think he'll be very productive beyond 3 years anyway. 2 years at the minimum he'll play for followed by a top tier RFA qualifying offer for a 3rd year makes the most sense to me. If some other team wants to pay him blockbuster money after that, let them be the ones who mistakenly do so.

Grant is 25. in 3 years he'll be 28. In 5 years, he'll be 30.
http://www.packers.com/team/players/grant_ryan/

My mistake. I thought I heard somewhere during some discussion about Grant that he was 26 and he wouldn't be eligible for FA until he was 29.

[vince]

Here's the latest from Mike Clemens of Sports Radio 1250 WSSP Milwaukee.

http://www.michaelclemens.com/content/view/231/1/

Grant Waits For Phone Call

No news for Ryan Grant about a new contract from the Packers.

I would have thought the Packers would have signed him before their mandatory Mini Camp earlier this month.

Packers Head Coach Mike McCarthy intentionally scheduled the required 3 - day work out late in the offseason for two reasons; so that as many players could participate and heal from injuries from last season, and to "bring the team together" prior to their six - week break before Training Camp begins July 28th.

Today a source close to Grant told me at best, the running back and his agent hope to receive a proposal from the team next week, sometime after the 4th of July holiday.

MARKET VALUE

The Grant camp does not want to talk about his value in the media.

They do feel he is worth more than the deal the Buccaneers just signed Earnest Graham to, 3 - years, $11 million, or what Justin Fargas got from the Raiders in February, 3 - years, $12 million. (NFL.com reporting today that former Detroit running back Kevin Jones is now in talks with Tampa Bay.)

Grant rushed for 956 yards, on 188 carries, averaging 5.1 yards per carry, scoring 8 TD's. He didn't really become the starter until October 29th, when he replaced DeShawn Wynn who was injured against the Broncos on Monday Night Football.

Grant's old Norte Dame teammate, Julius Jones, left the Cowboys for Seattle, where the Seahawks signed him to a 4 - year deal worth $12 million.

Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones gave Marion Barber (and agent Drew Rosenhaus) a huge deal, 7 - years, $45 million, and $16 million in guaranteed bonuses, worth $21 million the first three years. Jones got the deal done at the NFL owners meetings in Atlanta, just in time to beat a deadline that would have changed how the money is spread over the salary cap.

Barber's numbers, 975 yards on 204 carries, a 4.8 yard per carry average, and 10 touchdowns, are similar to Grant's, although Barber didn't get his first official start until the last game of the regular season. Still, Barber's deal ranks right up there with the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson, Edgerrin James, and Larry Johnson

Grant fumbled twice at the start of the "Snow Bowl" against the Seahawks January 12th, then came back to rush for 201 yards, setting a new franchise record for Packers playoff games. So he has a heart, and can play in the snow.

For now, he waits to see how Packers GM Ted Thompson, and the team's new contract negotiator Russ Ball (from New Orleans, replacing Andrew Brant) decide what his value is in the NFL market place, somewhere well above the $370,000 they can try to hold him to as an exclusive rights player for one more year, a tender Grant refuses to sign.

- Mike Clemens