CJ2K's holdout

[bungle613]

After speaking recently with Chris Johnson, NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp believes the star running back is serious about holding out beyond training camp.
"There's going to have to be some talking before Chris goes back to Tennessee," Sapp said. "He's prepared to take this through training camp." Coach Jeff Fisher has been confident that Johnson will arrive "soon," but it's becoming obvious that the Titans are going to have find a way to creatively persuade their best player to return to work. CJ2K is slated to earn less ($550,000) this year than third-string journeyman Alvin Pearman ($630,000). May. 13 - 8:26 pm et

Anyone concerned? The part that stuns me the most is the agents or other people that are telling these guys that in an uncapped year they should play hardball for a new contract. Deals can be worked but from what I have read it is exceptionally tough especially when dealing with redoing rookie deals. Play one more year and then play hardball. CJ has certainly outplayed his deal and is in line for a huge raise but dude, you signed the deal. Play. I have no issues with voiding a final year but not 2. If he thought he was going to be a superstar then he should have signed a 3 year deal.

[LS2throwed]

I'm not concerned.


And I usually agree with the theory of look, you signed the deal, just play it, but this is still a business. Dude had one of the all-time great seasons ever, and he also had an incredible workload, if he got hurt he'd cost himself 10 or more millions of dollars initially, so he has every right to want to hold out. Unfortunately that 20% rule or whatever is holding players like him, and DeSean Jackson hostage from getting a big raise, but they can work around it.


He's making like 500k next year, for the year he had and amount of times he touched the ball a holdout is a given. Teams don't have to abide by contracts, if they sign a 5-6 year deal and they suck they can cut you before you finish it out, so it's only fair that if a player out performs his deal he can hold out as well.


I also don't think rookies can sign deals like 3 years long coming out, teams would never agree to that, most are 5-6 years especially 1st round picks. It's still not time to worry yet, he's working with Tom Shaw the guy who made him such a success last year, and as cocky as he is he really wants to be great, and an NFL MVP but the good thing is he works hard as hell to try and achieve those goals.

[bungle613]

Same boat as you are LS2, I don't think ti will be an issue but I do think that this 30% rule is almost impossible to work around on a small rookie deal. I don't know enough about all the little nuances but the only thing I have heard they might be able to do is to front load it in guaranteed monies. That would be asking the Titans to assume all the risk which they are unlikely to do.

[Cowboys 4 life]

The thing is this guy has a chance now to restructure things after such an awesome season. 500k is too little for what you are getting. I agree that he should restructure things now. Reevis is doing the same thing. I do feel he might never perform to last years numbers if they give him big money but with an uncapped year they could push some of it into this year.

I'm always in between on this issue. If a guy performs like CJ2k and Reevis they deserve to get paid. But a big contract hurts the rest of the team. Not to mention the team can basically void the contract when they want. When you are good you must get guaranteed money to truly ensure getting paid. I hate when players break their contracts and hold out but I can understand why they do it.

[portisfan24]

Kind of a misleading article. I watched the segment where Sapp was talking about it and it was pretty much just his opinion. Yes he had talked to CJ and whatnot but he just said he believes CJ will holdout into training camp. I wouldn't be too worried.

[joejlitz]

...and I usually agree with the theory of look, you signed the deal, just play it, but this is still a business. Dude had one of the all-time great seasons ever, and he also had an incredible workload, if he got hurt he'd cost himself 10 or more millions of dollars initially, so he has every right to want to hold out.

Yeah - in the 90s, the Eagles philosophy was that they don't rework deals. That caused a lot of personnel problems. Now, they typically restructure an over-performer before this situation comes up, ala Dawkins, Westbrook, & McNabb. They would'a done DJAX, too but the uncapped year threw things off. Fortunately, they worked something out with his agent and there is an understanding there.

As for Rookie deals, I heard the Cool Commish say that it was a concern at the last draft and that it would be addressed as teams are not happy with the money they have to pay to high 1st rounders (slightly different than the player's perspective of getting locked in over 5-6 years, but we'll see how it plays out).

[biju]

If the players don't like the outcome of the 30% rule that went into effect before the CBA ran out they only have "themselves" to blame. The NFLPA should have made a deal before the uncapped year and their hard line stance might very well mean a work stoppage in 2011.

I feel for Chris Johnson and the other guys that would have benefited from a new CBA in place, but I teams' hands are tied right now with the 30% rule. As much as a team might believe in their player it just isn't good business to give a hefty signing bonus/guaranteed money and have the player earn a small salary. Besides, would you commit a ton of money to a player when you don't even know what a future cap might be? You could cripple your team for many years if done poorly.

I kind of think the Titans are playing this the only way they can...am I missing something?

[Kareighuis]

If a team thinks a player has underperformed his contract, they'll examine their options, including renegotiating and even cutting the player. Similarly, when a player overperforms his contract, it's only appropriate to do all due diligence to bring the contract terms in alignment with actual performance- including holding out. On top of that, RBs have such a short shelf life, you need to pounce when you've proven yourself an elite back, as Johnson has.

As Andrew Brandt points out, "There is one way around the 30-percent rule, but no team wants to use it." Philly worked around the 30% rule, which doesn't take signing bonuses into account, in signing Kolb to a year deal. SF took it another step by giving Willis a 7 year contract. While the details haven't been fully revealed, it seems he got 2 signing bonuses- 15.5 mil upfront and 4.8 mil in 2011's training camp.

[moochman]

Despite the "Cool Commisioner's" assertion that his stance on not paying rookie big money so that they can reward vets, this is another clear cut case of the league having no intention of doing so. They are lying. So let them continue to overpay for those who have outperformed in college. And let CJ4.24 sit out and force them to pay him a big bonus. If the liars get their way, CJ4.24 and other players will not get another chance to get paid in accordance with their performance.

[joejlitz]

Paul Domowitch: Comparing contract dilemmas of DeSean Jackson & Chris Johnson
Philadelphia Daily News

Daily News Sports Columnist

DOWN IN NASHVILLE, Titans running back Chris Johnson has been conspicuous by his absence from the team's voluntary workouts and offseason training program.

Johnson, who rushed for 2,006 yards last season and set an NFL record for yards from scrimmage, wants a contract extension, and wants it now, and he isn't interested in listening to any excuses why the team can't give him one. If that means being a Grade-A offseason distraction, so be it.

Meanwhile, over at One Nova-Care Way, wide receiver DeSean Jackson is in pretty much the same boat as Johnson. Like Johnson, the 2008 second-round pick clearly has outplayed his 4-year, $3.47 million rookie contract and is looking for an extension. Even hired The Extension King, Drew Rosenhaus, late last year, to help him.

But Jackson is facing the same difficult uncapped-year roadblock as Johnson: the 30 percent rule, which limits the year-to-year salary increases a player can receive in an extension.

While Jackson and Johnson are in the same boat, the two players have chosen two very different ways to deal with their current dilemmas...

Jackson is scheduled to earn just $470,000 in base salary this year, Johnson $550,000. The only way to get around the 30 percent rule and pay both players what they're worth would be to give them enormous signing bonuses. By enormous, I'm talking in the $30 million-to-$40 million range. Minimum.

There are two reasons the Eagles and Titans aren't going to do that. One is the increased injury risk involved because of the small size of the two players. The other is the language in the current CBA restricting forfeiture of signing bonuses if a player gets into a Michael Vick-like mess...

Rest of Article: Philly Daily News