Is Welker's agent forcing him out of NE ?

[PATSNUTme]

It doesn't matter who he hires as an agent, no agent could ethically recommend that Welker take the offer the Patriots reportedly put on the table last offseason, it was way too far below market value for them to be able to do so. Brady's agent has made numerous deals with the Patriots but if his deal was up this offseason and they asked him to recommend a 5 million dollar a year deal to Brady for the next 3 years he would have no choice but to reject it and tell Brady to go elsewhere.

Agents can recommend all they want. It's up to the client to decide if he wants to stay in a certain place and take a deal that's offers. The agent does not have the final say, the client does.

So the answer to the question is only Welker can "force" himself out of NE by not taking the best and final offer by the Patriots.

 

[Ivan]

Agents can recommend all they want. It's up to the client to decide if he wants to stay in a certain place and take a deal that's offers. The agent does not have the final say, the client does.

So the answer to the question is only Welker can "force" himself out of NE by not taking the best and final offer by the Patriots.

Actually they can't. Agents are hired for legal/contractual advice and have ethical obligations to their clients, recommending a deal that is far below market value is a failure to provide the best counsel and a violation of their ethical obligations.

Patriot fans, like many sports fans, want their players to sacrifice everything for the team and are pretty much irrational when they won't do so. Welker was 100% in the right to reject that reported offer and he would be 100% right if to do so again if the terms are in line with what they reportedly offered last offseason. If the Patriots offer 2-16 then they are the ones "forcing" welker to look elsewhere, not the other way around. People can try to rationalize that any way they want but they are going to look ridiculous arguing that he is worth 1/10th of what Johnson and Fitzgerald got.

 

[Ivan]

Agents can recommend all they want. It's up to the client to decide if he wants to stay in a certain place and take a deal that's offers. The agent does not have the final say, the client does.

I do agree that the player can reject the agent's counsel and take whatever they want to take from the team. Welker can accept a 2-16 deal from the Patriots if he chooses to do so. He would be making a huge mistake given that they have to give him 12 for just 1 but he could do so.

 

[FourierSeries]

I actually hope he doesn't return. That would leave enough cap space for the Pats to go after WR with more talent. Don't get me wrong - I appreciate everything Wes has done for the team. But I think it's time to move on.

 

[Ivan]

I actually hope he doesn't return. That would leave enough cap space for the Pats to go after WR with more talent. Don't get me wrong - I appreciate everything Wes has done for the team. But I think it's time to move on.

You must know something everyone else doesn't because my understanding is that both Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald are under contract and going nowhere any time soon.

 

[patsinthesnow]

Yes, if Welker doesn't take the patriot offer before free agency, he is subject to being tagged.
He will then have gotten his $22M over 2 years instead of three. I don't think that the patriot "long" term contract before free agency will be appealing enough for him to sign and not try to get a better deal elsewhere.

Also, as much as we all want Welker, I don't think that we will franchise him. We need the money for free agency.

The Pats arent dumb enough to franchise a player 2 years in a row, having Welker cause a 12 million cap hit for next season. Why end up paying him two years at 22 million, thats awful. If Welker won't sign what the pats offer, then see ya, he's not worth 12 million.

 

[RayClay]

This is a textbook example of how New England negotiates in the press while claiming not to negotiate in the press.

That's fair, at least as far as Kraft goes. Of course I doubt they have Kraft doing the negotiations. When he was more involved, everybody got candy, not just the star QB, but the busto linemen in front of him.

I don't mind this really, it could be calculated by management. They failed to hammer it out last time, so this indicates, to me at least, that there's negotiations going on.

 

[Get it shawtaay]

How would people on this forum feel about 3 years 21 million guaranteed? Fair deal?

 

[Deus Irae]

That's air, at least as far as Kraft goes. Of course I doubt they have Kraft doing the negotiations. When he was more involved, everybody got candy, not just the star QB, but the busto linemen in front of him.

I don't mind this really, it could be calculated by management. They failed to hammer it out last time, so this indicates, to me at least, that there's negotiations going on.

I don't mind it either, as long as the team doesn't get its dander up when players and agents do the same thing.

 

[Wolfpack]

what would be funny is if welker is allowed to market and he can't get a better offer than what the pats are offering. That's the only way he stays, IMO. I don't think he's worth as much as he thinks he is.

I agree with this. Welker is in the perfect place for him. Other teams would not use him as much and therefore should not be willing to pay him as much as his stats claim he might merit.

 

[Wolfpack]

We have absolutely no way of knowing what advice Welker's agent is giving him but we do know that his ethical obligation as an agent is to get him the best deal possible, and at a bare minimum one that reflects his market value, neither of which the Patriots are likely to do.

While it's kinda funny the way you use "agent" and "ethical obligation" in the same sentence, it should be noted that an agent's true ethical obligation is to carry out the wishes of his client. If an athlete says "I want to maximize my income" then the agent should test the waters as much as possible (without, of course, violating league rules against tampering). But if the player wants to stay with a specific team, then the agent should make the best deal he can for the player with that team.

 

[Ivan]

I agree with this. Welker is in the perfect place for him. Other teams would not use him as much and therefore should not be willing to pay him as much as his stats claim he might merit.

That must be why they tagged, because other teams wouldn't pay him more.

 

[Wolfpack]

That must be why they tagged, because other teams wouldn't pay him more.

I am not saying other teams wouldn't be willing to pay him more than the Patriots, I am saying other teams won't be willing to pay him as much as they would be willing to pay most other 1,300+ yard UFA WR's (assuming Welker makes it to UFA status).

They tagged him because it was really a low risk, high reward maneuver. You get cost (and roster) certainty for the season. The Cleveland's and Buffalo's and Chicago's of the NFL know that Welker is lucky to reach 700 yards playing for them, so they won't be breaking the bank to sign him.

 

[RayClay]

I don't mind it either, as long as the team doesn't get its dander up when players and agents do the same thing.

They all do it, some is contrived, some spontaneous. It's a matter of what is going to help get the result you want. If the Patriots lose players because they don't like being manipulated in the press, that's their issue. I'm sure many teams have agents that rub them the wrong way, so either the player or team loses out, depending on the circumstance.

 

[Ivan]

While it's kinda funny the way you use "agent" and "ethical obligation" in the same sentence, it should be noted that an agent's true ethical obligation is to carry out the wishes of his client. If an athlete says "I want to maximize my income" then the agent should test the waters as much as possible (without, of course, violating league rules against tampering). But if the player wants to stay with a specific team, then the agent should make the best deal he can for the player with that team.

Agents almost always go along with their clients wishes, even when they disagree with them, Condon dropping Ben Watson would be a rare example of an agent refusing to go along when a client wanted to take a deal against their counsel, but the agent still has an obligation to inform the client of their best advice, and in this case that would clearly be to go free agent and reject the Patriots lowball offer. The Patriots know that their are plenty of teams that will pay Welker, that's why they tagged him last seeason and are going to be tempted to do the same this season. With Stokely a free agent in Denver I think there is a really high likelihood that Elway will do what it takes to get Welker to sign there, and if he does the Patriots could be in very deep sh.t come play-off time next season.

 

[Wolfpack]

With Stokely a free agent in Denver I think there is a really high likelihood that Elway will do what it takes to get Welker to sign there, and if he does the Patriots could be in very deep sh.t come play-off time next season.

Why do you say that? You think Elway is planning to have Welker as a QB?

 

[Ivan]

Why do you say that? You think Elway is planning to have Welker as a QB?

Nope, i say it because like Brady the way you beat manning is to get him off the field, and with Welker churning out one first down after another it is going to be very hard for the Patriots defense to do just that if they face them in the play-offs.

 

[wrinkle]

Being a Colts fan I hope Welker wears the Horseshoe next season!!!

 

[Bhelmet]

Call the Pats cheap - call them thrifty - call them rip-off artists. Who the hell cares? They have been on the right-side of the post-season since the millennium began. They have found the key to winning in a Marxist/Collective system. What happens when one earns more than another (perceived or real) in a Marxist/Collective society? Of course, those who produce less whine, scream, and complain that the better team did not beat them, but kept them down - in the name of progress, white supremacy, or stealing their resources in a manner that they received no recompense. The national media and the sports media are indistinguishable in message - only the messenger changes. from here on out the Pats will be known as "Conservative-republican-Blue-Collar-lunch pail guys-who will steal your lunch money if you lose eye-contact with them - or if you are dressed like a NYJ.

 

[BigMike]

Agents almost always go along with their clients wishes, even when they disagree with them, Condon dropping Ben Watson would be a rare example of an agent refusing to go along when a client wanted to take a deal against their counsel, but the agent still has an obligation to inform the client of their best advice, and in this case that would clearly be to go free agent and reject the Patriots lowball offer. The Patriots know that their are plenty of teams that will pay Welker, that's why they tagged him last seeason and are going to be tempted to do the same this season. With Stokely a free agent in Denver I think there is a really high likelihood that Elway will do what it takes to get Welker to sign there, and if he does the Patriots could be in very deep sh.t come play-off time next season.

or not when Welker drops a pass from Manning in the 4th quarter and the Pats go on to win....