Chad Johnson deal helps Pats

[R_T26]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2415464


6 year deal worth 35.5 million, less than 6 mill a year. Branch 5 years at 23-25 mill should get it done.

 

[Hoodie]

from your mouth to God's ear.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

What is Marvin smoking?????

They already had him signed til 2009??? Why would yo restructure a guy with four years left on his deal and pay him an additonal 10 mil? Basically they are going to give him another 10 mil for one more year (which is they could have gotten for less is they had kept the old deal and franchised him for the 2010 sesaon). I really can't se why they did this, am I missing something? He is 28 now, he will be 32 when this contract expires in 2010, still slightly past the prime for NFL receivers.

 

[Hoodie]

Did we ever find out whether that story about Chad taking a swing at his offensive doing during half-time of the Pitt/Bengals playoff game was true?

 

[GoWhalers]

Pure speculation on my part...

...but I wonder if they also used this opportunity to add some behavioral clauses to Johnson's contract? I'm curious if the Bengals felt a need to contractually protect themselves from his behavior. I'm specifically thinking of the rumored "fight in the locker room" incident.

I'm sure the Bengals paid close attention to the T.O. debacle, and they might want to give themselves a clear legal option if Johnson became a similar problem.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Pure speculation on my part...

...but I wonder if they also used this opportunity to add some behavioral clauses to Johnson's contract? I'm curious if the Bengals felt a need to contractually protect themselves from his behavior. I'm specifically thinking of the rumored "fight in the locker room" incident.

I'm sure the Bengals paid close attention to the T.O. debacle, and they might want to give themselves a clear legal option if Johnson became a similar problem.

Yet another insightful observation making this Forum worth reading.

 

[JoeSixPat]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2415464


6 year deal worth 35.5 million, less than 6 mill a year. Branch 5 years at 23-25 mill should get it done.

I hope you're right, but if I'm Branch's agent I try to make the case that this is an apples and oranges comparison.

Johnson was not headed into his free agent year. This is largely a restructuring and extension of a deal that was set to go a few more years.

Johnson - Branch's agent would likely assert - was willing to take a "discount" of an average of $6 mil a year (after all - Givens is getting nearly $5 mil right?) in order to gain a $10 million bonus and the additional security of a few more contract years.

Why else would Cinci be willing to do this for a guy signed through 2009? Obviously because they recognized that $6 million a year is a heckuva deal for them.

So, like I said, if I'm Branch's agent, I'm telling the Pats that $6 mil a season is the starting point for negotiations - not the end.

 

[spacecrime]

So, like I said, if I'm Branch's agent, I'm telling the Pats that $6 mil a season is the starting point for negotiations - not the end.

You're probably right, as he could get that from some other team, I'm sure. But such a stand would make for a very short negotiation session with the Pats. No way will they pay a WR that much. Seymour didn't get much more.

 

[mgteich]

If Branch can almost certainly get $6M a year from someone else, and the patriots wouldn't even consider such a number, then isn't Branch gone after the season? Aren't we in the exact same position as with Givens? Why does anyone beleive that we will ever make Branch an offer anywhere near the market price for his services?

You're probably right, as he could get that from some other team, I'm sure. But such a stand would make for a very short negotiation session with the Pats. No way will they pay a WR that much. Seymour didn't get much more.

 

[JoeSixPat]

If Branch can almost certainly get $6M a year from someone else, and the patriots wouldn't even consider such a number, then isn't Branch gone after the season? Aren't we in the exact same position as with Givens? Why does anyone beleive that we will ever make Branch an offer anywhere near the market price for his services?

Well, the good news is that it IS an apples and oranges comparison.

Johnson, by pretty much all comparisons IS a better WR than Branch having averaged 90+ catches for the last 3 years.

Its difficult to compare the two contracts because again, Johnson had established his baseline before all this new CBA money and had an incentive to protect himself with additional guaranteed money under this extension.

It was a win win for both player and team.

In Branch's case he just doesn't compare with Johnson - he only has 1 season with #1 WR numbers from last year - with just 43, 57 and 35 catches in his other seasons. Even his yds per catch aren't all that great and he's never actually had a 1000 yard season.

So while Branch's agent will no doubt illustrate that $6 mil a season is a unique case that represents a major bargain in today's WR economy, Branch should also be realistic that one season with 78 catches doesn't put him in Johnson's league either.

Of course, I think there's some truth to the fact that the Patriots system that spreads the ball around winds up keeping individual WR statistics down, and I recognize that Branch's value in stretching the field goes beyond his stats, but that's what the Pats will use against him in negotiations.

 

[shakadave]

If Branch can almost certainly get $6M a year from someone else, and the patriots wouldn't even consider such a number, then isn't Branch gone after the season? Aren't we in the exact same position as with Givens? Why does anyone beleive that we will ever make Branch an offer anywhere near the market price for his services?

I take faith in the fact that Branch "gets it" and Givens didn't. Givens was much more mercenary than Branch. Deion will get a nice deal, many millions, but not a gawdy big deal, and stay with the Pats. That's why I've always liked Branch so much! We should be wearing lots of 83 jerseys! Deion is a true Patriot.