On Thursday, Jets running back Leon Washington stayed away from the first day of training camp because he believed a new contract was coming.
On Friday, he showed up not because a new deal is close, but because it isn’t.
That’s what Washington said on Friday after the team’s first training camp practice.
“Yesterday I was trying to get the contract
situation done before I came to training camp,” Washington said. “Having the G.M. talk to my
agent, we realized that this thing was not going where we wanted it to
be.
“I am unhappy about the situation but, at the same time, I have to
play football. I think it is best for me to come out here and play
football and let the contract situation take care of itself.”
Washington also addressed whether the negotiations had nudged the two sides toward a deal.
“Well, I thought we had made some progress,
but obviously it’s still not there,” he said. “I don’t have a contract signed yet.
It’s been going on for a while. I’m not happy about that but I’m happy
to play football. So that’s all I’m going to say about that.”
But it wasn’t all he said about that. He also addressed whether he’s confident a deal will be done.
“No, I’m not confident,” he said. “I don’t feel
confident that something will get done. It kind of hurts me a little
bit because I’ve been here three years busting my tail off. I’ve played
hard for the organization and for me not to get rewarded or for me to
be put in some type of situation, I’m not going to back down. What I am
happy about is that I can still play football.”
Washington is entering the final season of a four-year rookie deal. If there isn’t a new CBA by March 2010, he’ll be eligible only for restricted free agency, since the current labor deal limits unrestricted free agency in the uncapped year to players with at least six years of service, not four.
Washington was asked whether the team is using that reality as leverage.
“They have their leverage and we have our
leverage,” Washington said, not realizing that if he won’t be holding out then he has no leverage. “Whatever cards they want to play, whatever leverage they
have, I am sure that it is a business. They are going to try to use
that to their advantage and, for me, I can use my leverage. But at the
end of the day, they make the calls, they write the checks. So it is
important for me to come out here. I have a family and I have to feed
them. It is important for me to play football.”
He was vague at one point about whether he might leave, but then he removed all doubt with this: “If you think about it, I can’t walk. I’m
only making $535,000 this year so I have to pay bills and feed my
family. So, I’ll leave it at that.”
So, yeah, he’s got no leverage. The team holds his rights for this year. Absent a new CBA, they’ll be able to hold his rights next year at a price tag far cheaper than the franchise tag.
And by the time he gets to market, his best years might be far behind him.
3 years…….1400 yards….TOTAL……..and he wants 6 mil a year”………How soon til he is a Raider?…..”I have to feed my family”…….at 535g’s a year this must be one big ass family…..Play the pity act elsewhere jackass
@ Florio,
What’s up with the font changing sizes today? Is it that complicated to put it all the same size? Are the hamsters struggling already?
I can point him to some coupons if he needs to save to eat. Might knock down that huge 500,000 has to spend to rake care of the family. Tell him to Latrell Speewell.
Bring back the rating system Florio. EskinSux gets a 5.
i feel so sorry for leon,
it must suck to only make close to 600K a year.
latrelle spreawell can tell you how the “i have to feed my kids” story played out.
i understand that they are athletes/entertainers, but how many peeps here would do anything possible for half of that $.
Leon may not put up big numbers but that is not his job. he is a change of pace back that can break a big play plus he is one of the best KR and PR in the league. He is a modern day version of Bruce Harper.
Maybe more importantly Leon was voted team MVP by Jets players in 2007.
Being a small back whose game is based on speed and elusiveness his career may not be a long one. Most players get to cash in after 3-4 good years. Because of the end to the CBA he will not be an unrestricted FA until after 6 years. Which may be to late for him. Keep in mind he is also a football player which means his IQ and earning potential may only be slightly better than those who post on internet football forums. Which means he better cash in now.
Maybe he is not worth Darren Sproles money but he is certainly worth more than the $2 million the jets are offering. 4.5 Million seems fair. Tannendumb is tight pocketed, dishonest, stupid, dishonest as they come and only thinks in the short term. But even he must realize that an organization has to reward players that overachieve. Leon has earned his money. Pay the man.
Man I love when a Pro Player drops the “gotta feed my family”bomb…please $500,000 +,1 mil,2 mil,etc etc….what the hell are you feeding them…diamond encrested cheeseburgers,solid gold french fries,liquid platnium shakes…please the first time i heard a player say that i laughed after that anyone who says that is an idiot.
Why is it that just about EVERY player that is in a contract dispute has to bring up that STUPID, IGNORANT line “I have to feed my family?” Surely they must understand that the fans they are talking to make do on a LOT less a year! Granted, $500K is a lot less than what a lot of players make, but he is still on his rookie contract, a contract he agreed to and signed! I am sure whatever he is being offered is a great deal more than that.
Still, they have to talk about feeding their families, when the truth is that feeding their families has little to nothing to do with their contract dispute. WHatever he is being offered is going to be many times over enough to feed his family, his kids, and their kids if he manages it well. What we are talking about is his need to make money relative to others in his particular position. They feel that the money they make somehow equates to how good they are as a player. If they make the most, they must be the best, right? Wrong! Your stats tell that story, not your bank account!
The only thing that happens when you utter that stupid line is you alienate the fans. WHile normally they support players looking for new contracts (unless they suck, or want more than they are worth), they lose us when they start talking like the money they are making is not enough to feed their families, and that is an insult to every fan who makes a LOT less money, and who has been doing so for a very long time! This guy, probably four years removed from making a lot less, has already lost touch with reality.
This type of stuff makes me sick. I really think that the CBA talks are going to fail, because neither side seems grounded in reality. Maybe that is actually what is best for the league. The whole thing needs serious reorganization, and both sides need to realize who matters the most in this league: the fans.
What an idiot.