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As the agent for Michigan tackle Jake Long continues to negotiate with the Miami Dolphins regarding the possibility of working out a contract before the time comes for the Dolphins to make their pick, there’s a report that Jake isn’t all that juiced about playing for the Fins.
John Czarnecki of FOXSports.com reports that “[t]he word on the street” is that Long doesn’t want to play in Miami. But talks are continuing between the team and Long’s agent because of the “special honor” of being the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. (Yeah, those Steve Emtman rookie cards are going for about 100 . . . yen.)
Czarnecki says that, if/when the talks with Jake Long break down, the Fins won’t move on to defensive end Chris Long. The Virginia product, the son of Hall of Famer Howie Long, has been presumed for several months to have the inside track because he’s the safest pick on the board.
The Fins apparently then would look after Jake Long to defensive end/linebacker Vernon Gholston. With talk of Gholston slipping in the eyes of other teams, he’d be very wise to take the best deal he can get, if/when he gets an opportunity to negotiate with the Fins.
April 15th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
This is all just looking like more and more pre-Draft fluff by the owners and their GMs to get contract values down. I bet Gholston will go #1, and take less than he should which will in turn lower all the contracts of this year’s draft. Owners are getting craftier and with all the confusion on the part of the Players’ Association, I foresee the owners d o m i n a t i n g the next round of labor negotiations.
Somethings gotta give though. Players get paid way too much AND expect the League to have some golden brick road to retirement laid out for them after their playing days are through. The players want everything, but they’re gonna get smashed by ownership, regardless of who the unquestioned #1 of the NFLPA is (get over yourself already, Upshaw)…
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April 15th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
The Dolphins have more juice than they are using. Jake Long si the guy the Rams really want and MAtt Ryan is the guy the Falcons really want. The Dolphins can walk their way down the board picking up extra picks just by threatening to draft either of those guys. The Rams don’t want Glenn Dorsey. They just moved Adam Carriker to the 3-technique DT spot because he was looking like a bust as a defensive end. You think any player is more valuable than Matt Ryan to the Patriots in that position?
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April 15th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
I didn’t know Archie had any more sons.
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April 15th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
You cant believe a single word that is mumbled this time of year….all teams are sending out smoke screens to put themselves in the best position to not only draft, but also to sign these players….this is all interesting to note, but take it for face value only…
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April 15th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
I doubt long went out and said that. but in true parcells fashion, he would draft the guy just to make a point that he calls the shots, not the player
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April 15th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
There is nothing wrong with being a Miami Dolphin. It would be very unwise for Jake Long to complain about things like this. He (presumably) does not have a daddy like Eli Manning has that will make sure things work out all rosy.
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April 15th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
It’s pretty funny that anyone believes even for a second the Cowboys would trade two firsts PLUS a second to draft a running back first overall.
That would be, in a word, retarded.
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April 15th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
I still don’t buy that the No. 1 pick brings with it some massive intrinsic value for marketing purposes.
I mean, Reggie Bush is the one with 50 marketing deals, not Mario Williams. Right?
Where did Brady Quinn drop to? He’s the one with the marketing deals, not Jamarcus Russel, Calvin Johnson, or Joe Thomas.
Where are all of Alex Smith’s endorsement deals, or David Carr’s or Courtney Brown, Tim Couch, etc.
Sure, Eli and Peyton were #1 overall, but Peyton is a great player with a marketable personality and Eli can ride his coattails. Carson Palmer is a pretty good player, he’s not filling up the airwaves. Orlando Pace was #1 overall in 97 and has been a great player for years…I don’t remember him in any big ads.
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April 15th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
I’m betting that this is his agent who’s spreading the rumor and/or convincing the guy he wants to go elsewhere. As Florio has pointed out, Miami is playing hardball with negotiations and NO agent wants to be known as the agent that got the number one pick LESS money. Long’s getting bad financial advice from a guy that is more concerned about his future than Long’s. If anything good comes out of the next contract, I hope it’s getting the rookie pay scale under control so the big bucks can go to the guys that have actually gone out on the field and earned it.
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April 15th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Guys this rumor is BS im gonna post some comments from Jake in an interview with ESPN.
Jake Long: Well I have worked my whole life to get here, and done everything I can. I just have to keep working hard and if it happens it happens, but it does not matter if I get drafted number one or number twenty; I will love wherever I go. Now it is up to the teams, and we will see what happens when the draft gets here.
Jake Long: It does not matter where I go. It does not matter who I play for. It will be an honor to get drafted and just play in the NFL. I am excited just to play in the league.
The Dolphins have huge holes on their offensive line and have a vacant tackle spot.
Asked at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis about the possibility of playing for the Dolphins, Long said, “It would be an honor.”
“They would get a hard-working, passionate player,” Long said. “Someone that comes to work and gives 100 percent every single day and has a true passion and love for the game.”
So, there you have it the rumor is false and I dont think Condon is spreading the rumor. Cause it states Condon continues negotiations in hope Jake is the 1st overall pick. Jake will get more money then Joe Thomas, but less then Russell cause he is not a QB. Jake Long will be a Miami Dolphin and love it.
I hope with this information the guys at PFT can correct the rumor
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April 15th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
I always try to put myself in the players’s perspective on these type of issues because the media and fans always seem to side with management.
The negotiations and finacial terms in sports should not be public knowledge. The only reason this type of info is ever leaked is for leverage.
The draft is unfair. If a guy is good enough to negotiate with the team with top pick, he has earned the right to accept or decline the offer. Want to be drafted to practice law or medicine in Idaho because the Hospital or firm that drafted you has offices there?
I was brought up bitter at John Elway for rejecting the Colts as the #1 pick. He could have generated enough interest to keep the franchise here. The more I thought about it though, the more I said why not use the leverage if you have it? Are you going to let some moron on a messageboard cost you money or a chance to play on the team you really want to play for? You don’t need those fans, you only need to win over the team you eventually sign with even if it is still not a good idea to walk the streets of Harm City wearing a big Horse teeth smile and an Orange #7 jersey.
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April 15th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
People who still talk about a trade with Dallas are ill-informed and lack any sort of football knowledge. It’s just stupid speculation.
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April 15th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Can you say “Bill, I want more money than you offered. I’ll take this public and then everyone will know you are not paying me what I am truely worth”.?
As I see it, the dolphins are in the driver seat, they have some money to spend and need a lot of help. Someone is going to look good on the field when the Parcells team starts winning.
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April 15th, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Maybe FoxSports Czarnecki just finished watching “Suicide Kings” with Christopher Walken:
WALKEN as Carlo Bartolucci/Charlie Barret:
“That phone call I got, it came from outside high walls and fancy gates; it comes from a place you know about maybe from the movies. But I come from out there, and everybody out there knows, everybody lies: cops lie, newspapers lie, parent’s lyin’. The one thing you can count on - word on the street… yeah, that’s solid.”
Hahahaha….TOO FUNNY!
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April 15th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Maybe FoxSports Czarnecki just finished watching “Suicide Kings” with Christopher Walken:
WALKEN as Carlo Bartolucci/Charlie Barret:
“That phone call I got, it came from outside high walls and fancy gates; it comes from a place you know about maybe from the movies. But I come from out there, and everybody out there knows, everybody lies: cops lie, newspapers lie, parent’s lyin’. The one thing you can count on - word on the street… yeah, that’s solid.”
Hahahaha…TOO FUNNY!
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April 15th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
This is clearly his agent’s doing. I can’t remember one player ever since I’ve been alive who didn’t want to come and play for the Dolphin. Regardless of their record or recent history.
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April 15th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
Screw Jake.
I wanna see Golston as a Fin !!!
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April 15th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Sounds like Parcells has overplayed his hand, and Jake’s agent has called his bluff. I’m guessing that Long’s agent knows that the Rams’ “theoretical” offer is nearly as good as Parcells’ offer, so Long didn’t have much, if anything, to lose by telling Parcells to stick it. Now the Dolphins end up with sloppy seconds. If Gholston’s agent were smart, he wouldn’t play Parcell’s game, either. He come back with a response like, “Vernon would love to play for the Dolphins, for a contract commensurate with Vernon’s draft status.” Then everyone would know that VG was Parcell’s second choice. If Miami didn’t take him, the whole world would know that Miami would be drafting a player they rated no higher than third, all to save a few bucks.
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April 15th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Jeremiah W is correct. I have always been amazed at how sports drafts are considered legal. Name another profession where you have to go work for one company in one town if you want to work at your chosen profession. And if you don’t like that company, you can’t work anywhere else in the US doing that type of work. Imagine if lawyers had such limited options coming out of law school. They’d go ballistic.
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