Unlike Lito Sheppard who the Eagles could play without, Brian Westbrook has the leverage on the Birds.
With this being such a pivotal year for the team, they couldn't think of going to battle without him. He's their number one offensive weapon and they couldn't expect to even get close to being .500 without him.
Would he have the nerve and audacity to hold out? When you step back and look at the circumstances, Westbrook has the motivation to do so because he will never be in a more powerful position than he is right now.
He will be able to sign only one more deal before his career is over. Westbrook is getting ready to turn 29 and he knows that as a running back, he won't get the chance to sign a big contract after age 30. If he doesn't get the big money now, he'll never get it.
Westbrook is currently in the third year of a five-year, $24.9 million contract extension which he signed in 2005.
His salary will be $3 million this season and he's already received a $1.5 million roster bonus. In the future he will make $3.5 million in 2009 and $4.5 million in 2010.
In 2008 his cap number will be $4,706,720. LaDainian Tomlinson of the Chargers is at $7,822,786. Edgerrin James of the Cardinals is at $6,756,240. Ronnie Brown of Dolphins is $6,106,800. Lamont Jordan of Raiders is at $6,106,240.
The Eagles are coming off a year where they missed the playoffs and finished 8-8. He had an MVP-level year. If he were to hold out it would put tremendous pressure on Joe Banner, Andy Reid and the Eagles to reconsider their rule that they don't allow players to force them to renegotiate contracts.
I think it's doubtful that Westbrook would hold out but it's not out of the question when you consider what he said earlier this off season.
"When I signed my contract with the Eagles 21/2 years ago, they paid me for the level of play I was playing at the time," said Westbrook, 28. "I'm not at that level no more. I'm at a higher level of play. There's no question about that. The numbers don't lie. My numbers have steadily increased from that point until now. Now, I'm at the point where I'm one of the elite backs in the NFL, and I should be compensated that way."
"To me, it's really disappointing that nothing has been accomplished," Westbrook said. "I'm not here to embarrass the Eagles because I think they're a good organization, but at some point you have to do what's right. It's really up to them to do it. It's the seventh month of the year, and I've been trying to get it done for at least seven months and a few months during last season. There have been discussions, but if the discussions aren't going anywhere . . . They have for a little bit, and then they haven't. Nothing has changed in the last month."
