Eagles cornerback Lito Sheppard isn’t the only unhappy member of the team to recently change agents. Running back Brian Westbrook, who has expressed a belief that he’s underpaid and who also has been caught in a mess relating to the accidental payment to him of $3 million in bonus money, is looking for new represenation as well.
Westbrook has fired Fletcher Smith, who represents quarterback Donovan McNabb. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Westbrook could be hiring Lamont Smith and Peter Schaffer.
Smith and Schaffer, coincidentally, represented Sheppard before he changed to Drew Rosenhaus.
Westbrook recently vented to the Inquirer about his contract.
“When I signed my contract with the Eagles 2½ years ago, they paid me for the level of play I was playing at the time,” Westbrook said. “I’m not at that level no more. I’m at a higher level of play. There’s no question about that. The numbers don’t lie. My numbers have steadily increased from that point until now. Now, I’m at the point where I’m one of the elite backs in the NFL, and I should be compensated that way.”
Talks between the team and Smith have occurred, but there’s no evidence that the two sides have come remotely close to working out a deal.
Westbrook is signed through 2010. He is due to earn a base salary of $3 million this year.
Under NFLPA rules, a player must wait five days to sign with a new agent after firing his current one.
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July 17th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Toeny, who is Kevin Colb???
Oh wait I forgot there isn’t a player named that so maybe next time you talk about a NFL player and you act intelligent about the NFL, you might want to get his name right, chances are your just a stupid Dallas fan though where spelling isn’t required in school.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
July 17th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
When I think of Brian Westbrook I think of Dave Meggett, not an elite back.
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July 17th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
They’ve got him under contract until he’s 30. Sounds like a good plan to me. Let him play out his contract, then let him get Shaun Alexander money to stink it up someplace else when he’s past his prime.
Or they could placate him by giving him a deal that looks like a lot of money, but really is a modest salary increase over the next couple of years with expensive options (that won’t likely be exercised) beyond.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
July 17th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Hey Mr. Mike,
Westbrook deserves to be paid. His stats are on par with LaDanian, Adrian Peterson or anybody else in the elite RB category. And he is a better pass receiving threat than any of them. Best in the league.
Westbrook is now the heart of the Eagles offense. Whether Donovan is up, down or sideways, the double or triple team goes after Westbrook…
F2B
Ps… I hope he doesn’t go Rosenhaus, though. Too intense…
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
July 17th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I’m tired of all of this “if the player underperformed, he should give the money back” bs.
If you do well at your job, exceed expectations, become a key member of the workplace, you expect a raise, right? You go in an ask for one (or if you’re extremely underpaid, demand one).
If you suck at your job, you get fired/”offered” a paycut/demoted/etc. Your employer doesn’t get their money back when you suck, why should an NFL team get their money back when a player sucks? If they really want to, they can cut their losses, or, as is the big deal with players/agents, put bonuses and escalators in when the player signs a contract. Make it worth their while if they’re awesome and if they suck it shouldn’t affect them (except for wasted draft picks).
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
July 17th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Whoa - Sorry Vox, the article clearly states, he FIRED Fletcher Smith. I should have looked at the article closer before commenting.
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Rating: 4.5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
July 17th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
@ bwnyc: I didn’t get a degree from Villanova, Westbrook did. Apparently, however, he’s not at that level no more.
The point I was trying to drive home was that Westbrook sounds a lot more selfish and childish by saying, “I’m not at that level no more”, than if he were to say, “I’m no longer a third down back.”
Did he stomp his feet, march to his room and slam his door after making those statements? Probably not, but by quoting something like “I’m not at that level no more” almost reads like it were followed by wimpering and whining.
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
July 17th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Pay dat man his munie - kgb
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July 17th, 2008 at 7:24 pm
How could Fletcher Smith miss a $3 Million Dollar overpayment? He deserves to be replaced.
Are Donovan and his agent both losing clout with the Eagles, such that B-West figured he’s better off without Don’s agent now?
F2B
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
July 17th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
people who say westbrook should honor his contract certainly forget that he won games by himself last year and the year before. the tampa bay game when mcnabb threw 3 ints and westbrook broke about 5-6 tackles from the 50 yard line to score a TD with 40 seconds remaining. if it wasnt for the miracle 60 yard FG, the eagles would have won.
how about the dallas game last year when westbrook broke tackles from the 30 yard line and had a clear opening into the end zone only to take a knee at the 1 so we could run out the clock.
he is a true team player and donovan couldnt have been more right when he said westbrook is our entire offense. he isnt even one of the highest paid players on the team, let alone one of the highest paid RBs in the league. give him his damn money
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Rating: 1 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
July 17th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
he isnt an lt yet, but if lt pouts behind the visor any more i would change my mind.
westbrook is clearly better than meggett. no question.
and there is also no question what happens to the vaunted philly qb and offense when westbrook is out. they go from scoring 56 against a feeble lions d to 3 against an emerging giants d, circa 2007.
it is hard to say that losing one player, especially a non-qb, would cost a team ten points a game. westbrook is worth that much easily, to that team.
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Rating: 2 / 5 with 1 rating(s)