Williams and Odunze signed today

[BearFan PHX]

OK, here's some BS. Caleb's team, who are not NFL agents, trying to be creative and do something(s) that had never been done before, make a name for themselves, and start a player repping business, tried several creative strategies for laundering money tax free in addition to trying to vacate the franchise tag.

Poles showed them that Williams might be a #1 pick, but he is the MFing GM of the Chicago Bears and no franchise protection was offered.

In addition Poles played it VERY smart to ask the league about the other ideas, which the league immediately shot down. So Poles isn't the bad guy, the league is. Well played sir.

But most of all, hit the road lawyer type agent wannabes. The answer is no, and Caleb will sign anyway. And he did.

Someday he may have us over a barrel and insist on big money and voidable years, franchise tag protections and the like, but he has to win some big games first, and at least one superbowl to earn the franchise protection clout.

If he's smart, he will take the Brady path and leave money on the table for players around him. But who can say.

What I can say is Ryan Poles has giant brass balls, and Caleb's team went to bed without supper. As they should for this nonsense.

As for Caleb, he took it right up to the last minute but no further. I can respect his competitiveness. Had he missed even a day of rookie practice, then he'd have crossed the line too, but he didn't. Let's hope he is similarly greedy and pushy on the field against the Packers.

https://www.nbcsportschicago.com/nfl/chicago-bears/bears-news/caleb-williams-team-made-oddball-out-of-the-box-requests-for-his-rookie-contract-report/577714/

[Pixote]

Quote

The ideas were creative and out-of-the-box. It's no harm or foul for Williams' team to try, either. Williams is a known businessman who tries to surround himself with the best business minds available. His father, Carl, worked for years in commercial real estate, too.

I laughed out loud at this quote from the article you linked. Caleb needs to realize that his reps, who are "the best business minds available," will not give him the necessary advice to negotiate contracts in the NFL. He really needs to get a "full-time" certified agent. This entire episode could have gotten ugly. If he had missed any significant time in training camp, he would not have even been ready to start when the season kicked off.

[adam]

What I don't understand is, I thought a certified agent or the player were the only people a team can negotiate with? Like Poles can't call up Carl Williams and discuss contract terminology. Even if Williams' camp has lawyers, they aren't allowed to negotiate anything with the team. So how would that work? Did the team send an email to Caleb, who then forwards it to his team and then they send back a response that he forwards back to Poles? 

[CrackerDog]

6 hours ago, adam said:

Did the team send an email to Caleb, who then forwards it to his team and then they send back a response that he forwards back to Poles? 

I read somewhere that without a real agent that’s the way it works.  

[BearFan PHX]

I totally understand why Caleb didnt want an agent - the rookie deal is basically set so nothing to negotiate. But then to let your team try to reinvent the entire league is really wrong. Not only is it a wrong idea, but to bring it from non agents is ridiculous.

I am glad that Caleb said the circus could continue right up to the last minute but no further and not miss a day. Thats fine. But if hed held out even a few days on this crap that would have been a really bad sign.

But he didnt, and hes in camp. Cool. Lets go!