Jim Thomas on am 1380

[RamWraith]

Summary borrowed from Playmaker from another board:

Recap

Says Tom Condon (Bulgers agent) and the Rams are farther apart than they would like to be.

Says Condon is trying to get Bulger paid more than another one of Condons clients, Peyton Manning

Says Carriker's agent will continue to meet with the Rams and Carriker hopes to be in camp on time.

Says Carriker needs to be in camp on time because of the position move from college DE to pro DT

His biggest question is how the defense will be returning 9 of the 11 starters from the worst Rams defense in the teams history. (My concern also-please sign a DB and a real veteren DT).

Says he doesn't know how Bartell will do on the outside after playing well against the slot

Expects Lenny Walls to line up vs outside WR on 3rd downs and Bartell to line up vs slot WR (YIKES!)

Asks if Rams are second guessing themselves releasing Butler

Says he wouldn't be surprised to see Claude Terrell over take Mark Setterstrom as the teams starting left guard

Says Terrell is a road grading run blocker but had difficulties in pass protection when he started 10 games in 2005.

Says the team has the best o-line depth since they came to St.louis

Says the new special team coach is old school but he will take a wait and see aproach when it comes to special teams because they've been so bad so long.

[Rambos]

Says Condon is trying to get Bulger paid more than another one of Condons clients, Peyton Manning

If true i can see why he does not have a deal

[Keenum]

Wow, Manning is already way over-paid, and we've seen the Colts forced to re-do his contract all the time or release players. I don't want that, and if that is what they are discussing, I, too, can see what they Rams are not getting anywhere.

[Goldenfleece]

I agree on Bulger. That's going to be a tough negotiation, but I think the team is on better terms with Condon than some of the other super-agents (Rosenhaus for example).

I don't mind Bartell lining up against slot receivers because he did alright as a nickelback last season, but Walls on the outside still scares me. We're going to miss Brown for those first four games.

I'm rooting for Setterstrom in the O-line battle. I don't dislike Terrell, but I like these guys who are picked at the bottom of the draft and just keep fighting to earn their spot.

[Nick]

In 2004, three years ago, Peyton Manning signed a nine-year $99.2 million contract - $11 million per year average.

In 2004, three years ago, Michael Vick signed a ten-year, $130 million extension - $13 million per year average.

In 2005, two years ago, Matt Hasselbeck signed a six-year, $47 million contract - a near $8 million per year average.

In 2005, two years ago, Tom Brady signed a six-year, $60 million extension - $10 million per year average.

In 2006, one year ago, Drew Brees signed a six-year, $60 million contract - $10 million per year average.

Can anyone really sit here and say that now, in 2007, Bulger doesn't deserve a contract with that kind of per-year average? Because that seems to be the going rate for quarterbacks in the upper echelon of the league.

Now, if Condon is trying to get Bulger over the $100 million hump, that might be a losing battle because he may not be able to get the team to agree to a deal long enough to warrant that price. However, if Condon's goal is to get Bulger a per-season average near Manning's and at least on par with guys like Brees and Brady, I think he's on the right path.

The fact of the matter is that's the going rate for a top tier QB, and since most recognize Bulger is one of the top 5-6 QBs in this league, that means you have to open up the pocketbook and pay him when it comes time.

[RealRam]

Originally Posted by Nick

...If Condon is trying to get Bulger over the $100 million hump, that might be a losing battle because he may not be able to get the team to agree to a deal long enough to warrant that price. However, if Condon's goal is to get Bulger a per-season average near Manning's and at least on par with guys like Brees and Brady, I think he's on the right path.

The fact of the matter is that's the going rate for a top tier QB, and since most recognize Bulger is one of the top 5-6 QBs in this league, that means you have to open up the pocketbook and pay him when it comes time.

This certainly sounds true -- as well as deserving -- in the ongoing mini saga of Bulger's contract.


Also, on a different note:

Says the team has the best O-line depth since they came to St. Louis :r

EXCELLENT! The more reason to secure Bulger solidly.

[tomahawk247]

i read on KFFL that Bulger wants to be the highest paid player in franchise history

Not sure on how much that would entail, but i dont remember us giving out particularly large contracts before, so maybe its not that much of a stretch

[r8rh8rmike]

Originally Posted by Nick

The fact of the matter is that's the going rate for a top tier QB, and since most recognize Bulger is one of the top 5-6 QBs in this league, that means you have to open up the pocketbook and pay him when it comes time.

Hard to argue with this. Bulger is without a doubt in the 10 million per ball park. Looking for more than the 11 million per Manning got might be pushing the envelope just a bit, but that's why they negotiate.

[tomahawk247]

The Manning comment is obviously a negotiation point and not a figure that Condon is actually aiming for

[letsgoramz]

I just really hope this turns out well and I know bulger does deserve big money I hope this situation doesn't lead to a downward spiral for the team as a whole

[rams70]

Originally Posted by tomahawk247

i read on KFFL that Bulger wants to be the highest paid player in franchise history

Not sure on how much that would entail, but i dont remember us giving out particularly large contracts before, so maybe its not that much of a stretch

That note on KFFL just doesnt sound like Bulger- good payday at a deserved level yes, but him even thinking about whether he's the highest paid player in team history, nope, no way.

[RebelYell]

Average salary per year isn't reality. Every contract is back loaded in the NFL. Bulger's contract should rightfully be for a higher dollar amount than Brees but the level of increase is the question. 6 years is probably going to be the term of the agreement. How much is back loaded? How much is guaranteed? Those are all very large negotiable issues.

Originally Posted by tomahawk247

The Manning comment is obviously a negotiation point and not a figure that Condon is actually aiming for

And he might not have said it at all.

Whoever transcribed that interview did us all a favor, but sometimes descriptions of radio bits like that can be too categorical.

Actually, when I heard the interview, Thomas would NOT confirm that Bulger wanted Manning money. He didn't deny it; more like said "I don't know that for sure" when asked directly if Condon wanted Manning money. Basically, in effect, Thomas said "I don't know" when asked that. It's much more ambiguous than the description above would lead you to believe.

Here's a link. Look for Bernie and Randy show, July 25. Fast forward to about 1 hour 26 minutes in when they start interviewing Thomas.

http://1380espn.com/01_07/audio_vault.htm

[bruce4life]

torry holt didnt even have this big of a contract disppute... he only makes what 5.4 million a year...come on people.... i agree that bulger is worth being paid but not no 11-13 million dollar range... somewhere from 8-10 is enough, especailly due to his history of injuries to the shoulder...

[HUbison]

Originally Posted by bruce4life

torry holt didnt even have this big of a contract disppute... he only makes what 5.4 million a year...come on people.... i agree that bulger is worth being paid but not no 11-13 million dollar range... somewhere from 8-10 is enough, especailly due to his history of injuries to the shoulder...

Well, the "value" of any player is always a fun topic for discussion, but it would appear the only two opinions of significance (Bulger and Condon) may disagree with our assessment.