We're probably following way too many people on Twitter, because we miss plenty of potentially newsworthy updates.Yesterday, "@AlvinKeels" made some waves by suggesting that the absence of a contract extension for Jets running back Leon Washington shouldn't be pinned on the agent.
"I can't say that I'm the one holding this deal up," Keels tweeted, via the New York Post. "I can only continue to work though."
Washington is entering the fourth and final season of his rookie deal, during which he's scheduled to earn the minimum salary of $535,000. Based on his performance to date and the anticipated increase in his role for 2009, he wants more money.
The fact that running backs routinely take a pounding increases the urgency to get paid, since the ball carriers are always one play away from not ever being able to carry the ball again. Even without a single, devastating injury, there's only so much tread on the tires of their careers.
The problem for Washington is leverage. Basically, he doesn't have any.
A shot at the open market, which typically gets a guy's current team to cough up the coin, is at least a full season away. Absent an extension to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, he won't make it there by March 2010. If there's an uncapped year, the unrestricted free agency rug gets pulled out from under guys like Washington, Shawne Merriman, and any other guy with fewer than six years of service.
Even if the league and the union hammer out a new deal, the Jets would be able to give Washington the Darren Sproles treatment, keeping Leon's services for another year at a salary in the range of $6 million or $7 million.
The only leverage Washington currently can apply (i.e., withholding his services) entails significant expense and risk. The daily fine for a holdout exceeds $17,000 -- and any player under contract who doesn't report at least 30 days before the regular-season opener forfeits a year of service. (ESPN currently is acting like the recent mention of this well-known-in-industry-circles fact by the Denver Post equates to the trapping of a sasquatch.)
So the Jets have Washington in a bind, and Keels knows it. He can blame the team all he wants; the bottom line is that they hold all the cards on this one.
Pull a Favre and retire for a few weeks, and then come back after missing preseason. Other than that...have fun playing for your $535,000.
No leverage whatsoever with 2 other quality RB's on the roster. His leverage went out the window when the Jets drafted Shonne Green in the 2nd round. Sproles has more levarage because the Chargers have no other alternative if Tomlinson declines.
he needs to play out his first contract and hope to hit free agency where another team can sign him. I cant see him making any money on the Jets, they have too much cash invested in the other positions
@florio: whats with the ESPN slam/Denver Post ref. and no linkydink?
I say this as a PATS fan.
But after Arizona, the Jets do have the coolest uniforms in the game.
One option Washington may have would be play 10 games then sit out. I am not sure if this still works under the present labor agreement. but it used to work if you played 1o games you got credit for a year of seniority for pension and for rights when one could become an unrestricted free agent. You would then only lose your paycheck for the last 6 games.
If such a tactic still works the problem is the damage to ones reputation. but with the way Tannendumb and the Jets FO has played hardball and lied to their players the last few years maybe other teams would not hold it against Leon for employing such a tactic.
Washington is really in a bad situation. With the no resolution to the labor problems he would be unable to be a unrestricted FA for 6 years or until 2012. His specialty is speed and quickness and being a small back one has to wonder what his longevity is. He may never get a real chance to cash in on his NFL success. Even worse the Jets front office is possibly the most untrustworthy in the league and will take advantage of the current labor situation.
Leon is a special back and a game changer. A modern day version of Bruce harper and the only explosive player on the jets offense. I hope they do the right thing by him and extend him. 2 million a year is an insult for a guy who has been the best or one of the jets best players the last two years. You have to reward your best players for so many reasons that should be obvious.
"Washington is entering the fourth and final season of his rookie deal, during which he's scheduled to earn the minimum salary of $535,000."
"Even if the league and the union hammer out a new deal, the Jets would be able to give Washington the Darren Sproles treatment, keeping Leon's services for another year at a salary in the range of $6 million or $7 million."
Poor guy, getting shafted with only $6-7M.
This goes on much longer & Washington may lose his will to win, at least for the Jets. I really don't understand the Jets organization on this one. Lock him up now & spare us all the regrets!!!