OT: You Thought Branch Was Bad? Read This: Reed Calls Out Ravens

[mavfan2390]

"You hate to see the Ravens even put him in this kind of predicament," Reed said. "That goes to show you how shady and how bad the business is and how bad certain organizations are. I really think he should have been signed a long time ago. It should have never gotten to this point. He has been nothing but loyal to them. Not only the city, but the organization. If he gets away, it's a terrible decision on their part. It was a terrible decision to even let it get this far."

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=cr-thomas021007&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

 

[Seymour93]

I really don't think those comments are that bad. Ed Reed is talking about Adalius Thomas for those who didn't click the link BTW. Patrick Pass wore a baseball cap with a skull & bones and #83 underneath it and he managed to stay on this roster. As long as a particular player isn't constantly undermining the team, like TO and Shockey for instance, there really shouldn't be a problem with someone voicing his frustrations every now and then.

 

[upstater1]

I really don't think those comments are that bad. Ed Reed is talking about Adalius Thomas for those who didn't click the link BTW. Patrick Pass wore a baseball cap with a skull & bones and #83 underneath it and he managed to stay on this roster. As long as a particular player isn't constantly undermining the team, like TO and Shockey for instance, there really shouldn't be a problem with someone voicing his frustrations every now and then.

For me the comments are pretty bad. Especially when you consider how badly the Ravens are strapped by the cap. The only way for Reed not to seem like a complete hypocrite is for him and the other starson the team to renegotiate and take less money so that Adalius can get paid.

I'm amazed by football players. They don't seem to realize that the NFL has a salary cap. We see this repeatedly in player after player. tedy Bruschi seems to be one of the few guys that has realized how a salary cap works. Tedy completely gamed the system by signing an uncuttable contract (therefore never risking being paid the Vet Min) and by foregoing use of an agent (and the extra 10% cut)

 

[pats63]

The only part I like is when Bill got to coach him and see is goods in person....You never know,I know is 30...He would look really tight in Pats logo on his helmet....

 

[PatsWorldChamps]

yeah, it's a simple comment... he wants AT back... but everyone else wants him too.. RL is almost done.... AT was their best player on D... if we got him... H3LL YEAH!!!!!

 

[SVN]

baltimore runs its business quite close to how BB runs so its no surprise

 

[cubedoggy]

He would look really tight in Pats logo on his helmet....

Tight, yes.

Which number would make him look tightest?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

One of the reasons Lawyer, whom Bill loved as a player, is no longer here is because they identified him after the 2002 season as a potential negative leader.

They showed a clip of Reed running a pick out of the end zone, and Billick looked like he wanted to strangle him until it he made it out of the red zone and was cruising for a TD. He said there was no way he wasn't going to try to return that pick every time, and he proceeded to do the same thing to BB - only in the pro bowl where it doesn't matter. Almost go nailed at the 2 and likely would have or worse in a real game where everyone is comfortable hitting. I'm sure he's one of those talents BB admires, but it's unlikely they could work together on multiple levels.

 

[Miguel]

I'm amazed by football players. They don't seem to realize that the NFL has a salary cap. We see this repeatedly in player after player. tedy Bruschi seems to be one of the few guys that has realized how a salary cap works. Tedy completely gamed the system by signing an uncuttable contract (therefore never risking being paid the Vet Min) and by foregoing use of an agent (and the extra 10% cut)

I am amazed by this post. I am stunned to realize that someone thinks that players do not realize that the NFL has a salary cap. More than fans, players know that the NFL is a business. It is not the player's job to manage the cap for the team. It is the front office's.

We will have to agree to disagree on this.

BTW, I am sure that players know the correct amount of an agent's cut. The max has been 3%.

 

[Miguel]

The article says
"The decision is expected to come to a head before March 3, when the franchise owes him a $5 million roster bonus. Baltimore is expected to cut him before that date, clearing another $1.66 million in cap space, based on the difference between his $5 million base salary next season, and an accelerated cap hit of roughly $3.33 million." This seems to forget that $1.66 million is already counting against the 2007 cap so the Ravens would actually clear another $3.33 million.

If Lewis is due a $5 million salary and a a 5 million roster bonus and received a $5 million signing bonus in 2006 as part of a 3-year deal then his 2007 cap number would be
$5 million roster bonus
$5 million salary
$1.66 million prorated signing bonus
===========================
$11.66 million

If the Ravens release Lewis, the 2008 proration of his signing bonus ($1.66 million) would accelerate into 2007 making his dead money hit $3.33 million.

$11.66 million
minus $3.33 million
equals a cap savings of
$8.33 million.