[Chron] Andre Johnson no longer wants to be a Texan

I think the Cowboys did something similar to Doug Free when they reworked his deal (he had to take a paycut) to guarantee his salary in a year which previously was not guaranteed. I'd imagine a mechanism is in place to do this, just have to be creative. Isn't that why the Texans have Chris Olsen on the payroll?

No, I realize, hence the "capital I, capital F" in my post. It isn't hard to envision a scenario where Mr. Loyalty (aka Mr. McNair) decides Andre is going to finish up this contract in Houston seeing how he's extended guys he likes in the past to keep them around.

 

It's not surprising that Andre would at least threaten to retire, it's pretty much the only possible leverage he might have.....unfortunately for him, I don't think they'd really care if he retired so even that won't work.

That said, Pancakes is pretty much a hack when he posts his opinion or his predictions but it makes perfect sense that Andre would at least threaten to retire.....even if it's obviously nothing more than a vain threat

 

That is a paycut, not a restructure. It makes sense to give money for a paycut. It makes no sense to give money for a restructure. No team will do that.

 

If he retires he owes the Texans 11 million dollars. He won't be retiring.

 

I know, that's why it won't happen, but he has literally no leverage so what else is he going to say? I said it was a vain threat, he wouldn't actually retire, but he's got to say something.

 

If they needed the cap room and they come to the player, then he has the leverage. AJ had it, didn't use it, and is now stuck. Where does it say that you can't renegotiate a contract when the team comes to you and asks for help with cap relief?

All I'm saying is that maybe this could have been averted, but now that it has come to this, what do you do now?

If the Texans and Andre share the mutual goal of being a better team in 2014 than 2013 and the both want to see him finish out this contract, that seems like there is room for a settlement/agreement. How do we get there?

Andre is boxed in, the Texans have all the leverage, but if they want him around through 2016, it doesn't make sense for them to leave him out there thinking he is going to be cut in 11 months.

We're all talking in possibilities since none of us are in the negotiations/conversations (at least, I don't think any of us are). Has this board become so whatever that there isn't room for a creative discourse?

+rep for you for being a passionate fan. I'm ready to get the NBA stuff behind us and onto training camp!

 

This...

Imagine life without AJ if he would have left after his rookie contract. AJ helped keep that stadium full for years for McNair. Some fans don't care about the athlete. They don't care that he was willing to stick it out here on a garbage team but he could have went elsewhere and made even more money and been on a better team...

McNair will think about that. McNair will also think about the fact that it's possible that AJ could go to the HOF. And it would be embarrassing for McNair that his 1st HOF player doesn't associate with the organization.

 

Umm... big NFL contracts are designed to be restructured. Every player that has stayed on the same team does this because it would literally be impossible to operate otherwise.

The only reason you don't see most players do this is because teams just cut them when that balloon payment come. So you don't see the restructuring as teams generally just tell the player to go away.

 

This isn't necessarily true. Certainly, lots of players end up restructuring their contract, but many do not. And when they do, it's an occasional thing. Andre did it in 3 consecutive years (2011, 2012, and 2013) to help the team out each time, if I understand correctly. Here's the one from 2013, done to help sign Cushing to an extension:

http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2013/9/...t-restructure-texans-brian-cushing-salary-cap

Normally, when high-level players do it, they get something in exchange - in the example above, Andre Johnson got nothing at all, except a higher cap figure next year which virtually guaranteees that he'll get cut, decreasing the total value of his deal.

 

They could offer him the million back based on toeing the team line and performance - he has to reach targets but still gets percentages if he misses.
This way both sides save face.

 

You should read Mr Major's post sir

 

Yeah, they could do that, but honestly, the Texans have no reason to do it. I think Johnson "sticking to his guns" will just cause the Texans to do so. Maybe once he starts showing up for work and he gets into camp they can talk about it, but it would just be the Texans doing Andre yet another favor.

 

Just let him ride the pine.

Why do receivers start to be divas at the ends of their careers? I'm not saying that he shouldn't be complaining, because he's got every right. All I'm saying is the guy signed a contract. Let him ride it out if you can't get anything good for him. I say we should ask for a first round pick and a decent player for him. Otherwise, let him sit. He will change his mind.

 

You keep calling me sir, I will take it at face value, and not you being facetious. I believe you to be wrong on your understanding of the fact. I belive the post you quoted, written by Major, has little do with only about half the things I think you have wrong.

 

Just pay AJ, he is the only real bright spot other than Watt since this miserable franchise was founded on Boselli's knees. The Texans are not doing Jack **** this year with their Ivy League backup QB.

 

Stupid post is stupid. If you're gonna troll, at least know what you are talking about. Boselli's shoulder ended his career.

 

I don't know why people even bring up Boselli as a negative. 1) The only way we were getting both Seth Payne and Gary Walker (two of our better players in those early days) from Jacksonville was if we took Boselli, otherwise the Jags would've pulled one of them back after we took the other. 2) We had to reach a salary minimum in the expansion draft and Boselli's contract helped get us there. He didn't play, but it made sense to take him in context.

 

This. Stop with the Jedi Boselli talk. We had to take him...

 

I don't think that he is being a diva. He has consistently been one of the best receivers in the NFL. He has stayed here through some really bad years. He finally got a taste of the playoffs and wants to have the chance to play for a championship. That's not a bad thing.

Rather than draft any of the three or four QBs that are ready to play, they select a guy (in the 4th round) who is a project at best. That tells Andre that the team won't be ready to seriously compete for at least three years. At his age, Andre has to be looking at the situation and thinking "I don't have that kind of time."

I honestly don't blame the guy.

 

Just trade him to the Ravens so he can get a ring like everyone else.