Forget Fitzgerald

by JasonB on Mar 10, 2008 7:16 AM EDT in Philadelphia Eagles News

I remember saying at the start of the offseason that the likelihood of Larry Fitzgerald getting traded was less than the likelihood of Chad Johnson getting traded... In other words, it was never going to happen.

Bob Brookover throws some more cold water on the Fitzgerald mania.

Larry Fitzgerald is a lot like a $1 million luxury car.

A lot of us would love to wake up tomorrow morning and find one in our driveway, but the chances of it happening are about the same as Randy Moss catching a pass from Donovan McNabb this fall.

Fitzgerald, of course, is the Arizona Cardinals wide receiver on the wish list of just about every Eagles fan. Over the weekend, some media reports surfaced that coach Andy Reid's team had made trade offers in an attempt to pry the former Valley Forge Military Academy star away from the desert.

It's not happening.

A league source said Saturday night that the Eagles have talked to the Cardinals about Fitzgerald, but the discussions have never gone beyond an inquiry as to whether Arizona planned to trade its star wide receiver. The answer has always been the same - absolutely not.

Also, as I speculated, the reports of that ridiculous trade proposal of Lito Sheppard and Reggie Brown never happened. Plus, Brookover talks about something we've discussed in the comments many times.

The league source said that even if the Cardinals had a desire to deal Fitzgerald, ridding themselves of the frustrating negotiations and his huge salary-cap number, the urgency is gone now. The source noted that the best free agents are off the market and that freeing up salary-cap space won't help the Cardinals a bit for the 2008 season.

If the Cards were going to deal this guy, it would have already happened. What good does cap space do them now? They've signed a few free agents, they've kept some of their own guys, and some of their guy have left. They still have money to pay rookies... There's just no need to trade Fitzgerald now. Now if they don't get an extension done this year, next year is when they'll need to trade him or face the prospect of having him walk for nothing.

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Brookover

Hey Bob -- If you need any more pointers just let me know. Haha.

http://www.sporsdork.com

by BFH on Mar 10, 2008 7:46 AM EDT reply actions

OH NO, No Larry for us.

Its sad to admit, but I'm starting to beleive that Larry isn't gonna be traded. I was one who believed that Arizona wouldn't beet this foolish. They had an opportunity to upgrade their team buy adding Sheppard, an extra pick and aquiring Faneca. All this in exchange for Fitzgerald. They Cards have had Fitzy and Boldin for year. As productive as they have been, the team continues to lose. I hope they rot w/ Larry and Boldin, they are stupid not to try to upgrade their team. To be honest, I don't even want Larry anymore, he will demand to high a contract. I think they birds should go full force on Williams. I think is more talented anyway. He will cost you less, Detroit will lose him next year and they really need a CB. Hopefully Detroit isn't just as stupid as Arizona.

Remember, to make an omelette, you have to crack a few eggs. You have to give a player to get a player.

Go birds.

Dallas Sucks

by yophillybro on Mar 10, 2008 9:17 AM EDT reply actions

Dont lose hope yet

If this is correct, what do you think will really happen if they cant renegociate a contract? If the cards dont cut him and pay him his 14 million, do you really think he is going to play his hardest or be happy throughout the season knowing he will be cut/traded at the end of the year? I think the cardinals are trying to make their fans happy by saying they wont trade him blah blah blah but they are not doing smart business.

by andyb on Mar 10, 2008 11:27 AM EDT reply actions

hope

I've been saying I feel they have the deal pertty much done and are banging out they details. that this has been done almost completely behind closed doors, but even I'm loosing hope. there still is that off chance but its small. all we could do is pray now

by NickPampani on Mar 10, 2008 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Umm...

Why wouldn't he be happy getting paid $14.6 million?

If they don't get a new deal this year, he's scheduled to make north of $17 million next year. If the Cardinals choose to free themselves of that obligation by cutting him -- he gets a brand new MONSTER deal from a new team.

No matter what happens out of all of this, Larry Fitzgerald is going to be just fine.

http://www.sporsdork.com

by BFH on Mar 10, 2008 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions

Exactly

Fitzgerald is sitting pretty in all this no matter which way you slice it.

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by JasonB on Mar 10, 2008 1:12 PM EDT up reply actions

clarification

i know he would be happy about making 14 million. But its almost bitter sweet for him because if there is no new deal, he gets paid 14 million but knows that he wont be there next season because he is not going to get paid 17 million. So in that case, why would he be happy with the organization knowing that they would rather get rid of him than pay him plus if hes gonna go and has a guarenteed 14 million, why would he give his 110% this season. I just think its smarter business to send him away if there is no new deal done.

by andyb on Mar 10, 2008 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions

oh yeah

hes going to make 14 mil this year and then get a monster contract the next year.... REAL bitter sweet!

by JoeD on Mar 10, 2008 1:23 PM EDT up reply actions

either way

no one is paying him 17 million next year and he is getting traded or cut at the end of the season if the cards dont renegociate. No shit hes gonna get a big contract but no 17 million in one year. Hopefully the huge contract is with the eagles.

by andyb on Mar 10, 2008 1:34 PM EDT reply actions

Am I the only one

that remembers the T.O. debacle with the Niners and the Ravens oh and Us. Just because someone says they are not interested or something is DEFINITLY not going to happen doesn't mean it won't. Usually deals are denied until the very end in case they don't work out to mitigate this sort of media/fan frenzy. How man Agents this year alone have denied that there client has signed with a team only to see that he signed sometimes HOURS later. Listen I'm not getting my hopes up because I think that A) having LJ back will be a huge difference maker and B) Andy and Smarty Marty have a better idea how to use our current WR core. So if we don't get Fitz I won't be upset but don't count it out because some reporter says NO, shit the Eagles keep hush hush on EVERYTHING. I won't believe either way until I see where number 11 lines up in September, yes September, we got Donte in August.

by Whodie126 on Mar 10, 2008 2:01 PM EDT reply actions

good point

i totally agree. I hate when reporters say something deffinently wont happen and people act like their the gm. I remember Howard eskin saying we deffinently wouldnt spend the money on asante samuel and look what happend. Eskins dumb anyway. Hes never right. But anyway, if a deal happens, i predict in either the next month or not until rite before or after the draft.

by andyb on Mar 10, 2008 2:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Yes

That's a good point Whodie, but the underlying facts of this particular case point to him staying put.

1 -- The Cardinals, despite what many believe, aren't over the cap. In fact, they had enough money to sign Travis Laboy to a FA deal. They could realistically afford to sign their April draft picks, but not much else.

2 -- The players the Cardinals were known to desire in free agency, Alan Faneca and their own Calvin Pace, have signed with other teams. Having money to have them on the roster next year was one of the biggest reasons to negotiate a new deal for Fitz. But that ship has sailed.

I agree wholeheartedly that this entire situation is terrible work by the Cardinals. The original deal was terrible. The fact that they haven't attempted a serious renegotiation until now is terrible. And the fact that they weren't able to get a new deal and/or trade done so they could improve the team significantly this offseason is terrible.

http://www.sporsdork.com

by BFH on Mar 10, 2008 2:08 PM EDT up reply actions

The Cards

do not have THAT much salary cap considering they were only under by 1.85 in 2007 with a cap of 109 so they have around 9 mil give or take with the rise to 116, they released some players for about 7.2 mil so they have around 17 mil in cap space. They have a depleted roster so they will need to sign a good amount of players now what you say is true they have enough to sign rookies but that's about it. They do not have a enough to sign anyone that will make a difference. Making a trade won't just free up cap space for free agency but also give them more room to maneuver next year as well as give them some veterans. This also allows them to lock up current players so they don't lose them because they have no money (see Calvin Pace). I'm not trying to argue that this WILL happen simply that it can and it would be wise on the part of the Cards, I'm not yet convinced it will be wise for the Eagles.

by Whodie126 on Mar 10, 2008 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions

Missed Opportunities

I would argue that it is no longer wise. If they dump Fitzgerald now, the best they are going to do is Lito Sheppard and a draft pick. That would really, really not go over well with fans, which is a big deal.

If they keep him, they have until FA '09 to work out a new deal.

Now, I believe it would have been wise earlier to trade him. Follow me here -- at one point they could have had Lito and a first day pick for him. That would have given them enough cap room to keep Pace and make a hard run at Faneca (who had reportedly wanted to go there because of his connection with Whisenhunt).

That would have been risky, but they could essentially have given away Fitzgerald for Lito, a draft pick, Pace, and Faneca. That's a nice haul for one player.

http://www.sporsdork.com

by BFH on Mar 10, 2008 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions

True, but....

That was a very different situation. Very different.

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by JasonB on Mar 10, 2008 2:56 PM EDT up reply actions

I still would't pay Fitzy

Even if his situation hits the fan and he is traded. He will not get 14 mil here. He's good, but not that good. For you to sign a player for that kind of money would be bad for football. I would only give him Moss's deal and guarantee him his 32 Mil. That's it...We can't make the same mistake Arizona make. Lets move on to another receiver that wont bust your budget.

Dallas Sucks

by yophillybro on Mar 10, 2008 2:04 PM EDT reply actions

Urgency

We need to win NOW. We've been building for the future since 1960, when we won our last outright championship. That's 48 years. I don't really care how much we need to pay a big-time WR, we just need to do it, period. Budget, schmudget. We can hope to get one in the draft, but to be perfectly honest, the current organization sucks at drafting wide receivers. We have a great defense, and bolstering it helps, but nothing gets done on defense if our offense can't stay on the field. If we can't get that #1 WR, here's to hoping that our tight ends have career years when it comes to red zone production, otherwise, we're screwed again until next year.

by joetimek on Mar 11, 2008 12:35 AM EDT reply actions

Please,

Why not just hope? What is wrong with being optomistic? I dunno what it is about Philadelphia but I know that the nickname "Negadelphia" fits like a glove. Andy tried to get Randy Moss.....Jeezz that's show's his motivation. What happens around the draft? What are the Eagles going to do with like I dunno exactly but like over 10 picks? We could use some of the prospects but we can't keep them all.

Arizona, needs a lot of help. This guy is going to make a lot of money and he could be gone in 2 seasons for them. Why would you take the chance of getting nothing for him? They have a lot of holes and they certainly need a lot of work to become serious contenders. I don't know much about them actually. They look pretty average to me and their QB situation is terrible in my opinion.

So with all this being said it could happen. What do these media guy's really know anyway? They were all wrong with the TO situation and they didn't say much about the Moss deal until it was over. I am happy with the Eagles current appoach. I am happier than I have been in years with this team and I can't wait for the draft!

Let's stay optomistic fella's!(I know some are thinking realalisticly and all but we could have had Moss) That in it self is enough to warrent some uncommon optomism....

by topcat6 on Mar 11, 2008 1:19 AM EDT reply actions

he's right

this offseason is one of the best I could remember and its only been a couple of weeks. we got samuel wich is as close to a sure thing as we are going to get in terms of production and we took a low cost gamble on clemons. he could turn out huge but if we dosent we lost relitivly nothing.
and to top all of this off I can't see us drafting 12 or so guys on draft day so you are sure to see some moves there. did I want fitz? you could bet your first born I did. do I think we still could get him? in a world of salary caps and contracts anything could happenm but if nothing happens for the rest of the offseason I would still rank this as one of the best.

by NickPampani on Mar 11, 2008 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions