Former Ram Related (FRR)-Warner signs

[RamWraith]

Fox sports and local NY station are saying its a done deal.
Warner signs

[RamWraith]

from ESPN

Thursday, June 3, 2004

Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Two-time NFL MVP Kurt Warner signed with the New York Giants in a move that gives the team a veteran quarterback in case top draft pick Eli Manning is not ready to start this season.

Giants spokesman Pat Hanlon on Thursday confirmed the signing and said Warner would be on the field with the team on Thursday morning at a closed practice.

The quarterback is scheduled to hold an afternoon news conference.

While terms of the contract were not disclosed, Warner is believed to have gotten a two-year deal that will pay him $3 million this season, including a $1.5 million signing bonus.

The signing comes a little more than 24 hours after Warner was released in a salary-cap move by St. Louis, ending an improbable run that saw the former Arena League quarterback twice take the Rams to the Super Bowl -- including a victory over Tennessee in 1999.

Warner has battled injuries the last two years. He missed half of the 2002 season with hand injuries. He lost his starting job last season after sustaining a concussion in a season-opening loss to the Giants.

Warner hasn't won a game as a starter since the 2001 season, when he led the Rams to a 14-2 record. New England upset St. Louis in the Super Bowl, denying Warner a second title.

Warner's agent, Mark Bartelstein, was not immediately available for comment.

Warner comes to the Giants knowing Manning is their quarterback of the future.

New York traded first-round draft picks this year and next and other choices to San Diego on draft day to acquire the rights to the Mississippi quarterback who was the No. 1 pick overall in the draft.

The Giants had hoped that Kerry Collins would mentor Manning this season. But the veteran who led the Giants to a Super Bowl appearance in January 2001 refused to renegotiate a contract that would have paid him $7 million in the upcoming season.

Collins was cut days after the draft, and subsequently signed with the Oakland Raiders, forcing new coach Tom Coughlin to search for a proven veteran.

Warner, who will turn 33 on June 22, is that.

After his injury troubles, Warner's days in St. Louis were numbered once Marc Bulger was given a four-year, $19.1 million contract last month.

The Rams gave Warner permission to shop himself, knowing he would be released June 1. Warner met with the Giants last month.

[WisRamsFan]

It's going to be odd seeing him in another uni, but we all knew it was coming. I was rather surprised that it was a 2-year deal, but as I read Warner I saw that he can have the second year voided. I thought he would want one year to play and then test the free-agent market if he had a decent year. I wish him good luck and hope he plays well.

[AvengerRam]

I'm happy for Kurt. I really am.


But more so... I'm happy that this ordeal is finally over. I said months ago that the only thing I was certain of was that the Rams should not go into the 2004 season with both Bulger and Warner. I think they made the sensible choice in going with the less expensive, younger, and (at least perceived) healthier QB. Time will tell if they made the right choice.

[Nick]

I wish Kurt all the best. It'll be interesting to see how he does in New York with a less talented offensive team. Hopefully that line can keep him healthy.

[moklerman]

The contract is a two-year deal, voidable after the first year. Warner will make $3.5 million in salary and bonuses, and more than $8 million if he achieves all his incentives this season, a source close to the negotiations told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

Just to keep the head scratching going, what in the world is going on with the league right now? The Giants cut Kerry Collins because he wouldn't re-negotiate his $7 million dollar contract, the Rams...well, you know all of that mess and now, Kurt picks up a possible $8 million from that same Giant team. They must really be excited about having KW or Bartelstein's one helluva an agent, or the Giants are being run by Daniel Snyder or...I don't know what.

I have to admit that I'm pleased about KW getting a beefy contract. I feel bad for fans of Kordell Stewart after he sat on the market for 3 months and then signed for the veteran's minimum. As sad as it is, it's an indicator of their...well, "worth" to state the obvious, by how much they get on their contract. I still feel KW's got something left in addition to having something to prove, and it's nice to see that an NFL GM feels the same way.

[AvengerRam]

Kind of a "grass is always greener" syndrome, don't you think?

[MartialRAM]

Warner accepted a two-year, $9.5 million contract Thursday morning that included a $1.5 million signing bonus and a $2 million base salary for this season, ESPN.com's John Clayton reports. The second year is to be worth $6 million, but it is voidable, allowing Warner to be a free agent after the season.

This is the quote from ESPN. I think the incentives are still arguable. He would have to reach ALL of them in order to make more than Collins.

Here's hoping KW breaks the Giants bank...LOL.

[Mykel]

All I have to say is thank GOD he isn't a Whiner. As much as I love KW, I really don't know what I would have done if the Whiners had made a push for him and, even worse, gotten him!

Good luck KW!

[jjsram]

Great deal for Warner. He seems very confident right now. Hope he makes $8 million this coming year.

[Nick]

Originally Posted by moklerman

Just to keep the head scratching going, what in the world is going on with the league right now? The Giants cut Kerry Collins because he wouldn't re-negotiate his $7 million dollar contract, the Rams...well, you know all of that mess and now, Kurt picks up a possible $8 million from that same Giant team. They must really be excited about having KW or Bartelstein's one helluva an agent, or the Giants are being run by Daniel Snyder or...I don't know what.

I have to admit that I'm pleased about KW getting a beefy contract. I feel bad for fans of Kordell Stewart after he sat on the market for 3 months and then signed for the veteran's minimum. As sad as it is, it's an indicator of their...well, "worth" to state the obvious, by how much they get on their contract. I still feel KW's got something left in addition to having something to prove, and it's nice to see that an NFL GM feels the same way.

I would think that it's the cap value that caused Collins to be cut and Warner to be signed. Even if Warner achieves all those incentives, while he'll be making more than Collins did, I'm sure it's a lower cap hit for the Giants.

As for the worth of the player, I definitely agree that Warner has more value than Kordell. But take into account that the Giants were really the only team that brought Warner in for a visit, and while they did offer him what appears to be a moderately signed contract, they might have been overpaying to get him off the market and ensure they get their veteran QB.

We'll never really know what exactly Warner's worth is around the league, but I think there's more to take into consideration than contract size and how long they were a free agent, even though both of those are good indicators that the Giants valued Warner quite a bit. My question is how much the rest of the league did.

[adarian_too]

What I find fascinating is that there have been some very vocal people harping on the fact that the release of KW was justified by the lack of interest in him ... therefore, all those 'all-knowing' insiders must be right when they OPINED that KW was damaged goods, but when in point of fact negotiations got underway right away and NY just kept a poker face. Gosh, Mokerman what sense do you make of NY possibly paying KW more than whats-his-name that left AND dropping Kitna at the same time? Sure doesn't seem as if NY thought his hand was a problem. In fact they bluffed the league into thinking they weren't interested by signing Kitna!

So now KW is out of sight, out of mind. So much so that this thread got moved because he is not a Ram any longer. Neither is Cleeson but his story must be more heart-warming so threads about him should stay. Nice suppression. It won't be long when KW won't even get any credit for his contribution. It will be sMartz, sMartz, sMartz.

Well there was a problem in the mid-west. But it didn't go away when KW was released. It still remains at Rams Park. You have nothing to prove in NY Kurt. But no matter what they are saying now about Eli, NY is much more sophisticated than St. Louis, if you lead them to the prmoised land and return with the Holy Grail you'll get better treatment. Best of evrything to you Kurt.

"It is the image in the mind that binds us to our lost treasures, but it is the loss that shapes the image." - COLETTE

[RamWraith]

I guess all the same can be said about Bulger. Cause he doesn't exsist in some of your eyes. Lets all wait until he leads us to the promise land until we give him his just dues.

Please; we have heard about how great Warner is this and that. So much for the June 1st date of this issue being dead and gone.

I have an idea. Lets all fund our money together and build a statue in front of The Ed in honor of Kurt. A true american hero.

Winning I guess had nothing to do with Faulk, Bruce, Holt and the rest. Hummm The 1999 St. Louis Warners.

[adarian_too]

Wraith-away:

My point is still very simple ... KW's release IS a legitimate topic of discussion on the ClanRam board itself. Not because of his abilities vis-a-vis Bulger, but because it goes to the heart of Rams Park - the decision-making process, or even lack thereof.

KW's release is nothing more than an example that will validate one point of view one way or another. It will demonstrate that the failure to win a 2nd SB, despite the talent that was kept together, was a product of stupidity or just the dumb-luck of a mis-understood genius.

[RamWraith]

one COULD argue that the failure to win another Super Bowl was because of a broken down old quarterback and the distraction it caused.

This is a no win argument that has been going on for 9 months. The chapter should be closed and we now should be able to move on. We will see if this was a good move or a bad move in a few months, the fact remains he is no longer a Ram and we have beat the issue to death.

P.S.- Cleeland still counts, he hasn't been picked up yet ;-)
P.S.S.- When Warner retires we can all sit back and talk about the good old days. My personal opinion---he should have went out when the getting was good, even if he is back to "normal" he will not have a good line and a great set of recievers. Ask Jordan if he regrets not staying out. Warner was great because the TEAM was great, just like Aikman, Elway, Montana. You can not put up freakish numbers without help. Why do you think Marino was never effective enough.