More Whining from Westbrook

[rjs246]

Wah wah wah.

PHILADELPHIA -- Brian Westbrook has all the numbers on the field that Oakland's LaMont Jordan has never come close to matching.

What irks Westbrook, Philadelphia's Pro Bowl running back, is how those stats haven't translated into the numbers he's really aiming for: a nice fat contract like the one Jordan has.

While Jordan parlayed a career reserve role with the New York Jets into a a five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Raiders, Westbrook stews that his Pro Bowl season merited him only a one-year, $1.43 million deal from the Eagles.

While Westbrook still wants a long-term deal from the Eagles, he's not going to place any added emphasis on outperforming Jordan when their respective teams play each other Sunday.

"I don't think I'm going to measure my performance comparing what I do compared to what he does," Westbrook said Thursday.

One game won't matter, though. All Westbrook has to do is look at the career numbers to show he deserves a comparable contract (even if the Eagles aren't listening).

Jordan never started at running back in 62 career games with the New York Jets. He never rushed for more than 479 yards or four touchdowns in a season. He's never caught more than 17 passes in four full seasons.

Jordan was a career backup, never asked to carry an offense, catch the ball out of the backfield or become an explosive player other teams have to scheme around.

Westbrook developed into one of the top all-purpose backs, returning punts and often serving as one of the first looks in a premier offense that relies more on the passing game.

"We have different styles," Westbrook said. "It's hard to compare what he does for their offense to what I do for this offense."

The versatile Westbrook is coming off a breakout season in which he led the team with 1,515 total yards and was tops among NFL running backs with 73 catches for 703 yards and six touchdowns, despite sitting out the last two regular-season games.

This year, Westbrook has two TD catches and rushed for 136 yards on only 27 carries. Because Westbrook is asked to do so much else, he doesn't put up the consistent 100-yard games like the other star backs, which he feels affects his value.

"That's one of the things we were having trouble with in my contract negotiations," he said. "How do you rate a player that runs the ball only 15 times a game to a player that runs the ball 20 times a game and doesn't catch any passes?"

When Westbrook skipped a week of training camp to protest his unhappiness with the contract talks, Jordan's contract was often cited as the one Westbrook was trying to get matched.

The Eagles refused to bite. In coach Andy Reid's pass-first West Coast offense, Westbrook simply isn't going to carry the ball 20-plus times a game, making milestones and multi-millions difficult to reach.

"It's difficult, but as a professional you just know that every chance you get you've got to make the most of it," Westbrook said. "If it's 10 carries a game or 12 carries a game, you've got to try and get the most amount of yards in those carries. If you catch the ball out of the backfield, you've got to make the most amount of yards out of those catches, as well."

A third-round pick out of Villanova in 2002, Westbrook has never been happy with his contract, calling his rookie deal "chump change." Still, he says he's put the dispute behind him -- even though Jordan's presence serves as a harsh reminder of the money he's not getting.

"It's still not my No. 1 concern like it was before. I still think about it, though, from time to time," Westbrook said. "I'm not as concerned about it as I was before. It's still in the back of my head. It's still my life, my future."

So one team overpays for an unknown commodity and that somehow means Westbrook needs to be paid that much? Idiots.

[Rome]

I'm sick of his bullshtein.  He signed the tender and broke off negotiations with the Eagles regarding a long-term deal.

And he's still blaming the Eagles for not caving in.

Like you said, bro... idiots.

[SunMo]

it's called market value

[Rome]

it's called market value

And who determines market value?  The players??  No.  They're not paying the salaries.

The teams set market value and if Westbrook hits the market next year, some team will undoubtedly overpay for him.  If that happens, so be it.  I doubt he'd ever find a system that would be as tailor made for his talents as Reid's but if he thinks the grass is greener elsewhere, vyo con dios, motherfarger.

[rjs246]

it's called market value

Well then he shouldn't have signed the tender. But, oops, he did. So he should shut his mouth. What makes these goddamned athletes think that anyone cares about their poor little contract situations? 'Wah wah wah, listen to me whine and cry about making millions of dollars. Next year I'll only make tens of millions. Wah wah wah, feel sorry for me!' Shut it.

[ice grillin you]

the fact that the raiders may have overpaid for jordan is irrelevant in regards to westbrook since westbrook is much better...therefore he should be paid at least as much as jordan...thus westbrook would be making what he should and jordan will still be overpaid

[ice grillin you]

Well then he shouldn't have signed the tender. But, oops, he did. So he should shut his mouth

hes not talking about the tender hes talking about what the eagles are offering long term...if they arent even offering jordan money then thats pathetic...i dont see how even the most ardent front office ho could be against the player in this situation

[SunMo]

it's called market value

And who determines market value?  The players??  No.  They're not paying the salaries.

The teams set market value and if Westbrook hits the market next year, some team will undoubtedly overpay for him.  If that happens, so be it. I doubt he'd ever find a system that would be as tailor made for his talents as Reid's but if he thinks the grass is greener elsewhere, vyo con dios, motherfarger.

yeah, no kidding, and the Eagles know that, they know they have him by the nuts and they negotiating that way.  nice way to treat a key player to your team, the most valuable weapon besides the quarterback.

well, at least they have his replacement in Moats, oh yeah, if he can ever get himself active for a regular game.

the system may be perfect for Westbrook, but it works the other way around too, Westbrook is perfect for what Reid does and if he isn't here next year there will be a considerable drop off.

[ice grillin you]

do you honestly think westbrook or any other players give a shtein about a system...he wants to get paid, period...and paid as much as he can...hell play in canada if they cake him off

[SunMo]

i love how the fans root for the cap money, like the team is going to divide it up among them at the end of the year.

i understand why you can't spend top dollar for every player (i.e. taterskins) but you need to spend the money for certain players and your young, #1 offensive weapon should be one of those players

[Zanshin]

We'll have to agree to disagree.  Jordan to Westbrook is apples to oranges.  Westbrook is more valuable to our team, but Jordan would be more valuable to many teams because is a pounder who can also catch.  We don't pound the ball, so that's not an issue for us.

And just because the Raiders gave Jordan a stupid deal, doesn't mean the Eagles have to follow suit with that.  $13 mil over three years isn't a bad deal.  Apples to apples would be Westbrook to D. Davis, and those deals are comparable.

[ice grillin you]

Apples to apples would be Westbrook to D. Davis, and those deals are comparable

are you kidding...a davis type back is a dime a dozen...hes a perfect example of why you dont spend a high pick on a rb or pay thru the roof for one...theres five backs in every draft that can do what davis does...westbrook on the other hand is a special player...yes hes perfect for the eagles system but thats why the eagles need to pay him more than someone like davis...

not to mention whos to tell westbrook that he couldnt carry the ball 20-25 times a game...thats just something teams throw out there so they dont have to pay someone as much as they should...

[Rome]

What you farging morons can't seem to grasp is the Eagles made Westbrook a very fair offer yet he chose not to sign it.

Therefore, from their perspective, they would be over-paying for him if they increased the contract offer and the Eagles simply don't do that.

If that upsets you, try sucking on a binky and curling up with your favorite blanky because the Eagles simply are not going to change their philosophy on paying players exactly what they think they're worth.

[SunMo]

What you farging morons can't seem to grasp is the Eagles made Westbrook a very fair offer yet he chose not to sign it.

Therefore, from their perspective, they would be over-paying for him if they increased the contract offer and the Eagles simply don't do that.

If that upsets you, try sucking on a binky and curling up with your favorite blanky because the Eagles simply are not going to change their philosophy on paying players exactly what they think they're worth.

you really get upset when somebody critices your front office don't you?

[Catapult]

Westbrook needs to take a good, hard look at the wall.

He has Moats and the Gordon's Fisherman at the door - and he's going to find himself in the same situation Trotter, Douglas, Simon, Burgess, Taylor, and Vincent have been in - Out the door, watching the Eagles challenge for supremacy, while he gets his cash - and finds out what it's like to be on a team that has a much less chance of sniffing the conference playoff games, much less a SB game.

This is not the town to complain about "Not being paid what I think I deserve."  Philadelphia is "blue-collar" town, and its attitude is reflected in that.  Putting in 40, 50, 60 hours a week or more makes one less sympathetic to people who make more in one game than the majority of the fans of said player make in a year.

Westbrook (and the next idiot) need to keep this in mind - and refrain from making comments about "pay and respeect."  They will not get many backers.