Do you think the Texans would hesitate to cut him and not pay him anything? of course they would cut him . . . NFL contracts are some of the oddest contracts in sports because both sides can renegotiate them Players by holding out Owners by cutting the player and then trying to resign them for less. Both happen all the time . . . why is it only a big deal when players do it? Rocket River
Except the contracts explicitly state that the team can do it - it's part of what the player agrees to and is why they negotiate a certain amount that is guaranteed. The contracts don't say that the players can do it.
Major beat me to it. It's a bargained term from the beginning, RR. He's compensated accordingly from the beginning.
IT is an unfair contract that is dictated by a company that is basically a monopoly [NFL is more of a monopoly than Microsoft ever was] Last I checked. . . Monopolies = bad I guess when the teams have soooo much power . . . I am not overly sympathetic to their side either. Rocket River
I'd be willing to redo his contract...to a point. Unlike QB, not even the greatest WR is enough to put his team in contention (as Andre is demonstrating). There is also the good argument that you don't want to walk down the road of telling players that pitching a fit will get you a new contract. You sign a long term deal without a player option, you're putting yourself in the position of locking yourself in to a deal that you might regret. Personally, I think Andre realized that he needs to get his money on the table now before the new CBA comes around. If I'm Rick Smith, I give him the raise, but I don't increase the amount of guaranteed money he's currently due. There's a price to this. As long as he's playing the way he has, the Texans won't think about cutting him - hell, he's the best chance they have of a retired jersey. They want him to retire here if possible. I'd redo his base (not his guaranteed) to be $9M this year, with 10% raises. If he's insulted by that...too bad. This team has floundered his entire tenure. It's not as if he's led us anywhere. I'd be fine trading him out for a first and third. Seriously. And I've been wearing his jersey since his rookie year. I want to see this team win. I see no point in being a St Louis, trotting out a great like Stephen Jackson but wallowing year in and year out. Love AJ, agree he needs a good pay bump, but no single player is above the team, and overpaying non-critical positions is a fantastic way to handcuff your team's development.
Since when did Andre Johnson only have one client to offer his services? The NFL is a monopoly, but not the Texans. AJ could've entered FA and created a bidding war. But he REFUSED by seeking an extension and getting $15 mil guaranteed 2 years before becoming a free agent. He made his own bed. While the NFL's CBA does allow for base salaries to be non-guaranteed, it doesn't mean players can't have their salaries guaranteed. i.e. 6-yr deal with 60 mil in bonus(spread payment over 6 years) and 10 mil in base salary would work. You know why AJ didn't get that contract? Why no receiver ever gets that kind of contract? Because no team think they're worth the money. I can't see how AJ has any leg to stand on if he's serious(and not just trying to get out of the OTAs). He had every right to get Fizgerald money. He simply chose not to.
I posted this in the Texans Off-Season thread too, but it fits better here. The only issue I really have with any of this Andre Johnson stuff is that his uncle still hasn't been exposed for the hack that he truly is. Every time the guy opens his mouth, it's either to let the media know that Andre is open to leaving the Texans, or that he's not happy with how the Texans aren't winning. He mistakes chest-puffing and false posturing for being a good agent, when clearly he lacks the necessary skills to be a truly good agent. Why on Earth would anyone recommend their client sign an 8 YEAR DEAL.....especially in a league with such a volatile financial landscape like the NFL??? He's the true culprit in all of this. Not the Texans.
Nonsense. The contract terms are agreed to by the player's union. It's not an unfair contract. We just report the contracts stupidly by talking about their total theoretical value as the value of the contract. NFL contracts basically say: * The team agrees to pay you $x no matter what * The team agrees to pay you y, z, a, b dollars for each year we choose to retain your services It's that simple. It's no different than any other employment contracts that set a salary - the employer can still let you go any time, but while you're there, it specifies what you'll be paid. Nowhere in the contract is there any term that says "if you're unhappy, you can choose to simply not perform and demand a raise" - that's a violation of the contract. That said, it's pretty common in the NFL because the player holds cards; the team can't just go replace the player at will. I would like to see the next NFL contract contain penalties for holding out. If a player thinks they will be underpaid in a few years, they should accept a smaller signing bonus and a shorter contract. The large signing bonus puts the risk on the team; the tradeoff for the team is that they get the player for a lower price down the line for taking on that upfront risk. Andre Johnson has nothing to complain about. If he had blown out his ACL's in his 1st or 2nd year, he'd be getting paid the guaranteed money even if he sucked; he accepted that in exchange for letting the club have long term rights to him at a reasonable salary.
at the same time, it's accepted practice that players use this tactic to re-structure deals. i typically don't have a problem with it if the player is actually worth it.
This. AJ definitely deserves to get paid more, there's no doubt about it IMO. But he's got nobody to blame other than his uncle/agent who negotiated and signed a terrible contract. Can't think of any other player who has wanted to re-negotiate their contract with 5 years left on it. This guy mispoke for AJ last year and he's also the sole reason why AJ is deciding to sit out OTAs for a new contract.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/fb/texansfront/7013115.html Okay, it's all good again. Texans' Johnson to report to training, first team activity By JOHN MCCLAIN After meeting with Texans owner Bob McNair on Wednesday, wide receiver Andre Johnson has decided to participate in his first organized team activity today. Johnson met with Texans officials today and is scheduled to get with the team on Friday to discuss the state of his contract. Johnson has five years left on the eight-year, $60 million extension he signed in March of 2007. “I think we can work something out that'll be a win-win situation for everybody,” Melton said . Johnson didn't participate in the first three days of OTAs because he's unhappy with a contract that calls for him to make a base salary of $5.8 million this season. General manager Rick Smith said Monday that he would meet with Melton. The Texans don't talk contract if the player isn't present. “Andre will be back,” Melton said. “I think we can get everything worked out.” john.mcclain@chron.com
