Snyder: Jeff Burke/USA Today Sports; Waynes: Mark J. Rebelas/USA Today Sports; Cup: Kirby Lee / USA TODAY Sports
Vacation me a few days. So let’s drop some notes here…
• Count me among those buzzing about Dan Snyder’s attorney’s claim that scheduling conflicts, as well as the outlandish idea that testimony would prevent his attorneys from attending, prevented him from appearing before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday.
This is what a commission spokesperson told ESPN on Monday: “If Mr. Snyder had really been committed to cooperating with the commission’s investigation, he would have accepted the commission’s invitation to testify about the matter.” leadersToxic workplace culture. As the Chair’s letter made clear, the commission was more than accommodating – it even allowed Mr. Snyder to testify remotely from France. His refusal to testify sends an unmistakable signal that Mr. Snyder has something to hide and is afraid to reveal to the American public and address the major labor protection concerns facing the NFL. The commission will not be deterred in its investigation into the reality of workplace misconduct of Washington’s leaders.”
It’s time to call Snyder what he’s been up to the past couple of years — totally spunky.
With the proud franchise he bought more than 20 years ago in disgrace over the past two years, Snyder has been completely invisible, refusing to speak publicly about the name change, allegations of toxic workplace culture, the accusations against him personally, or anything else that has happened. I can’t imagine a sports owner who has done more to damage his team’s brand (although I think the Knicks Dolan family might be a contestant) than Snyder has done since 1999. His lack of accountability only makes it worse.
Along those lines, I’d be intrigued to see how Roger Goodell deals with this in his own testimony.
• I hate seeing Tri Wines “I’m done in my head,” saying, on the Geary and Stein Sports Show podcast. And trust me, I’m not saying that because he’s considering leaving – because I think it’s healthy that players feel more free now to make that decision early in their lives. This guy is sad for a different reason, because he really feels that Wiens’ career could become a victim of COVID.
Two years ago, in March 2020, the ex-Viking agreed to a three-year, $42 million deal with the company Bengals, but couldn’t get to Cincinnati fast enough to get Maddy to finish the deal before the world closed up. Wayans moved his wife and two children to Cincinnati in May, in part because the Bengals were one of the teams at that point, and they didn’t allow third parties to terminate contracts. He thought that if he got to town early, even with the team facility closed, he could arrange to meet with the team doctor off-site for a physical examination.
The Bengals didn’t, so his contract remained unsigned, and Waynes changed his injury avoidance regimen so he could finish his deal — with a $15 million signing bonus hanging in the balance. So, really, he wasn’t ready to communicate in the usual way. He ended up, finally, getting his body image and signing his deal in July. He tore his muscles early in training camp in August, missing the entire 2020 season, and all but five of last year’s games (although he was able to play in the playoffs with Cincinnati).
So in the end, the Bengals spent $31 million over two years and got five games, four games, from Wins. Wiens, who played 74 of 80 games over five years in Minnesota, watched his love of football killed off by a display of injuries that could have been avoided had it not been for this feud on the physical side.
There are no winners here.
• While we are talking about the topic of COVID, I find it very plausible to believe that the . file crows It can end up being a very real #1 receiver in rashod pitman. Things got funky with his draft after a weird final year in Minnesota (he chose to drop out, then chose to get involved again, then chose to go out again) and some turmoil during the spring. But before the 2020 season kicked off, he was seen as perhaps the best future in college football.
and with Hollywood Brown Gone, he must have had a lot of chances.
• This morning we Went through Hunter Renfro’s necklaceAnd while researching it, I came across an $80 million three-year extension cooper cup signed with rams. Here is a summary of it…
signature bonus
Go to follow
20 million dollars
basic salaries
2022: $10 million
2023: $15 million (strat next year)
2024: $15 million (strat next year)
2025: $12.5 million
2026: $14.85 million
List rewards (due in March)
2023: $5 million
2024: $5 million
2025: $7.5 million
2026: $5 million
Add it, and you get $109.85 million over five years, with the remaining two years and $29.85 million left on his old deal folded. So what’s interesting here? Really, two things. First, there is only $35 million currently fully guaranteed (his signature bonus, base rule, and next year’s roster bonus). However, another $35 million worth of jackets, going from injury-guaranteed to fully secured, next March – his base salary for 2023 and 24 and bonus 24. $5 million of his ’25’ bonus becomes guaranteed in March 2024. Why is he doing this? It keeps the amount of money that owner Stan Kronk has to put into escrow low (and it’s going to be zero for a while), and from a player’s point of view, as long as he’s on the list nine months from now, his escrow really is $70 million. For the team to come out of paying the full $75 million, they must walk away after paying $70 million for its first two years.
So here, from Kupp’s point of view, how would you like to look at it. The Rams are in a bind for $35 million for a year or $70 million for two years. If you thought it was unrealistic that they would pay that much and not hold on in 24 years, then you understand why that makes sense to him. Plus cutting off after any of those years means being a free agent at age 29 or 30. After year 23, things will be over. Cobb is owed $70 million over three years, and the team will owe him $5 million of his 2025 bonus if he withdraws at that point. This may be realistic, if Kupp drops by then (because the rams will pay $25 million each).
And the other interesting detail here – there is no payout on about $60 million of Kupp’s $75 million guarantee, which means the rams will really be responsible for that money, and Kupp will be able to back out (getting money from another team And the rams) if cut. This is part of the bargain that the Rams routinely do to players to get them to give up their full collateral upon signing.
Of course, doing things this way requires getting it right on the players you pay for. The Rams have had hiccups there in the past, but I’d say, recently, they’ve done a good job in the field, and they’re pretty confident the guys they’ve re-escalated will keep the streak going.
• Remnants of one of Last week’s conversation with Texans QB Davis Mills– I asked Mills if he had heard people say that if he had returned to Stanford last year, he would have been the first quarterback to play, and possibly the first overall pick, in the 2022 draft. He replied: Yes, he did.
“It’s not a big deal to me,” he said. “I’m where I am. I was recruited in Houston, and I’m a Houston quarterback at this point. I don’t try to pay that much attention. I think blowing up the media is more of a concern to me.”
However, there are financial repercussions. Mills signed a four-year, $5.22 million contract, with a $1.16 million guarantee, to be the 66th pick last year. This year’s top pick, Travon Walker, signed a four-year, $37.4 million deal earlier this spring. The upshot here for Mills, then, is that he qualifies for a second deal a year earlier, and an agency release two years earlier than he would if he stayed in school. It is also worth considering how the Pac-12’s mismanagement of the 2020 season affected Mills’ decision.
• The more I hear about North Dakota’s Christian Watson in the fall, the more he reminds me of what people said about the late Vincent Jackson when he was coming out in 2005 – from how gentle Watson is, to the potential size/speed he possesses, to his non-FBS roots . And I was told that he had a real steel spring with Packerswhich only supports this idea.
I think he could be a real man Aaron Rodgers. The question will be how quickly this can happen.
• Take average: I’m not sure people are taking Steelers Seriously enough, and a lot of it relies on the idea that they’re about to back off the quarterback. Did these people see the Ben Roethlisberger version that Pittsburgh was putting out there in 2021? I honestly don’t think it’s even a big leap from either of them Mitch Trubesky or Kenny BeckettPittsburgh may be better in office this year than it was last year.
And if that happens, there is still talent at hand.
• Don’t be surprised Richard Sherman Leaves the door open for return. We said it a few weeks ago, and I’ll say it again — the plan here is for Sherman to wet his foot as an anchor, and then come on an extended run, to see if there’s a chance to help the team in December, January and into the playoffs. So maybe a few months from now, it could be a team Eric Weddell.
Duster Tony Bocelli / Bruce Smith Silly. Smith is upset that people are using the way Boselli played against him in the 1995 playoffs as the reason for his pending induction into the Hall of Fame. I’m not a voter, but, as a person, I’ve never seen that as a factor. I think Boselli is good enough to extrapolate, and that whether or not it depends on the value you place on longevity. As such, as soon as Terrell Davis entered, the door of a man like Boselli opened.
• The MAQB will be on hiatus for a few weeks as my vacation begins. Next time we come back to this place will be on July 25th. But don’t worry – I still have another mailbag, GamePlan and MMQB for you before I’m gone.
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