With over 20 years of experience covering the Steelers for the Observer-Reporter, Dale Lolley will let you know the insider scoop. Dale can also be heard on the Steelers radio network pre-game show on WDVE-FM game days and Tuesday nights from 6 to 8 p.m. on ESPN 970-AM and WDVE during the season as a host of the Antonio Brown Show. Follow him on Twitter at @dlolleyor
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Monday, April 20, 2015
My thoughts on Antonio Brown skipping voluntary workouts
Here's what I had to say in today's Observer-Reporter.
When did Polamalu ever take a pay cut? Somewhere in Wexell's many words on it, Polamalu wasn't asked to take a pay cut or retire. Just retire.
And last year was suppose to be his final contract year. But they took his salary and restructured it to bonus, then added two suspect years to the deal. Not a pay cut. And if the triumvirate of ARII, Tomlin, Colbert coldly told him he was finished, did this just sneak up on them? He went from being worth $8m+ with two extra buy-in years as a starter to being worthless? Just like that? Nobody saw this coming? Now they have to pay the balance of what they converted to signing bonus last year when they could've just let him play out his deal and reevaluate from there. Larry, Mo, and Curly.
They did it because he's Troy Polamalu. The drop-off from 2013 to 2014 was more precipitous than 2012 to 2013 so they gave themselves and him the opportunity to still be around this coming season. But I'm sure you and your hindsight already knew that.
If it only cost $15 to go to a game, I would go.. Heck I can take the whole family to dinner and a movie for under $100, but to take them to a game and have a couple hotdogs I need to take a loan out..
As far as the team asking players to take pay cuts, I think those are the same guys that were getting paid handsomely with their skill level dropping off. Harrison left and what was his huge contract with Cincy and how did that work out for him? As far as Ike, where was he going to go if he didn't stay? He was still getting paid over what he contributed.. I think that is due to the Rooneys having respect for Ike along with Troy..
If defending how the Steelers front office treats established veterans makes me an old crank, I'll gladly accept the moniker, Patrick. Glad to see you're still providing excellent content on here. Keep it up.
Please. They did absolutely nothing for Polamalu and everything for their own cap. Tell me what benefit it was for Polamalu, besides getting most of hos money in advance? Go ahead and use hindsight if you need. But obviously it's been of no benefit to you so far. Polamalu was in his final contract year. His wife has talked about retiring. He has talked about retiring. And they drafted his replacement the year before. And he has always talked about honoring hos contract. He wasnt going anywhere else. So why not put him on the LeBeau plan with a string of one year deals until one side or the other decided that's enough?
So instead of making $8m in salary, they turned most of it into signing bonus with a small salary and paid him......... $8m. His compensation didn't change. And even though they tacked on two extra years the security of those extra years were illusory. Obviously. Doesn't take hindsight to see that now. Or much common sense to see it then. This was entirely a cap move to steal more money from the future. Polamalu's situation and bank account didn't change. Neither did his security. So how was this some solely altruistic magnanimous gesture by the Steelers to reward Polamalu for goodwill?
And if it wasnt a pure cap grab by the Steelers, then it was yet another in a string of poor in-house evaluations and projection.
So which is it? Take all the hindsight necessary. But I can tell you what it wasn't. A pay cut.
They needed the cap space, sure, that was probably the main reason they did it. After that was an insurance policy since the player they drafted as a replacement kinda fell on his face as a nickelback AND got injured. Then I would say that the sentimental element was that instead of having Troy play out his contract and have a definitive "this is your last year" type of year. They gave him and themselves an option for his return which I feel (and I assume they felt) he had earned.
Sorry if my comment ticked you off. I just feel it's silly to refer to the front office as the three stooges when they have been wildly successful over their tenures. Criticize their missteps, sure, but don't pretend that the success this team has had is a coincidence.
So Shamarko was injured when they restructured Polamalu? That hindsight isn't really working too well for you. He missed 2 weeks in 2013 with an ankle sprain, but other than that, was healthy. And how did that insurance policy work out for both parties? Maybe they should've taken out an insurance policy for their insurance policy.
You said they did it because he's Troy Polamalu. Now you're saying the main reason was the cap grab. Ok. But what are you arguing about now, since, you know, the part that got your panties in a wad you now agree with. Or is it the throw away line about Larry, Mo, and Curly? Really?
Shamarko got injured and missed time, go ahead and leave out the part about him not playing well (admittedly as a nickelback and not at safety).
I said they did it because he's Troy Polamalu because he had earned a chance at some extra time and the money from the restructuring. The most expedient way for him and the team was to add a year. They needed the cap room but they weren't going to cut him.
Panties in a wad? I assure you, I'm not new to internetting.
You got all huffy because Dale included Troy in the "pay cut" line. You said he was restructured and was never asked to take a pay cut, even this offseason when it was "retire or get cut." I believe what Dale meant (since he was writing about the current Antonio Brown issue) was that Troy was told to retire or get cut, thus canceling his contract and depriving him of his upcoming base salary. He said this to show that while people are upset at Brown for "not honoring the deal" that teams do it all the time.
And yeah, calling three successful guys who run a team I like "Larry, Mo (sic), and Curly" strikes me as dumb.
Or maybe neither of us should give a damn what someone in the comments of a football blog says.
Polamalu was told to retire or go elsewhere. If he told them he wanted to play in 2015, he would have been released. Since most of his money was not guaranteed, that is, in fact, a pay cut.
But the organization didn't "ask" him to take a "paycut" it was the end of the road for his career. Wasn't he contemplating retirement before the beginning of last year, that it would most likely be his last year.. If the would of won the SB in 11,12 or 13 would he have walked away from the game?
I'm confused, so Harrison took a pay cut too then afterall? Given that he was cut. You said Polamalu was asked to take a pay cut to remain with the team. Now you're saying he was told to retire or leave, while trying to somehow rationalize he was asked to take a pay cut. Just own it already. It's not that big of a deal.
The point is, the organization breaks deals with guys all the time if they no longer feel they are valuable. So why can't a player ask for more money if he feels he is playing better than his deal.
You guys trying to play semantics kill me.
If you work under a contract and your boss tells you he would like you to retire rather than work the final year of your deal - which is not guaranteed - you are being fired. You are being cut. Your pay is being cut - to nothing.
AB has three years left!! At 8 mil a year, at the time the Steelers were taking a chance on the young lad and paid him very well.. Did Troy hold out or Ben for that matter at any time? My beef is you handle it in house and don't air it out..
So folks here are the employee and some are the employer, so everyone will have different thoughts on this subject.
The big thing with Brown's contract, I'm sure in his eyes, is that barely 20 percent is guaranteed. This when the other top wideouts are getting 40 to 100 percent - Larry Fitzgerald - guaranteed.
That and the fact he'll be 29 when this current contract runs out.
Honestly, this is America. If you feel you're underpaid, you have the right to ask your boss for a raise. And he has the right to say no.
And that's not exactly true either. Although I'm sure you will call it semantics, too. 20% of his contract, as it was originally structured, was guaranteed. But it's not structured the way it was originally anymore. To get cap space they restructured his contract the previous two years. Converting salary to signing bonus. Paid up front and guaranteed. Over $9 million all together, additionally. Which more than doubles those guarantee figures to 42%.
I agree this is much ado about nothing. This year. And I have no problem with what Brown is choosing to do. The Steelers broke form by essentially extending him with 2 years on his rookie deal. One year plus his RFA year, which the Steelers traditionally use to extend players at the end of their rookie contracts. They did it a year earlier than usual for non QBs. Brown wants them to do it again next year, with 2 years remaining. He's just setting the table this year. The Steelers will try to hide behind today's word o day semantics, by saying they only redo QBs two years early, and even Roethlisberger had to wait one extra year this time. And they'll say they didn't redo Brown last time with 2 years remaining. Which is technically true, but not really. They always leverage RFA and use it as an option year. They never extend rookies with a year left plus his RFA year. The Steelers can rationalize it. But Brown won't. And neither will Rosenhaus. And in their minds the Steelers extended him with 2 years left. And they expect the same this time around. At the least.
Guys, the current workouts AB is missing now are VOLUNTARY. He doesn't have to attend. Now, if he skips the mandatory sessions and training camp, then he's truly putting his money where his agent's mouth is because he will be fined. I have no problem with AB asking for a new contract. He should be paid as one of the top WRs in football. However, with 3 years left on his current deal, the Steelers are not going to give him a new deal. Maybe if he was in his final year, he'd get that new deal, but I'm pretty positive the team will not want to set a new precedent to pay players who feel they have outplayed their contract when they have 3 years left on their current one. It will be interesting to follow, that's for sure. I hope every player on the team performs like AB, mirrors his work ethic and then ask for more money. That'll mean this team is back to winning Super Bowls again.
When did Polamalu ever take a pay cut? Somewhere in Wexell's many words on it, Polamalu wasn't asked to take a pay cut or retire. Just retire.
ReplyDeleteAnd last year was suppose to be his final contract year. But they took his salary and restructured it to bonus, then added two suspect years to the deal. Not a pay cut. And if the triumvirate of ARII, Tomlin, Colbert coldly told him he was finished, did this just sneak up on them? He went from being worth $8m+ with two extra buy-in years as a starter to being worthless? Just like that? Nobody saw this coming? Now they have to pay the balance of what they converted to signing bonus last year when they could've just let him play out his deal and reevaluate from there. Larry, Mo, and Curly.
They did it because he's Troy Polamalu. The drop-off from 2013 to 2014 was more precipitous than 2012 to 2013 so they gave themselves and him the opportunity to still be around this coming season. But I'm sure you and your hindsight already knew that.
ReplyDeleteGet off my lawn!
ReplyDelete-signed, kyle
If it only cost $15 to go to a game, I would go.. Heck I can take the whole family to dinner and a movie for under $100, but to take them to a game and have a couple hotdogs I need to take a loan out..
ReplyDeleteAs far as the team asking players to take pay cuts, I think those are the same guys that were getting paid handsomely with their skill level dropping off. Harrison left and what was his huge contract with Cincy and how did that work out for him? As far as Ike, where was he going to go if he didn't stay? He was still getting paid over what he contributed.. I think that is due to the Rooneys having respect for Ike along with Troy..
If defending how the Steelers front office treats established veterans makes me an old crank, I'll gladly accept the moniker, Patrick. Glad to see you're still providing excellent content on here. Keep it up.
ReplyDeletePlease. They did absolutely nothing for Polamalu and everything for their own cap. Tell me what benefit it was for Polamalu, besides getting most of hos money in advance? Go ahead and use hindsight if you need. But obviously it's been of no benefit to you so far. Polamalu was in his final contract year. His wife has talked about retiring. He has talked about retiring. And they drafted his replacement the year before. And he has always talked about honoring hos contract. He wasnt going anywhere else. So why not put him on the LeBeau plan with a string of one year deals until one side or the other decided that's enough?
ReplyDeleteSo instead of making $8m in salary, they turned most of it into signing bonus with a small salary and paid him......... $8m. His compensation didn't change. And even though they tacked on two extra years the security of those extra years were illusory. Obviously. Doesn't take hindsight to see that now. Or much common sense to see it then. This was entirely a cap move to steal more money from the future. Polamalu's situation and bank account didn't change. Neither did his security. So how was this some solely altruistic magnanimous gesture by the Steelers to reward Polamalu for goodwill?
And if it wasnt a pure cap grab by the Steelers, then it was yet another in a string of poor in-house evaluations and projection.
So which is it? Take all the hindsight necessary. But I can tell you what it wasn't. A pay cut.
I guess I'll apply a little hindsight then.
ReplyDeleteThey needed the cap space, sure, that was probably the main reason they did it. After that was an insurance policy since the player they drafted as a replacement kinda fell on his face as a nickelback AND got injured. Then I would say that the sentimental element was that instead of having Troy play out his contract and have a definitive "this is your last year" type of year. They gave him and themselves an option for his return which I feel (and I assume they felt) he had earned.
Sorry if my comment ticked you off. I just feel it's silly to refer to the front office as the three stooges when they have been wildly successful over their tenures. Criticize their missteps, sure, but don't pretend that the success this team has had is a coincidence.
So Shamarko was injured when they restructured Polamalu? That hindsight isn't really working too well for you. He missed 2 weeks in 2013 with an ankle sprain, but other than that, was healthy. And how did that insurance policy work out for both parties? Maybe they should've taken out an insurance policy for their insurance policy.
ReplyDeleteYou said they did it because he's Troy Polamalu. Now you're saying the main reason was the cap grab. Ok. But what are you arguing about now, since, you know, the part that got your panties in a wad you now agree with. Or is it the throw away line about Larry, Mo, and Curly? Really?
Shamarko got injured and missed time, go ahead and leave out the part about him not playing well (admittedly as a nickelback and not at safety).
ReplyDeleteI said they did it because he's Troy Polamalu because he had earned a chance at some extra time and the money from the restructuring. The most expedient way for him and the team was to add a year. They needed the cap room but they weren't going to cut him.
Panties in a wad? I assure you, I'm not new to internetting.
You got all huffy because Dale included Troy in the "pay cut" line. You said he was restructured and was never asked to take a pay cut, even this offseason when it was "retire or get cut." I believe what Dale meant (since he was writing about the current Antonio Brown issue) was that Troy was told to retire or get cut, thus canceling his contract and depriving him of his upcoming base salary. He said this to show that while people are upset at Brown for "not honoring the deal" that teams do it all the time.
And yeah, calling three successful guys who run a team I like "Larry, Mo (sic), and Curly" strikes me as dumb.
Or maybe neither of us should give a damn what someone in the comments of a football blog says.
you're better than this Kyle!
ReplyDeletePolamalu was told to retire or go elsewhere. If he told them he wanted to play in 2015, he would have been released. Since most of his money was not guaranteed, that is, in fact, a pay cut.
ReplyDeleteBut the organization didn't "ask" him to take a "paycut" it was the end of the road for his career. Wasn't he contemplating retirement before the beginning of last year, that it would most likely be his last year.. If the would of won the SB in 11,12 or 13 would he have walked away from the game?
ReplyDeleteI'm confused, so Harrison took a pay cut too then afterall? Given that he was cut. You said Polamalu was asked to take a pay cut to remain with the team. Now you're saying he was told to retire or leave, while trying to somehow rationalize he was asked to take a pay cut. Just own it already. It's not that big of a deal.
ReplyDeleteThe point is, the organization breaks deals with guys all the time if they no longer feel they are valuable. So why can't a player ask for more money if he feels he is playing better than his deal.
ReplyDeleteYou guys trying to play semantics kill me.
If you work under a contract and your boss tells you he would like you to retire rather than work the final year of your deal - which is not guaranteed - you are being fired. You are being cut. Your pay is being cut - to nothing.
AB has three years left!! At 8 mil a year, at the time the Steelers were taking a chance on the young lad and paid him very well..
ReplyDeleteDid Troy hold out or Ben for that matter at any time? My beef is you handle it in house and don't air it out..
So folks here are the employee and some are the employer, so everyone will have different thoughts on this subject.
Some folks not so
ReplyDeleteThe big thing with Brown's contract, I'm sure in his eyes, is that barely 20 percent is guaranteed. This when the other top wideouts are getting 40 to 100 percent - Larry Fitzgerald - guaranteed.
ReplyDeleteThat and the fact he'll be 29 when this current contract runs out.
Honestly, this is America. If you feel you're underpaid, you have the right to ask your boss for a raise. And he has the right to say no.
I don't see what the big fuss is.
And that's not exactly true either. Although I'm sure you will call it semantics, too. 20% of his contract, as it was originally structured, was guaranteed. But it's not structured the way it was originally anymore. To get cap space they restructured his contract the previous two years. Converting salary to signing bonus. Paid up front and guaranteed. Over $9 million all together, additionally. Which more than doubles those guarantee figures to 42%.
ReplyDeleteI agree this is much ado about nothing. This year. And I have no problem with what Brown is choosing to do. The Steelers broke form by essentially extending him with 2 years on his rookie deal. One year plus his RFA year, which the Steelers traditionally use to extend players at the end of their rookie contracts. They did it a year earlier than usual for non QBs. Brown wants them to do it again next year, with 2 years remaining. He's just setting the table this year. The Steelers will try to hide behind today's word o day semantics, by saying they only redo QBs two years early, and even Roethlisberger had to wait one extra year this time. And they'll say they didn't redo Brown last time with 2 years remaining. Which is technically true, but not really. They always leverage RFA and use it as an option year. They never extend rookies with a year left plus his RFA year. The Steelers can rationalize it. But Brown won't. And neither will Rosenhaus. And in their minds the Steelers extended him with 2 years left. And they expect the same this time around. At the least.
does the fact he is skipping workouts indicate the steelers have already rejected his request to redo the contract?
ReplyDeleteGuys, the current workouts AB is missing now are VOLUNTARY. He doesn't have to attend. Now, if he skips the mandatory sessions and training camp, then he's truly putting his money where his agent's mouth is because he will be fined. I have no problem with AB asking for a new contract. He should be paid as one of the top WRs in football. However, with 3 years left on his current deal, the Steelers are not going to give him a new deal. Maybe if he was in his final year, he'd get that new deal, but I'm pretty positive the team will not want to set a new precedent to pay players who feel they have outplayed their contract when they have 3 years left on their current one. It will be interesting to follow, that's for sure. I hope every player on the team performs like AB, mirrors his work ethic and then ask for more money. That'll mean this team is back to winning Super Bowls again.
ReplyDeleteWell, anyone see AB's tweet? If not, it said, "I'll be there. 4sho"
ReplyDeleteLets take a look at the schedule, shall we?
ReplyDeleteOver to you Dale...