Richard Seymour situation gets weird...

[Guiness]

Read on PFT that Seymour thought he was getting a new deal from NE. The Pats got back to him and told him he was dealt to the Raiders. Some think his agent was puffing about the new deal and NE had very little intention of getting one done.

This one should be a first class screw-up.

Remarkably similar to the way Lombardi used to deal with players who wanted more money, isn't it?

I'm trying to remember the story about a player asking for more money, Vince told him to wait outside. When he came back in, he was told he'd been traded to KC or something.

[MadScientist]

Let's hope he never shows with the Raiders. I much prefer NE to have a disgruntled player than a top pick. They could use some team chemistry problems.

[Fritz]

If anyone has knowledge about the wording of trade agreements, it would be interesting to hear about that.

Might there be a clause about conditions under which the trade might be voided? One would be failing the physical, so as someone said above, the question is this: does not taking a physical constitute failing a physical?

And do teams put language in that stipulates the player must report or the trade is void?

Hmm. Anybody? Anyone? Bueller?

[swede]

I'm trying to remember the story about a player asking for more money, Vince told him to wait outside. When he came back in, he was told he'd been traded to KC or something.

As I misremember it...It wasn't an issue of asking for money. The player had brought an agent with him, a practice still quite rare in the early part of that decade. Vince excused himself, used the phone in another room, came back and told the player to go negotiate with his new team.

[vince]

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/...ghts-2603.html

Where’s Richard?

Richard Seymour still has not reported to the Raiders since his trade from New England.

I’m told reliably that Richard Seymour isn’t looking for a long-term contract from the Raiders, that in fact his absence centers solely on his unhappiness with the trade. The comments from coach Tom Cable are really irrelevant since the trade papers have been signed and approved by the league office. He counts on the Raiders’ 53-man roster, so how does Seymour need to clear things up with the Patriots? All that remains is for Seymour to show up and pass his physical. There’s nothing left for the Patriots to do regarding Seymour because he’s now the property of the Raiders, so many NFL observers were left shaking their heads after hearing Cable’s comments.

Seymour has no choice other than to retire, which he doesn’t want to do as he was expecting a Julius Peppers type of contract next offseason in what may be an uncapped year. The Raiders can place him on their reserve did not report list and go after the remaining portion of his pro-rated bonus. But clearly, that’s not a course of action a team that gave up a first-round pick in 2011 wants to explore. Can the Raiders now trade him? Yes, but do you think they can recoup their investment? Hardly. But again, the Raiders made this trade to improve their team, not collect draft picks, so trading Seymour isn’t an option for them.

The only positive for the Raiders is that they don’t play until Monday night, so their week of preparation for the Chargers game doesn’t start until Thursday, giving them more time to get Seymour to Oakland.

[pbmax]

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/...ghts-2603.html

Where’s Richard?

Richard Seymour still has not reported to the Raiders since his trade from New England.

I’m told reliably that Richard Seymour isn’t looking for a long-term contract from the Raiders, that in fact his absence centers solely on his unhappiness with the trade. The comments from coach Tom Cable are really irrelevant since the trade papers have been signed and approved by the league office.

Lombardi is just not the sharpest crayon in the box. If by not reporting and not taking the physical he doesn't think that Seymour could force at least a hearing in front of an arbitrator, he is being willfully blind. I think this has happened before and not just the TO paperwork snafu.

[KYPack]

I'm trying to remember the story about a player asking for more money, Vince told him to wait outside. When he came back in, he was told he'd been traded to KC or something.

As I misremember it...It wasn't an issue of asking for money. The player had brought an agent with him, a practice still quite rare in the early part of that decade. Vince excused himself, used the phone in another room, came back and told the player to go negotiate with his new team.

It's an old "urban legend". Check out "When Pride Mattered" Jim Ringo (All-Pro GB Center) wanted to finish his career back East. He went to Vince and told him what he wanted to finish his career back East. Lombardi engineered a trade that moved Ringo to the Eagles. Ringo did have an agent, but the guy negotiated his Eagle contract.

Somewhere, the story got started that Vince traded Ringo bc of his representation. It made for a good tale and Vince liked the way it made him look, so he never denied the legend that he traded a guy because he had an agent. The legend had a lot more legs than the truth, so it has survived.

[MOBB DEEP]

See, this is why im in favor of cats (e.g., eli, elway, lord) taking advantage when they have leverage in the not-so-player-friendly nfl...treated like pieces of meat, albeit for mad loot

talk about going from penthouse to outhouse...