Neal signed a 4 year deal

[Annihilus]

Very good point, but usually, where there is smoke, there is usually fire. [/B]

One of the exceptions to that rule, funny enough, are your posts here.

 

[Wandering Athol]

Dashoe is

ROFL ROFL

 

[kolbitr]

Originally posted by PatPatriot
#3 seems more plausible, in light of the "kicker" issues and how fast he got a deal after his recent change. Again, plausible, not definite.

For #3 to be plausible, one would need to come up with the motive for why the agent would be willing for his client (and thus him) to receive less money. The only motive I could come up, would be if Kraft was paying the agent a kickback, to get players to sign here for below the market. I'm rather skeptical of that, to say the least. [/QUOTE]

I still suspect that this may be ballocks. But, playing devil's advocate, let me propose an alternative. We know that, at least in the past, the Patriots have had a good working relationship with the Cornrich agency. Nothing wrong with that. Perhaps they have recommended the agency to some players who were looking for agents, either players looking to make a switch or looking for a new agent. After all, they thought highly of the agency.

Now, in 2006, the agency is in turmoil. The main agent has been decertified for testimony in a completely unrelated matter. Undoubtedly, this news is not good for business. The agency is in danger of losing two of New England's premier free agents to other teams. In itself, this is not bad--it's their job to get the best deal for their clients, who are the players. But perhaps this agency, which has seen business dry up in recent months, was afraid to irritate/anger the team with which they had the best working relationship. After all, we know of certain agents who have angered teams to the extent that they won't negotiate with them (perhaps the Postons and Rosenhaus have a few of these), or will only hold hostile negotiations with them. As a result of this fear, the agents do indeed try to steer the players back into the fold, partly because they feel that the deals are good ones, but also to keep one of their best working relationships healthy in a time of difficulty.

In other words, the deals come not as a result of anything shady on the team's end (which seems genuinely hard to believe), but from a financially-driven desire of the agency to maintain a business relationship with a team who still likes them, and maybe one which can recommend them to future players looking for an agency, in the situations I mentioned above. If true, this would be extremely poor judgement on the part of the agency, and would be (obviously) a possible death knell for their client base.


I do not know any of this--it is pure speculation. We have not heard from Neal at all, or the agent, and perhaps all of this is crap, which I am, personally, given my Patriotism, inclined to believe. I am merely suggesting a scenario which, to me, seems more plausible than any involving kickbacks and payola, suggestions which strike me as conspiratorial and borderline-ludicrous.

(I would also add that, being neither a sports agent nor a lawyer, I hope that if what I have suggested is impossible or implausible, someone will correct me.)

 

[Wandering Athol]

:
1) WTF is Casserly thinking going on the record like this? If it's true that he's under consideration for a job in the league office (and given the Texans regression in the standings last season, IMO, he'd better be checking out his options), I would think that being in bed with RB is not a good way to get the nod from someone who probably has a little sway in how things work there - namely Bob Kraft.

THUD!! The sound of the other shoe falling:

http://www.kffl.com/hotw/nfl
Texans | Casserly reportedly to resign; NFL position not a lock
Mon, 24 Apr 2006 17:13:35 -0700

According to FOXSports.com's John Czarnecki, Charley Casserly reportedly will resign as general manager of the Houston Texans, after the NFL Draft. However, an influential league source said Monday, April 24, there is no guarantee that Casserly will be offered the job as the NFL's director of football operations.

 

[Wandering Athol]

An update on Casserly, who supposedly "resigned" as the Texans GM after the 2006 draft, and was on his way to a job in the league office:

http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/NFL_Czar
....Houston GM Charley Casserly, who is now working for CBS Sports. By the way, Casserly wasn’t happy with his settlement pay from Texans owner Bob McNair after being fired.

------------------------------------------------

So let me get this straight:
1) Casserly possibly screwed up his next area of employment by pissing on Kraft.
2) Casserly possibly pissed away his severance by screwing up the Texans' draft.

Attaboy Charley! At least you can hang with your buddy Borges now at the media tents as a peer, wolfing down free cocktail weenies.