[GTripp0012]

Knowing how the Redskins structured Carriker's deal in the first place, I'm 99% confident he took the shaft to stay in Washington. You see "mutual" options in baseball, but almost never in football. But in Carriker's contract, he had a buyback option for this season (the team of course has an option with every player every season because contracts are non-guaranteed).

In baseball, mutual options are almost ALWAYS contract-enders because one side or the other is going to feel undervalued every year. So someone is going to terminate the contract.

Carriker was always unlikely to be back, so he probably had to accept a significant pay reduction with no guarantee of being a Redskin beyond 2013. I can't help but think he'll probably regret his decision to stay in a year. Then again, the FA market is going to be incredibly soft for Carriker types, so who knows?

Santana Moss on the other hand has some leverage. He's got a date with free agency in a year, a large base salary, and a team that feels like it's losing something on the field by releasing him. The Redskins are going to have to make a couple concessions to keep him in the fold (i.e. guaranteed money, an extension of at least one season). Moss is in a good spot, he won't be getting the shaft. But I doubt he wants to hit free agency at 33. The market won't be kind.