Unhappy Urlacher skipping voluntary workouts

[Chewie]

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com ... 6170.story

Unhappy Urlacher to skip Bears' 1st voluntary workout
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By Vaughn McClure
Tribune reporter

April 6, 2008, 11:42 PM CDT

For the second year in a row, the Bears will be without a Pro Bowl linebacker for the start of their voluntary off-season program, in part because of an unresolved contract situation.

Brian Urlacher told the Tribune on Sunday he plans to skip the first day of workouts, slated to begin Monday, and left open the strong possibility that he will bypass the Bears' entire voluntary off-season program, which includes organized team activities (OTAs).

The face of the Bears franchise informed the team of his intentions to remain in Arizona rather than attend the program at Halas Hall.

Urlacher cannot be fined for missing voluntary activities, according to the NFL Players Association collective-bargaining agreement. But the team could take internal action that stops short of formal discipline. For example, when running back Thomas Jones and Lance Briggs skipped the voluntary off-season portion of workouts in 2006, coach Lovie Smith briefly demoted the starters upon their return.

For reasons unrelated to his contract, Urlacher avoided some off-season workouts last season. He didn't want to comment publicly on his decision for this season.

It was fellow linebacker Briggs who missed voluntary workouts last season over a contract dispute and now it's Urlacher's turn—albeit in a much quieter way.

Urlacher wants a contract extension but has been relatively low-key about it, leaving the negotiating to his representatives, who have been in constant discussions with the Bears for the last six weeks.

Urlacher, who is signed through 2011, made $3.95 million last season—the same salary he is scheduled to make in 2008. Since last season ended, the Bears have rewarded tight end Desmond Clark and Alex Brown with multiyear extensions, and even gave quarterback Kyle Orton a one-year extension.

Urlacher said his recovery from neck surgery has nothing to do with his status for Monday. He has been cleared to participate and anticipates making a full recovery when he returns to the field.

Urlacher is not the only Pro Bowl-caliber player around the NFL to decide to skip the beginning of voluntary workouts because of a contract issue. Albert Haynesworth, the Titans' defensive tackle, made the same decision after Tennessee designated him to wear their franchise tag. Vikings center Matt Birk also is sitting out.

Bengals wide receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh also protested by skipping workouts.

The Bears are likely to be without receiver Rashied Davis, who hasn't signed a one-year offer from the team.

Here we go. Call me old school but honor the contract that provided you long term security and was a record deal at the time it was signed. He's traveling a slippery slope in terms of fan loyalty between this and all the personal stuff that's been hounding him. I guess it's when he starts skipping the mandatory workouts that I'll start worrying, though....

[emperorjones]

exactly. This is exactly what Scottie Pippen did. Ask for long term security and then bitch that you're underpaid.

[Bulls69]

exactly. This is exactly what Scottie Pippen did. Ask for long term security and then bitch that you're underpaid.

The NFL have zero loyalty to it's player unlike the NBA the contracts are not guarantee as soon as player lost a step he is cut so the Bears should pay him.

[Chewie]

The NFL have zero loyalty to it's player unlike the NBA the contracts are not guarantee as soon as player lost a step he is cut so the Bears should pay him.

It sends a bad message if the Bears cave in after a missed voluntary workout. Then you've got half the team skipping practices looking to get paid. I'm usually pro-management in these situations - Urlacher's bumping uglies with Paris Hilton on a mattress of $100 bills so, yeah, color me firmly unsympathetic.

[Bulls69]

-= original quote snipped =-



It sends a bad message if the Bears cave in after a missed voluntary workout. Then you've got half the team skipping practices looking to get paid. I'm usually pro-management in these situations - Urlacher's bumping uglies with Paris Hilton on a mattress of $100 bills so, yeah, color me firmly unsympathetic.

Chewie, I agreed about the NBA contracts the players should play out their contracts but football because the teams cuts vet's all the time for so call cap reason.

[SportsWorld]

Urlacher is really pissing me off these past 2 years. First he refuses to tell anyone about his arthritic back, then he gets pissy with the media, and now this.

[Cliff Levingston]

He said he'd be willing to res-structure his deal to get Briggs re-signed. Now that Briggs is re-signed, apparently he needs more money.

It appears the Bears will rightfully play hardball. They've also got to worry about getting Tommie Harris re-signed; a guy who's looking for Dwight Freeney type freight.

[blumeany]

I think there's no problem with asking for more money. I just think that he should also honor the contract he signed previously and not hold out for the sole reason of getting more money.

[emperorjones]

-= original quote snipped =-




The NFL have zero loyalty to it's player unlike the NBA the contracts are not guarantee as soon as player lost a step he is cut so the Bears should pay him.

The signing bonus is the NFL's answer to the guaranteed contract. Prior to signing bonuses, I would have completely agreed with you. Players basically get what would be the guaranteed portion of their contracts up front. Thus in my view, the Bears already paid him.

[Howling Mad]

As ugly as this is, its the players way of business. It might be dirty to the fans, but if we were in the same position we would do the same thing.

Of course, If it were me in Urlacher's position, I would've just broken bread with the media and been a fan/media/entertainment favorite. Then his greediness would be all solved by several forms of income.

The sole fact that he doesn't take advantage of a city that loves him, I'm disgusted that he asks for more money. He could've tripled his earnings if he wasn't so stubborn about being open to the media and the public.

Quit bitchin' Urlacher just do some more advertisements and promotions.

[Chewie]

Quit bitchin' Urlacher just do some more advertisements and promotions.

That being said, if I see that Comcast commercial of his one more time I'm going to lose it.

I suppose #54 has to pay for his illegitimate children somehow....

[emperorjones]

The sole fact that he doesn't take advantage of a city that loves him, I'm disgusted that he asks for more money. He could've tripled his earnings if he wasn't so stubborn about being open to the media and the public.

Quit bitchin' Urlacher just do some more advertisements and promotions.

I was amazed at his piss poor attitude and one word answers to the press last season. He's been their darling (justifiably probably) since he got here. When the national press calls him overated, the Chicago press screams out on his behalf. Last year he acted like a little bitch after games IMO. After watching a crappy game and staying loyal to these guys for 30 years, his post game attitude really pissed me off.

[Howling Mad]

If Urlacher wasn't such a stud MLB, I'd hate him because of his post game attitude.

Thats win or lose, he's a dud to talk to.

[Cliff Levingston]

BY MIKE MULLIGAN mmulligan@suntimes.com

If even half the rumors swirling around the NFL about Brian Urlacher's negotiation tactics are true, then maybe the Bears ought to reconsider their offense-building pledge for the draft and take a hard look at the middle linebacker class.

One league source says Urlacher's agents have asked the team if they could explore a trade. Another says Urlacher is threatening to retire because of neck and back problems, a move in which he wouldn't have to repay any portion of the $13 million signing bonus he received in 2003, when he received a nine-year, $56.65 million deal.

Urlacher feels he has outplayed his contract and is demanding more money. He's boycotting the team's voluntary offseason workout program and threatening to hold out of minicamp, organized team activities and even training camp if he doesn't get a new deal.

One NFL insider laughed off the situation as the equivalent of a child taking his ball and going home or threatening to hold his breath until he passes out.

''Urlacher has no leverage,'' the source said. ''He wants to be paid, right? If he takes a medical [retirement], then he's got to prove he's hurt. If he does that, he'll never get paid. They're not going to trade him. All he can do is be disruptive.

''It's a joke. Players never walk away from millions. They threaten to, but they never do it.''

The Bears don't find the situation funny. Nobody at Halas Hall has a bad word to say about Urlacher, despite his strong-arm tactics. And even though president Ted Phillips was dismissive of the issue recently -- saying the team was ''talking to his representatives about how to look at his contract and try[ing] to educate them on the value of his deal'' -- the Bears are taking the matter seriously.

It's tricky business for a number of reasons. Urlacher probably has outplayed the deal. He signed it with two years left on his rookie contract, becoming the first defensive player to renegotiate a deal with two years left.

At the time, the salary cap was $75 million, and it has grown by more than $40 million since. Urlacher was an essential piece of the Bears' Super Bowl run in the 2006 season, and he seems to be making the difficult mid-career transition to playing with chronic injury.

Urlacher is respected in the locker room, although his role as a team leader has been overstated -- he's a leader by example who prefers to be one of the guys -- and the notion that players will revolt if he doesn't get paid is flat-out absurd. Players revolt only on an individual basis when they aren't getting paid.

Urlacher will be 30 this season and is coming off the worst year of his career. Despite leading fan voting at his position, he failed to make the Pro Bowl for only the second time (the first was after an injury-shortened 2004 season) and was not among the top five inside linebackers in voting among players and coaches.

He engaged in a strange public-relations showdown with the media -- reportedly out of support for teammate Lance Briggs -- that featured one-word responses and grunted answers to questions, often in front of a backdrop featuring the team logo and the name of an important sponsor.

Moreover, Urlacher has four years left on his contract, and given the uneven nature of his performance last season, depending on how his back was feeling, he might not be able to complete that deal.

The team could call his bluff and wait him out, knowing that he keeps himself in excellent physical condition and is in no danger of showing up overweight or out of shape. Or it could set a dangerous precedent and allow him to force his way into a better deal.

That precedent has been set around the league, however, with wide receivers Steve Smith and Laveranues Coles forcing new deals with the Carolina Panthers and New York Jets, respectively, and defensive end Michael Strahan reportedly close to doing so with the New York Giants.

It's a delicate situation because the Bears don't want to poison Urlacher's relationship with fans while resisting the Machiavellian tactics.

[Howling Mad]

Urlacher feels he has outplayed his contract and is demanding more money.

This has to be a joke right?

He was a phenom coming into the league, but as great as he has been, he hasn't reached the hype that followed him.

He is an excellent MLB, one of the top 5 int he league, but his performance hasn't been great enough to demand a new contract.

[Cliff Levingston]

This has to be a joke right?

He was a phenom coming into the league, but as great as he has been, he hasn't reached the hype that followed him.

He is an excellent MLB, one of the top 5 int he league, but his performance hasn't been great enough to demand a new contract.

His play has been declining the last few years, especially last year. This is the absolute wrong time for Urlacher to be asking for more cash. After they made a superbowl appearance without Tommi Harris on the line would've made more sense.

[shugknight]

Hmm.. seems kinda odd that a man would either want more money, get traded, or retire. Doesn't that all contradict one another?

Maybe the reason he's asking more money now is because he knows that in a year or two his body won't allow him to play anymore.

[WEFFPIM]

I liked the "One league sources believes he demanded a trade. Another league source said he is going to retire." And a third league source can't believe it's not butter.

[Chewie]

Update from Brad Biggs' Sun-Times Bears blog:

Urlacher tells pal Glazer "I don't know everything that is being said in (negotiations)"

If the agent said it, is it coming out of the client

[TNBT]

I liked the "One league sources believes he demanded a trade. Another league source said he is going to retire." And a third league source can't believe it's not butter.