Although he didn't make a "major announcement" about it on Twitter, Chargers LB Shawne Merriman isn't getting frustrated about his lack of a new contract."I just turned 25 man, I don't care about any of that stuff. I can do this all day!" Merriman emailed Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports. "I just feel like all my work will pay off one day and somebody is going to realize what I bring and give me what I want."
Unlike Darnell Dockett, Merriman is entering a contract year. Perhaps Merriman understands how tricky his deal will be to complete.
On one hand, Merriman has accomplished as much as anyone in his draft class: A Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, three Pro Bowls, one All-Pro designation, and a sack title.
On the other hand, Merriman is coming off reconstructive knee surgery. There were whispers his condition could ultimately threaten his career.
Cole points out that one final roadblock to a deal is the looming uncapped season. Only three 2005 first-round picks have signed contract extensions with the team that drafted them.
If a new CBA is worked out in time, quality players like Merriman, DeMarcus Ware, Roddy White, Carlos Rogers, Jamaal Brown, and Braylon Edwards will all be eligible for unrestricted free agency next offseason. Otherwise, they will be restricted free agents only.
What "Merriman" is failing to grasp..... The NFL is a "What Have You Done For Me Lately" league!
Merriman has ALOT to prove he is fully recovered from his knee injury and play at his MVP level this season.
"I just turned 25 man, I don't care about any of that stuff. I can do this all day!"
PROVE IT!!
Maybe Merriman's not worried 'cause he knows he'll be juiced to the freakin' gills again...
Funny how something like that is overlooked...it would seem systematic, premeditated cheating is both forgiveable and forgettable
Yet (were this a Florio bit, especially) someone like Haynesworth--guilty of a brief lapse of restraint--can't be mentioned without referencing the head-stomping...
Funny how the "media" chooses which players it wants to villify, and which to elevate.
Merriman, especially the pre-injury version, is a media darling. He doesn't have to worry because THEY'll take care of him...
How the hell did Edwards end up on that list in the last paragraph? You said quality.
Ferriman will never be same now that he is off the steroids and just had knee surgery!
I think even the Raiders will run through him and his weak knee this year. Besides its been fun watching the disChargers progressively get worse each year under Norv Turner.
I know the Raiders are bad and the last 6 years blah blah yada yada but to finish 8-8 in that weak division last year is nothing to be proud of, besides LT is soft they are looking at a 6 -10 year.
Silver & Black:
"they are looking at a 6 -10 year"
Still enough to win that division!
His contract should have a clause involving house fires and steroids.
{Insert lame steroids joke here}
Get over it ladies. Yeesh!
When I finished reading the piece, I knew Florio didn't write it because the steroid suspension knife wasn't twisted...Come on, Greg, who do you think you write for, NBC? Oh. Wait.
Florio -
I've been reading you every day for a couple years now and all i hear is how if the CBA goes under then players without 6 years will be restricted free agents but I don't think I've ever seen an explanation as to why that is?
If the CBA falls through then what document or set of rules is determining all the rules that will happen without a CBA??
Would you please explain this to everyone, or at least explain it again because if you have said it, the ratio you explaining what happens after 2010 to what will be governing the NFL after 2010 has to be like 100:1.
Also, if anyone else knows would you please explain.
Thanks.
disChargers LOL
SilkyJohnston says:
{Insert lame steroids joke here}
Get over it ladies. Yeesh!
---------------
Steroids are one thing
But it's the lame Light's Out dance
That make me hate him
Hey Rosenthal,
If people mistook me for Florio (and even addressed me directly as such), I'd be PISSED.
You are, aren't you?
Eaglesfan05:
It was part of the agreement when the current CBA was set up that if either party opted out (which the owners did) and they enter a uncapped year, players must reach 6 years with their respective team rather than 4 to become an unrestricted free agent. That agreement becomes the guide for the league when this CBA ends.
The are all sorts of other stipulations they players aren't considering and a few I don't even understand completely. Teams will not be able to sign a certain compensation level FA without losing a certain amount of their own. Next offseason will be very interesting to say the least when big name actual FA's realize that certain teams won't be able to sign them due to their own past greed handcuffing them.
Hope that helps a little.
Isn't it interesting that Merriman stories don't generate the same "CHEATER" outcry that anything involving a former member of the Chargers who went on to play for the Patriots do
I guess Merriman and the Chargers are just largely irrelevant to the rabid NFL fans who are also Patriots haters
You went too long, JoeSixPack. "I guess Merriman and the Chargers are just largely irrelevant" was just enough. Patriot fan should not even mouth the word "cheater" to anyone but themselves.
JoeSixPack,
are you an idiot? Merriman's "steroid" suspension (which wasn't really steroids, it was gross misreporting) is heard more than any players in the league. Every time the name Merriman comes up the words steroids or suspension follows on these boards.
Rodney Harrison has been on HGH for YEARS and we all know it. How did he go from 205 lbs and very injury prone to 225 and rarely gets injured and running better than he ever has after 3 knee surgeries. Lets get real