The-Hogs.net - Washington Football Discussion, Redskins to Commanders Era

Don't know if this was already posted...will delete if needed.

http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~86~1979707,00.html

Bailey's new contract trade's only necessity
By Adam Schefter
Denver Post Sports Writer


Thursday, February 26, 2004 -

Another obstacle to the pending blockbuster Broncos deal presented itself Wednesday, when Washington director of player personnel Vinny Cerrato said the Redskins do not need a new contract in place with Clinton Portis before they complete a trade with Denver.

The Broncos, however, will need one with Washington cornerback Champ Bailey, who spent Wednesday in Denver visiting with team officials.

The Redskins have no plans for Portis to visit Washington, nor to delve any further into his contract situation before the proposed trade.

"We're comfortable with our position if the deal works out," said Cerrato, whose organization has had one conversation this week with Portis' agent, Drew Rosenhaus. "We're comfortable with our position with Clinton and with his agent."

Bailey spent Wednesday meeting with Broncos coaches. At the same time, his wife, Hanady, launched a housing search in the metro area. Bailey's Atlanta-based agent, Jack Reale, conducted contract negotiations with Denver's front office.

Then, joined by Broncos coach Mike Shanahan and the rest of the team's front office, they adjourned to the Nuggets-Lakers game on Wednesday night before the Baileys returned to Atlanta.

"It's kind of hard to come here and not want to be here," Bailey said at the Nuggets game.

It is up to Bailey's agent to make it happen.

"It's been a good day," Reale said. "We've certainly had some very serious discussions. We're going to have to see some things reduced to writing and evaluate them and make sure they are as we both feel they should be. Then we'll go on from there."

Asked if he were optimistic the trade would go through, Reale said: "Things are moving along and beyond that, I wouldn't want to hazard a guess."

All sides agree a resolution is near. With the NFL's trading period beginning Wednesday, it is only a matter of days - if not hours - until a trade is consummated.


"I would say something would happen before the end of the week," Cerrato said. "I would think by the weekend and no later than Monday, something will be done."

Before returning for Atlanta, Bailey was seeking answers to how he would find life in the West, where he never has lived. Bailey attended high school and college in Georgia, then moved north to Washington. Reale said Bailey, 25, is willing to uproot his wife and son, Keevan.

"Oh, yes, he's open-minded to coming to Denver," Reale said of the four-time Pro Bowl cornerback. "I think he's very open-minded on that subject."

The Redskins insist the ultimate decision belongs to them.

"This (trade) is on Denver's side, to see if it can get a deal worked out with Champ's agent," Cerrato said. "I think the New York Jets are doing the same. Then we're weighing options and going from there. But we will choose where we want to send him, the agent will not."

The Redskins and Broncos have agreed in principle on trade terms. Denver would send Portis to Washington for Bailey and the Redskins' second-round pick in April.


The Redskins' trade talks with the Jets look as if they are a fallback plan. The Jets are offering a package of players that includes running back LaMont Jordan and their first-round draft pick.

Denver's deal for Bailey is contingent on nothing more than a deal for Bailey.

"This whole thing is crazy," said Denver fullback Reuben Droughns, scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next week.

With Portis looking to be on the way out, with fullback Mike Anderson debating whether to accept a pay cut or hit free agency and with Droughns hoping to strike it rich somewhere, Denver's most experienced running back this season might be second-year pro Quentin Griffin.

"You know who's probably having the toughest time right now?" Droughns said. "(Denver running backs coach Bobby Turner), he's losing his core guys. He's got to be the most disturbed guy right now. I heard when he found out about all this, he was like: 'What? Oh, my gosh.' It's really unbelievable. But this is the business. If you feel like that's the move you've got to make to get your team back into Super Bowl shape, then that's what we have to do."

Until this week, it was a move most Broncos could not imagine. When safety Nick Ferguson ran into Bailey at a party Friday night, he kidded about where Washington's perennial Pro Bowl selection might end up.

"We kind of joked about going to Denver, the possibility of him going there," Ferguson said. "We said, 'Would it be possible? That would be cool.' At the time I was not aware it was anything being talked about period.

"Once I found out, it was really weird. I was like, 'What?' I didn't know it was actually going to happen."

Wait, Wait, Wait!

The Redskins' trade talks with the Jets look as if they are a fallback plan. The Jets are offering a package of players that includes running back LaMont Jordan and their first-round draft pick.

I never heard about the 1st Round Pick?

I thought it was just Ellis, Jordan, and Becht?

If they throw in a 1st round pick too....then that is a whole different story!

Good posturing by the Redskins... and they don't have to re-sign him to make the deal go through.

But they will. Portis was already kicking up fuss about not making enough money so i'm pretty sure trading him for a guy who ends up getting a 60 million contract won't change his mind much.

I swear -- on my stack of Redskins press guides -- I read this somewhere, but I can't find it now. There was one article that had Portis saying he wouldn't press for a new contract his first year here.

That would be nice if Portis said that but we better have the renegotiated contract ready to go (and I'm sure we do). Legally we don't have to for the deal to go through but you can bet we want to ensure Portis is fairly paid...

And finding an article would prove what? That there's another piece of sensationalism floating around?

I don't profess to know the answer, but I'm personally not of the opinion that Portis will be playing for his old contract in 2004. I think he'll be paid, paid well, and locked up for a while so that we don't have to deal with it next year, or the year after while we're dealing with 'other contract issues'.

I'm not arguing that a new contract wouldn't be the right thing for the Redskins to do -- it is. Just that it adds to the aspect that it won't hold up the deal.

RedskinsFreak wrote:I'm not arguing that a new contract wouldn't be the right thing for the Redskins to do -- it is. Just that it adds to the aspect that it won't hold up the deal.

Yeah it means that the Redkins COULD sign him and then take their time, but I think knowing what you get portis for, is integral to the Redskins in gauging the relative worth of this deal. I don't think the Redskins would be doing it if they didn't already have a tentative agreement in place.

I think the fact that Clinton has already stated that he wouldn't play for Denver means that the new contract negotiation is more neccessary than optional. It may be logistically ok for the deal to go through, but it won't mean squat if the Redskins have a potential holdout RB on their hands when they are trying to delegate their free agent money accordingly in less than a week.

"Another obstacle to the pending blockbuster Broncos deal presented itself Wednesday, when Washington director of player personnel Vinny Cerrato said the Redskins do not need a new contract in place with Clinton Portis before they complete a trade with Denver."

maybe i'm misunderstanding this, but how does NOT having to negotiate with portis ADD an obstacle to the deal???

I think the writer was trying to say that if the Redskins think that not re-doing the deal is an option, that it will become an obstacle.

But I can see why you didn't get that from it, it's a very vague, backwards comment, and I'm only speculating.

thanks for the explanation, but i guess i still don't understand how it's an obstacle when we have no obligation to negotiate with portis (unless denver is demanding it as part of teh trade agreement, which i think is unlikely). sometimes i think these sportswriters just don't get it. a shocker, i know, but it could be true.

the whole point of this, is that cerrato is saying that the team doesn't feel a need to have an agreed contract before the deal is consumated. he's not saying portis won't get a new deal. simply that in good faith, the skins are happy to deal with that once he is a member of the franchise, and aren't looking to hold up a deal based on somthing they feel confident they can handle.

honestly, what agent doesn't seem to love the skins besides the potsons's?

Didn't the Jets officials deny everything about Ellis being involved in trade talks since the beginnning?

~one~

What are Clinton's contract demands? Shouldn't we offer him the seven year, 55 million deal we offered Champ?