Ed Hochuli 3:16 Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Hester didn't show up to TC today. (neither did Tillman, Kreutz, Dvoracek, and another player, but that's for another thread at another time). Thoughts?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Da Bears 88 Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Devin Hester is indeed holding out, according to a source. Time apparently has run out for the team to strike a deal with the NFL's most dynamic return man. Hester has sought a new deal this entire off-season. Hester is signed through 2009 but for money more typically paid a receiver. He is scheduled to make $445,000 this season and $530,000 in 2009. He signed a four-year, $2.61 million contract in 2006 after he was the 57th overall pick in the second round. Each day of his holdout will cost him about $15,000. Link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WheresMyronBaker Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 I think its a decent move for him. Hes proven he is worth far more than his original deal...the cupboard was emptied and the Bears expected him to run with the 1's from the get-go. If Im the bears I make him the highest paid ST player and load a short term deal with LTBEs (WR related) that will either be earned by him, or rolled forward. Timing kind of sucks in that with the Williams signing I thought we were past all of the contract stuff for a while...but I think Hester has good leverage in this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madlithuanian Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Didn't see that one coming! Link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madlithuanian Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Agreed. I cannot argue against it. Granted, other than the school of thought of "You're under contract, play!" But we all know the realities of pro psorts to be different. I'd have liked to seen some more movement...but I think Hester is well within his rights to ask for more loot. Just put lots of incentives in... TD's, catches, vs drops...something to make him earn the loot since we have too many unknowns w/ him as a WR... But overall, this guy needs to be paid. I think its a decent move for him. Hes proven he is worth far more than his original deal...the cupboard was emptied and the Bears expected him to run with the 1's from the get-go. If Im the bears I make him the highest paid ST player and load a short term deal with LTBEs (WR related) that will either be earned by him, or rolled forward. Timing kind of sucks in that with the Williams signing I thought we were past all of the contract stuff for a while...but I think Hester has good leverage in this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDaddy Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Agreed. I cannot argue against it. Granted, other than the school of thought of "You're under contract, play!" But we all know the realities of pro psorts to be different. I'd have liked to seen some more movement...but I think Hester is well within his rights to ask for more loot. Just put lots of incentives in... TD's, catches, vs drops...something to make him earn the loot since we have too many unknowns w/ him as a WR... But overall, this guy needs to be paid. I wouldn't even negotiate with him until he gets to camp. Phuck him. He hasn't proven he's a WR. So he's a return guy. How do ya pay a return guy? They all want WR money but there is only 1 problem with that. THEY AREN"T WRs. I'm all for giving him more money but I would tell him right now that I am prepared to let him rot unless he gets to camp. This is absolute bullshit. It may be a smart move on his agents part but now the Bears need to make a statement to him. LOUD AND CLEAR. GET YOUR ASS TO CAMP OR ALL NEGOTIATION STOPS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradjock Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Link Much like the plays, maybe he just forgot where he was going . . . Damnit!!! Hopefully this gets resolved quickly. Players with only two years experience and two years to go on their contracts don't have much leverage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackerDog Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 This probably won't be a popular opinion here but... I'd let him stew. I'd tell him he has two years left on his contract and we won't negotiate if he isn't in camp. Get his butt back in camp and his agent will be welcome at Halas Hall. Until then, piss off. Sure, he needs to be paid. No question. And he's one of those special players you're willing to do 2 years in advance. But with that said, the organization has to have some backbone here and demand he be actively participating in camp. Also, his talents are natural god given speed and instinct. It isn't like his missing training camp for a few weeks is going to matter. Unless you really believe he's going to be one of our starting WR's, which I don't. I don't think the man has the brainpower (or height) to play the position. At least not at the level starter WR money would be justified. No, sorry Devin, I love you man, but you're not breaking the bank... We've got your butt for two seasons and then we can franchise you for yet another year. Average of the top three ST's players can't be a very big number, can it be? His leverage is minimal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearFan2000 Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 I think its a decent move for him. Hes proven he is worth far more than his original deal...the cupboard was emptied and the Bears expected him to run with the 1's from the get-go. If Im the bears I make him the highest paid ST player and load a short term deal with LTBEs (WR related) that will either be earned by him, or rolled forward. Timing kind of sucks in that with the Williams signing I thought we were past all of the contract stuff for a while...but I think Hester has good leverage in this. So he's an accomplished WR and doesn't need more reps by attending training camp. I don't like this one at all. Yes he's probably underpaid for what he provides with ST but he's yet to prove that he can be a top WR. We all know what he brings on special teams. Holding out is not the way to go here. If he wants to be paid top WR money then he needs to earn that. He does deserve more than he's getting but I don't doubt Jerry will reward him. IMHO get your arse in camp prove you can play WR then let your agent deal with the contract negotiations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDaddy Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 So he's an accomplished WR and doesn't need more reps by attending training camp. I don't like this one at all. Yes he's probably underpaid for what he provides with ST but he's yet to prove that he can be a top WR. We all know what he brings on special teams. Holding out is not the way to go here. If he wants to be paid top WR money then he needs to earn that. He does deserve more than he's getting but I don't doubt Jerry will reward him. IMHO get your arse in camp prove you can play WR then let your agent deal with the contract negotiations. One of the guys from the another board brought up that this has Deion Sanders thumbprint all over it. That wouldn't surprise me in the least. I hope Uncle Deion has a spare room for Devin. He's gonna need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrackerDog Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Apparently JA is going to address this after the practice ends. Should be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDaddy Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Just got the word. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WheresMyronBaker Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 So he's an accomplished WR and doesn't need more reps by attending training camp. I don't like this one at all. Yes he's probably underpaid for what he provides with ST but he's yet to prove that he can be a top WR. We all know what he brings on special teams. Holding out is not the way to go here. If he wants to be paid top WR money then he needs to earn that. He does deserve more than he's getting but I don't doubt Jerry will reward him. IMHO get your arse in camp prove you can play WR then let your agent deal with the contract negotiations. No. I never said anything like that...in fact I said he should be paid as the top ST guy in the league (which he is) and have a load of incentives based on his success as a WR. I also said short term. 4 years max IMO. I recognize he should be there...he really needs the reps at WR. But IMO he has a ton of leverage on this...and while Im usually on the teams side...I think he is sorely underpaid...and as one of the most popular players on the team...we shouldnt risk an PR fallout...we also shouldnt risk his not being present for his own good and for the good of the team. I do wish it wasnt a surprise though...thats pretty weak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DABEARSDABOMB Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Dissapointed to see this. I can't blame him since his salary is so miniscule compared to his production and he's just one play away from never really earning that one big pay-day. However, he had handled everything so well and the Bears have always had that stance that when you hold-out the organization won't take care of you. I figured Hester would have seen what happened with Urlacher/Briggs/Harris/etc and realized that the Bears have a history of taking care of there own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaBearSox Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Dissapointed to see this. I can't blame him since his salary is so miniscule compared to his production and he's just one play away from never really earning that one big pay-day. However, he had handled everything so well and the Bears have always had that stance that when you hold-out the organization won't take care of you. I figured Hester would have seen what happened with Urlacher/Briggs/Harris/etc and realized that the Bears have a history of taking care of there own. TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigDaddy Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Dissapointed to see this. I can't blame him since his salary is so miniscule compared to his production and he's just one play away from never really earning that one big pay-day. However, he had handled everything so well and the Bears have always had that stance that when you hold-out the organization won't take care of you. I figured Hester would have seen what happened with Urlacher/Briggs/Harris/etc and realized that the Bears have a history of taking care of there own. That would imply that he was smart enough to figure that out on his own. Apparently not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chitownman Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 That is one of the biggest problems with the way contracts are written in professional sports. There are no incentives and performance evaluations with merit raises that are earned by the best performers of the company. I agree that Devin deserves more money for what he has done so far however, holding out it not the answer. Being a good employee, doing your work and continuing to excel and making yourself indispensable to the organization will say a lot more to the people that matter versus striking for more. I think that this is a bad move and someone who Devin respects from the team needs to get a hold of him and set his head straight. Get your butt to camp, continue to perform and make it so that the organization has no other choice except to give you the raise you feel you are entitled to. If you or I pulled this type of action, we would definitely be told to "Not Let The Door Hit You On The Ass As You Leave." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DABEARSDABOMB Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 That is one of the biggest problems with the way contracts are written in professional sports. There are no incentives and performance evaluations with merit raises that are earned by the best performers of the company. I agree that Devin deserves more money for what he has done so far however, holding out it not the answer. Being a good employee, doing your work and continuing to excel and making yourself indispensable to the organization will say a lot more to the people that matter versus striking for more. I think that this is a bad move and someone who Devin respects from the team needs to get a hold of him and set his head straight. Get your butt to camp, continue to perform and make it so that the organization has no other choice except to give you the raise you feel you are entitled to. If you or I pulled this type of action, we would definitely be told to "Not Let The Door Hit You On The Ass As You Leave." Thing about the business world. Lets say I want to get paid more, there is a good chance that I'll go interview elsewhere and leverage the higher offers to get a raise at my current employer. The bottom line is that raises aren't necessarily given to the best performances, sure if you perform well you'll get a raise, but in most instances in the business world there becomes the point where to maximize your raise you have to do other things to gain leverage (ie, interview elsewhere and tell the firm hey, I got other options). In the NFL world, that leverage can be to hold-out (hey, you pay me like crap, I just won't play). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madlithuanian Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 I think you're being harsh... It's an odd situation. You ask how do you pay a return guy? Agreed, I don't know. But this is not your average return guy! He is an the verge of being a Hall of Famer...on returns alone! To me, that means he should be paid. We all question what he'll bring as a WR, but I suggest we pay him like he's a HoF'er returner. However, I completely understand your take. In fact, I really can't argue agasint it much. I just have been clamorring for him to be paid, and I think hedeserves it. I don't like holdouts...and I'm not happy. But I fully understand his plight as well. I wouldn't even negotiate with him until he gets to camp. Phuck him. He hasn't proven he's a WR. So he's a return guy. How do ya pay a return guy? They all want WR money but there is only 1 problem with that. THEY AREN"T WRs. I'm all for giving him more money but I would tell him right now that I am prepared to let him rot unless he gets to camp. This is absolute bullshit. It may be a smart move on his agents part but now the Bears need to make a statement to him. LOUD AND CLEAR. GET YOUR ASS TO CAMP OR ALL NEGOTIATION STOPS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hochuli 3:16 Posted July 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Solution- he's the best ever at his position at a position that with a medicore offense you need big help from, and that's what Devin gives you with TDs and good field position. All in all, pay the man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixote Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 The Bears were working on his extensin. He has no right to hold out in my opinion. Therefore, fine him every day he misses, stop all negotiations with his agent, and he can pout all he wants. If he wants the Bears to work with him he can get his arse back in camp. Screw him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flea Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Pix should work for the Bears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Da Bears 88 Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 The Bears were working on his extensin. He has no right to hold out in my opinion. Therefore, fine him every day he misses, stop all negotiations with his agent, and he can pout all he wants. If he wants the Bears to work with him he can get his arse back in camp. Screw him! Yes, shame on Hester for wanting his money he deserves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flea Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 How does Hester deserve number 1 receiver money?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixote Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Yes, shame on Hester for wanting his money he deserves. I do not blame him for wanting a raise. Hell, I want a raise, and I assure you I deserve one. However, his agent was in negotiations with the Bears, they were working out a deal, there is no reason to sit out of camp and disrupt the team, he is being a self centered jerk. Does he really think this will make the Bears more responsive to his requests? You do not piss off the boss if you are looking for a raise. I am sure Smith & Angelo are not amused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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