flutie2phelan

Although the facts are different,
the background to Willie Parker's premature contract extension today
seems instructively - and eerily - similar to Branch's pending situation.

Here is some of what profootballtalk.com said about Parker's fait accompli"

Trading in the risk that he'll be seriously injured while operating under a one-year, $425,000 deal that he signed earlier this year as an exclusive rights free agent, Steelers running back Willie Parker signed a four-year, $13.6 million extension, which includes a $3.75 million signing bonus.
So now he's tied up through 2010, during which time the salary cap will continue to grow at unprecedented rates. And when he hits the open market, he'll be 30.
....
Though we're not saying it was a bad move for Parker to take less money right now, he could have been in line for a deal in the range of five years and $25 million, which is the going benchmark for backs not named Edgerrin James or Shaun Alexander, if Parker had made it through 2006 healthy and effective.
So in exchange for taking less money than he might have gotten in the future but getting more security than he otherwise would have had in the present, we don't want to hear Parker or his agent talking about how Willie has "outperformed" his deal if he churns out 1,500 yards and/or 15 touchdowns over the next two seasons. His job is to perform to the best of his ability, regardless of compensation. If he turns out to be another Amos Zereoue, Parker doesn't have to pay back the $3.75 million signing bonus. If he turns out to be another Jerome Bettis, Parker likewise has no right to hold up the team for a raise.
Put simply, in exchange for transferring to the team the risk that he'll turn out to be an overpaid one-year wonder, Parker is assuming the risk that he'll be an underpaid superstar.

Touche, Twig ?

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Pats726

Might be similar BUT WRs think they are worth more...

MoLewisrocks

Much like with Brady, this kid is taking the incremental increase. First secure yourself financially. If you're really worth more teams will usually continue to up the ante incrementally before you become disgruntled. Brady went from a 6 figure Superbowl MVP to a 7 figure Superbowl MVP to a 10 figure franchise Superbowl QB on his way to Canton via Foxboro over the span of 5 seasons.

The Pat's tried that approach with Deion offering him an extension right after the Superbowl in March 2005 - 2 years early. He was insulted by that offer. Then this spring the team again approached him and offered another extension with short or long term parameters at his discretion. And again he was insulted. Deion hasn't been paying attention. You don't get FA money until you become a FA. Guys who deserve to biatch are the ones who get no offers in the interim, not guys who keep turning down better offers because hey, they need to feed their family. .

Oswlek

I'm not sure what angle you are taking this from. If you are saying that Branch should discount his demands mildly due to it not really being a FA year for him, and the team taking a little extra injury risk, I can buy that.

However, if you are saying that Branch took a little extra signing bonus to agree to the 5th year originally, that I'm not so sure about. Frankly, I can see Branch's point about the length of the contract. Any rookie taken outside of the top 10 really has no leg to stand on when it comes to contract demands. If the team says it needs to be a 5 year deal, what is a 2nd rounder going to do? Hold out and waste a year of earning power, along with dropping his stock immeasurably? Even if he was still picked in the 2nd round a year later, he missed out on one years income and will still hit FA the same year anyway (The 4 year deal one year later equates to the same time frame)

Branch has a point, but is making it in a horribly wrong way.