Favre’s delays destroying future for Packers
QB essentially holding Green Bay hostage, because team can't plan
Greg Campbell / APIf Brett Favre does retire, the Packers probably would go into full rebuilding mode, so he needs to decide soon, NBCSports.com contributor Jason Cole writes.
Still, during the playoffs last season, Arrington seemed to be a lot closer to his old self.
Poston rattled off a series of players including running back Edgerrin James, running back Shaun Alexander, linebacker Julian Peterson, linebacker Will Witherspoon, wide receiver Terrell Owens and guard Steve Hutchinson who have all received deals that will net them at least $10 million in the first year of the deal.
Some executives believe Arrington may get only half that much.
Poston isn’t buying it.
“You are talking about a playmaker,” Poston said Sunday. “LaVar is a dynamic, impact defender who can change a team’s defense … I know what his value is and I know ways that we can work a contract to get it done if a team will work with us.”
For now, Miami, Jacksonville, Cincinnati and the New York Giants appear to be the strongest suitors, and it could be crucial for Arrington to get something done before the draft, when one or more of those teams could take one of the many linebackers available this year.
Still, Poston said he’s not concerned.
“Who is the best linebacker in this draft? A.J. Hawk. Now, I’m not saying that A.J. Hawk isn’t going to be good, but we’re talking about LaVar Arrington. He is a special player. He was the No. 2 overall pick in the draft (in 2000),” Poston said.
Condon changes the landscape
On the day that agent Tom Condon made one of the boldest moves in his business, he celebrated by taking his granddaughter to “Ice Age 2: The Meltdown.” In between overdosing on popcorn and peanut M&Ms, Condon also dozed off during part of the movie.
But Condon and partner Ken Kremer woke up most of the agent world when they bolted from IMG this week, taking their long list of clients to Creative Artists Agency.
Now, the Manning Brothers, Drew Brees, Hutchinson and so many other clients will have access to Hollywood’s dominant agency and all the tools that CAA has available to market players.
“With the explosion of the digital industry, this is a move that really opens a lot doors for our clients,” Condon said.
This is not the first time Condon has used foresight. As a player in the 1970s, Condon was constantly telling fellow players about how the NFL would eventually dominate television and the money would go through the roof.
Now, Condon may again be changing the way business is done for athletes and agents.
This and that
- Having mentioned Brees, it’s worth noting that he might find that move to New Orleans to be a real ugly situation. The Saints, who have the No. 2 overall pick, traded 12-year veteran left tackle Wayne Gandy to Atlanta this week. Although some people think that means New Orleans will take Virginia left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson, don’t count on it. Saints GM Mickey Loomis told one agent this week that the team isn’t necessarily headed that direction. For now, the Saints will move right tackle Jammal Brown to the left side. Brown, who is very aggressive and likes to attack ends, is not truly suited for that spot. Considering that Brees is recovering from shoulder surgery, this could be a long year for the former Pro Bowl quarterback.
- Speaking of Gandy, one person close to him said the guy was practically doing cartwheels to be out of New Orleans and onto an Atlanta team that should be competitive. Gandy, like many people watching the Saints, believes the New Orleans situation is all but hopeless in terms of winning now or rebuilding anything for the future in that city.
- One of the first rumors after Condon switched to CAA was that USC quarterback Matt Leinart might switch from Leigh Steinberg to Condon before the draft. Leinart already had CAA doing his marketing deals, and Monday he parted ways with Steinberg. He's expected to join CAA.
- Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson seemed to be talking out of both sides of his mouth this week. In a meeting with New York governor George Pataki and later with the Buffalo media, Wilson expressed concern about the long-term ability of small-revenue teams like the Bills being able to compete with high-revenue teams. It was an obvious ploy to get moving on a new stadium for the Bills. At the same time, the 88-year-old Wilson said he’s also trying to find a way to keep the team in his family. Hmmm, if the Bills are in such a predicament in terms of being able to compete and, therefore, be a viable team financially, why would Wilson want his family to keep it?
Jason Cole writes regularly for NBCSports.com and covers the Dolphins and the NFL for the Miami Herald.
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