Joe Banner went on Comcast Sportsnet yesterday and he basically cut up any legitimate arguments Sheldon Brown might have for the Eagles renegotiating his contract with 4 years remaining on it.
I think Sheldon went too far when he mentioned other players, but why shouldn't a guy be able to say that he wants more money. Everybody does.
The problem with Sheldon's situation is that he doesn't have a good argument, so it's getting shot down. He's being made to look like a fool, which should happen if you're not in a position to be asking for a new contract.
There's not much of a market for a cornerback who is over 30, is solid not great, hasn't been a Pro Bowler and wants a big bonus.
Banner went for Brown's throat on Comcast Sportsnet by comparing him to some players who could be demanding new deals but aren't.
"DeMarcus Ware had 20 sacks this year, led the NFL, right now he's making a million dollars next year. Have you heard anything from DeMarcus Ware? Tom Brady's gonna make $14 million over the next two years. That's $7 million a year. The top-paid quarterback in the league's making 16. Have you heard anything from Tom Brady? By the way, Tom Brady's got two years left on his deal. DeMarcus Ware has one. And I could give you example upon example.
He has four years left on his contract, received a very sizable signing bonus as part of the deal. That has to be factored into the value of the two years he's played under the contract this coming year, whatever it was. And that's the only reasonable way to look at it.
"The thing that distressed me was I heard today that he had said that anybody who thought this was about the money was crazy. He needs to tell his agent that because we have had no conversations with his agent that have been about anything but the money. Now only two years into the deal with four years left, you know…
As if using Ware and Brady to tear apart any argument Brown might have, Banner went even further.
James Harrison was the defensive player of the NFL last year, probably almost single-handedly responsible for the Pittsburgh Steelers winning the Super Bowl. He made less than one and a half million dollars last year. And now in the last year of his contract, the Steelers stepped in and gave him the adjustment.
We're talking about somebody with four years left in their contract. I don't believe there's a single player in a number of years with that much time left on his contract that any team, including the MVP of the league, went to, so you have to have some perspective on this."
This was a knockout. Somebody get Sheldon up off the floor.
