By Nunyo Demasio Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, March 15, 2004; Page D03
Washington linebacker LaVar Arrington has said he filed a non-injury grievance with the NFL against the Redskins organization over a contract dispute.
At issue is a $6.5 million roster bonus for 2006 that Arrington and his agent Carl Poston say was agreed to by the team but was not included in an eight-year, $68 million extension that Arrington signed on Dec. 26 at Redskins Park. With the roster bonus, Arrington's contract would be worth $74.5 million.
Arrington -- who filed the grievance Friday -- is requesting that the NFL take his case to arbitration to have the roster bonus placed in the contract or have the deal voided.
League spokesman Greg Aiello could not be reached to comment last night.
The contract -- which included a combined signing bonus of approximately $20 million -- was signed on the final day of the NFL's deadline for extensions. The deal allowed the Redskins salary-cap flexibility for this offseason, and was intended to make Arrington, 25, a Redskin for the rest of his NFL career.
"I firmly believe and have trusted my agents, Carl and Kevin Poston," Arrington said last night. "And I believe they're the best in the business. This is a clear case of a contract negotiation done at the last minute in good faith with the team to be a life-long Redskin, and to clear cap room to make the team better.
"There was a mistake made during this time."
Arrington originally signed a seven-year contract worth roughly $50 million after being selected second overall in the 2000 NFL draft out of Penn State. Before signing the December extension, Arrington's salary-cap figure averaged an unwieldy $10 million per season.
When the extension was announced, Poston described it as an $80 million deal, indicating a substantial discrepancy. Arrington's contract issue had been an NFL rumor for several weeks. But the Pro Bowler didn't make a public comment until March 3, the start of free agency, when he made an appearance at Redskins Park and met Coach Joe Gibbs face-to-face for the first time. Arrington said at the time that he wouldn't allow the contract issue to affect his play or his relationship with the coaching staff.
Redskins Vice President Vinny Cerrato, who doesn't handle contract negotiations, referred all questions to Redskins spokesman Karl Swanson, who couldn't be reached to comment late last night. But on March 3, Swanson said: "LaVar's contract was reviewed by his agent in draft form numerous times. . . . A month later, the agent claimed that something was left out the contract. If anyone owes an explanation to LaVar, it is his agent."
Notes: New York Giants linebacker Brandon Short has not accepted the Redskins' offer, according to a source familiar with the situation. The club made a similar offer to Greg Favors, who hasn't yet replied while considering inquiries from Jacksonville and Denver. The Redskins have a visit scheduled for Chicago Bears linebacker Warrick Holdman today at Redskins Park.
Yikes! I was hoping this wouldn't go to the NFLPA. Hopefully this doesn't get as ugly at the TO situation. I'm no cap expert, but there are three likely scenarios that I can imagine. What do you guys think? Hopefully I'm missing something.
* The arbitrator nullifies the new contract, returns Lavar to his pre-existing contract, and the Skins will be forced to cut players so they can pay him his 04 salary, or try to renegotiate with Lavar's agent, or trade Lavar.
* The arbitrator upholds the new contract, without the 6.5 million bonus, and Lavar is one unhappy camper.
* The arbitrator puts the disputed 6.5 million roster bonus due in 2006 back into the contract. Which would mean the Skins will be forced to cut/trade/renegotiate with Lavar in 06. The big problem with that is that Lavar just got a huge signing bonus that is going to be on the Skins books for years.
Man, let's hope that Lavar's agents and Mr. Snyder work this out and work it out fast.
The difference between this situation and TO's is that Lavar is viewing this as a mistake that needs to be repaired, not a personal attack by the club. Hopefully this is resolved soon. We don't need distractions.
ALl I've been hearing is that the agent initialed every page of the contact that Lavar signed. Doesn't that mean that the contact problem is Lavar's agents?
The agent is the one that owes Lavar. Rumor was a third party found the error and informed Lavar and his agent thus the fact it went unnoticed for a month. The NFLPA needs to start putting some responsibilities on these agents. Lavar and Terrell have no one to blame but their agents.
This whole thing is starting to scare me. Not so much whether or not he'll be a Redskin, but more importantly how the morale is. I think it's important for a player to WANT to play for a team, as opposed to just doing it for the money. This scares me!!!!
The NFLPA needs to start putting some responsibilities on these agents. Lavar and Terrell have no one to blame but their agents.
Exactly. These are legally binding contracts we're talking about. I wonder how the NFLPA would feel if the management started breaking contracts. In TO's case, he says everyone "knew" that he wasn't coming back despite the fact that they didn't complete the paperwork. Everyone is saying Trung and Larry Moore are out of town so what if the Redskins just left them on the roster and then said at the end of the season, "Sorry guys, we meant to cut you and everyone KNEW this, so we're not going to pay you." This is completely the agents fault in both cases and I don't see the NFL budging even if the NFLPA piles on the pressure. A contract is a contract. It would be a very dangerous precedent to start nullifying contracts, especially in the TO case, as then players around the league will realise that if they don't like their position just whine until it is changed. Arrington is above this sort of behavior though and I think that Dan Snyder might just give him the optional money or something. I don't think he wants his contract nullified, the most that will happen is that the two sides meet somewhere in the middle. I think Arrington has a lot more good will built up with the NFL than Owens, whose behavior has really been disgraceful. I do not know how anyone can call Owens a man, he is a spoiled, obnoxious little girl who has to throw a tantrum to get what he wants.
I hate to be the negative creep. But nothing leads to divorce faster than money problems. If it was going to get solved quietly, Lavar's agent wouldn't have filed a grievance with the league. The thing about 'a mistake' is Lavar being smart and chosing his words carefully. He's no TO. Don't be fooled. Football is Lavar's job.
I hope you're right and they meet halfway. Snyder is a creative genius when it comes to contracts and negotiations. My bet is that he solves it before it turns from a distraction into a controversy.
With that said, I love Lavar but at what price? In my take there are no sacred cows on this team right now. I'd rather they trade him than let the issue become a distraction in the locker room.
I know that's blashpemy, but the last four editions of the Skins - Petibon, Norv, Marty, Spurrier - have been awful - with each edition worse than the last. And we've had great players - like Champ and Lavar who we all love - on the worst of those teams. I want Lavar to win rings with the Skins. But we don't need him to do it. In fact, they've done a great job of being awful with him on the roster. What's he being paid 80 million for? Being a team leader on teams that have gone 8-8, 7-9, 5-11? Lavar needs a reality check not a 6.5 million dollar check.
"I firmly believe and have trusted my agents, Carl and Kevin Poston," Arrington said last night. "And I believe they're the best in the business.
you thought wrong.
The NFLPA needs to start putting some responsibilities on these agents. Lavar and Terrell have no one to blame but their agents.
couldn't have said it better myself.
i just signed an equity loan agreement. the rate on the paper i signed was actually .5% higher than what was verbally discussed. should i go to the bank and demand a new loan proposal? HELL NO, i'm sitting back enjoying the finacial freedom that this loan gave me, and lovin every minute of it.
isn't lavars signature on the deal, as well as his agent(s) initials?
THN's resident jerk.
Glock .40 Model 22 - First* line of home defense.... 'ADT' is for liberals.
Congrats on your financial freedom! Wish I was there!
But that's not the way Lavar and his agents are going to take this. If it was, he wouldn't be airing this out in public. He's the one putting this in the media. Not the Skins. I hate it, but there is zero chance he plays for the current contract and just deals with the 'mistake'. He plays for money. Nothing else. We can't underestimate the ramifications of Lavar's filing a grievance. That's basically the NFL version of a law suit. You have to think of it as he's now suing the Redskins for lost wages.
Champ wouldn't take the deal he was offered and he's gone. Don't be surprised if Lavar ends up traded too. That's just life in the NFL.
If you think I'm nuts, on New Years day - A) who would have thought Gibbs would come out of retirement. B) who would have thought Portis would be a Redskin. C) who would have thought Ramsey would've been shown the bench this year.
True about point C. All the folks in the know - Mark Maske, Wilbon, Kornheiser, have said that it's a safe bet that Brunell goes in as the starter and Ramsey has to beat him out. I'm a huge Ramey fan. I was shocked that they went for a QB in a trade. But that's the NFL.
And with Lavar - it's a long shot that we end up with Lavar unhappy and doing something silly like holding out or being traded. But I wouldn't be surprised. When's the last time a Redksin filed a grievance against the team over a contract? And then started talking to the media about it? Does anybody know?
I disagree that the folks in the know know anything. I know that Brunell is a good pickup, IMO. I laugh at supposed Redskins fans who are so worried about PRam's feelings being hurt that they don't see how this guy, the 9th best of all time in passer ratings could help the team.
I don't think LA will be traded or cut, but if it was to happen it would be now or in 2006/7 depending on the cap and who else we have in place. But mostly, we can't take Samuels at 11 mil and Arrington at 10 mil. That is enough to choke a mule, not to mention an NFL team.
Rich in Roanoke
_______________________________________
Let others hail the rising sun:
I bow to that whose course is run
If he and his agent initialed the contract and then signed it, LaVar and the Postens are screwed. Why cant grown adults make mistakes and just admit to them??
Death to all things remotely BLUE and SILVER!!!!!!!!!!! Hail Skins
If the agent and Lavar dotted the "i's" and crossed the "t's" when reviewing the contract, they're both S.O.L..
That being said, if the Redskins did make a mistake....they need to acknowledge it and take the high road...and just amend the agreement by adding it back in.
Fran Farren "Justice Hog"
Newark, DE
“God didn't give us a spirit that is timid but one that is powerful, loving and controlled.” 2 Timothy 1:7
that is an awfully big and rather stupid mistake to make IMO.
I would love to say the Poston's should suck it up for not rereading what they were initialling and signing. They drank their champagne and told LA to "sign right here"... and blew it.
Rich in Roanoke
_______________________________________
Let others hail the rising sun:
I bow to that whose course is run
I think this whole thing is real funny. If it was my money, I would have read the complete 240 pages of the CBA and known it by heart. In addition, I would have hired a army of lawyers to negotiate and review my contract.
Sometimes I think these professional athletes are just looking to be taken advantage of. Look how much Don King has taken from Mr. "BITES" Tyson.
Death to all things remotely BLUE and SILVER!!!!!!!!!!! Hail Skins
There is one simple way to resolve this disagreement. Have LaVars' agents bring their copy of the contract to the table and compare with the 'Skins' copy. If the 'Skins were wrong make it right by coughing up what is due to LaVar. If the agent screwed up.... well then, that is a situation that I don't think LaVar wants to deal with. I mean know one ever wants to admit to a mistake (especially a $6.5 million mistake), but that is the reality of this issue. I can tell you if I was a leaching agent (no offence) and my salary was base on a percentage of the deal I was negotiating, I can guarantee that I'm not shorting myself $500,000 by signing a contract that leaves out 6 and a half million bucks.
Advise to both parties... Let's get this crap out of the way so we can go into mini-camp clean and clear.
does any of this really matter? even if the bonus was included in the contract, would arrington ever get it? i doubt it. his contract will be re-renegotiated long before then.
I'm a jack of all trades, the master of three
Rockin' the tables, rockin' the mikes, rockin' the young lay-dees.
This is too funny , but my gut feeling leads me to side with Arrington. I dont know if any of you guys have dealt with contracts, but I have with services and goods....and they usually have tons of pages.
After probally faxing these things back and forth for review and revisal, somebody and I cant say who cause i dont know forgot the part about that 6 million bonus....and Arringtons agents going on good faith just assumed that it was still in the deal. Honestly this stuff probally went back and forth atleast a dozen times,and sometimes you start to deal on the "GOOD FAITH PRINCIPLE"
But due to Arringtons past willingness to help the skins with restructering.....i think things will work out.
What makes this a problem is that it's no longer between Lavar's people and the Skins. He's filed a grievance and asked for an arbitrator to step in. Like I said earlier, that's the NFL's version of going to court to settle a legal matter. IMO this has the potential to turn into the biggest player related story of the offseason.
gambit187 wrote:This is too funny , but my gut feeling leads me to side with Arrington. I dont know if any of you guys have dealt with contracts, but I have with services and goods....and they usually have tons of pages.
After probally faxing these things back and forth for review and revisal, somebody and I cant say who cause i dont know forgot the part about that 6 million bonus....and Arringtons agents going on good faith just assumed that it was still in the deal. Honestly this stuff probally went back and forth atleast a dozen times,and sometimes you start to deal on the "GOOD FAITH PRINCIPLE"
that would be the problem.....his agent assuming anything. its their job to look out for lavar. sounds to me like they screwed up and didn't do that. how can lavar or the nflpa blame the team for something that his agent(s) agreed upon. are we talking about the real world here or is this the cartoon network? i'm sure they probaly get 10% or more out of the total deal, meaning they'll get around 6 million to read over some paperwork and didn't do it? that is assanine.
gambit187 also wrote:But due to Arringtons past willingness to help the skins with restructering.....i think things will work out.
i agree, he's done his part to help. snyder knows this too.
Last edited by hailskins666 on Mon Mar 15, 2004 6:48 pm, edited 2 times in total.
THN's resident jerk.
Glock .40 Model 22 - First* line of home defense.... 'ADT' is for liberals.
