Around The League: 2018 Offseason

[blue_gold_84]

2 hours ago, WBBFanWest said:

I'm guessing that your doctorate came in the mail from the Caribbean? 

[Noeller]

"I didn't spend 7 years in troll medical school to be called MISTER, thank you very much....." 

[bigg jay]

Jordan Reaves acquitted.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/jordan-reaves-aquitted-1.4501557?cmp=rss

[sweep the leg]

http://3downnation.com/2018/01/24/argos-rb-james-wilder-jr-issues-statement-says-wont-play-2018/

Seems like a problem for the Argos.

[holoman]

Considering Wilder, what, a few months ago??.....said he was going to be the first 1k/1k running back, i find this very disappointing. 

[Noeller]

I find it hilarious, personally, especially because Bluto was in here mouthing off about him being the league's best RB earlier this week...

[Colin Unger]

Wilder should have thought about this before he signed the contract he signed. Let's face it. He is doing this because he had a breakout year and feel he deserves to be paid more not because he's not capable of supporting his family on this amount of money.  The problem that he's going to run into is that sitting out the season doesn't benefit him financially unless he's able to make more money during the season not playing football. And if he sits out the season nobody is going to give him as much money for the 2019 season as they would have had he been playing and  producing at a high level.

[JuranBoldenRules]

Little more than half a season of good production and you pull this?

Wouldn't have room for this guy on my team.  Lots of good backs around.

[rebusrankin]

I can see his point and pretty sure that others can find examples of guys let out of contracts to pursue the NFL.

[Tracker]

3 hours ago, Noeller said:

I find it hilarious, personally, especially because Bluto was in here mouthing off about him being the league's best RB earlier this week...

I think Bluto could make a pretty good case for that statement, particularly considering the odd way he came into the league.

[Jpan85]

47 minutes ago, rebusrankin said:

I can see his point and pretty sure that others can find examples of guys let out of contracts to pursue the NFL.

Adam Bighill was last year. 

[JuranBoldenRules]

Bighill also played six seasons for the Lions.

 

Wilder's choice not to play and everyone has to respect that....but if it's an end around on a contract, sit out one year and try the NFL next he can't possibly think anyone is going to respect that.  The Argos and CFL owe him nothing in this respect, and him running to the internet like this probably doesn't help his cause to get his release.

Edited January 25, 2018 by JuranBoldenRules

[blue_gold_84]

22 minutes ago, JuranBoldenRules said:

Bighill also played six seasons for the Lions.

Wilder's choice not to play and everyone has to respect that....but if it's an end around on a contract, sit out one year and try the NFL next he can't possibly think anyone is going to respect that.  The Argos and CFL owe him nothing in this respect, and him running to the internet like this probably doesn't help his cause to get his release.

Yeah, the comparison to Bighill isn't reasonable.

This is poor on Wilder's part. He signed a contract and knew the terms when he put his name on it. Honour it and then focus on what's next.

[Jesse]

4 minutes ago, blue_gold_84 said:

Yeah, the comparison to Bighill isn't reasonable.

This is poor on Wilder's part. He signed a contract and knew the terms when he put his name on it. Honour it and then focus on what's next.

I don’t know about you, but I sure as hell wouldn’t play football - knowing all we do today - for 50k.

last year, he felt he didn’t have any choice and had no other option to sign that contract. If he had more options now, power to him. 

[blue_gold_84]

1 minute ago, Jesse said:

I don’t know about you, but I sure as hell wouldn’t play football - knowing all we do today - for 50k.

last year, he felt he didn’t have any choice and had no other option to sign that contract. If he had more options now, power to him. 

I wouldn't play football for 50K, either.  That's immaterial, though. He signed a two-year contract with the Argonauts, knowing what the terms were at the time. Just because he was perhaps more desperate a year ago doesn't mean he shouldn't be expected to honour that contract, much less go public with his disgruntlement.

[Arnold_Palmer]

1 minute ago, blue_gold_84 said:

I wouldn't play football for 50K, either.  That's immaterial, though. He signed a two-year contract with the Argonauts, knowing what the terms were at the time. Just because he was perhaps more desperate a year ago doesn't mean he shouldn't be expected to honour that contract, much less go public with his disgruntlement.

I normally agree with honouring your contract.. However in the CFL since contracts aren't guaranteed he and others can be thrown to the curb at any moment. If GM's don't have to honour their contracts then I don't so much blame Wilder. He signed a contract to prove himself. He played great.. Pay the man what he deserves or let him chase his dream in the NFL like any other good organization would do. 

[SpeedFlex27]

With a new CBA there has to be a major revisit of the salary cap. These dinky little incrememental increases every year don't help at all when trying to re-sign players.  Wilder won't get an NFL job sitting at home so I think he'll eventually play.

[Rich]

17 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

With a new CBA there has to be a major revisit of the salary cap. These dinky little incrememental increases every year don't help at all when trying to re-sign players.  Wilder won't get an NFL job sitting at home so I think he'll eventually play.

Even if the CFL could afford a significant cap increase, look to the NHL, NBA, and NFL to see that as the cap increases in sporting leagues, a high percentage of the increases ends up going to the elite players, and the pay gap between players increases.

Once that happens there will still only be dinky little incremental increases left over for everyone else.

[SpeedFlex27]

Just now, Rich said:

Even if the CFL could afford a significant cap increase, look to the NHL, NBA, and NFL to see that as the cap increases in sporting leagues, a high percentage of the increases ends up going to the elite players, and the pay gap between players increases.

Once that happens there will still only be dinky little incremental increases left over for everyone else.

The salary cap is too low to begin with. So, an adjustment needs to be made. Players should be making more money. More on the low end of the scale & less for the higher end. 

[Rich]

6 minutes ago, SpeedFlex27 said:

The salary cap is too low to begin with. So, an adjustment needs to be made. Players should be making more money. More on the low end of the scale & less for the higher end. 

What kind of increase do you want?   What kind of increase can the Toronto's and BCs of the CFL handle?

Then you need to convince the CFLPA, which is run by veteran players, to negotiate to have that cap increase applied to the minimum contract amount, which is typically for rookies.   Good luck.

[SpeedFlex27]

33 minutes ago, Rich said:

What kind of increase do you want?   What kind of increase can the Toronto's and BCs of the CFL handle?

Then you need to convince the CFLPA, which is run by veteran players, to negotiate to have that cap increase applied to the minimum contract amount, which is typically for rookies.   Good luck.

Six million. One hundred thousand dollar increase every year for the life of the agreement. 

Edited January 25, 2018 by SpeedFlex27

[Atomic]

Just give the guy a raise or release him.  I don't blame him for not wanting to put his body on the line for 56k.  He showed he's worth more than that... if they're not willing to pay, then they should release him and let him take his NFL shot.  Clearly he won't be with the team either way without getting a raise so refusing to release him is just spiteful. 

Coaches and GMs are allowed out of their contracts to pursue better opportunities.  Teams cut players and end their contracts.  The only ones who don't get to walk away from contracts are the players and they are the ones taking all the risk.

[Taynted_Fayth]

The only parallel I see with the Chris Williams situation is he potentially wants out of his contract to take a shot in the NFL, which if true makes me think these scenarios only occur when said team gets a contract in a drawer first. Perhaps something Wilder wont do because the amount the argos may be offering upon his return is not enough to satisfy him so they put the spotlight on his current contract as the issue but I don't think it really is.  He gets a raise and then what? skips out on the NFL opportunity(ies) because he's getting an extra 30K?

Sounds like Popp isn't totally buying the NFL angle either saying if they have been in contact with Wilder it's in violation of the CFL/NFL agreement as he's under contract.  I try to feel for a player getting paid decent money to play a game for a few months out of the year but I don't overly, especially when they put their name on a contract.

[Rich]

 

[Noeller]

I don't like the precedent of "if you don't like your contract, go online and complain and threaten to quit until you get a new one". If the Argos cave to this *******, it sets all kinds of a bad precedent...