Owen Daniels Contract Negotiations

[Keith]

Originally Posted by cadams

I am starting to get a little concerned over how they are handling negotiations. We no have 3 key players (robinson, daniels, and ryans) who want contracts, two of whom are now holding out. I am sure there are two sides to this story, but I don't like the way it is playing out.

I agree, but it is also important to look at all three individually, at least for now, since each is in a different situation. And it is important to remember that the current CBA situation is impacting all three of them, too.

Ryans is currently under contract, which immediately makes him different from Dunta and Owen. He would be a true/classic holdout if he failed to show for mandatory workouts. His situation is aggravated in that he'll be a RFA without a new CBA, so he's feeling a little screwed by the circumstances (and placing those feelings onto the GM), not to mention he feels as though he has already outperformed his rookie contract.

Daniels is an RFA that deserves a real contract. From reports it sounds like his team hasn't even been discussing #s yet with the Texans. Just sort of a slap in the face since the Texans already extended another RFA, Joel Dreesen, who ohbytheway is Daniels' backup. Without a new CBA though, instead of riding out 2009 as a RFA, he still wouldn't be a UFA next year.

Dunta's situation is a more standard F-tag one, but his is complicated by his significant injury in 2007. Much more uncertainty here than with other F-tags, so that both parties are at a standstill is predictable to me. I don't put a lot of faith into media reports re: Dunta's situation, and fans getting overly angry at Dunta are possibly jumping to conclusions. I think Dunta might just have to play 2009 as an F-tag, though I would still like him to sign long-term here.

[Bigtinylittle]

Originally Posted by Keith

I agree, but it is also important to look at all three individually, at least for now, since each is in a different situation. And it is important to remember that the current CBA situation is impacting all three of them, too.

Ryans is currently under contract, which immediately makes him different from Dunta and Owen. He would be a true/classic holdout if he failed to show for mandatory workouts. His situation is aggravated in that he'll be a RFA without a new CBA, so he's feeling a little screwed by the circumstances (and placing those feelings onto the GM), not to mention he feels as though he has already outperformed his rookie contract.

Daniels is an RFA that deserves a real contract. From reports it sounds like his team hasn't even been discussing #s yet with the Texans. Just sort of a slap in the face since the Texans already extended another RFA, Joel Dreesen, who ohbytheway is Daniels' backup. Without a new CBA though, instead of riding out 2009 as a RFA, he still wouldn't be a UFA next year.

Dunta's situation is a more standard F-tag one, but his is complicated by his significant injury in 2007. Much more uncertainty here than with other F-tags, so that both parties are at a standstill is predictable to me. I don't put a lot of faith into media reports re: Dunta's situation, and fans getting overly angry at Dunta are possibly jumping to conclusions. I think Dunta might just have to play 2009 as an F-tag, though I would still like him to sign long-term here.

I normally tune out all talk of contract negotions because we fans never actually know what is really going on behind the scenes anyway. I have learned from long experience that agents try their best to whip up public sentiment against a team as a way to pressure a team for more money. That is a given. What is also a given is that as part of their tactics agents either lie about the negotiations or are very vague in their details. I refuse to be a part of their game.

As long as there is a cap in the NFL it will be very important for the Texans to spend their money very wisely and avoid overpaying players. That's Rick's job, and I intend to let him do it.

[NBT]

Owen missed day 12 of OTA's because he's unhappy over his contract status. Offered a one year $2.7M deal, He wants to lock in a longterm deal before the CBA expires in 2010. The Texans don't want to get hung into that until they find out how the wind is going to blow. So we quite naturally have holdouts. It will either work out for the players or the teams. We just have to wait and see which way the wind will blow.