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Things to watch throughout Cardinals training camp - Part II
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Ross D. Franklin / AP
2. Ongoing Contract Negotiations – If there are still players to be signed by the time training camp rolls around, there is always going to be talk, speculation, and worry from fans and media pundits. It is important to note that there are many reasons why a player does not yet have a contract and some are worse than others. If it’s simply details, the talks will usually move along rather smoothly, as is the case most of the time with low draft picks and mid-range veterans. If there is a massive gap between player/agent and the organization, it can get pretty hairy. This happens most often with Pro Bowlers and top draft picks. The Cardinals have both kinds of negotiations going on at the current moment which could easily carry into training camp.
It is important to recognize that the Cardinals have been in a position like this…well…never. Coming off of a Super Bowl run is not something the organization has had to deal with in the past, so some of the negotiations, while new, are in a sense, a good thing. Every great team deals with this kind of situation, so it is no surprise that there are still some high-priority players in limbo. In fact, the Cardinals have shown great resolve and fast-action to get to where they are now.
The obvious situation to watch here has to do with my last article about Anquan Boldin’s contract situation. The Cardinals and Boldin have been at an impasse since last summer and though Boldin has handled his business in a semi-professional manner (besides a few side outbursts that may be attributed to his ex-agent, Drew Rosenhaus), he is not number one priority and the Cardinals are already pushing up against the salary cap. It may be well into training camp until Boldin even gets offered a new deal, if he gets offered one at all, and that in no way means he will accept it. I have a feeling we will be talking about the proverbial “dead horse” by the time this one’s close to coming to an end.
Anquan Boldin/Larry Fitzgerald/Contract Timeline
April, 2003 – Anquan Boldin is picked in the 2nd round of the draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He would have been a 1st round pick if it weren’t for his slower than expected 40-times, in which the Cardinals probably would have missed out.
July, 2003 – Anquan Boldin and the Cardinals agree on a rookie contract worth around $2.5 million over 4 years (this is an educated estimation of the amount of the deal - most published reports only talk about agreeing to “terms” with no details of the contract).
Boldin misses zero days of training camp.
December, 2003 – Anquan Boldin goes for 100 or more yards receiving in five games, is named Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press, and is later named to the Pro Bowl.
August, 2004 - Larry Fitzgerald is chosen in the 1st round of the draft and the Cardinals agree on a rookie contract worth $60 million over 6 years.
July, 2005 – Anquan Boldin and the Cardinals agree on a restructured deal and new contract worth $22.75 million over 6 years. They ink the deal one day before the start of training camp.
Boldin, at the time, is quoted as saying, “Even if I didn't have a new deal, I'd still be up here in camp. I'd still be working, because that's my job.”
Boldin misses zero days of training camp.
March, 2008 – Larry Fitzgerald and the Cardinals agree on a restructured deal and new contract worth $40 million over 4 years. $15 million is guaranteed.
Point of importance: not only did Fitzgerald’s deal give him mucho guaranteed money, but it also gave the Cardinals about $8 million more in salary cap space for 2008. This was as much a motivating factor for the Cardinals as getting Fitzgerald locked in for another four years.
July, 2008 – Anquan Boldin vows that he will not re-sign with the Cardinals after his request for a contract restructure is not fulfilled before the start of training camp.
Boldin shows up and misses zero days of training camp.
May/June 2009 – Anquan Boldin fires current agent, Drew Rosenhaus, and hires Tom Condon to continue contract negotiations with the Cardinals.
July 2009 - ?
Some other Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald articles for your viewing pleasure:
Will Anquan Boldin report to training camp?
Vote for Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald for ESPN's ESPY Awards
And a couple other training camp gems by the one and only, me:
Arizona Cardinals 2009 training camp schedule
Things to watch throughout Cardinals training camp - Part I
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