Rodney Harrison says Seymour not thrilled with the trade...

[PatsFanSince74]

Just as Samuel did, just as Harrison publically recommended, Seymour can choose not to report. That is one of his options.

Apparently, you don't think that players/workers should have options. Apparently, you think (as some in Oakland) that teams can trade you and you should report the next day in Oakland. After all, many in Oakland and in the national media are reporting that Seymour missed practice today. Guess what, he isn't a raider yet. And, there are ZERO consequences of him not showing up for 5 days after getting a formal letter, which he probably got today if such papers can legally be served on a holiday.

In any case, under the CBA, a player can choose not to report.

I certainly understand that some owners and some fans think that players like Seymour get paid enough that they should go wherever they're told to go and do whatever they are told to do. Thankfully for the players, there is a CBA.

that's well-said. as i understand it (and please correct me if i am wrong) the CBA gives him the choice of playing for his $3.7 mill in a place he'd rather not play (can anyone blame him for not wanting to play in that hellhole?) or of forgoing said ducats and losing a year towards his FA eligibility. I understand his emotions at this point, but the CBA is also wise to allow for that five-day cooling off period wherein Richard can weigh the trade off he would be making.

 

[FalconHeavy]

I love Big Sey as much as anyone. Certainly appreciate everything he's done for the team, but after that BS he pulled in 2005, while all the while smugly claiming "it's just business", I don't have much sympathy at this point.

It's just business Rich, now go man up and take your place on that cesspool of an NFL team. You've been traded, get over it.

I totally agree. what goes around, comes around. If I'm not mistaken, he has made his intentions public more than once by holding out. For the record, I'm neither happy nor thrilled but, it is what it is.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Yeah, he could have agreed to stay here for less, but he chose not to. How many posters on this board would pass up a raise to stick with a company that they knew felt absolutely no loyalty to you (ie would fire you in a heartbeat if it ever made financial sense to)?

The Patriots have shown time and again that they won't be bound by a sense of loyalty to a player, and that's fine. Rodney outright said that he retired because he knew they were about to 'whack' him. Has anyone given more than Rodney has? When it came down to dollars and cents, the Pats don't care about that stuff- they care about getting the most talent possible for their money. Yet when a player talks about wanting to get appropriate money for his talent, the guy becomes a pariah around here.

I have no problem with the Pats' philosophy, because that's how you win in the salary cap era. By the same token, though, if a player takes the same approach, I'm not going to rake him over the coals for it, because these guys have long lives ahead of them, and they want to make sure that they and their kids never have to worry about money. If someone wants to be paid appropriately, that doesn't mean that he doesn't care about winning, or anything like that. Hell, Tom Brady gets paid more than anyone on the team, and he's all but said that he's looking for a raise. Are you guys (not you specifically, more of a general thing) going to turn on him next?

Rodney was a 36 year old UFA when he retired. He played here for the entire 6 years of a deal many speculated he'd never see the end of and some felt would be overpaying for a SS of his age by the time it's final year of 2008 rolled around. They stuck with him through 3 injury plagued seasons. Tedy and Bingo say hi too. Tom gets paid more than anyone on the team, but not by a wide margin - actually by the slimmest of margins. Seymour and Moss are less than a million a year behind him and closer to the highest paid at their positions than he is. And the thing is Brady never biatches about being paid multiple millions less than some of his so called peers.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

A lot of people trashed the guy when he was here. Team guys tend not to get trashed as much. Don't feel too bad for Richard, I bet he gets picked up by a good team next year, and he'll get his second big FA contract.

Perhaps Sey will learn from this whole experience. Imagine him resigning to a good team at a discount cuz that's where he want's to be and the type of organization he wants to be around? He's might not be a great team guy, but from what I gather, he's a very intelligent dood, an excellent friend, a great family man and has some strong core values. Though not likely, I don't think it's outside the realm of possibility that the "good team" he eventually signs with is the Pats. That would make an amazing story.

i admire and envy your hopefulness, but it is a business, especially in the cap and FA era. it makes little sense to do what you describe when injury can end your career in a single play. these athletes are entertainers who get just one or two shots at big paydays in the middle of many 365 day years when they risk that injury virtually every day in a game or in practice. I am someone who believes that even Tommy, assuming he's 100% after his injury, should be looking out for Number One when his next contract is renegotiated; not that he will demand to be the top paid QB but that he'll want to be in the top three or so to stay with the pats.

 

[NEGoldenAge]

i admire and envy your hopefulness, but it is a business, especially in the cap and FA era. it makes little sense to do what you describe when injury can end your career in a single play. these athletes are entertainers who get just one or two shots at big paydays in the middle of many 365 day years when they risk that injury virtually every day in a game or in practice. I am someone who believes that even Tommy, assuming he's 100% after his injury, should be looking out for Number One when his next contract is renegotiated; not that he will demand to be the top paid QB but that he'll want to be in the top three or so to stay with the pats.

I'm not saying not to get a fair wage, but there is no need to chase absolute top dollar. As I said in another post, there is usually a reason a particular team will pay top dollar. It's a matter of quality of life vs. money you make. I face that very same choice, but overviously at a a much lower payscale than Sey. I chose quality of life over absolute top dollar, and I make a pretty good living. If you are going to chase top dollar, don't ***** when it bites you in the ass. That's all.

 

[klinefan]

Depends on what "manning up" means in this case. If it means follow the rules of the company/organization you work for (the NFL) even if you don't like it, then actually yes- business in this case has everything to do with "manning up".

If it's a business, then he should do waht makes him the most money. So that may be to NOT report to Oakland.

 

[Kontradiction]

If it's a business, then he should do waht makes him the most money. So that may be to NOT report to Oakland.

You can't be serious with that one. If he reports to Oakland and has another good season like he had in 2008, Big Al will pay up and pay up big time. He's shown that time and time again.

 

[mgteich]

Are you suggesting that Seymour could get more money from the raiders in a capped year with no other bidders than Seymour could get in a possible uncapped year with competition from a dozen or so teams? I strongly disagree. I suggest that the best deal for Seymour is try to get what Samuel did. Seymour should accept the fact that he owes services on his contract and should agree to play immediately, if and only if the raiders agree not to franchise him next year.

The ONLY issue Seymour has is the injury issue. That is what insurance is for. At very worst, even if agrees to play for Oakland without restriction, he could be franchised and be forced to play for a paltry $15M next year.

Now is not the time to sign a long-term deal with a terrible team. Besides, it takes awhile to negotiate a contract. It took Cassel a couple of months.

You can't be serious with that one. If he reports to Oakland and has another good season like he had in 2008, Big Al will pay up and pay up big time. He's shown that time and time again.