Smiley situation close to resolution

I heard that information was leaked before the draft. So strategy went out the window then and there...

 

Another player on a growing list of guys that had at least some value and we ended up with nothing due to the way the FO handled the situations... another head scratcher

 

This FO is a head scratcher for sure.

 

Very difficult to understand how the front office can be so secretive about things that don't matter and yet be unable to keep a secret about its intentions to release personnel for whom it could possibly get value if the word didn't get out.

 

That information wasn't "leaked" Smiley's then agent told PFT that his client had been told not to report to offseason conditioning, which messed everything up, now Smiley fired that moron and hired Rosenhaus to try and get something done.

What else were they supposed to do? Lock him in the equipment shed ala the Texas Tech Coach?

 

absoFreakinlutely!

 

It's cause Smiley's own agent let it leak.

The reason is simple as to why they told him not to report guys. I'm amazed I keep having to explain it. The Dolphins were in no way going to allow Smiley to get hurt in offseason conditioning and be stuck with his salary for the entire year. That money can go (and maybe already has with Marshall/Dansby) to other players...maybe even for a FS cut/trade if the guys we have don't show something in camp.

 

Do you really think money is an issue with this FO? They gave away millions to Wilford & Wilson. So considering that, how would an injured Smiley contract hurt us in an uncapped year? They could have/should have let him participate, kept quiet and then traded him for a good pick.

 

"yes", money is an issue for this FO, keep in mind they cut Porter, Wilson and Ayodele right before signing Dansby, whose salary is roughly equal to what those three would have made.

Incognito was signed for slightly less than what Jason Taylor would have made, and trading out of the #12 saved millions dollars as well.

The offers to Ryan Clark and Antrel Rolle were right around 5 million a year, or Smiley's 2009 salary leaving them 1.5 million dollars short, Taylor was offered 2 million, Incognito was signed for 1.35 million, there is 750k in savings, and Ted Ginn's salary for 2010 was 800k..voila...5 million to sign a player or players..and if Crowder doesn't make it to Opening Day there is 1.85 million more (or so).

And for all the talk of Brandon Marshall's 50 million, this year he is playing for the tender he signed in Denver, about 2 million.

Next yr BMarsh lands the big bucks.

Irish is sitting on a nice cash hoard of slightly more than 5 million dollars once Smiley is gone more than enough to make an offer to a June 1st waiver player or even 2 of them.

These cats don't miss a trick and players like Adalius Thomas will see their value drop by then.

 

Of course money is an issue. They seem almost smart about things though. Like taking a hit on a few big cuts and salaries this year, while paying players like Marshall pennies. I'm sure they set it up to absorb a decent hit from his gauranteed money as well...

 

It's ashame he didn't work out with the Phins, I always really liked Smiley...just wish he could have stayed healthy. Thanks for the update Crunch.

 

Of course money is an issue. Money is ALWAYS an issue to those that have it. The Front Office even said in this uncapped year that they were going to have an internal cap.

 

Maybe, keep in mind Smiley won't pass through waivers as a Vet with over "X" number of seasons, a team such as Washington or Chicago could take the risk out of some other team signing him and offer a late round pick or a player who they are down on or is too expensive.

Reggie Nelson for Justin Smiley? How about Derrick Harvey for Justin Smiley?

A deal such as that is what I'm thinking of.

 

OK fine.....then we'll call it what it is....a lack of communication. Which is basically how the Porter and Roth situations turned into a cluster****.

Instead of just calling Smiley and saying "don't show up"....they should have had a better plan. Especially after getting zilch for Porter and Roth.

 

Eh, Porter was a problem child in 09 and Roth more or less held out as he is currently doing in Cleveland.

I thought at the time that we could have landed a pick for Porter, but one more 6th rd pick is not going to make or break any draft.

What?

The Steve McNair situation made it clear that it is much better to keep a potentially injury prone player completely away from a team's facility.

 

To hide their intentions, why not have let Smiley participate in off season conditioning, but have the strength coach set up an individual program for him that would have not included any lifts that may compromise his shoulder. He could have done moderate decline presses for the upper body and I'm sure he could have done dead lifts, squats, leg press, things like that. The problem with his shoulder is mainly lifting over head. Simple, don't do overhead presses, don't do incline presses and to be sure don't do flat bench press. The decline is the safest angle for a bum shoulder. I know from experience.
As long as he is in there doing something, anything, it appears we want to keep him, and you have a much stronger bargaining position if you appear reluctant to let him go. Then again, even if we could find a trade partner, could he pass a physical? He did with us, and based on past players, we may be less stringent than some teams. Damion McIntosh for example. Seems like da Raiders failed him on a physical. I'd venture it is a safe best that Smiley could not pass every team's physical exam.

 

While money is certainly an issue for us as with any team, I do not buy into your correlations of we cut X amount of players and salary to offset signing the same X amount of player and salary. I believe those players, Wilson, Porter and Ayodele were gone regardless of signing Dansby. Say, if Dansby decided to sign elsewhere, and we went after, say, Scott Fujita instead and his lower contract, that would not mean we keep one of those 3, just because Fujita cost less. IMO anyway. Feel free to disagree.

 

Well, there will be an opportunity to test drive my theory Mr C, Reggie Torbor is slated to make 3 million this season, this after they acquired Dansby and Dobbins, "if' he is released that pushes the budget to 8 million dollars in freed up monies.

Or about what Otogwe's asking price will be, not saying "release Smiley and Torbor and sign Otogwe" but the money lines up so it could happen.

Otogwe is a FA on June 1st, Smiley is to be dealt with by May 28...

 

Well, regardless of whether we pursue Otogwe, and I do not expect we will, Torbor is on the bubble. Not on it as much as say Moses, but when we have younger cheaper guys who can do his job, he is a likely goner anyway. I expect he'd get the chance to compete in camp, but if he is cut along with Smiley in the near future and then we did sign Otogwe, well you may be on to something Dr Watson.

 

The reason a team might trade for him is because if hes released he'd be a FA and could go anywhere. The problem is his salary. If he was making 1.5 mil this year, alot of teams might be interested in a trade. Buts hes making considerably more than that. Noteam wants an oft injured player with a big contract.

 

Didn't the Titans try that and they got burned for it anyways? If not the Titans I remember someone trying to 'change' a players workout for that particular idea and the player made a stink anyways.

 

I never heard about it, but certainly would not surprise me.

 

BINGO !!!!!!!! Outside of Smileys agent, no one has heard anything from the Dophins in regards to trades, not wanting him to show up etc. If anyone cut a slice in the guys throat, it was his own darn agent. I would imagine this is why Smiley now has a new agent.

Smileys own representative screwed the pooch here. Other teams heard it, looked into his now well publicized injury status, saw the money the contract they would have to accept and said, no way, we wait til they cut him and pay squat if he wants a job. Its simple folks, the Dolphins screwed nothing or no one, Smileys agent sure did though, thats why he switched agents.

Someone will sign him, I am sure of that but it will be for something not close to what he was to get on the remaining contract.

 

I guess ive always been in the minority not being a fan of smiley's game, us not getting a ham sandwich for the player kinda confirms that for me..maybe his shoulder is just shot..

I know ive said this before, so I apologize for my redundency, but man I wish I knew who signed smiley, wilson, green, and wilford...dying to know...

 

The 'phins screwed the pooch as well by telling him not to show up for conditioning. Word gets out about those things, e.g. journalists with nothing better to do will count the cars in the carpark and if Smiley's is missing their job is to fill in the blanks.

IMO telling a player not to show up is very shaky on legal grounds. The contract between the 'phins and Smiley is that
(1) The 'phins pay him; and
(2) Smiley practices and plays football for the 'phins.
By preventing Smiley from practicing the 'phins are arguably breaching the second element of the contract.

All of the criticism leveled at Smiley's agent could have been avoided by letting Smiley turn up and then restrict him to a program that the medical staff consider safe.

 

Players paid portion of their contract does not start until the first seasons game. There may be a workout bonus, roster bonus etc. in contracts that are paid on specific dates given.

All they players get paid to lift is about 500 a week in the offseason unless as I said, its specified in writing and if it is, its not much and if Smiley had it coming to him, they will pay him.

First off, the lifting is not mandatory, its voluntary. Not a single player in the NFL is MANDATED to attend the teams facility to lift. So where is there anything here with " legal grounds " if its not mandatory to begin with.

So
1 The team violated nothing. There are no shaky legal grounds you speak of. Outside of guaranteed money in a contract, nothing else is guaranteed at all in the NFL, this is not basketball or baseball.2 If he wants the 500 or so a week for lifting, you think he got screwed out of, write the team a letter, he is not getting it.
3 Why design a light workout for a person that you no longer want on your team ? Its a waste of everyones time. 4 Why did Smiley get a new agent ? 5 counting cars in the parking lot ? I would imagiine a member of the press is admitted into the building and does not have to hang around and count cars.
There are no legal issues here at all. Smiley has not showed up for lifting because, PER HIS AGENT, he was told not to, the team has not admitted they said it or not admitted they said it. All Sparano has said when asked is that Right now Smiley is part of this football team, or something to that effect.

Everything you have read has been conjecture and opinion jotted down by journalists all from the one statement made, supposedly, by his agent. Does not mean the press is correct does it ? Is everything you read in the paper the truth ?

Listen, tell him or no tell him, lots of guys do not work out with their teams until its mandatory. I think with Smileys injury and surgery history the entire NFL is on guard for something. You don't know, I don't know, nor anyone outside of the ownership and FO knows, why Smiley will not be a Dolphin anylonger and thats ok with me.

People are starting to act like this is CIA stuff, its football. Players come and go all the time and not all fans agree with all decisions..

 

for the life of me, I cannot understand why the offseason is NOT mandatory...I can only speak for myself, but imo, it is disrespectful on many levels for all those players you speak of who do not train their bodies for their employer's who pay them yearly salaries....I just dont trust a player who does'nt, and i know thats a blanket statement, but its just how I feel...

If iam an owner, its in every contract, and if iam a player, I dont need anybody to tell me to do it, understand and understood.

 

There are workout facilities these days all over the country and for themost part, they are better staffed and better equipped then a lot of NFL teams, truth here.

Ring up Athletes Performance on Google. They have a place in Phoenix that rivals any NFL team. Some athletes feel places like this give them better attention, have individual workout programs designed just for them, better staffed, more knowledgeable staff and so on and so on. Some players feel more comfortable at places like this until its time for the MANDATORY stuff to start. The teams know where and what theplayers are doing. If they want to check up on them all they have to do is pick up the phone. Places like Atheles Performance completely blow NFL team facilities away and have better trained personal. Also in some cases, the player just is not too high on the town or area the team is that he plays for so he goes someplace he feels comfortable. Athletes Performance is just one in dozens and dozens of well known places around the country.

Not to ruffle too many feathers but some of this " bonding ' that people imagine goes on, is overblown. It mostly exists in fans minds. These players go do their workouts and then go home, thats it. They all have lives and family outside of football. Maybe once or twice during the non mandatory period, the individual groups MAY get together for at a charity event or maybe a BBQ but thats it folks.

If you take that into account and the fact these outside workout centers blow much of the teams facilities away, not only the Phins, and its not mandatory to be there, then, why bother going ?

 

you make good points sir, however, its hard for me to believe NFL franchises's gym's and training staff's are not top of the line...I do get your point about the phoenix style of places though, {thats another level of committment}and the points you made about their original homes and wanting to be around their families, and their comfort factor...

I'll leave you with this, maybe the team that wins it all every year, has a lot to do with which team sacrifices the most just to be together..I do believe in that hot air stuff you speak of.....however, there were reports that we were completely together last year, and look how that turned out?, players coming out flat and playing with no emotion...its a deep subject, thats debatable on many levels imo..

 

I believe it's in the CBA that prevents it from being mandatory. It was the players who argued that they didn't want to subject themselves to more opportunities to get injured. That's why there is a set number of mandatory offseason activities.

 

huh?.......... elaborate please.

 

Correct. To the other poster, sure the NFL facilities are good but when you look around the nation, you will realize there are other really good alternatives that now exist. For instance, most eams do not start off season lifiting until after the Free agent period starts or around the first week, second week of March.

Then usually from Mid June till around Aug 1, the players are off again. The better ones work out even if they do take another vaction.

Where are the players from the end of the season until the second week of March ? Usually in their home state after a few weeks on vacation. So, for the better part of 2 and a half months, they need to work out someplace and its usually like a place I mentioned, close to their home. Yes, there are some that do nothing until the team lifiting starts. The better players, which is the majority, are the ones that take a few weeks off to rest then get back to it close to home. I can understand your thoughts in the matter completely.

With the two and half months off after the season and the month and a half off after lifting, minimcamps and OTAs that comes to almost 4 months of not being around the team facility. Thats more time then they spend together lifting in March, April and May. The better ones stick with it. The Pillsbury donut boys, do not. Lucky for us, they are the minority.

With the 4 months on their own do you see how they get used to these outside facilities ? The outside places really cater to them to because they know they want a good workout with all the attention that goes along with it. Far different now then back in the day the players cleaned their lockers out the last game of the season then went home. From end of Dec to summer camp they basically did nothing or very little, in regards to keeping in shape.
I am convinced that a lot of these injuries the older players now complain about were due to them literally sitting around 7 months a year playing golf, drinking beer, chasing women and so forth. Then one day they go back to camp completely out of shape.