2012 NFL Offseason Thread

[rubecube]

As much as I think Vilma and the Saints are likely guilty, I am a little impressed with way Vilma is going toe-to-toe with Goodell here. And I actually like Goodell.

[Drake]

The details on Drew Brees new contract have made their way to PFT headquarters.
And they are spectacular.

Brees, per a source with knowledge of the deal, will receive a $37 million signing bonus and a $3 million base salary in 2012. The full signing bonus will be paid out within the next six months.

The $40 million paid in 2012 is fully guaranteed. For now, $20 million beyond 2012 is guaranteed for injury only. Next year, on the third day of the waiver period (typically, the third day after the Super Bowl), $15 million of the injury guarantee becomes fully guaranteed. The extra $5 million remains guaranteed for injury only.
In 2015, again on the third day of the waiver period, more than half of his $19 million base salary becomes fully guaranteed. Ditto for 2016; on the third day of the waiver period, more than half of the $20 million base salary becomes fully guaranteed.

The device in the last two years of the contract forces the Saints to cut him, if at all, sufficiently early in the offseason to give him a full chance to land elsewhere.
In all, he’ll receive $40 million this year, $10 million in 2013, $11 million in 2014, $19 million in 2015, and $20 million in 2016.

The new deal actually reduces Brees’ cap number dramatically, from $16.37 million to $10.4 million. Next year, his cap number will be $17.4 million. In 2014, the cap number will be $18.4 million. By 2015, when the new TV deals from 2014 hit the cap, Brees cap number will be $26.4 million. In the final year of the deal, the cap number becomes $27.4 million.

The structure makes it, in essence, a three-year, $61 million contract with a team option for year four (at $19 million) and year five (at $20 million).
If he keeps playing at a high level and stays healthy, he’ll potentially get it all. If not, he’ll be on the market before free agency begins, in 2015 or 2016.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...llion-to-sign/

[Senator Clay Davis]

I am so hoping Drew Brees tears his ACL on the first play of the season and the Saints are out $40 million for nothing.

[Drake]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I am so hoping Drew Brees tears his ACL on the first play of the season and the Saints are out $40 million for nothing.

What a disgrace of a post. Wishing injury upon anybody is beyond pathetic.

[Montana Moe]

I'm happy for Brees, I think he deserves every penny of that contract. Even though the off season has been dominated with negative press regarding the team, it's actually been rather fruitful. I'm excited for the season to begin!

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Drake

What a disgrace of a post. Wishing injury upon anybody is beyond pathetic.

Please don't tell me sports trash talk has to become politically correct as well. Ironic coming from the guy who spent the entire NBA playoffs trashing LeBron every chance he got, valid or not. I'm a Bucs fan, what do you want me to say? I wish Brees perfect health and hopefully he throws for 1,200 yards in his two games against the Bucs this year?

[dirk diggler]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I am so hoping Drew Brees tears his ACL on the first play of the season and the Saints are out $40 million for nothing.

now the whiner Brees can afford to feed his family, he is such a tool, i too hope he gets nailed...

[Displaced Flames fan]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Please don't tell me sports trash talk has to become politically correct as well. Ironic coming from the guy who spent the entire NBA playoffs trashing LeBron every chance he got, valid or not. I'm a Bucs fan, what do you want me to say? I wish Brees perfect health and hopefully he throws for 1,200 yards in his two games against the Bucs this year?

Are you suggesting those are your only two options?

Hoping anyone blows out a knee is low class.

[PIMking]

Considering the dude wasn't suppose to be a good QB when he hurt his throwing shoulder and NOLA was the only team to take a flyer on him the guy is worth every penny.

He already had one career threatening injury and overcame it. He is going back to a team with the biggest black eye right now, and has done nothing but great things for NOLA itself. The guy is a class act and to wish that he blows out a knee is tasteless. I hope you get kicked in the twig and berries.

[Drake]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Please don't tell me sports trash talk has to become politically correct as well. Ironic coming from the guy who spent the entire NBA playoffs trashing LeBron every chance he got, valid or not. I'm a Bucs fan, what do you want me to say? I wish Brees perfect health and hopefully he throws for 1,200 yards in his two games against the Bucs this year?

Thanks for making my night, talking trash and wishing injury upon somebody is TWO completely different things clown.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Drake

Thanks for making my night, talking trash and wishing injury upon somebody is TWO completely different things clown.

Right, I bet there's no way in hell you would make any negative comments if LeBron got injured. You wouldn`t call him LeHurt, or LeCripple, or LeCrutch. And wouldn't be happy he`d be injured? You cried and complained about everything in that series. You despise LeBron more than I do Drew Brees. I just think it'd be hilarious if played this entire song and dance with them, gets $40 million in year one and promptly gets hurt. Irony is hilarious to me.

And lol at Brees being a class act. Have you guys actually been following his offseason? He's proven himself to be a classless dick with some of the comments he's made (irony obviously intended)

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I am so hoping Drew Brees tears his ACL on the first play of the season and the Saints are out $40 million for nothing.

you are a low quality human being.

[Drake]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

Right, I bet there's no way in hell you would make any negative comments if LeBron got injured. You wouldn`t call him LeHurt, or LeCripple, or LeCrutch. And wouldn't be happy he`d be injured? You cried and complained about everything in that series. You despise LeBron more than I do Drew Brees. I just think it'd be hilarious if played this entire song and dance with them, gets $40 million in year one and promptly gets hurt. Irony is hilarious to me.

And lol at Brees being a class act. Have you guys actually been following his offseason? He's proven himself to be a classless dick with some of the comments he's made (irony obviously intended)

I know stupid when I see it and that is the last thing I'm going to say to since you clearly don't get it.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

KC fans are getting as ornery as Philly fans booing Matt Cassel at the All Star game slow pitch game. I mean the guy isn't very good, but I don't think he deserved to be booed at an event like that. Boo him for his on field play when it's warranted...but off the field, no way he deserves that.

Hard to feel sorry for a guy that has been fortunate to pocket $40 million in his time as starter for KC but I have to agree that it's pretty low class by Chiefs fans.

Pioli is a different cat. Since coming in he's actually done a pretty good job of drafting and filling out the roster. It's gotten to the point where he's done everything to put the team in the position to carry the QB to success but IMO that's the wrong way to build a winner in the NFL. You have to start with the QB and build from there but he's building a team that covers the weakness of his starter.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

I am so hoping Drew Brees tears his ACL on the first play of the season and the Saints are out $40 million for nothing.

That's a bit much but I don't wish any success to Brees or that franchise. I don't pretend to believe that the Saints were the only league running a bounty program or similar but man to have been warned multiple times and still continue just shows the arrogance of Payton and the organization.

As far a Brees goes in what has been one of the most difficult off seasons any team has had to ensure what does their leader do? He holds out to make it twice as bad because he wants to be the highest paid QB in the league. The players agreed to the collective bargaining agreement so when you get franchised accept that you signed on for it and play out the season like most players that get franchised. Instead he made it all about himself in forcing the Saints hand and saying he wasn't going to report to camp and of all seasons this was the season that the team needed it's leaders. I think he deserves to be paid amongst the highest QB's in the league but I don't like the way he went about it.

[Drake]

With Monday's deadline line looming to get tagged players to sign a long-term deal, Oakland has locked up theirs with one of the best safety's in the game, Tyvon Branch has agreed to a $26.6 million deal over four years, with $17.1 million guaranteed.

[Senator Clay Davis]

Certainly a different way to try remind rookies not to be knuckleheads...

The Minnesota Vikings have hired a colorful character to talk to their rookies about the importance of staying out of the wrong places at the wrong times.

That character is Sean Bishop, a convicted felon who works in the strip club business and was brought to Minnesota to tell the Vikings’ rookies that if they’re smart, they’ll stay away from characters like him and establishments like his, because strip clubs are a great place to blow your money and find yourself in legal trouble.

“I tell them I am a scumbag club owner who will use and abuse you,” Bishop told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I just don’t want to see any of them ruin their lives. They need to be protected from themselves.”

So where did the Vikings find this scumbag? It turns out that Vikings executive director of player development Les Pico was Bishop’s football coach at Washburn University in the 1990s. And Pico thought Bishop’s life story would provide something of a “scared straight” vibe if he spoke to the team.

“He’s not a choirboy by any means,” Pico said of Bishop. “I can’t legislate morality. Sean’s a guy who isn’t afraid to talk negatively about the business he’s in. Our owners give us great latitude allowing us to run these programs and put a convicted felon on a plane to come here and talk to our rookies about why they shouldn’t be in strip clubs.”

Bishop says NFL players are often treated like royalty at strip clubs because they have plenty of cash to throw around, but eventually things go wrong.

“These guys get comfortable in the VIP section and think they’re not being seen and forget where they’re at,” he said. “Being a competitive athlete, it’s hard for them to turn the other cheek or swallow their pride and walk away from bad situations.

Instead, they make a scene and forget where they’re at because the owner’s treating them like a king, they’re young and think they’re invincible when all it takes is one snapshot and you’re done.”

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...their-rookies/

No doubt Pac Man could have used this guys advice a few years ago.

[Displaced Flames fan]

I was at Washburn in 1989-1990. Wonder if this guy was there then. If he was, he was a choirboy at that time.

[Displaced Flames fan]

Evis Dumervil arrested last night for aggravated assault witha firearm.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/ey...tball/19590935

Something tells me there is more to this story. He's a very low key guy and I don't think he's ever been in trouble before. I'm reserving judgement until I hear more.

[Flames in 07]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

That's a bit much but I don't wish any success to Brees or that franchise. I don't pretend to believe that the Saints were the only league running a bounty program or similar but man to have been warned multiple times and still continue just shows the arrogance of Payton and the organization.

As far a Brees goes in what has been one of the most difficult off seasons any team has had to ensure what does their leader do? He holds out to make it twice as bad because he wants to be the highest paid QB in the league. The players agreed to the collective bargaining agreement so when you get franchised accept that you signed on for it and play out the season like most players that get franchised. Instead he made it all about himself in forcing the Saints hand and saying he wasn't going to report to camp and of all seasons this was the season that the team needed it's leaders. I think he deserves to be paid amongst the highest QB's in the league but I don't like the way he went about it.

RE your first paragraph, I agree, if there was a program in place, despite the fact that its not the first time something like this has existed, the GM, HC, DC and anyone else at a coach or admin level then they should be hammered by the league. It's telling to me that Peyton just took the suspension and basically disappeared. Its a good way to shut this kind of thing down in the future. The Commissioner has a problem on his hands where for generations the NFL had looked the other way at what has become an very unsafe league, and he now has the mountains of lawsuits to deal with to prove it.

As for Brees though ... this is his one shot at top shelf $$$, and nobody can despute that he's deserved a top shelf contract. The Franchise tag is just a tool. It's not an obligation on the players part to accept it, it's simply a mechanism that keeps top end salaries down a little bit. However I'd say that it doesn't work well on QB's because top end QB's don't want the risk of being injured during a franchise year and lose out on a 5-7 year deal. When do you ever see QB's playing on a franchise tag? For DT's or other positions where the shelf life is much shorter, the risk is lower.

The team and Drew were both playing a game of chicken and neither blinked. I don't blame Drew for not being pushed into whatever contract the team wants. According to you, he needs to give up his leverage and just sign so he can be a leader through near meaningless spring workouts. What is it as a leader do you expect him to do after not getting the deal he feels entitled to that would have the team so better off now?