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CrazyCanuck · 12-06-2005, 04:40 PM

This is a good article on the salary cap and current labor negotiations.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/column...reg&id=2203323

There's an interesting section about Javon Walker and his situation:

Worst-case scenario
The football, delivered from Brett Favre, arrived marginally ahead of Detroit Lions safety Terrence Holt. The strain of the collision was too much for the anterior cruciate ligament in Javon Walker's right knee.

The ACL, roughly the thickness of a piece of twine, snapped in the Packers' opener on Sept. 11 and, with it, Walker's leverage for a new contract. The injury, if rehabilitation isn't a complete success, could cost the 26-year-old receiver tens of millions of dollars.

"Everybody knows injury is part of this game," Packers center Mike Flanagan said. "It's why guys get paid the way we do. The worst-case scenario happened for Javon."

In the NFL, where the average career lasts 3.2 years, earning power is only as strong as the body is able.

A first-round draft choice in 2002, Walker signed a five-year contract worth $7.5 million, including a $3 million signing bonus. After averaging only 32 catches in his first two seasons, Walker broke through in 2004 with 89 catches for 1,382 yards, 12 touchdowns and a Pro Bowl berth. Suddenly, the $515,000 he was scheduled to make this season and the $650,000 called for in 2006 didn't seem like enough.

"At the end of the day, everything is business. Everybody understands business," Walker said in the offseason. "You've got do what you've got do to get things done."

Throughout the summer, Walker's agent Drew Rosenhaus insisted he couldn't allow Walker to risk his health for that paltry sum and threatened a holdout in an attempt to force the Packers to renegotiate the deal. Rosenhaus' chief argument for a salary increase (and a large, guaranteed signing bonus) was the possibility of a major injury -- precisely like the one Walker suffered in Detroit. If he had produced another Pro Bowl-quality season, Walker very likely would have been offered that lucrative contract extension by the Packers.

But now, Walker finds himself in a gut-wrenching limbo. He will receive his $515,000 salary while he rehabilitates his knee in Houston and next year, if he is able to play, he'll receive his $650,000 base salary, plus another $500,000 from a statistically driven escalator clause.

The pressure on Walker to deliver big numbers in 2006 will be enormous. And given the distinct possibility that a CBA won't have been approved when the season kicks off, Walker won't even know what his bargaining position is. He could conceivably play out his original contract but be denied unrestricted free agency because of an agreement in the current CBA pact. Walker's season-ending injury and uncertain future have led to reports that he could be looking to replace Rosenhaus as his agent.

Walker's precarious situation frames the debate over guaranteed contracts. While Major League Baseball and the NBA offer guaranteed contracts, the NFL -- given the violence of the game and the greater prospect of injury -- historically has declined to.

12-06-2005, 04:40 PM	#5
CrazyCanuck Serenity Now Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 2,008	Re: Javon Walker cuts ties with Rosenhaus This is a good article on the salary cap and current labor negotiations. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/column...reg&id=2203323 There's an interesting section about Javon Walker and his situation: Worst-case scenario The football, delivered from Brett Favre, arrived marginally ahead of Detroit Lions safety Terrence Holt. The strain of the collision was too much for the anterior cruciate ligament in Javon Walker's right knee. The ACL, roughly the thickness of a piece of twine, snapped in the Packers' opener on Sept. 11 and, with it, Walker's leverage for a new contract. The injury, if rehabilitation isn't a complete success, could cost the 26-year-old receiver tens of millions of dollars. "Everybody knows injury is part of this game," Packers center Mike Flanagan said. "It's why guys get paid the way we do. The worst-case scenario happened for Javon." In the NFL, where the average career lasts 3.2 years, earning power is only as strong as the body is able. A first-round draft choice in 2002, Walker signed a five-year contract worth $7.5 million, including a $3 million signing bonus. After averaging only 32 catches in his first two seasons, Walker broke through in 2004 with 89 catches for 1,382 yards, 12 touchdowns and a Pro Bowl berth. Suddenly, the $515,000 he was scheduled to make this season and the $650,000 called for in 2006 didn't seem like enough. "At the end of the day, everything is business. Everybody understands business," Walker said in the offseason. "You've got do what you've got do to get things done." Throughout the summer, Walker's agent Drew Rosenhaus insisted he couldn't allow Walker to risk his health for that paltry sum and threatened a holdout in an attempt to force the Packers to renegotiate the deal. Rosenhaus' chief argument for a salary increase (and a large, guaranteed signing bonus) was the possibility of a major injury -- precisely like the one Walker suffered in Detroit. If he had produced another Pro Bowl-quality season, Walker very likely would have been offered that lucrative contract extension by the Packers. But now, Walker finds himself in a gut-wrenching limbo. He will receive his $515,000 salary while he rehabilitates his knee in Houston and next year, if he is able to play, he'll receive his $650,000 base salary, plus another $500,000 from a statistically driven escalator clause. The pressure on Walker to deliver big numbers in 2006 will be enormous. And given the distinct possibility that a CBA won't have been approved when the season kicks off, Walker won't even know what his bargaining position is. He could conceivably play out his original contract but be denied unrestricted free agency because of an agreement in the current CBA pact. Walker's season-ending injury and uncertain future have led to reports that he could be looking to replace Rosenhaus as his agent. Walker's precarious situation frames the debate over guaranteed contracts. While Major League Baseball and the NBA offer guaranteed contracts, the NFL -- given the violence of the game and the greater prospect of injury -- historically has declined to.