Newz Forum: FOOTBALL: Browns to make Winslow highest paid TE in history

BEREA, Ohio (AP) - The Cleveland Browns want to make rookie Kellen Winslow Jr. the highest paid tight end in NFL history.

The club has offered Winslow, the No. 6 overall pick in last April's draft, a contract that would exceed the $31 million deal Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez signed before the 2002 season. Gonzalez's deal included a $10 million signing bonus, the most ever given to a tight end.

In an unusual move designed to put pressure on Winslow's agent, Kevin Poston, the Browns released a statement two hours before the club opened training camp to announce that they had made their "best offer" to the former University of Miami star. Teams almost never disclose contract figures -- even after the deal is done.

But the Browns publicly provided the framework for negotiations.

They said their deal matches the seven-year, $18 million contract safety Sean Taylor, the No. 5 overall pick and Winslow's former college teammate, signed earlier this week with the Washington Redskins.

Taylor received a $7.2 million signing bonus and a total package that could exceed $13 million in guaranteed compensation.

"Given the close personal and competitive relationship between Kellen and Sean Taylor, as well as their equal talent level on different sides of the football, we did not want to penalize Kellen for being picked one slot below his former teammate," Browns president John Collins said in the statement.

"Faced with the opportunity to get Kellen in camp on time, we made our best offer.




[Edited on 31/7/04 by TRD]

Ah, he'll still hold out. He's a whiney a$$ bum...

Probably will too. I'd go into the league for whatever the hell they would give me.

Yeah, but I'm assuming you don't have the requisite skills, otherwise you wouldn't be talkin to us here...

Originally posted by Gibbs Baby!!!
Yeah, but I'm assuming you don't have the requisite skills, otherwise you wouldn't be talkin to us here...

Check his panel Gibbs. Sniper has the skills, he's the Master of Bation. Which is pretty much what Winslow has done in the NFL so far. Are they paying him assuming he can play the way his dad did? That would be a HUGE mistake. Also I can't see this rook getting more than the premier TE of this era.

So let me get this straight.....

The highest paid TE in NFL history will not have played ONE down in the league when he is awarded this? That's insane.

Originally posted by ProudAmerican
So let me get this straight.....

The highest paid TE in NFL history will not have played ONE down in the league when he is awarded this? That's insane.

Yeah but look at the insanity of the other Major league, throwing money left and right at high school kids. The league has got to step in to prevent this behavior. Look at what has become of hockey.

You're right, basically sports is out of hand.

Unfortunately, you guys are right, the salaries are way out of control. I think we all forget that the players are just playing a game. And the only way to really put an end to the upward spiral of salaries will never occur.

I dont see an end to the madness, people are obsessed with sports :smug: and their product sells.

Gibbs not only are they just playing a game, but they only do it for 6 or 7 months out of the year. The other months their hangin' out at their "cribs", livin' large. But we work 12 months/year and 40 hrs/wk for peanuts, makes ya mad doesn't it?

exactly my points, we, the fans, are the only ones who can put an end to the madness, by not purchasing the products, or going to games, or even watching the games on TV (the neilsons provide the basis for the contracts, eh?)

But who the he11 wants to do that?

I would if I knew everyone else would and that we could make a difference, but that'll never happen.

On second thought, Sundays in the fall just wouldn't be right without football from 1pm - midnight.

Originally posted by ProudAmerican
On second thought, Sundays in the fall just wouldn't be right without football from 1pm - midnight.

yep. but it would be nice if they were making the kind of maney we are, huh?

So when do we start the fans strike?

Originally posted by Gibbs Baby!!!

So when do we start the fans strike?

Where would you even begin?

Originally posted by ProudAmerican

Originally posted by Gibbs Baby!!!

So when do we start the fans strike?

Where would you even begin?

The logical place to begin, considering current situations, would be hockey, if and when that ever comes back.

Or maybebaseball, to get them to start a salary cap, or at least revenue sharing.

The bad thing is that the salary cap increases every year so that's not really going to keep salaries down.

I would be behind this if it were just the fans but you have corporations that buy up blocks of tickets, some never get used, and the average Joe can't go to a game because he can't afford these tickets. The Leafs sell out every game but watch one, you'll see empty seats. I hate the fact that these "freebies" are there for people that don't give a damn about the game. They're the ones driving up the prices and the salaries.

Originally posted by truenorth
I would be behind this if it were just the fans but you have corporations that buy up blocks of tickets, some never get used, and the average Joe can't go to a game because he can't afford these tickets. The Leafs sell out every game but watch one, you'll see empty seats. I hate the fact that these "freebies" are there for people that don't give a damn about the game. They're the ones driving up the prices and the salaries.

That's a good point too. But, if no one watched the games, it would help too.

Of course, none of this wil evera actually happen...

The funny thing is though, that any fan would die to have a job playing sports and make even as much as they are right now doing whatever they are doing, but it seems like their heads get inflated when they are that good, and it becomes a business, and not a fun sport, like it was playing as kids.

Originally posted by sniper474
The funny thing is though, that any fan would die to have a job playing sports and make even as much as they are right now doing whatever they are doing, but it seems like their heads get inflated when they are that good, and it becomes a business, and not a fun sport, like it was playing as kids.

I don't know Sniper, there are some. I look at Iginla and I can picture him playing for $1000/ week, if that's all it payed.