DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum Pat Williams will move on in 2008

Pat Williams will move on in 2008, according to agent
The agent for defensive tackle Pat Williams said Friday evening that he has ended negotiations with the Vikings toward a long-term contract extension.

"We engaged in a dialogue and set a date before the season kicked in, and today was the day they strapped up, so by not reaching an accord on a new deal, we will move on after the season," agent Angelo Wright told the Pioneer Press.

Wright said he and the Vikings first talked about an extension in February but made no serious progress toward a deal. Williams said earlier in the offseason that he wanted a four-year extension.

"Teams sign their core players, and don’t let them get into a situation where the player’s value is determined by the market," Wright said. "Since we couldn’t reach an agreement with the Vikings on where his value is, we’ll go into the market next offseason, and let the market dictate his value. We anticipate there will be a lot of interest in him, especially with his ability to nose tackle in the one or two gap schemes, or as a pure base d-tackle."

Asked if he ever got close to a deal, Wright said, "We had a real different philosophy in value, and we view their offer as a veiled non-offer."

Wright declined to discuss specific details. But he indicated that the market was set by "several "
deals this offseason.

"The guaranteed money is the reality in the NFL landscape," Wright said.

The Vikings are clearly concerned about the age of Williams, who will be 35 in October.

"Whether they think he has two years left or five years left, you still pay value to value," Wright said of Williams, who went to the Pro Bowl in February. "This guy is an anomaly. If their concern is whether he will have a drop off, then that drop off would still exceed the production value of the majority of the defensive tackles in this league. He’s at his pinnacle now. The skill level has not eroded, and he’s maintained durability."


Wright said Williams will not be a distraction this season, fulfilling the final year of his original three-year, $13 million contract with the Vikings.

"We just want Pat to focus on his job," Wright said. "Contract negotiations during the season is like dangling a carrot in front of Bugs Bunny."

Asked if a deal during the season is possible, Wright said, "I would never say never. But our focus now is to play and move on."

Asked if the Vikings will be able to compete for his client's services next offseason, Wright said, "They could compete, but, in our opinion, they’ve established what they believe Pat’s value is. You don’t need to be Alan Greenspan or Milton Friedman to understand where the money has risen in the National Football League, in the last year, and where it’s headed next season. Some teams are reactionary, and some teams are stationary. And some teams are just nary."

Link

Maybe he can be stop gap NT #2 for us next year after we lose Ted.

Dont Know Anything About Him.. Anyone Can Tell Us How He Plays??

He is good.. very good.

No one is going to pay top market value for a 35 year old DT. Williams needs to get over himself and realize that it's not how good he is, it's what he's worth. And at 36 (as he'll be when he's a FA), that dollar amount won't be as much as he thinks.

It may be surprising how much he could get in a 1-year deal.

Quote:

---

And at 36 (as he'll be when he's a FA), that dollar amount won't be as much as he thinks.

---

He actually won't be 36 until nearly halfway through the 2008 season....but the fact that he will be so makes me scratch my head as to why anyone would even consider it at this juncture.....

Next year, we will not be considering aged castoffs I would hope.

I really dont see any teams giving him big money...maybe a 1 year incentive based contract but thats about it.

He's an amazing run stuffer, even at his age.

Every potential FA thinks they are going to get Clements $$$.

The well will soon become dry. The new CBA gave each team about 20 mil additional in cap space...Times 32 teams that is 640 million additional Cap room for these players to make a living from. This is year 2 with the new CBA - I suspect next year will be the last year that teams will have money assuming expenditures will remain the same rather than drop or grow??? Teams will saturate themselves again to their maximum or close to it.

FA's who signed big contracts will soon find themselves cut unless they are playing on All Pro HOF levels. And even then so if a team is over the Cap those high priced FA's will be the target rather than cut 2-3 starters.

The hiatus of money being thrown around will be over. Teams will be hitting the Cap mark and playing the Cap game as they did 3 years ago. I'm glad we will have a year or two of sanity before most of our Drafted players will be looking for their 2nd contracts cause if it was this year or next...silly money is being thrown around.

JMHO

I'm sure he'll get paid well...note I stated next year will be the last with money thrown around. After that - 09 on its going to be tough and there will be a shock and time period for the Agents to have their hayday come to an end as well.

Actually with Ted W's contract expiring after this season (I can see him stay on as a coach) It won't surprise me to see us take a run at him - unless Shaun Smith totally studs out.

JMHO

He was on the Intern program thing with NFLe...he would work with the teams in FLA before they left to Europe. Since he was still a player he never went to Europe to do actual game coaching.

JMHRecollection

Williams made the pro bowl this past year, and to be a dominant NT you don't have to be 25 or anything. Plus it might be an upgrade for a year or two over our current 39 year old NT who was the anchor of one of the worst run defenses last year. Not gonna worry about who our 2008 NT is gonna be right now, too many other problems on the Browns. I'd much rather have a young stud NT in place soon though than one way past his prime.