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Barnett wants a new deal
But Packer says he won't hold out
By TOM SILVERSTEIN
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com
Posted: March 11, 2007
Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett wants to make two things perfectly clear:
Nick Barnett wants a contract extension, but says he won't holdout.
He's not going to shortchange himself in negotiations on a short-term contract and he's not going to follow the path Javon Walker and Mike McKenzie in seeking more money.
The Packers are in the process of trying to get Barnett signed beyond this, the final year of his contract, and are trying to find common ground with the fifth-year linebacker. Barnett believes he's worth top dollar after starting all but two games in four seasons, leading the team in tackles three consecutive years and serving as a leader of the defense.
If he's going to give up his shot at unrestricted free agency next season, he's going to want to be compensated well, especially in light of recent free-agent signings like Kansas City's six-year, $24 million contract with linebacker Napoleon Harris, who will pocket a $7.5 million signing bonus. Barnett is scheduled to make about $2 million this year, but his goal is to reach an agreement that would allow him to play with the Packers well into his 30s.
"Nick is under contract and he will honor his contract," said his agent, Chuck Price. "Holding out is not an option. All he can do is go out and continue to play football and lead the defense and let his performance speak volumes.
"They want him there, he wants to be there. There's no timeframe for getting it done because he's under contract. But we feel he's a leader of the defense and he's making substantially less than what he's worth. We're hoping we can get a great deal sooner than later."
Price said that Barnett proved his loyalty to the team last year when he played the final month of the season with a broken hand. Barnett wasn't sure if he would need surgery on the hand, Price said, yet he had the hand placed in a split and wrapped in a club and continued to play.
He said that kind of dedication showed he wasn't in the same place Walker and McKenzie were when they didn't get what they wanted financially and forced the team to trade them. Barnett, Price said, wants to stay in Green Bay and see through what he started provided the team compensates him fairly.
Price said people needed to look beyond the fact Barnett has not made it to the Pro Bowl yet when evaluating his ability. He said the fact Barnett has been a starter since being drafted in the first round in 2003 and been among the top producers on defense for the Packers shows his worth to the club.
If the Packers don't agree that Barnett is as valuable as he thinks, the linebacker is willing to prove it next season and then cash in on unrestricted free agency. If the Packers don't sign him this year and then decide later they want to put the franchise tag on him, it would cost them upwards of $7 million.
"He wants to stay," Price said. "But it might not be up to Nick. All he's going to do is go out and play. If there's an offer out there for him, he'll know when he gets it. This organization knows Nick wants to be a Packer."
Price wouldn't say exactly how negotiations have gone between the two sides since the end of the season, but the Packers do appear interested in making a deal. Of course, they are in the driver's seat right now because they know they have Barnett under contract for another year and can sit tight without any worries about next season.
Barnett, who did not need surgery on his injured hand, which has since healed, can choose not to attend voluntary workout sessions without facing a fine, but Price said anything that he was supposed to be at he would be.
As for how Barnett and Price see his work in the linebacker market, they don't expect the deal to be similar to those of Brian Urlacher or Ray Lewis or Julian Peterson, but they do expect to be in the second tier, where contracts average from $4.5 million to $6 million per year.
"He knows there's lesser players making more money," Price said. "He's young, he's got great character and he's been very durable. Those are all the things you're looking for. The only thing that hasn't happened for him is a deep playoff run or a Pro Bowl."
Packers general manager Ted Thompson has been mum about negotiations with Barnett and it's unclear whether he thinks Barnett has priced himself out of a deal in Green Bay. It could be that he will make Barnett wait until his contract is up before getting serious, the same way he made Aaron Kampman, Ahman Green and others wait.
But Price would like to get the deal done soon so that both sides can have peace of mind.
Whether the two sides can find common ground in the days and weeks ahead could determine whether Barnett remains in Green Bay.
But Packer says he won't hold out
By TOM SILVERSTEIN
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com
Posted: March 11, 2007
Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett wants to make two things perfectly clear:
Nick Barnett wants a contract extension, but says he won't holdout.
He's not going to shortchange himself in negotiations on a short-term contract and he's not going to follow the path Javon Walker and Mike McKenzie in seeking more money.
The Packers are in the process of trying to get Barnett signed beyond this, the final year of his contract, and are trying to find common ground with the fifth-year linebacker. Barnett believes he's worth top dollar after starting all but two games in four seasons, leading the team in tackles three consecutive years and serving as a leader of the defense.
If he's going to give up his shot at unrestricted free agency next season, he's going to want to be compensated well, especially in light of recent free-agent signings like Kansas City's six-year, $24 million contract with linebacker Napoleon Harris, who will pocket a $7.5 million signing bonus. Barnett is scheduled to make about $2 million this year, but his goal is to reach an agreement that would allow him to play with the Packers well into his 30s.
"Nick is under contract and he will honor his contract," said his agent, Chuck Price. "Holding out is not an option. All he can do is go out and continue to play football and lead the defense and let his performance speak volumes.
"They want him there, he wants to be there. There's no timeframe for getting it done because he's under contract. But we feel he's a leader of the defense and he's making substantially less than what he's worth. We're hoping we can get a great deal sooner than later."
Price said that Barnett proved his loyalty to the team last year when he played the final month of the season with a broken hand. Barnett wasn't sure if he would need surgery on the hand, Price said, yet he had the hand placed in a split and wrapped in a club and continued to play.
He said that kind of dedication showed he wasn't in the same place Walker and McKenzie were when they didn't get what they wanted financially and forced the team to trade them. Barnett, Price said, wants to stay in Green Bay and see through what he started provided the team compensates him fairly.
Price said people needed to look beyond the fact Barnett has not made it to the Pro Bowl yet when evaluating his ability. He said the fact Barnett has been a starter since being drafted in the first round in 2003 and been among the top producers on defense for the Packers shows his worth to the club.
If the Packers don't agree that Barnett is as valuable as he thinks, the linebacker is willing to prove it next season and then cash in on unrestricted free agency. If the Packers don't sign him this year and then decide later they want to put the franchise tag on him, it would cost them upwards of $7 million.
"He wants to stay," Price said. "But it might not be up to Nick. All he's going to do is go out and play. If there's an offer out there for him, he'll know when he gets it. This organization knows Nick wants to be a Packer."
Price wouldn't say exactly how negotiations have gone between the two sides since the end of the season, but the Packers do appear interested in making a deal. Of course, they are in the driver's seat right now because they know they have Barnett under contract for another year and can sit tight without any worries about next season.
Barnett, who did not need surgery on his injured hand, which has since healed, can choose not to attend voluntary workout sessions without facing a fine, but Price said anything that he was supposed to be at he would be.
As for how Barnett and Price see his work in the linebacker market, they don't expect the deal to be similar to those of Brian Urlacher or Ray Lewis or Julian Peterson, but they do expect to be in the second tier, where contracts average from $4.5 million to $6 million per year.
"He knows there's lesser players making more money," Price said. "He's young, he's got great character and he's been very durable. Those are all the things you're looking for. The only thing that hasn't happened for him is a deep playoff run or a Pro Bowl."
Packers general manager Ted Thompson has been mum about negotiations with Barnett and it's unclear whether he thinks Barnett has priced himself out of a deal in Green Bay. It could be that he will make Barnett wait until his contract is up before getting serious, the same way he made Aaron Kampman, Ahman Green and others wait.
But Price would like to get the deal done soon so that both sides can have peace of mind.
Whether the two sides can find common ground in the days and weeks ahead could determine whether Barnett remains in Green Bay.
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