Holdouts possible/Davern Williams signed/stop negotiating ploy (merged) | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Holdouts possible/Davern Williams signed/stop negotiating ploy (merged)

Wow... this is one of the shakier situations I've seen come out of our front office. If I'm interpreting this right... they KNEW the essential market value of the several players they still needed to sign, yet they went ahead and spent into that portion of funds that should have been set aside for them. Okay. No law against that. But... then you have to be creative in how you structure or sweeten what you offer these players. Fine. But then you just announce that you "don't believe in" the mechanism that would grant them relief, -- a mechanism other teams typically employ?

It seems like the front office just decided it would be okay to take BOTH the money AND the flexibility (voidable-years) off the table for these three guys. Doesn't sound fair to me, and it looks like the ONE person getting set-up to take the hit here is just the kind of team-spirited, commited, hard-working young player we should want to be MOST fair toward: Eddie Moore.
 
I agree. The note that we spent more than usual on undrafted free agents and thus don't have the money to sign draft picks is baffling. Why would you jepordize signing guys you expect to make the team for guys who are by definition far less likely?????????
 
if we had not signed OG, we would have enough $$$ for these guys :fire:

Talks between the team and all three picks have been difficult because the Dolphins don't have enough money under the rookie pool within the salary cap to pay what constitutes ''market'' deals compared with other players drafted at similar stages and signed by other teams.
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:nono:
 
It looks like they're trying to sign Moore to a five year deal. If that gets done everyone get signed. The phins or the agents are trying to tap 100% of the cap. There's no reason to cut it that close.
 
Hey guys don't get upset until the true details are reported as this article has some misleading statements. Undrafted rookie contracts do not count against the Rookie Pool Allocation unless they receive more than the rookie minimum. All twelve undrafted rookies signed for the one year minimum contract amount and only their total $73,000. signing bonuses count against the salary cap. As Phan4Ever pionted out, If the F.O. is trying to force 4 year deals without an adequate signing bonus, which makes it an undermarket deal, and taking away the flexibility of voidable years then years they may not have the cap space. It's an easy fix, don't sign all the draft picks or be flexible with 3 and 4 year deals.
 
Originally posted by Sherif
It looks like they're trying to sign Moore to a five year deal. If that gets done everyone get signed. The phins or the agents are trying to tap 100% of the cap. There's no reason to cut it that close.
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Five year deals for hgher draft picks with more than the minimum for each year and large bonuses is the standard. Remember only the highest 51 player salaries and pro rated signing bonuses are counted against the salary cap until the season starts. Approximately $.750M of salary cap space will be kept for emergencies.
 
Originally posted by Merman


Five year deals for hgher draft picks with more than the minimum for each year and large bonuses is the standard. Remember only the highest 51 player salaries and pro rated signing bonuses are counted against the salary cap until the season starts. Approximately $.750M of salary cap space will be kept for emergencies.
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Thanks for the information. If Moore wants to play against Tampa Bay in a couple of weeks then he's going to push his agent. I believe the agents get less money in 5 year deals so it's really the agents holding out.
 
Originally posted by Sherif


Thanks for the information. If Moore wants to play against Tampa Bay in a couple of weeks then he's going to push his agent. I believe the agents get less money in 5 year deals so it's really the agents holding out.
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Agents get a pecentage, I believe it's 3%. Sure the agents are negotiating for what they perceive is a fair deal and that's their job. A hold out is when the player does not report to work. What I did forget to say is the most interesting point in that article was that the agents are banding together so all their cleints get a fair deal.

The players and owners have already negotiated labor rules called the Collective Bargaining Agreement. (CBA)
The players have no bargaining power at all for the first three years. After that they have limited power called RFA. To force the lower drafted players to sign 4 year deals that are the absolute yearly minimums with three year bonus money and no flexibility for the fourth year (if that's what is happening) is not good business IMO.
 
Well I guess so but, I dont consider it a holdout when there's no contract present.

If you dont have a contract, why would you be there? Insurance, I believe, only covers padless mini-camps. Read the writing on the wall, the rookie pool allotment is the same as last year, and the Dolphins spent more than they should have on undrafted free agents this year. So they don't have much money to work with, and are trying to get players to agree to 4 year contracts which the NFLPA has specifically warned rookies NOT to sign.

I'm not gonna say the front office is tryin to screw these guys, but its not surprising to me that contract negotiations are going more slowly than we would have liked. All the writing on the wall isn't pointing to the agents trying to get way more money than they should be, its pointing to the Dolphins not having enough rookie cap allotment to make these negotiations go over smoothly. I mean if you think about it, the Phins did this to Seth McKinney last year...and this year they are tryin to get away with signing guys to 4 year contracts which rob low-round draft picks of a possible RFA contract which would be worth far more than what they are going to be paid in a 4 year contract. Its why the NFLPA warned against those contracts.

Anyway it sounds like the agents are bein good and workin with the Dolphins on the whole thing. But its the Phins that are being adamant about not believing in voidable years etc
 
Originally posted by ckparrothead
Read the writing on the wall, the rookie pool allotment is the same as last year, and the Dolphins spent more than they should have on undrafted free agents this year. So they don't have much money to work with, and are trying to get players to agree to 4 year contracts which the NFLPA has specifically warned rookies NOT to sign.
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The Dolphins signed 12 undrafted rookie free agents to the minimum $225K one year deal and signing bonuses of $73 thousand dollars. $225K * 12= $2.7M
The Dolphins Rookie Pool Allotment for the year 2003 is $2,782,469. So even if you didn't believe what I said, If those undrafted rookie contracts counted against the RPA then the Dolhpins have already spent it all. I for one don't think the front office is that stupid. Here's the list of undrafted rookies.

April 28, 2003 Dolphin Press Release
Dolphins Agree To Terms With Twelve College Free Agents
The Miami Dolphins today agreed to terms with twelve college free agents who were not selected in last weekend’s NFL Draft. The group of college free agents includes two quarterbacks, two wide receivers, one tight end, one fullback, one offensive tackle, one guard, one cornerback, one safety, one defensive end and one linebacker.
Korey Banks, CB,
Ronald Bellamy, WR
Josh Blankenship, QB
Jimmy Fryzel, WR,
Otis Grigsby, DE
Byron Hardmon, LB
Terrance Leftwich, S
Dejhown Mandley, TE
Morgan Pears, T
Josh Rue, FB
Lon Sheriff, QB,
Billy Yates, G
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The UDFAs only count $37,500 vs the rookie allocation because each of them signed 2 yr deals, thus any signing bonuses are amortized over the 2 yrs. I suspect one problem, haven't read the article yet, is that Miami may be trying to get 6th rd pick, DB Y. Bell, to sign a deal without an upfront signing bonus. Why? Well, he's not likely to play this season and will likely be on the PUP then IR come week 10. That way, any signing bonus that would normally go to a 6th rd pick is saved and would be used on another player. His $225,000 salary is basically "guaranteed" because of being on the PUP/IR for the season, but there would be no signing bonus amortization. Miami could then give him a roster bonus at the start of the 2004 League Year if his recovery is OK.
 
well, is always upseting when players hold out but the FO has to do their part too. We need everyone in there getting the reps.

Ozzy rules!!
 
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