Peters might not be the problem...

[coastal]

Perhaps the problem in this situation isn't Jason Peters... here's hoping he takes a page from Devin Hester's playbook and reports against the advice of his agent.

What's interesting is that players like Tommie Harris and Bernard Berrian dump him in favor of the oft-villified Rosenhaus.

After reading the attached article, I wonder how many of you will wish Rosenhaus was in charge instead of the ass clown that Peters has now?

Also... if I am Brandon and Jauron, I'd have players close to Peters start reaching out to him behind the scenes. If Wilson won't play ball, then **** him... maybe Peters will.

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/mulligan/1074276,CST-SPT-mully25.article


Hester, not agent, calling the shots

New contract with return ace is complicated matter because there's no comparable player


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<!-- Article By Line -->BY MIKE MULLIGAN (mmulligan@suntimes.com) mmulligan@suntimes.com

A desperate tactic by a desperate man. That's the way some regard Devin Hester's contract holdout, which reached Day 2 on Thursday -- or $30,000 in fines for two missed practices. Hester isn't the desperate man, mind you. The supposed villain of this production is his agent, Eugene Parker, according to one reading of the script. That's the same Eugene Parker who has seen two of his former clients -- Tommie Harris and Bernard Berrian -- dump him in favor of Drew Rosenhaus before signing big-money deals.

Never mind that Berrian actually was represented by Roosevelt Barnes, Parker's partner. One interpretation of the ongoing saga is that Parker is grabbing hold of this negotiation by holding out Hester and forcing a deal before anyone else can swoop in and poach his client. Harris laughed out loud Thursday at the absurdity of the notion. A close friend of Hester and a man aware of Parker's skills as an agent, Harris insists it's the return ace and not the agent who's calling the shots on this one."

''That decision was not made by Eugene,'' Harris said. ''Agents can't make you do anything. An agent works for you. But he also has to support whatever you decide to do. ''If Devin told them, 'I'm not going to camp,' all they can do is tell him to go. When he says no, they have to take up his side. It's like paying a lawyer: He has to say whatever you tell him to say. He can't just get up there and tell the truth.''

Harris is among several players and coaches who've been in touch with Hester."

...more...


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[coastal]

This Eugene Parker sounds like a spoiled girl friend who wants her poodle to always come to her first.

Little do skeezers like this know... there's always someone with a bigger and better box of milk-bones.

http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Alt/alt.sports.football.pro.phila-eagles/2005-08/msg02209.html


"... Case in point number three -- Corey Simon, franchise-tagged defensive tackle for the Eagles. A league source tells us that the Eagles recently had anopportunity to ship Simon to the Ravens, and that Baltimore was willing topay Simon a contract in line with the Marcus Stroud/Shaun Rogers market forinterior linemen. But Parker and his colleague, Roosevelt Barnes, set aminimum ceiling for discussions well above market value, and as a result no meaningful discussions occurred.

This standoffish approach simply isn't conducive to getting deals done. And teams are taking an increasingly dim view of agents who employ inactivity as a means for getting top dollar."

...more...






</PRE>

[chernobylwraiths]

What does the NE Patriots DB have to do with it?

[Jan Reimers]

Agents are always the problem. Without them, most players would sign for a couple of bags of magic beans.

[coastal]

All agents aren't the problems... just some.

By some accounts it appears that Eugene Parker has a reputation of just being a plain ole ass hole.

I'm thinking Derrick Dockery needs to reach out to him and tell him to get his ass into camp.

[SquishDaFish]

I was thinking the same thing WTH does pats DB Eugene Wilson have to do with Jason Peters :lmao:

[coastal]

I was thinking the same thing WTH does pats DB Eugene Wilson have to do with Jason Peters :lmao:Thanks for the contribution.

I'll remember that next time you two boneheads make a mistake.

The bottomline here is that it is very likely that we have an out of control agent we are dealing with and the strategy at this point shouldn't be dealing with him, but in reaching out to Peters directly.

Unless Dockery had his poker face on, he mentioned that he hadn't spoken to Peters in awhile.

If he were telling the truth and I were Russ Brandon, I would make sure that dynamic changed pronto.

[Dr. Lecter]

There are better things to give Coastal **** about rather than a brain cramp....

It would explain why this situation seems so odd. It is not like the Bills had not extended deals with other guys.

I just hope that if Parker is the problem that Peters is smart enough to figure it out.

[SquishDaFish]

Thanks for the contribution.

I'll remember that next time you two boneheads make a mistake.

The bottomline here is that it is very likely that we have an out of control agent we are dealing with and the strategy at this point shouldn't be dealing with him, but in reaching out to Peters directly.

Unless Dockery had his poker face on, he mentioned that he hadn't spoken to Peters in awhile.

If he were telling the truth and I were Russ Brandon, I would make sure that dynamic changed pronto.

I wasnt making fun buddy. Take it easy. I knew what you meant and im sure everyone else did also after opening the thread. Calm down a little

[coastal]

There are better things to give Coastal **** about rather than a brain cramp....

It would explain why this situation seems so odd. It is not like the Bills had not extended deals with other guys.

I just hope that if Parker is the problem that Peters is smart enough to figure it out.Considering the draft reports from the year he was drafted were that lint scores higher on the Wonderlic, I'm not too hopeful.

[Ickybaluky]

Parker does stage a lot of holdouts with his players. However, he has had a lot of success getting those players big contracts after holding out, whether with their own team or after they are traded.

[TigerJ]

Unfortunately, while Jason Peters is supremely talented , he is not the sharpest tool in the shed. It no doubt is Parker who is telling Peters to stay away, but I don't see Peters taking the initiative to dump Parker or join the Bills in spite of Parkers hairbrained advice.

[Night Train]

Parker does stage a lot of holdouts with his players. However, he has had a lot of success getting those players big contracts after holding out, whether with their own team or after they are traded.

True... but this holdout is dead wrong.

Peters was an Undrafted FA who already got a 2nd new contract with a good bonus. That Dockery & Walker, players with more experience were signed later doesn't mean an automatic redo for Peters. Especially with 3 years left on the deal. We have players who have been here longer ( Evans ) who are still looking for their 2nd contract, not 3rd.

A frontload shift in the form of a bonus check could be the answer now, with a new contract in 2 years. Stroud was traded here with 3 years left on his deal and had this done. He didn't hold out and has far more of a resume than Peters.

The Bills should look for a vet OT who's being pushed by a high pick. Trade them Youboty ( we're deep at CB ) & maybe a pick to aquire a stop gap answer.

Don't let Parker win this holdout. He's wrong.

[Ickybaluky]

Unfortunately, while Jason Peters is supremely talented , he is not the sharpest tool in the shed. It no doubt is Parker who is telling Peters to stay away, but I don't see Peters taking the initiative to dump Parker or join the Bills in spite of Parkers hairbrained advice.

Why is his advice hairbrained? The guy has a track record of getting great players contracts among the best at their position.

He has represented Deion Sanders, Hines Ward, Walter Jones, Richard Seymour, Larry Fitzgerald, Derrick Brooks, Aeneas Williams, Rod Woodson, Curtis Martin, Laveranues Coles and Stephen Jackson. All great players who have had contentious contract issues with their teams, but who ultimately signed contracts among the best at their positions. Some had holdouts, some forced trades, but all got big money.

You may not like Parker's methods, but if you are a great player you know the guy is going to put a ton of pressure on teams by using any leverage he has. That is why he has so many holdouts, and it is why he represents so many great players who want big money. Peters is only the latest in line, and he probably gets his. He is too important to Buffalo, he has leverage.

I'd be willing to bet Peters contact situation plays out similar to Seymour. With two years left on his deal Seymour stayed away from offseason activities, including mandatory minicamp, because he was unhappy with his deal (he had 2 years left on his 6 year rookie deal). He looked like he was going to miss camp, but the Pats got him to come in by giving him a 40% raise that year and a promise they would address his contract after the season. After his 5th season, the Pats signed him to a 3 year extension that made him the highest paid DL in the NFL at the time.

I see Peters holdout coming to a similar end eventually. The Bills could take a hard stance, I guess. But that seems a little like cutting off your nose to spite your face. If they let the holdout drag into the season, they take the chance of undermining a promising season. Peters is their best player, and they have nobody near his level to take his place. Their young QB has enough to worry about without looking to see if he is going to get hit from behind. Teams are going to attack whatever player Buffalo puts in there, and that can blow up their entire offense.

It is doubtful Buffalo is going to risk that, it would be foolish. Parker knows that, and he is willing to wait until the Bills address the issue. I'd bet it is resolved prior to the start of the season.

[Ickybaluky]

True... but this holdout is dead wrong.

To quote Clint Eastwood, "deservin's got nothin' to do with it".

Is it fair when a guy gets cut because he suffers an injury before reaching FA? Really, what does fair have to do with it? Players are just commodities in this game. They have a short window to earn as much as possible, because as soon as they can't play anymore (and it can end on any play) they will be discarded and the team moves on to the next guy. From a player's perspective you have to get it what you can, and right now Peters is the Bills best player.

The only thing that matters is Peters in a franchise LT, and him being out threatens to undermine all the good work Buffalo did this offseason. He wants more money, and Buffalo in the end is going to have to hold their nose and appease him because he is so important to what they do. He is a rare talent, and deserves to be paid as such.

And spare me all this "he owes them" stuff. He went undrafted, signed for peanuts, and worked himself into a great player. He was paid to do a job and did it well. Now he wants more. Franchise LT get upwards of $10M per season. Peters and Parker know that.

[chernobylwraiths]

Peters was hyped all last year and lived up to it. As much as I hate it, he is worth a lot more than what he is paid. He is currently paid the third or fourth highest on the line for the most important job on the line. Right there tells you he is underpaid and has all the leverage in the world.

What sucks about contracts in other sports like hockey is the fact that they're guaranteed and you can't get out of it as an owner once you sign it without paying out a significant amount of money. That is good for the player and is supposed to keep the owners in check of overpaying people. What sucks about contracts in the NFL is that they are NOT guaranteed and that a player can have an off year and be cut with no compensation. That sucks for the players, especially in a league where players careers are cut short by injury more often and is move physically demanding from its superstars.

I'm all for the "you signed a contract, now play for it" adage usually, but in this case Peter's agent has a bit of a point. I just hope they can extend for a few more years and add a boatload of guarantees early to placate him.

[Dr. Lecter]

And spare me all this "he owes them" stuff. He went undrafted, signed for peanuts, and worked himself into a great player. He was paid to do a job and did it well. Now he wants more. Franchise LT get upwards of $10M per season. Peters and Parker know that.
He is no longer on his original deal though.

The Bills gave him a long term deal that, at the time, was well above his value.

I am not saying he owes them anything, but your story is only a partial one.

And I am sick of the excuse that deals are not guarenteed. The NFL, unlike other deals, give out signing bonuses and other bonuses for making the roster, working out, etc that other leagues do not hand out so the players do get guarenteed $$.

[chernobylwraiths]

And I am sick of the excuse that deals are not guarenteed. The NFL, unlike other deals, give out signing bonuses and other bonuses for making the roster, working out, etc that other leagues do not hand out so the players do get guarenteed $$.

Right, but that doesn't always make up for losing all the money at the end of contracts when they backload them. And, in some cases, the guaranteed money is payment for being underpaid.

[Night Train]

To quote Clint Eastwood, "deservin's got nothin' to do with it".

Is it fair when a guy gets cut because he suffers an injury before reaching FA? Really, what does fair have to do with it? Players are just commodities in this game. They have a short window to earn as much as possible, because as soon as they can't play anymore (and it can end on any play) they will be discarded and the team moves on to the next guy. From a player's perspective you have to get it what you can.

That logic is so played. Cry me a river. They know the risk and are rewarded well for it.

Then contracts should all be one year deals, since you just cry yourself to a yearly raise when your peers say you had a good year. All 4-5 year deals are basically meaningless.

[Ickybaluky]

That logic is so played. Cry me a river. They know the risk and are rewarded well for it.

Then contracts should all be one year deals, since you just cry yourself to a yearly raise when your peers say you had a good year. All 4-5 year deals are basically meaningless.

You are missing the point. It doesn't matter if he has 3 years left on his contract or not. It doesn't matter that he signed an extension or should "honor" his contract (even though nothing keeps the team from "honoring" it. You are confusing the issue with drama.

What matters is this: He is one of the top LT in the game right now. He is an integral part of the Bills success this year, especially since they have a young QB who they have high hopes for. If Peters isn't in there, every team is going to load up on his replacement in hopes of rattling the young QB. They are going to try and take him out.

Because of that, the Bills have to deal with Peters. Whether that is fair or right isn't really a consideration. It doesn't matter if you think he should honor his deal.

The Bills have 2 options:

1) Deal with Peters. That means, in the least, tossing him a couple million dollars this year and promising to deal with him down the line. It may mean giving him a new deal now.

2) Let him rot. That means risking all the promise they have for this season, as well as the development of their young QB. All it takes is a few blindside shots and you are talking about Trent Edwards like Alex Smith. Remember, Edwards has a history of getting banged up.

That is it. You can talk all you want about setting a precedence or giving into the player, but those are the options. It doesn't matter if it is fair or not.

BTW, the precedence isn't really an issue. If a player is good enough, he can hold out and the team has to deal with it. If he isn't, he can't. It doesn't matter if it happened before or not.

Look at my Pats. They have a reputation as tough negotiators who don't give in to guys, but when Richard Seymour pulled this same crap they caved to him. They did it because he was such a huge part of their defense, and without him they were screwed. If Tom Brady left camp tomorrow because he felt he was underpaid, they would cave to him as well, because without him they are just another team. That is the way of the NFL, for better or worse.

[Ickybaluky]

All 4-5 year deals are basically meaningless.

They are meaningless for great players. If the player doesn't perform, he is going to be cut. If they out perform it, they have the leverage to hold out.

For all other players, it is a one way street. The team holds all the cards.

[TigerJ]

Why is his advice hairbrained? The guy has a track record of getting great players contracts among the best at their position.

He has represented Deion Sanders, Hines Ward, Walter Jones, Richard Seymour, Larry Fitzgerald, Derrick Brooks, Aeneas Williams, Rod Woodson, Curtis Martin, Laveranues Coles and Stephen Jackson. All great players who have had contentious contract issues with their teams, but who ultimately signed contracts among the best at their positions. Some had holdouts, some forced trades, but all got big money.

You may not like Parker's methods, but if you are a great player you know the guy is going to put a ton of pressure on teams by using any leverage he has. That is why he has so many holdouts, and it is why he represents so many great players who want big money. Peters is only the latest in line, and he probably gets his. He is too important to Buffalo, he has leverage.

I'd be willing to bet Peters contact situation plays out similar to Seymour. With two years left on his deal Seymour stayed away from offseason activities, including mandatory minicamp, because he was unhappy with his deal (he had 2 years left on his 6 year rookie deal). He looked like he was going to miss camp, but the Pats got him to come in by giving him a 40% raise that year and a promise they would address his contract after the season. After his 5th season, the Pats signed him to a 3 year extension that made him the highest paid DL in the NFL at the time.

I see Peters holdout coming to a similar end eventually. The Bills could take a hard stance, I guess. But that seems a little like cutting off your nose to spite your face. If they let the holdout drag into the season, they take the chance of undermining a promising season. Peters is their best player, and they have nobody near his level to take his place. Their young QB has enough to worry about without looking to see if he is going to get hit from behind. Teams are going to attack whatever player Buffalo puts in there, and that can blow up their entire offense.

It is doubtful Buffalo is going to risk that, it would be foolish. Parker knows that, and he is willing to wait until the Bills address the issue. I'd bet it is resolved prior to the start of the season.

The Bills have made it clear that they are willing to renegotiate contracts of players who don't violate their present contract. They have made it just as clear that they don't negotiate with players who do hold out. From the Bills perspective, to do so simply encourages other players to stage holdouts on the back of a good season. It's true that Peters is important for the protection of Trent Edwards, and Parker probably opted for that strategy because he felt Buffalo's backups are either young andunreliable, or just not very good. Buffalo can however make do with lesser players and may decide that strategy is better for the team in the long run. There is always a chance that another player will emerge, and make Peters more or less expendable. Peters, however, has no other options if he wants to be a well paid football player. He has to play for Buffalo for the next three years or not play at all.

Devin Hester is represented by the same agent. He reported to camp, against the advice of his agent, and is reportedly near a deal to extend his contract. Chicago has a policy similar to Buffalo. Had he not reported, he would be in the same position as Peters. One would hope Peters would look at Hester and put two and two together.

[ddaryl]

I would say Parekr is 110% the problem.

I just wish Peters had the common sense to approach this differently instead of being led astray

[tat2dmike77]

What does the NE Patriots DB have to do with it?

Media rule #2 if you can not mention Tom Brady in a article regarding football you must mention someone else from the NE Patriots.