Harvey Fialkov of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that the NFLPA wants an explanation from the NFL management council regarding the trade that sent receiver Wes Welker from the Dolphins to the Patriots.
The trade was preceded by reports that the Patriots were ready to sign Welker to a $38.5 million offer sheet, which presumably would have included a poison pill that would have make it virtually impossible for the Dolphins to match the deal.
In the end, the two teams worked out a trade that sent a second-round and a seventh-round pick to the Fins for the rights to Welker. The receiver thereafter inked a five-year, $18.1 million contract.
The NFLPA is looking into the matter based reportedly on complaints from Welker's agent, Vann McElroy, regarding the fact that the manner in which the deal went down reduced the value of the contract that Welker ultimately signed.
The concern apparently is that the Pats and Fins put their heads together to come up with a way to get Welker to New England without the Pats having to use the poison pill. The real question, as we see it, is whether Welker would have earned more under the non-phony provisions of the New England offer sheet if he had signed the offer and waited for the Fins to decide whether to match it.
Of course, if the Pats had used the poison pill and if the Fins had matched the deal, Welker would have had (if the reports were accurate) guaranteed pay of $38.5 million over the next seven seasons.
Fialkov writes that the issue likely won't go anywhere, citing the opinion of an unnamed agent.
"When it comes to anti-tampering and collusion in regards to players, generally the league looks the other way and hands out a slap on the wrist unless the player's agent gets all frustrated and thinks their player has been devalued," the agent told Fialkov. "If the player's happy with the offer and the teams are happy, the league's stance is, 'Let's move on.''
(Or move out.)
In this case, however, the player (or, at least, the agent) isn't happy. And we've got a feeling this one isn't going to die a quiet death. Read on for more.
Doesn't surprise me the union is investigating. There is no logical reason Miami would take one of the 10 last picks in the draft instead of forcing their division rival to honor their ridiculous offer sheet.
Carl Francis, the director of communications from the NFL Players Association, clarified the situation regarding Wes Welker today.
Francis said the NFL Players Association is not seeking a review of the process in which Welker was traded from the Dolphins to the Patriots. He added that the association is not concerned that the collective bargaining agreement might have been violated as part of that process.
Instead, Francis said the association had sent a letter of inquiry to the management council seeking details on the contract signed by Welker.
"It had nothing to do with the way the deal went down," said Francis, adding that it wasn't an official grievance, and that Welker and his representatives did not ask the association to pursue any course of action.
Giving Pioli $30 million and an extra No. 1 pick is like giving Shawne Merriman an extra syringe. Expect massive results.
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by deerayfan072 » Tue Mar 13, 2007 12:21 pm 
