Smith signs of times have Bolts good to '09

[sniptilla]

Way I see it Philip is a lock as A.J will not let him go to any other team, McNeil will extend as well as Castillo. Igor I think may walk and as much as I hate to say it, keeping Merriman I fear will be little more than a wishful thinking. If anyone can figure it all out, A.J will. It would be great if a couple of them would follow Diehlman's example and forgo leaving in favor of staying and being apart of something special. Unfortunately you can't hold onto a everybody, unless your the 49er's and cheat on the cap.....If I remember right they got caught, but they were caught after the fact, after those great seasons.

[JoeMcRugby]

Originally Posted by sniptilla

Way I see it Philip is a lock as A.J will not let him go to any other team, McNeil will extend as well as Castillo. Igor I think may walk and as much as I hate to say it, keeping Merriman I fear will be little more than a wishful thinking. If anyone can figure it all out, A.J will. It would be great if a couple of them would follow Diehlman's example and forgo leaving in favor of staying and being apart of something special. Unfortunately you can't hold onto a everybody, unless your the 49er's and cheat on the cap.....If I remember right they got caught, but they were caught after the fact, after those great seasons.

Igor will get extended next year.

PR's contract runs through 2010.

They can tag Merriman at a worst case scenario before working out a long-term deal. He's not going anywhere either.

The truth is ... they can keep "everybody" mentioned. Almost all of the previous extensions have been frontloaded with roster bonuses instead of signing bonuses; thus, the major "cap hits" of those contracts will be finished at the end of the 2007 season.

For players like PR, Castillo, Merriman, McNeill, and Igor, you start using the "credit" system: signing and option bonuses that get spread over five years. 8 figure signing and option bonuses a year or more before they hit the UFA market are mighty enticing to players who face getting nothing should they suffer a major injury during the time-frame before they hit the market - or face the "threat" of a franchise tag.

You can do that if you don't spend your "credit" wildly on aging free agents who are off the roster and counting against your cap after they're gone and not giving your "second tier" core guys signing and option bonus loaded contracts that put pressure on future cap years.

Look at my sig line, measure what AJ has done - more importantly, has not done - in free agency and ask yourself whether AJ and Ed McGuire have been planning for the impending contract status for players like Igor, Shawne, Luis, Marcus and PR?

[drangus]

Originally Posted by JoeMcRugby

Igor will get extended next year.

PR's contract runs through 2010.

They can tag Merriman at a worst case scenario before working out a long-term deal. He's not going anywhere either.

The truth is ... they can keep "everybody" mentioned. Almost all of the previous extensions have been frontloaded with roster bonuses instead of signing bonuses; thus, the major "cap hits" of those contracts will be finished at the end of the 2007 season.

For players like PR, Castillo, Merriman, McNeill, and Igor, you start using the "credit" system: signing and option bonuses that get spread over five years. 8 figure signing and option bonuses a year or more before they hit the UFA market are mighty enticing to players who face getting nothing should they suffer a major injury during the time-frame before they hit the market - or face the "threat" of a franchise tag.

You can do that if you don't spend your "credit" wildly on aging free agents who are off the roster and counting against your cap after they're gone and not giving your "second tier" core guys signing and option bonus loaded contracts that put pressure on future cap years.

Look at my sig line, measure what AJ has done - more importantly, has not done - in free agency and ask yourself whether AJ and Ed McGuire have been planning for the impending contract status for players like Igor, Shawne, Luis, Marcus and PR?

isn't it amazing how soon people start pressing that panic button? especially considering the level of competence,

foresight, and managment ability that the charger FO has displayed since AJ has been running the show, I agree

with you that all of the afermentioned players will remain chargers for years to come, but even if we lost one or

two of those guys, I also feel confident that AJ and his staff would be more than capable of finding replacements

the dielman situation should not repeat itself, it cost the team a little more cap room than it should of, that said

we still managed to keep the guy at a lower price and the example that dielman set may prove invaluable in

the future, you know, he turned down about 1.5 million a year to remain a charger, but when you are going to

make 7 million a year anyway the sacrifice seems less daunting but no less noble, let the skeptics continue to

predict doom and desperation, so far, they have been silenced at every turn, you'd think that they'd of learned

something by now

[Xenos]

Originally Posted by JoeMcRugby

Igor will get extended next year.

PR's contract runs through 2010.

They can tag Merriman at a worst case scenario before working out a long-term deal. He's not going anywhere either.

The truth is ... they can keep "everybody" mentioned. Almost all of the previous extensions have been frontloaded with roster bonuses instead of signing bonuses; thus, the major "cap hits" of those contracts will be finished at the end of the 2007 season.

For players like PR, Castillo, Merriman, McNeill, and Igor, you start using the "credit" system: signing and option bonuses that get spread over five years. 8 figure signing and option bonuses a year or more before they hit the UFA market are mighty enticing to players who face getting nothing should they suffer a major injury during the time-frame before they hit the market - or face the "threat" of a franchise tag.

You can do that if you don't spend your "credit" wildly on aging free agents who are off the roster and counting against your cap after they're gone and not giving your "second tier" core guys signing and option bonus loaded contracts that put pressure on future cap years.

Look at my sig line, measure what AJ has done - more importantly, has not done - in free agency and ask yourself whether AJ and Ed McGuire have been planning for the impending contract status for players like Igor, Shawne, Luis, Marcus and PR?

Yeah, that about sums it up there.

[SuperBowlBolts]

Originally Posted by drangus

isn't it amazing how soon people start pressing that panic button? especially considering the level of competence,

foresight, and managment ability that the charger FO has displayed since AJ has been running the show, I agree

with you that all of the afermentioned players will remain chargers for years to come, but even if we lost one or

two of those guys, I also feel confident that AJ and his staff would be more than capable of finding replacements

the dielman situation should not repeat itself, it cost the team a little more cap room than it should of, that said

we still managed to keep the guy at a lower price and the example that dielman set may prove invaluable in

the future, you know, he turned down about 1.5 million a year to remain a charger, but when you are going to

make 7 million a year anyway the sacrifice seems less daunting but no less noble, let the skeptics continue to

predict doom and desperation, so far, they have been silenced at every turn, you'd think that they'd of learned

something by now

I thought he turned down more like 4-5 million or am I wrong?

[JoeMcRugby]

Originally Posted by SuperBowlBolts

I thought he turned down more like 4-5 million or am I wrong?

He signed a 6 year $39.5 million contract when he reportedly could have signed a Hutchinson-like 7 year $49 million deal with the Seahawks.

Nobody really knows the details on how they were structured.

[LKincheloe]

Originally Posted by JoeMcRugby

They can tag Merriman at a worst case scenario before working out a long-term deal. He's not going anywhere either.

Oh boy, I hope you're right. When I heard than Condon was his agent, I had nightmares. I guess as a last resort we could trade him out of the conference so we wouldn't have to face him more than once every few years (or in the SB).

[JoeMcRugby]

Originally Posted by LKincheloe

Oh boy, I hope you're right. When I heard than Condon was his agent, I had nightmares. I guess as a last resort we could trade him out of the conference so we wouldn't have to face him more than once every few years (or in the SB).

Tom Condon is LT's agent as well.

Don't get too freaked out with agents - if a team really wants to keep a star, they'll find a way to do it.

BTW Where did you hear that Condon was Merriman's agent? If that's the case, that one slipped by me.

[SuperBowlBolts]

Originally Posted by JoeMcRugby

Tom Condon is LT's agent as well.

Don't get too freaked out with agents - if a team really wants to keep a star, they'll find a way to do it.

BTW Where did you hear that Condon was Merriman's agent? If that's the case, that one slipped by me.

Its in the article. Here you go:

Among the contracts that run out after 2009 are those of quarterback Philip Rivers, left tackle Marcus McNeill and linebacker Shawne Merriman. That's three Pro Bowlers at big-money positions. Additionally, Rivers and McNeill are represented by Sexton, and Merriman picked up agent Tom Condon this offseason. Both agents are among the biggest in the business, and neither exchanges holiday cards with Smith.

[Smaug]

All teams lose good players eventually, that's why the ability to draft well is so important in the salary cap era of the NFL. I expect that Rivers and Big Mac will be signed at any cost. Left tackles and QB's are arguably the two most important positions on any team.