Houston makes an offer to Pace
By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
03/14/2005
Not all the "i's" are dotted, or "t's" crossed. But offensive tackle
Orlando Pace has a contract offer from the Houston Texans, and according to sources familiar with the negotiations, it's one that is preferable to the current contract on the table from the Rams.
So what happens next?
"The ball is really in St. Louis' court as far as what they want to do, and the decision they want to make," Pace told the Houston Chronicle on Monday during his visit with Texans officials. "We'll see here in the next 24 hours or so."
The Rams have until 3 p.m. Wednesday to sign Pace to a multi-year contract offer. At that point, a four-month negotiating blackout begins for the Rams and Pace. And that would mean another spring without Pace attending the team's offseason conditioning program - which starts March 21 - no minicamps and no training camp for the third consecutive year.
Pace characterized negotiations with the Rams as being "at a standstill."
Pace added: "This is typical of what has gone on for the past couple of years for me as far as being franchised. You're trying to get through that, and you really want security and a long-term deal and those types of things. ... I don't know if things are going to be resolved."
Things are at a standstill largely because the Rams' latest offer - they submitted a revised proposal to Pace's agents Monday morning - doesn't match the Walter Jones contract in guaranteed money and money paid out in the first three years of the contract.
Jones, the offensive tackle for Seattle, re-signed with the Seahawks before the start of the free agency period. Most NFL scouts, coaches and personnel men will tell you Jones and Pace are comparable players. Jones is more consistent, but Pace is more athletic.
Jones signed a seven-year, $52.5 million contract that included a $16 million signing bonus. The Rams' latest offer to Pace is believed to be $51 million with a $15 million signing bonus.
So the Rams are very much in the ballpark of the Jones contract, both in terms of signing bonus and overall money. But that's not the problem.
The issue is the first three years of each contract. Jones will receive $26.7 million in the first three years of the contract, broken down as follows:
$16 million in signing bonus.
$5.7 million in base salary.
$5 million in roster bonuses: a $2 million roster bonus due in March of 2006; and a $3 million roster bonus due in March of 2007.
In essence, the roster bonus is guaranteed money, because the Seahawks aren't likely to cut Jones after the first or second years of his contract. So Jones is receiving $21 million in guaranteed money in the first three years of the contract: the $16 million in signing bonus and the $5 million in roster bonuses. The Rams' proposal is believed to be several million dollars below the Jones contract, both in terms of overall guaranteed money and money paid out over the first three years of the contract.
In his comments Monday to the Chronicle, Pace hinted that a change of scenery might not be a bad thing, saying: "I would love to go somewhere and have that security, and have that long-term future with a team and an organization."
Ultimately, the final decision rests with the Rams. Under franchise player guidelines, Pace would have to get an offer sheet from the Texans. The Rams would then have a week to decide if they want to match the offer from Houston. If they match, Pace would come to the Rams under the contract terms negotiated with Pace and the Texans. If the Rams chose not to match, they would get two first-round draft picks from Houston - one this year, and one next. (The Texans have the No. 13 overall pick in this year's draft.)
But the Rams and the Texans - and Pace - can bypass the entire offer sheet process if the Rams decide to accept a compensation package other than the two first-round draft picks.
Something to keep in mind if Wednesday's deadline comes and goes without the Rams and Pace agreeing on a multi-year deal: Even though the Rams can't negotiate with Pace after Wednesday, they can still trade him or receive an offer sheet on him for months. In fact, under league rule, teams can make an offer sheet on another team's franchise player up until the Tuesday following the 10th week of the regular season.
Rams president of football operations Jay Zygmunt and Pace agent Kennard McGuire both declined to comment Monday night.
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