Chargers' talks with Rivers have broken down

[Gunzlingr]

San Diego Chargers general manager A.J. Smith said today that talks with former N.C. State quarterback and No. 4 overall draft pick Philip Rivers have completely broken down and the Chargers have "pulled their offer off the table."

Smith said the team offered him a deal that exceeded No. 2 overall pick Robert Gallery's numbers with the Raiders and insisted the team would not pay him according to Eli Manning's deal with the Giants.

Smith said he had told Rivers and his agent Jimmy Sexton that they had until 5 p.m. last Sunday to accept the offer or it would be pulled. The pair rejected the deal.

Now Smith says talks are dead. He also added that had Rivers and Sexton not accepted the original deal, all future deals would decrease in value.

more (http://msn.foxsports.com/story/2650862)

[saviorbledsoe]

and u guys wanted this punk!

[BillyT92679]

Originally posted by saviorbledsoe
and u guys wanted this punk!
Well, to be fair, the Chargers might be the worst team in football, and might have the worst front office in football.

[The_Philster]

Originally posted by BillyT92679
Well, to be fair, the Chargers might be the worst team in football, and might have the worst front office in football.
uhhh...Their GM used to be our director of pro personnel

[saviorbledsoe]

Originally posted by The_Philster
uhhh...Their GM used to be our director of pro personnel

U sure you arent thinking of Butler? He is dead.

[BillyT92679]

Originally posted by The_Philster
uhhh...Their GM used to be our director of pro personnel

Yes I know.

[mypoorfriendme]

they got rivers at 4, we wanted him at 13 MAYBE

[BillyT92679]

Originally posted by The_Philster
uhhh...Their GM used to be our director of pro personnel
Alex Spanos is akin to Bill Bidwell or Mike Brown. Smith was competent as D.P.P. but I am not sold on him being a G.M.

[Tatonka]

this would NOT have been an issue with the bills.. the problem with the whole thing is this..

eli was drafted 1st overal.. and got a 1st overall paycheck..

rivers was drafted fourth.. but was essentially the 1st overall pick, because he was traded immediately.. so he wants at least was manning got.. which he probably should get..

this issue never would have happened with us.. but i am glad we got losman anyways. the big knock about him being so cocky and arrogant were all dog ****.. and he has been a model draftee in word and deed since he got here.

[BillyT92679]

Originally posted by Tatonka
this would NOT have been an issue with the bills.. the problem with the whole thing is this..

eli was drafted 1st overal.. and got a 1st overall paycheck..

rivers was drafted fourth.. but was essentially the 1st overall pick, because he was traded immediately.. so he wants at least was manning got.. which he probably should get..

this issue never would have happened with us.. but i am glad we got losman anyways. the big knock about him being so cocky and arrogant were all dog ****.. and he has been a model draftee in word and deed since he got here.
Great point. J.P. seems like a great guy.

[Novacane]

Originally posted by Tatonka


rivers was drafted fourth.. but was essentially the 1st overall pick, because he was traded immediately.. so he wants at least was manning got.. which he probably should get..




Thats the arguement his agent is trying to make but I disagree. If that trade had gone through an hour earlier Rivers would have been the 4th pick by the chargers which he was by the Giants.

It's alosing arguement imo.

[Novacane]

.......................and the fact that the Chargers offered him more than the #2 pick got is a fair comprimise. He was NOT the #1 pick.

[Tatonka]

it might be a losing arguement.. but if i was in rivers shoes.. i would feel the way he does..

[Novacane]

He was not the #1 pick. He's lucky the Giants bit the bullet and gave up a ton to get Manning or he may have ended up the 13th pick.

[The_Philster]

Originally posted by saviorbledsoe
U sure you arent thinking of Butler? He is dead.

AJ Smith

[The Spaz]

Of course the Chargers suck they picked 1st.

[Goobylal]

Where Rivers and/or his agent get off thinking he is worth being paid like the #1 pick is beyond me! He was selected 4th overall. The Giants paid a premium to trade Rivers to the Chargers and get Manning, and that premium has to be factored-in when considering what Rivers should get as a contract. To reject a contract that is more than Gallery's is amazing. Hopefully sitting around will make Rivers see what an arse he is because if he sits out and re-enters the draft next year, he's not going to get a better deal than what he's already rejected.

[Novacane]

Originally posted by Goobylal
Where Rivers and/or his agent get off thinking he is worth being paid like the #1 pick is beyond me! He was selected 4th overall. The Giants paid a premium to trade Rivers to the Chargers and get Manning, and that premium has to be factored-in when considering what Rivers should get as a contract. To reject a contract that is more than Gallery's is amazing. Hopefully sitting around will make Rivers see what an arse he is because if he sits out and re-enters the draft next year, he's not going to get a better deal than what he's already rejected.


:bf1: Although I think Rivers is a good kid. He just needs to tell his stupid agent he's the boss.

[TigerJ]

AJ Smith is probably OK as a GM, but I think Spanos keeps him on a very short leash. It wouldn't surprise me if he were to quit out of frustration.

[lordofgun]

Originally posted by The_Philster
uhhh...Their GM used to be our director of pro personnel

What's your point? :D

[carybillsfan]

Now, I know I like phil, but he's giotten out of control. I heard that the only issue is incentives, he wants like a $3mil roster bionus for next year and they want to make it a #1 qb bonus or some **** like that. When I talked to his closest friends this weekend, he was opn his way to sign the contract but I guess when he got there they told him and his agent they needed to "change the wording" of a couple clauses. Sounds awfully fishy to me.

[The Natrix]

J.P. is going to be the best of class, so I just don't give a ****.

[Mr. Cynical]

What's kinda funny....and sad....is that the last QB they picked #1 was Leaf. Way to early to tell, but if this whole thing blows up and Rivers waits out the year to go to another team, I don't think they will draft another QB in the first round ever again. :snicker:

[mypoorfriendme]

Originally posted by Mr. Cynical
What's kinda funny....and sad....is that the last QB they picked #1 was Leaf. Way to early to tell, but if this whole thing blows up and Rivers waits out the year to go to another team, I don't think they will draft another QB in the first round ever again. :snicker:

training camp JUST started...lets not jump the gun here...he still has all season to sign.

and also, rivers agent said the chargers have NOT offered rivers more than FITZGERALD and that that claim is ludicris (i dont know where the gallery comparison came in, but espn reported it was more than larry's contract, which is still more than rivers deserves imho, he was drafted 4th overall)

[The_Philster]

Originally posted by lordofgun
What's your point? :D

Except for the way they mismanaged the salary cap, the front office we had when he was here kept us pretty competitive

[Throne Logic]

San Diego has blown more transactions via trades and drafts / draft picks in the past few years, it's a wonder they don't just implode.

I'm wondering if Rivers isn't just pulling the same crap as Eli did only with a bit more subtlety. I wouldn't want to play for that organization either. If he signs, he's going to get played. That means he's going to get killed. For those of you who don't like Buffalo's O-Line, go take a look at San Diego's. All that team has is LT running the ball, and he has to make most of those yards on his own.

I would not be shocked if Rivers get's traded to another team. As much as Rivers would loose if he goes back into the draft, San Diego would lose a whole lot more; starting with what little respect they have left.

[chernobylwraiths]

Originally posted by TigerJ
AJ Smith is probably OK as a GM, but I think Spanos keeps him on a very short leash. It wouldn't surprise me if he were to quit out of frustration.

He better NOT quit. He might never get another job in football again. He did nothing but bad mouth Wilson after he left here and having a problem with BOTH owners he has worked under doesn't bode well for him.

[TheGhostofJimKelly]

San Diego always does this with their first round picks. First they like to piss them off in negotiations, then they piss them off because they stink.

[NC-BILLS44]

Whatever you hear about the negotiations, keep in mind the source of the story!!!
The GM, in his first year, is going to try to play tough, so he doesn't look like a push over.
The organization is going to act like the agent and player are greedy.
The agent is going to try to get as much money as possible for his client and himself.

The player is going to say the he just wants to play ball.

Rumor down here in Raleigh is that the total number is fine and dandy, but many of he incentives to get to that number are ridiculous (sp) and not attainable with this team.
Example) $5 mil if they win 4 super bowls in his first 5 years (yeah right)
$3 mil if he makes the pro bowl as a rookie (no way with that OLine)

[TedMock]

Mike and Mike, this morning, said that the incentives are based on criteria that guys like Joe Montana and John Elway have never reached. I don't know if they got into specifics or not (I was already late for work), but to set cash incentives at virtually impossible levels is ridiculous. If Montana and Elway couldn't do it, why would it be remotely close for a rookie QB.

[lordofgun]

Originally posted by The_Philster
Except for the way they mismanaged the salary cap, the front office we had when he was here kept us pretty competitive

Right, but they also had an owner who would open his wallet...unlike in SD.

[Mr. Cynical]

:)

[BAM]

Originally posted by NC-BILLS44

Rumor down here in Raleigh is that the total number is fine and dandy, but many of he incentives to get to that number are ridiculous (sp) and not attainable with this team.
Example) $5 mil if they win 4 super bowls in his first 5 years (yeah right)
$3 mil if he makes the pro bowl as a rookie (no way with that OLine)

If he wins 4 Superbowls AND gets to 4 Pro-Bowls in his first 4 years, he gets 4 Mill.

Same w/ 5 and 6 years. WTF is San Diego's front office thinking? or smoking?

[lordofgun]

Originally posted by BAM
If he wins 4 Superbowls AND gets to 4 Pro-Bowls in his first 4 years, he gets 4 Mill.

Same w/ 5 and 6 years. WTF is San Diego's front office thinking? or smoking?

I wouldn't sign either! Eli Manning was smart for getting out of there.

[NC-BILLS44]

Originally posted by BAM
If he wins 4 Superbowls AND gets to 4 Pro-Bowls in his first 4 years, he gets 4 Mill.

Same w/ 5 and 6 years. WTF is San Diego's front office thinking? or smoking?

Thanks for clarifying. It's even worse than I thought. I wouldn't sign it either.

[BAM]

No prob.. that's what James Brown is saying anyways...

He usually has very accurate sources though. Yesterday he said he expected Winslow to sign later that evening and he did :up:

[NC-BILLS44]

I saw similar numbers on NFL Live with Chris Berman, Tom Jackson and Sean Salisbury.
While Berman was reading the numbers and the graphics were on the screen, you could hear TJ laughing in the background. Having been a player in the NFL, I'm sure it was quite humorous to him.

[elltrain22]

San Diego has got to get this guy signed. They organization is so stupid.