Brian Westbrook Is Not There And Not Expected To Show UP!!

rjs246 · August 02, 2005, 10:11:22 AM

Quote from: ice grillin you on August 02, 2005, 09:47:59 AM
I can understand Westbrook not wanting to come to camp on a one-year deal without a signing bonus, and risking injury. But, I think he has to be a bit more realistic as to his value in the NFL.

thats it

thread can now be closed

Finally. Plus he won't hold out that long anyway since anything of any length will make him inelligible for unrestricted free agency next year. Idiot.

jeffreyjpa · August 02, 2005, 10:12:27 AM

PG, you will defend TO to the death...

That might be your point and I get it, but it's not relevant in the context of this thread, RE: Westbrook...it's apples and oranges.

TO signed a big contract last season, played one year, and threatened a hold-out. I'm not bashing him because he showed up, Yeti's point (I believe said tongue in cheek) referred to the bashing TO took while he threatened to hold out for four months...until he reported to camp, no one knew for sure what he was going to do, and he and his agent said a lot of inadvisable things to the media along the way, so the media and fans reacted to the four-month soap opera.

Westbrook probably doesn't want to risk injury before he gets a deal done that gives him a little bit of insurance...I can't blame him for that, but he shouldn't have signed the tender. To me...he should be in camp until he works it out, but I think we all agree that he is drastically underpaid at the RFA tender...he just shouldn't have signed it if he felt that strongly. For all we know, he and Fletcher Smith may have been told "Sign your tender, come to the minicamps and we'll work something out by training camp." Obviously, training camp is here, and he hasn't yet signed an extension. From what has been printed, the Eagles are being more than fair in their offer, in most people's opinions.

I'm not defending Westbrook...IMO, he should be in camp, and if he is being offered what has been reported, he should sign it. But, he hasn't gone public with his demands, scorching the team and management in the process. Since he hasn't said anything publicly yet on the hold-out, I'm assuming he doesn't want to risk injury until his extension is done.

I also believe his hold-out will be very brief, if the information RE: him giving up UFA next year is true if it goes beyond 8/8/05.

PhillyGirl · August 02, 2005, 10:14:29 AM

WHOA...defend TO to the death? Are you serious? How many more times do you want me to say that he is DEAD WRONG FOR ASKING FOR A NEW CONTRACT and that THE WAY HE WENT ABOUT ALL OF THIS IS AS RIDICULOUS AS CAN BE and that HE LOST A LOT OF FAN SUPPORT AND ANY CHANCE AT STAYING HERE PAST THIS SEASON WITH HIS IDIOCY AND NEED TO BE STROKED BY AN AGENT LIKE ROSENHAUS??

The point is, they are both under contract, both signed contracts, both BOUND BY THOSE CONTRACTS.

Only one is in camp.

Just because I said all along that TO would be in camp and there for week one does NOT make me defending him to the death. Holy crap, I can't believe you even said that.

BigEd76 · August 02, 2005, 10:15:52 AM

Another item from Hartman last night: Westbrook is the first restricted FA in NFL history to sign his 1-year tender and not show up for training camp...

PG - the Travis Henry thing is that he wanted at least a 5-year deal. I didn't include Henry's $$ amounts because he signed a very low deal in comparison to other starters...

PhillyGirl · August 02, 2005, 10:16:40 AM

Quote from: BigEd76 on August 02, 2005, 10:15:52 AM
Another item from Hartman last night: Westbrook is the first restricted FA in NFL history to sign his 1-year tender and not show up for training camp...

PG - the Travis Henry thing is that he wanted at least a 5-year deal. I didn't include Henry's $$ amounts because he signed a very low deal in comparison to other starters...

Ah, that's what I thought, but I wanted to post his numbers just in case you didn't mean that.

ice grillin you · August 02, 2005, 10:21:45 AM

Westbrook probably doesn't want to risk injury before he gets a deal done that gives him a little bit of insurance...I can't blame him for that, but he shouldn't have signed the tender. To me...he should be in camp until he works it out, but I think we all agree that he is drastically underpaid at the RFA tender...he just shouldn't have signed it if he felt that strongly.

Listen to this man

PhillyGirl · August 02, 2005, 10:24:32 AM

I think you're missing the point. No one here doesn't think Westbrook should get a new, good contract. NO ONE thinks he doesn't deserve it. The PROBLEM here is that the FO and his agent were working on a long term deal. He signed the tender knowing that fact. His agent expected him to be in camp and he didn't go...and THAT is the problem. If anything, Westbrook just killed the deal that Smith/Banner/Reid were working on for him. THAT is the problem. Westbrook's actions yesterday.

rjs246 · August 02, 2005, 10:26:54 AM

The fac that he's doing something that NO ONE ELSE HAS EVER DONE and that it involves holding out and being a fleshpop to the team I heart is the problem. Oh that and the fact that he thinks he's a star running back when really he's not. At all.

PhillyGirl · August 02, 2005, 10:27:19 AM

Quote from: rjs246 on August 02, 2005, 10:26:54 AM
The fac that he's doing something that NO ONE ELSE HAS EVER DONE and that it involves holding out and being a fleshpop to the team I heart is the problem. Oh that and the fact that he thinks he's a star running back when really he's not. At all.

ok, that too.

MadMarchHare · August 02, 2005, 10:31:25 AM

If he's looking for Tomlinson/McAllister money he can pound sand.

rjs246 · August 02, 2005, 10:31:49 AM

He should get Eric Metcalf money.

jeffreyjpa · August 02, 2005, 10:31:59 AM

I apologize, defending him to the death was too strong in re-reading my post; and, in consideration of your past TO positions, unfair of me to post.

But, I guess I'm not in the camp of forgiving all because he showed up to camp and will (hopefully) soon be catching TDs in an Eagles jersey again. I wouldn't boo him at camp, I will cheer his TDs because they help my team, but I will continue to hold him at arm's length as a fan, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I don't like any hold-outs, but I believe Westbrook (so far, at least) has gone about his negotiation in a wiser fashion, at least up until 7:00 PM last night. I do think the back-stories do hold relevance, because I don't think Westbrook's hold-out will upset the team as long as he is in camp in the next two weeks, and that's all I really care about. I do think that TO's four months of histrionics--even though he reported to camp on-time--could potentially hurt the team, depending on what happens with him from here on out. I hope it's over, but I would be surprised if this is the end of it with TO and Rosenhaus.

And, just to reiterate...I think Westbrook's hold-out is ill-advised, and I believe he'll be in camp within the next few days. Do you believe the extension talk is dead, or do you think they'll pick it back up again once he returns? I agree that they will have no further conversations as long as he stays out of camp...but, to hold a grudge on this would be a foolish move by the FO, they still need him and he still wants to play for the Eagles.

MadMarchHare · August 02, 2005, 10:33:25 AM

We got what, half a dozen guys on the roster with the same build as Westbrook (too small to be a workhorse, 25 carries a game guy, but shifty in space). If he doesn't want to play, he and TO can cry over their Gatorade.

jeffreyjpa · August 02, 2005, 10:34:41 AM

Quote from: rjs246 on August 02, 2005, 10:31:49 AM
He should get Eric Metcalf money.

That's a pretty fair comparison...hadn't thought about Eric Metcalf in quite some time. "The Ice Cube".

PhillyGirl · August 02, 2005, 10:36:46 AM

I believe that talks WILL pick back up, once his agent does some butt kissing to make up for his client's stupidity. I don't think the Eagles FO is going to blackball talks with Smith/Westbrook once he shows.

TO has a big mouth. He said the wrong things and those things were made a million times worse by his agent. However, it was TO's choice to come to camp, Rosenhaus clearly wanted him to hold out. Ray Didinger said last night that he believes Rosenhaus is trying to run the show right now, but TO made the decision to come to camp himself...all the while, Rosenhaus is STILL running his mouth saying that he could leave any day (which we all know won't happen now that he's there). TO kept his mouth shut all day yesterday, Rosenhaus kept at it.

At this point, TO is doing the RIGHT thing by being there and not talking shtein to the media. Let him work his stuff out with AR and DMac and get to work.