Deals For Chris Long, Glenn Dorsey Not Imminent

It's June 8th and already 3 of the Top 5 draft picks from the 2008 NFL Draft are under contract. But I wouldn't expect deals for Chris Long or Glenn Dorsey to happen anytime soon.

The problem in St. Louis is two-fold.

For starters, guys chosen at the top of the 1st round typically get 6-year contracts. The top draft choice this year, Jake Long, signed a five-year deal. Long's representatives could be looking to get their client onto the free agent market sooner by demanding a shorter deal.

If St. Louis insists on a six-year deal, Long's agents will certainly be looking for more guaranteed money than the $34.25 million the Atlanta Falcons gave the 3rd overall pick, Matt Ryan, over six years.

If they get it, Long's deal would be richer than the contract All-Pro defensive end Jared Allen signed with the Minnesota Vikings in April.

On the other side of the state, the Kansas City Chiefs could have their own struggles trying to get Glenn Dorsey under contract.

"King" Carl Peterson always seems to struggle at getting first-round picks into camp on time, and Darren McFadden's contract might make it tougher for Dorsey and the Chiefs to reach an agreement.

McFadden's contract has been reported as being worth $26 million in guarantees, but as of right now, that figure is $19.685 million. The remaining $6.315 million can be earned if McFadden hits performance-based escalators included in his contract.

Escalators in contracts like McFadden's are usually very attainable. For example, all McFadden may have to do in order to trigger the remaining $6+ million in guarantees is rush for 700 yards or catch 40 passes in a season. Figuring out how to get a defensive tackle similar escalators isn't going to be easy.

Until then, Peterson will continue to work off the $19.685 million number, and Dorsey's agent (Joel Segal) will be crunching some numbers to get his client as close to the $26 million figure as possible.

The Chris Baker Situation

New York Jets tight end Chris Baker wants a new contract. Thus far, the Jets are reluctant to bend to Baker's demands. So who's right and who's wrong? Is Baker justified for demanding more money? Are the Jets justified in not giving Baker more money?

You know what they say: The numbers never lie. First, let's get the background information.

Baker played 2005 under the low RFA tender, and ended up breaking his fibula. After hardly getting a nibble on the free agent market, the Jets signed Baker to a 4-year, $6.6 million contract that included a $1 million dollar signing bonus. Before breaking his fibula, Baker had already equaled or set career-highs in receptions (18) and yards (269) and was beginning to show why the Jets made him a 3rd round draft choice in 2002.

Baker responded in 2006, hauling in a career-high 31 receptions for 300 yards and four touchdowns, and established himself as the best tight end on Gang Green. Did his production that match his salary? Below are Baker's 2006 stats and where they ranked among NFL tight ends.

Receptions: 31 (21st)
Yards: 300 (21st)
1st Downs: 18 (20th)
DPAR: 9.7 (12th)
Total Salary: $2,000,000 (17th)
Base Salary: $800,000 (25th)

From a base salary perspective, Baker was underpaid. Factoring in his signing and roster bonus, though, the $2 million he earned in 2006 was in line with his production.

How did Baker's 2007 season rank?

Receptions: 41 (19th)
Yards: 409 (18th)
1st Downs: 29 (t-11th)
DPAR: 12.1 (11th)
Total Salary: $1,650,000 (18th)
Base Salary: $1,500,000 (6th)

Baker's base salary in 2007 was supposed to be $850,000, but the Jets gave him a $700K advance (from his 2008 salary) that upped his income last year to $1.5M. Due to this boost, only 5 tight ends in the NFL has base salary higher than Chris Baker did in 2007, yet his production was again in the bottom half of starting tight ends in the NFL.

That may explain, in part, why the Jets signed Bubba Franks in free agency and traded back into the 1st round of the 2008 draft to take Dustin Keller.

If healthy, Franks is going to make $1.65 million this year, while Keller can expect to receive a signing or roster bonus in the seven-figure range. This means Baker, who is set to earn $683,500 in 2008, is going to be the third highest-paid tight end on the Jets roster.

I have a long-standing policy of never criticizing a player for attempting to get more money. Careers in the NFL are short, so I have no problem with a player attempting to maximize his earnings. That's why I don't bemoan Baker's stance, and I actually think he makes a good point when he asked how Jets head coach Eric Mangini would feel if he were the third highest-paid coach on the team.

The only problem is, Baker has zero leverage.

1. He has two years remaining on his contract.

2. Baker hasn't made, nor does he stand to make, the sort of money to pay for a lengthy training camp holdout.

3. In the last two years, he's averaged 36 receptions for 354 yards and 3 touchdowns. That's not going to get him very far at the bargaining table.

4. The reason he's the third highest-paid tight end on the roster is because the team gave him, and he accepted, a nearly 100% raise in 2007 knowing that money was coming out of his 2008 salary.

5. The Jets spent a lot of money on improving the offense this off-season. They added Alan Faneca, Damien Woody and Tony Richardson to help improve the ground game and to give whoever the quarterback is (my money is on Kellen Clemens) more time to throw downfield to Laveranues Coles, Jerricho Cotchery and Dustin Keller. The Jets offense suddenly has more viable options than they did in 2006 and 2007, lessening their need to rely on Baker to move the chains.

The best way for Baker to get a new contract is to report to camp and hope that Bubba Franks remains healthy so that the Jets can trade Baker to a team in need of a tight end. (New Orleans?)

NFL News and Notes

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady answered questions for 10 minutes and 45 seconds after mini-camp on Saturday. Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe has five observations from Patriots' mini-camp. Patriots punter Scott Player can no longer wear the single-bar facemask.

New York Jets safety Eric Smith has been working opposite Kerry Rhodes with the first-team defense during the OTA's.

Miami Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano said rookie Chad Henne is in the mix for the team's starting quarterback job. Dolphins defensive end Matt Roth has been getting some work at outside linebacker.

Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review doesn't see Jason Taylor playing in Black & Gold.

Tony Grossi of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer answers some Cleveland Browns-related questions, while his colleague Terry Pluto takes a look at the Browns offense.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Bart Scott likes the new, aggressive scheme the Ravens will be using in 2008.

Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Troy Williamson has been catching everything his new team has thrown his way. The Jaguars have made the moves to make themselves legitimate contenders, but season-ticket sales are still lagging.

Kickers Connor Barth, Billy Cundiff and Nick Novak are vying for two spots on the Kansas City Chiefs' training camp roster. Chiefs running back Dantrell Savage thinks his lack of height gives him an advantage.

Jean Jacques Taylor details how Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam Jones grew up.

New York Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey might skip the team's mandatory mini-camp, which gets underway on Wednesday.

Green Bay Packers second-year running back Brandon Jackson has added 10 to 15 pounds of "the right kind of weight" this off-season.

Minnesota Vikings safety Madieu Williams is happy in a place where the emphasis is on "team". Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson feels like a different quarterback than he was at this time last year.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Roy Williams had a different excuse for each day of OTA's he missed last week.

After Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson was arrested for DWI in Austin, Texas, Jay Mariotti writes that Benson has left the Bears with no choice: They have to cut him. Benson's attorney says Benson was not impaired and plans to fight the charge.

Stephen Holder of the St. Petersburg Times writes about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' attempt to get $7 million from retired quarterback Jake Plummer and also suggests that people shouldn't be so quick to assume that tight end Jerramy Stevens will have a hard time making the team.

After five mini-camp practices and one OTA, defensive end Bobby McCray could be the best free agent signing the New Orleans Saints have ever made.

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith says the Panthers have gotten better this off-season. Smith will host a football camp next month, where he can hopefully pass along "nuggets" of encouragement similar to the one he received from Terry Bradshaw when he was growing up.

The Atlanta Falcons and seventh-round draft pick Keith Zinger, a tight end from LSU, have agreed to terms on a four-year contract.

Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle writes that the face of the franchise, and the title of "Mr. 49er", belongs to linebacker Patrick Willis.

St. Louis Rams rookies are in Canton, Ohio this weekend. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has made visiting the Pro Football Hall of Fame a mandatory requirement as part of the league's rookie orientation program.