Trent Williams holding out for new deal

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by skinsfaninok

That's why he is smirking while talking, he knows Trent has to show up to get paid.. Yeah he's made great $ in his career but that is still a ton of $ to be leaving on the table..

Also Trent has 2 years left right? There is no chance he sits 2 years lol lets be real here and he knows that too. By the time that comes around he'd be 33 years old and not played in 2 full seasons... Nobody would want him.

Trent will show up before week 3 that's my guess.

Allen has resting 'shit eating grin' face.

But yeah it makes no sense. I don't understand why people believe Trent has any leverage. His choices are:

- as you say, sit for two years and give up $21M, hit the market and try to get a deal at 33 having not played in two years. All the while risking that the Redskins might just franchise tag him anyway.

- sit for 10 games, come back just in time to accrue another NFL season towards his pension, giving up $7M in the process, yet still under team control for another year, so skip the first 10 games again maybe in 2020, giving up another $7M

- play this year, earn $11M, and restart the crusade next year when he's in his last year of his deal and will have more leverage. But the leverage is still limited, because of the prospect of the franchise tag.

- play both years, earn $21M, hit free agency or get tagged by the skins and earn a top 5 salary in his 34 yo year

No matter how you look at it, skipping games is tantamount to shooting himself in the foot out of principle.

[skinsfaninok]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Allen has resting 'shit eating grin' face.

But yeah it makes no sense. I don't understand why people believe Trent has any leverage. His choices are:

- as you say, sit for two years and give up $21M, hit the market and try to get a deal at 33 having not played in two years. All the while risking that the Redskins might just franchise tag him anyway.

- sit for 10 games, come back just in time to accrue another NFL season towards his pension, giving up $7M in the process, yet still under team control for another year, so skip the first 10 games again maybe in 2020, giving up another $7M

- play this year, earn $11M, and restart the crusade next year when he's in his last year of his deal and will have more leverage. But the leverage is still limited, because of the prospect of the franchise tag.

- play both years, earn $21M, hit free agency or get tagged by the skins and earn a top 5 salary in his 34 yo year

No matter how you look at it, skipping games is tantamount to shooting himself in the foot out of principle.

Also we have not heard one peep from Trent himself on Social media or any quotes from the media. He has not said anything about "Not playing for the redskins" . Unless I missed it.

That gives me some hope.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by skinsfaninok

Also we have not heard one peep from Trent himself on Social media or any quotes from the media. He has not said anything about "Not playing for the redskins" . Unless I missed it.

That gives me some hope.

Exactly. If you were really going to war over principle, that's where you'd take it. He'll be back, I'm as certain of it as I am of anything.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Exactly. If you were really going to war over principle, that's where you'd take it. He'll be back, I'm as certain of it as I am of anything.

[BigHairedAristocrat]

Originally Posted by skinsfaninok

Also we have not heard one peep from Trent himself on Social media or any quotes from the media. He has not said anything about "Not playing for the redskins" . Unless I missed it.

That gives me some hope.

A while back, Sheehan said one of his friends who is a lawyer suggested that the reason Trent hasn't spoken publicly is that the reports simply aren't true. If the medical staff DID handle his situation appropriately, and Trent himself accused them of not doing so, the skins could (and given their litigious nature, likely would), sue him for libel.

The fact that the skins have not made any changes to, and continue to support, the medical staff lends to the belief that they did their jobs exactly like they were supposed to.

Which means there are only two possibilities which i consider realistic:

1) This is really ALL about money, in which case I applaud Allen for not caving. Trent will either show up and get paid or he wont. Either way, Allen is smart for not setting a precedent where players can hold out, leak false stories to the media that make the team look bad, and then get rewarded for it.

2) The medical issue is really of primary concern to Trent, but he's unreasonable in his criticism. In which case I still applaud Allen for remaining loyal to his staff.

Regardless, the team - and Allen specifically - has showed tremendous loyalty to Trent over the years. Its a shame Trent is choosing not to reciprocate that loyalty, but at the end of the day, this is a business and all sides are going to act in ways which they believe are for their own best interests.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by BigHairedAristocrat

A while back, Sheehan said one of his friends who is a lawyer suggested that the reason Trent hasn't spoken publicly is that the reports simply aren't true. If the medical staff DID handle his situation appropriately, and Trent himself accused them of not doing so, the skins could (and given their litigious nature, likely would), sue him for libel.

The fact that the skins have not made any changes to, and continue to support, the medical staff lends to the belief that they did their jobs exactly like they were supposed to.

Which means there are only two possibilities which i consider realistic:

1) This is really ALL about money, in which case I applaud Allen for not caving. Trent will either show up and get paid or he wont. Either way, Allen is smart for not setting a precedent where players can hold out, leak false stories to the media that make the team look bad, and then get rewarded for it.

2) The medical issue is really of primary concern to Trent, but he's unreasonable in his criticism. In which case I still applaud Allen for remaining loyal to his staff.

Regardless, the team - and Allen specifically - has showed tremendous loyalty to Trent over the years. Its a shame Trent is choosing not to reciprocate that loyalty, but at the end of the day, this is a business and all sides are going to act in ways which they believe are for their own best interests.

Nailed it

[Number44]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Allen has resting 'shit eating grin' face.

But yeah it makes no sense. I don't understand why people believe Trent has any leverage. His choices are:

- as you say, sit for two years and give up $21M, hit the market and try to get a deal at 33 having not played in two years. All the while risking that the Redskins might just franchise tag him anyway.

- sit for 10 games, come back just in time to accrue another NFL season towards his pension, giving up $7M in the process, yet still under team control for another year, so skip the first 10 games again maybe in 2020, giving up another $7M

- play this year, earn $11M, and restart the crusade next year when he's in his last year of his deal and will have more leverage. But the leverage is still limited, because of the prospect of the franchise tag.

- play both years, earn $21M, hit free agency or get tagged by the skins and earn a top 5 salary in his 34 yo year

No matter how you look at it, skipping games is tantamount to shooting himself in the foot out of principle.

If he sits for 2 years, isn't he still obligated to the Redskins for 2 years? I thought if he sits out the 2 years, he's pretty much retiring unless he comes back to the Redskins. Do I have that wrong?

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by Number44

If he sits for 2 years, isn't he still obligated to the Redskins for 2 years? I thought if he sits out the 2 years, he's pretty much retiring unless he comes back to the Redskins. Do I have that wrong?

Yes you have that wrong. The contract binds Trent to the team for two years. If he doesn't attend mandatory team events per the contract (Camps practices meetings and games) then the Redskins can withhold pay, per the contract.

But once the two years are up, he's a free agent, regardless of whether he played or sat.

The franchise tag is the element in this that really takes all of Trent's leverage away. While Trent may appear to have some strength in threatening to withhold his services, he'd have to sacrifice $21M to do so, and STILL may not reach free agency because the Redskins could just tag him. Then he'd have to sit out his age 34 season, too.

And by that point you might as well be retired. His realization will come any day now. He will realize he either plays with the Redskins for the few years he has left in his career, or he will have to effectively retire.

Bruce is right, I don't see Trent retiring. And that's the crux of it. When you hold the ultimate hammer in the franchise tag, even principled stances can't hold up.

[Number44]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Yes you have that wrong. The contract binds Trent to the team for two years. If he doesn't attend mandatory team events per the contract (Camps practices meetings and games) then the Redskins can withhold pay, per the contract.

But once the two years are up, he's a free agent, regardless of whether he played or sat.

The franchise tag is the element in this that really takes all of Trent's leverage away. While Trent may appear to have some strength in threatening to withhold his services, he'd have to sacrifice $21M to do so, and STILL may not reach free agency because the Redskins could just tag him. Then he'd have to sit out his age 34 season, too.

And by that point you might as well be retired. His realization will come any day now. He will realize he either plays with the Redskins for the few years he has left in his career, or he will have to effectively retire.

Bruce is right, I don't see Trent retiring. And that's the crux of it. When you hold the ultimate hammer in the franchise tag, even principled stances can't hold up.

OK, thanks.