Portis Agrees to $51M Deal With Redskins

Sadistic Jeff · 03-01-2004, 06:54 PM

By JOSEPH WHITE, AP Sports Writer

WASHINGTON - Clinton Portis agreed to an eight-year, $50.5 million contract with the Washington Redskins (news) on Monday, while Champ Bailey neared completion of a deal with the Denver Broncos (news) that would clear the way for a Portis-for-Bailey trade later this week.

Portis' deal, one of the richest ever for a running back, includes $17 million in bonus money, according to Portis' agent, Drew Rosenhaus. Portis is set to join quarterback Mark Brunell, who will be acquired in a trade with Jacksonville, in a revamped offense in coach Joe Gibbs' first season back in Washington.

First, however, the Broncos must agree to terms with Bailey, who would be sent from to Washington to Denver along with a second-round draft pick in exchange for Portis. Talks have gone well since Bailey's visit to Denver last week.

"Everything is skating right along schedule," Bailey's agent, Jack Reale, said Monday. "Things could be wrapped up quickly, maybe by tomorrow."

Trades cannot officially take place until the offseason trade and free agency period begins Wednesday, although they can be announced before then.

Portis' agreement represents another aggressive move by big-spending Redskins owner Dan Snyder, who didn't have to work out a new deal for the running back in order for the trade to take place. Portis' old, cap-friendly contract ran for two more years. Although he wanted a new deal after making just $300,000 last season, Washington was under no deadline to give him one.

This is also the second blockbuster contract Snyder has given a running back in four years. In 2000, he signed Stephen Davis to a nine-year, $90.75 million deal, but its long-term salary cap ramifications were so dire that Davis was cut one year ago and signed by Carolina.

The Portis-Broncos trade represents a rare swap of two young players hitting their prime. Bailey has been to four straight Pro Bowls and is one of the top shutdown cornerbacks in the league, while Portis has rushed for more than 1,500 yards in each of his first two NFL seasons.

Portis was scheduled to make $380,000 next season and $455,000 in 2005, a bargain price for a top running back. Portis' unhappiness with Denver's unwillingness to negotiate a new contract precipitated the trade talks.

The Redskins gave Bailey permission to talk to other teams and designated him as their franchise player last month. Bailey's contract expires this week, and he and the Redskins never came close to agreement on a new deal.

Daseal · 03-01-2004, 06:59 PM

Wow, tha'ts a pretty penny, he's worth every cent though!

Sadistic Jeff · 03-01-2004, 07:02 PM

Well, the bottom line is that we wanted a top flight RB, and now we have one. Living in Chicago, I have to stress how nice it is to see an organization try to go out and get what they need, not rehab other teams rejects. In sports you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. Owners that go and buy up everything get ragged on, and owners that are stingy get ragged on.

I support the effort. 100%

Defensewins · 03-01-2004, 07:02 PM

Still cheaper than the $50M six year deal tha Champ Bailey is set sign with Denver. I think we got a better cap deal than Denver.

RedskinRat · 03-01-2004, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Defensewins

Still cheaper than the $50M six year deal tha Champ Bailey is set sign with Denver. I think we got a better cap deal than Denver.

That was the first thing that struck me about the deal, less than we'd offered Bailey. Nice. This puts us in a much stronger position.

Daseal · 03-01-2004, 07:06 PM

Sadistic, you guys have a pretty good RB, and I feel bad for Jaron, I thought he was finally turning it around. The A-Train came on late in the year, I think he'll do better next year.

RedskinPete · 03-01-2004, 07:10 PM

I like having him but is his size going to hurt him down the line? What about the other running backs on the team? What about the line with little draft picks? But then again it really not this coming year we are going to talk about super bowl it will most likely take another draft to get there!undefined

Daseal · 03-01-2004, 07:12 PM

He's 5'11 209? That's not that undersized. He'll be fine, I wouldn't suggest slamming him up the middle 8 times on a goal line stand. Be nice to use Bryan Johnson or Rock in that situation. Even though Rock failed us quite a few times last year in short yardage situations.

Sheriff Gonna Getcha · 03-01-2004, 07:18 PM

Wait a minute here. I HATE this deal. It is dumb, dumb, dumb. I thought we were going to resign Portis, but for this much! No WAY! We're going to have to pay the Pied Piper some day and this deal makes our tab that much worse.

Portis had no leverage in negotiations; he already backed off that statement that he would hold out of training camp and he was getting paid squat for the next two years. So what does Snyder do? He goes and makes Portis the highest paid back in the league. Wow, that's some slick negotiating, we really stuck it to Portis and his agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Portis may be worth every penny and Bailey's deal might have been less cap friendly, but I am certain that we could have got Portis for less money.

skins009 · 03-01-2004, 07:24 PM

Ramseyfan is excactly right here, Dan Synder REALLY screwed this one up. Portis had no leverage in neg. and we still once again overpayed big time. You can't do that with the salary cap. I can't believe this crap. Portis is gonna be the highest paid RB in the league but he certainly is not the best. We don't even know how good he's gonna be w-out the denver o-line. THIS IS EXCATLY WHY WE NEED A GM.

WHERE GONE BURN IN SALARY CAP HELL!

Ghost · 03-01-2004, 07:27 PM

Was Barry Sanders undersized? Emmitt Smith? Shannahan is overconfident and I think he'll regret letting Portis go. From what I've read, a lot of Denver fans are unhappy about this trade. As for the Skins, I support making a major salary cap commitment to a stud RB, but not for a CB, even one as good as Champ Bailey. Portis will be the focal point of the offense. A CB is almost never the focal point of the D, unless his name is Deion Sanders and the year is 1995. Under Gregg Williams, our D will be better this year minus Champ.

Ghost · 03-01-2004, 07:30 PM

The new contract underscores the FO's faith in Portis. Now he won't come in with a bad attitude (hopefully). Still don't know why we had to give up a second rounder though.

SmootSmack · 03-01-2004, 07:49 PM

I don't think you can really judge the contract until you see the details of it. Is it heavily backloaded? Just knowing that it's 8 years, $50 million isn't enough

BrudLee · 03-01-2004, 07:53 PM

Excellent point smootsmack. It's hard to argue that Portis isn't one of the premier backs in football, and probably the best back in the NFC, now. This contract may look like a killer, but understand that the bonus money is tiered - which means that we aren't on the hook for $17 million out of the gate. With tiered bonuses, and backloaded salaries, the only big numbers are the ones the agents brag about.

Sheriff Gonna Getcha · 03-01-2004, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smootsmack

I don't think you can really judge the contract until you see the details of it. Is it heavily backloaded? Just knowing that it's 8 years, $50 million isn't enough

Sure it is....the details will give us a better idea of whether its backloaded or not, but paying 6.5 million a year for a back that was to make less than a million over the next two seasons (he said he wouldn't hold out of camp) seems a little stupid. What happenned to all of our leverage? It went right out the window and we handed out the biggest contract for a RB in NFL history.

03-01-2004, 06:54 PM	#1
Sadistic Jeff Camp Scrub Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Chicago, IL Age: 50 Posts: 18	Portis Agrees to $51M Deal With Redskins By JOSEPH WHITE, AP Sports Writer WASHINGTON - Clinton Portis agreed to an eight-year, $50.5 million contract with the Washington Redskins (news) on Monday, while Champ Bailey neared completion of a deal with the Denver Broncos (news) that would clear the way for a Portis-for-Bailey trade later this week. Portis' deal, one of the richest ever for a running back, includes $17 million in bonus money, according to Portis' agent, Drew Rosenhaus. Portis is set to join quarterback Mark Brunell, who will be acquired in a trade with Jacksonville, in a revamped offense in coach Joe Gibbs' first season back in Washington. First, however, the Broncos must agree to terms with Bailey, who would be sent from to Washington to Denver along with a second-round draft pick in exchange for Portis. Talks have gone well since Bailey's visit to Denver last week. "Everything is skating right along schedule," Bailey's agent, Jack Reale, said Monday. "Things could be wrapped up quickly, maybe by tomorrow." Trades cannot officially take place until the offseason trade and free agency period begins Wednesday, although they can be announced before then. Portis' agreement represents another aggressive move by big-spending Redskins owner Dan Snyder, who didn't have to work out a new deal for the running back in order for the trade to take place. Portis' old, cap-friendly contract ran for two more years. Although he wanted a new deal after making just $300,000 last season, Washington was under no deadline to give him one. This is also the second blockbuster contract Snyder has given a running back in four years. In 2000, he signed Stephen Davis to a nine-year, $90.75 million deal, but its long-term salary cap ramifications were so dire that Davis was cut one year ago and signed by Carolina. The Portis-Broncos trade represents a rare swap of two young players hitting their prime. Bailey has been to four straight Pro Bowls and is one of the top shutdown cornerbacks in the league, while Portis has rushed for more than 1,500 yards in each of his first two NFL seasons. Portis was scheduled to make $380,000 next season and $455,000 in 2005, a bargain price for a top running back. Portis' unhappiness with Denver's unwillingness to negotiate a new contract precipitated the trade talks. The Redskins gave Bailey permission to talk to other teams and designated him as their franchise player last month. Bailey's contract expires this week, and he and the Redskins never came close to agreement on a new deal. __________________ Thank you for playing, I am your host, Sadistic Jeff

03-01-2004, 07:02 PM	#3
Sadistic Jeff Camp Scrub Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Chicago, IL Age: 50 Posts: 18	Well, the bottom line is that we wanted a top flight RB, and now we have one. Living in Chicago, I have to stress how nice it is to see an organization try to go out and get what they need, not rehab other teams rejects. In sports you're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. Owners that go and buy up everything get ragged on, and owners that are stingy get ragged on. I support the effort. 100% __________________ Thank you for playing, I am your host, Sadistic Jeff

03-01-2004, 07:10 PM	#7
RedskinPete The Starter Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Camino,Ca Posts: 1,174	The 2nd round pick was still to much! I like having him but is his size going to hurt him down the line? What about the other running backs on the team? What about the line with little draft picks? But then again it really not this coming year we are going to talk about super bowl it will most likely take another draft to get there!undefined

03-01-2004, 07:53 PM	#14
BrudLee Playmaker Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Rehoboth Beach, DE Posts: 3,494	Excellent point smootsmack. It's hard to argue that Portis isn't one of the premier backs in football, and probably the best back in the NFC, now. This contract may look like a killer, but understand that the bonus money is tiered - which means that we aren't on the hook for $17 million out of the gate. With tiered bonuses, and backloaded salaries, the only big numbers are the ones the agents brag about. __________________ There's nowhere to go but up. Or down. I guess we could stay where we are, too.

03-01-2004, 06:59 PM	#2
Daseal Puppy Kicker Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arlington, Virginia Age: 41 Posts: 8,341	Wow, tha'ts a pretty penny, he's worth every cent though!

03-01-2004, 07:02 PM	#4
Defensewins Playmaker Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 3,749	Still cheaper than the $50M six year deal tha Champ Bailey is set sign with Denver. I think we got a better cap deal than Denver.

03-01-2004, 07:06 PM	#6
Daseal Puppy Kicker Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arlington, Virginia Age: 41 Posts: 8,341	Sadistic, you guys have a pretty good RB, and I feel bad for Jaron, I thought he was finally turning it around. The A-Train came on late in the year, I think he'll do better next year.

03-01-2004, 07:12 PM	#8
Daseal Puppy Kicker Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arlington, Virginia Age: 41 Posts: 8,341	He's 5'11 209? That's not that undersized. He'll be fine, I wouldn't suggest slamming him up the middle 8 times on a goal line stand. Be nice to use Bryan Johnson or Rock in that situation. Even though Rock failed us quite a few times last year in short yardage situations.

03-01-2004, 07:18 PM	#9
Sheriff Gonna Getcha Franchise Player Join Date: Feb 2004 Age: 45 Posts: 8,317	Wait a minute here. I HATE this deal. It is dumb, dumb, dumb. I thought we were going to resign Portis, but for this much! No WAY! We're going to have to pay the Pied Piper some day and this deal makes our tab that much worse. Portis had no leverage in negotiations; he already backed off that statement that he would hold out of training camp and he was getting paid squat for the next two years. So what does Snyder do? He goes and makes Portis the highest paid back in the league. Wow, that's some slick negotiating, we really stuck it to Portis and his agent Drew Rosenhaus. Portis may be worth every penny and Bailey's deal might have been less cap friendly, but I am certain that we could have got Portis for less money.

03-01-2004, 07:24 PM	#10
skins009 Impact Rookie Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 528	Ramseyfan is excactly right here, Dan Synder REALLY screwed this one up. Portis had no leverage in neg. and we still once again overpayed big time. You can't do that with the salary cap. I can't believe this crap. Portis is gonna be the highest paid RB in the league but he certainly is not the best. We don't even know how good he's gonna be w-out the denver o-line. THIS IS EXCATLY WHY WE NEED A GM. WHERE GONE BURN IN SALARY CAP HELL!

03-01-2004, 07:27 PM	#11
Ghost Special Teams Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 298	Was Barry Sanders undersized? Emmitt Smith? Shannahan is overconfident and I think he'll regret letting Portis go. From what I've read, a lot of Denver fans are unhappy about this trade. As for the Skins, I support making a major salary cap commitment to a stud RB, but not for a CB, even one as good as Champ Bailey. Portis will be the focal point of the offense. A CB is almost never the focal point of the D, unless his name is Deion Sanders and the year is 1995. Under Gregg Williams, our D will be better this year minus Champ.

03-01-2004, 07:30 PM	#12
Ghost Special Teams Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 298	The new contract underscores the FO's faith in Portis. Now he won't come in with a bad attitude (hopefully). Still don't know why we had to give up a second rounder though.

03-01-2004, 07:49 PM	#13
SmootSmack Uncle Phil Join Date: Feb 2004 Posts: 45,256	I don't think you can really judge the contract until you see the details of it. Is it heavily backloaded? Just knowing that it's 8 years, $50 million isn't enough

Portis Agrees to $51M Deal With Redskins

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